MINI Paceman (2013-2016) Review

Have you been a happy MINI hatch owner, but are now finding your beloved car a bit too small? Do you wish the boot were bigger or there was at least some semblance of rear-seat space? Then the MINI Paceman might just be for you.

It’s also a different alternative to a three-door hot hatchback – i.e. something like a Golf GTI or a smaller Fiesta ST. The BMW-grade onboard equipment, including an excellent infotainment system, also helps set it apart from more mainstream cars.

Even the fact it comes in all-wheel-drive guise might be useful for some who want a sporty-feeling car but still need to guarantee winter-weather motoring. You need to keep an open mind as it wasn’t right for many people when new. But that’s the beauty of the used car market.

Part of the MINI Paceman’s problem when new was that there’s nothing else quite like it. Crossover coupes even now are hardly a booming sector and no rival offered an alternative.

There was one similarly-conceived car, perhaps: the Nissan Juke Nismo. Generally, though, the Paceman fell into the uncertain space between small and family-sized hot hatches. Perhaps the most viable alternative is actually the roomier, five-door version of the Paceman – MINI's own Countryman.

Curiously, the MINI Paceman doesn’t quite have the same feeling of in-built quality that the smaller MINI hatchback does. The main dashboard structure looks a bit cheap and there are a few too many hard and shiny bits and pieces. Some areas are plain flimsy, such as the panel around the climate control buttons. It just doesn’t feel like it has the same integrity as the normal MINI.

At least the BMW-grade bits work well – such as the infotainment, a few of the minor controls, and details such as the responsiveness of the trip computer located within the rev counter. And, on the outside, it has a good-quality finish, with thick paint and a solid thunk to the doors. It’s the details that let the Paceman down, which is a surprise.

Regular models don’t get any form of infotainment. They simply get a fiddly radio panel built into the bottom of the central speedo, which will likely prove infuriating to use.

Versions with navigation have a MINI-branded (but thoroughly BMW-grade) infotainment system. The central screen isn’t a touchscreen, but is activated by a rotary iDrive controller located in the centre console. It isn’t quite as easy to use as in a BMW, but is still intuitive and straightforward.

The infotainment screen layout and navigation logic are flawless. BMW systems are the best in the business and it gives the MINI Paceman a sophisticated feel. Adding routes is easy, mapping is clear and owners can also access advanced infotainment features via the MINI Connected service.

While the hidden speedo needle is clever, it’s not actually very easy to read. You’ll be relying on the digital display in the rev counter instead. 

The MINI Paceman certainly feels roomy and airy for people up front. The more upright positioning behind the wheel makes good use of this extra spaciousness with a good view forwards, although the plunging roofline does restrict things when looking over your shoulder. At least it has a rear wiper.

It’s very awkward climbing into the rear, as the front seats get in the way, and the roofline drops down. And, while it has more space back there than a MINI hatch, that’s not saying much. 

There is at least some semblance of legroom, particularly if those in the front don’t mind sliding their seats forward, while headroom isn’t bad despite the coupe kink to the roof. But it’s far from spacious and still not competitive with a regular hot hatchback. The rear seats are quite cool, though. There’s only two of them, and each is shaped like a mini bucket seat, giving more side support and better comfort.

The boot grows significantly over a regular MINI, to 330 litres with the seats up. The space is nice and deep (good job, given the rake of the rear screen), although it’s a shame the opening is so narrow – blame those big rear lights eating into the space. Folding the seats down extends it to 1080 litres: not massive, but usefully larger than a normal MINI.

MINI made a big deal of its central rail system in the cabin at launch. This stretches front to rear, and lets occupants clip on things such as cupholders and sunglasses holders, and move them front to rear. It’s not particularly practical and owners are unlikely to find it useful.

We don’t like the handbrake. It’s an inverse L-shaped lever, with the button underneath, and it’s awkward and heavy to use and release. It’s meant to be space-saving, but doesn’t actually save that much room. A regular handbrake would be much more practical.

The MINI Paceman dimensions are 4109mm long, 1996mm wide and 1518mm tall.

The regular MINI Cooper engine sounds like it should be sporty, but it doesn’t have the grunt to offset the extra weight of the Paceman. It only has 122PS, so even the quickest version can’t dip under 10 seconds for the 0-62mph dash. It also lacks pulling power, so drivers have to make plentiful use of engine revs and the six-speed gearbox. All models have nice snappy gearshifts, but even so, it’s a bit of a drag if you want to travel quickly.

The Cooper D has less power (just 113PS), but it does have a lot more torque. Thus, while it’s slower against the clock, it might actually prove the more relaxed model to use day-to-day, needing less frequent use of the gearbox.

The Cooper S is the best all-rounder. It has a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that produces 190PS. Zero to 62mph takes 7.4 seconds, which still isn’t as fast as the best hot hatches, but makes it feel much livelier. You can press the accelerator and surge forward, rather than pressing it, not feeling any response, then having to change down a gear or two.

The Cooper SD has a 2.0-litre BMW diesel engine normally found in the 3 Series. It’s a bit heavy for this sort of car, but does have an effortlessness lacking in the other versions. Meanwhile, the vibrant John Cooper Works is a lot of fun, and quicker against the clock, but we think the overall set-up of the Cooper S is better.

You can also get a MINI Paceman with an automatic gearbox, but it’s a disappointing transmission that has an impact on both performance and fuel economy. Our advice is to stick with the manual, for that more authentic and MINI-like experience.

As it is a bigger car, the MINI Paceman is a bit more refined than a normal MINI. Noise from the road surface is better isolated and there’s less suspension clatter over bumps. It’s better in terms of wind noise at speed as well, helped by aerodynamics that are just a bit sleeker than the stubby and upright MINI.

It’s on a par with sporty supermini hatches, but not as good as larger models such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The diesel engines make a bit of a clattery noise when revved and the Cooper engine sounds too hard-worked and strained most of the time. Perhaps the most refined overall will, surprisingly, be the Cooper S turbo.

The MINI Paceman has cool frameless doors, just like the smaller MINI. These automatically wind the window down slightly when you open them, then go back up when you close it. Why? To ensure a tighter door seal, to keep wind noise at bay. Open the window slightly at speed and you’ll realise how effective it is.

Euro NCAP didn’t test the MINI Paceman for crash safety performance, because it is an iteration of the Countryman, which it assessed in 2010 – and awarded with five stars. Adult occupant protection was rated at 84% and child occupant protection 83%. Pedestrian protection scored 63% and Euro NCAP awarded 71% for safety assist features. It’s worth noting, however, that these ratings are assessed to a 10-year-old standard: Euro NCAP is a lot stricter these days.

The MINI Paceman has the regular haul of airbags and standard electronic stability control, plus rear ISOFIX mounts for those two sportily-shaped seats (we don’t envy you squeezing in to lift children in and out, though). A tyre pressure monitoring system is standard, although there’s no spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit – which, ideally, you wouldn’t need to use because the run-flats would do their job.  

Given its limited success it's not a surprise to find that the MINI Paceman did not feature in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, but the Countryman on which it is based achieved an impressive 9.67 out of 10, so you can feel pretty confident that the Paceman will also be a reliable machine.

However, MINI as a brand finished a lowly 28th out of 30 manufacturers, which is a world away from the brand's premium image. It is worth bearing in mind that this overall score will also include a lot of older MINI hatchbacks, whereas the MINI Paceman is based on a newer platform. As always, go for a car that has a full main dealer service history for peace of mind.

Insurance costs for the regular MINI Paceman shouldn’t prove too prohibitive as insurance groups are surprisingly reasonable. They all range from group 13 to 15, with the ALL4 versions actually coming in lower than the regular front-wheel drive models – perhaps they’re perceived as lower-risk thanks to their better traction?

Faster Cooper S and John Cooper Works versions represent quite a bit of a jump. Even a standard Cooper S is in group 27, reflecting the car’s greater performance, desirability and overall risk. The most expensive John Cooper Works models are in insurance group 32.

Good fuel economy means low CO2 emissions which, thanks to pre-2017 VED (road tax) rules, means low costs. Our favoured Cooper S, for example, is exactly the same as 2017-on cars, with an £165 annual VED bill. The regular Cooper actually costs the same as it delivers almost identical fuel economy, helping you justify the S.

The cheapest to tax is the pre-2017 Cooper D diesel. CO2 emissions of 115g/km place it in band C, for a meagre annual car tax bill of just £30.

The distinctive roof of the MINI Paceman came in either black, white or body colour - that’s why you’ll find a variety of choices on the used car market. All models feature air conditioning, electric door mirrors, a tyre pressure warning system and front sports seats.

The options list was long. It’s worth searching the classifieds for desirable extras such as xenon headlights, parking sensors and MINI navigation with the central colour screen. An electrically operated glass roof was also available.

MINI offered the MINI Paceman in a choice of eight colours and one of them was unique to the model: Starlight Blue.