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 that 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.

While a cheap buy, we'd avoid the 1.6 petrol. The SD mixes performance with economy, resulting in a decent motorway mile muncher. 

For an authentic Mini experience, we'd recommend the Cooper S All4 with the six-speed manual. The JCW looks cool, but we don't quite see the point. 

Part of the MINI Paceman’s problem when new was that there was 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.

Newer, similar cars include the MINI Aceman and perhaps the Jeep Avenger. 

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 speedometer, 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 it is still intuitive and straightforward.

The infotainment screen layout and navigation logic are flawless. BMW systems are the best in the business, giving the MINI Paceman a sophisticated feel. Adding routes is a bit more complicated when compared with modern systems, and the navigation, although clear enough, may need updating. 

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. Pressing a button at the end of the indicator stalk allows the driver to change the information on the rev counter's digital display. 

There's no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay here, but there are a few aftermarket options that plug into the existing central display. Mini also offered a mobile app, which allowed owners to control certain aspects of the car, but this no longer functions for the Paceman. 

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 are only two of them, and each is shaped like a mini bucket seat, giving more side support and better comfort. 

However, the rear large centre plastic console, although equipped with a cup holder and 12V socket for phone charging, becomes tedious, and you'll quickly find yourself wishing for a middle seat. 

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. And if you buy a car with a central armrest fitted, you'll mash your fingers when pulling the handbrake up. 

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 must use 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 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. Press the accelerator and it surges forward while decent mid-gear punch means overtaking is easy. We'd recommend opting for the six-speed manual over the automatic here. 

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 it 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 impacts both performance and fuel economy. Stick with the manual for a more authentic and MINI-like experience.

As it's 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 was awarded five stars. Adult occupant protection was rated at 84%, and child occupant protection at 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 when the Paceman was released. Today, Mini scores 20th out of 33. 

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 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 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.

The cheapest of the bunch is the 1.6 Cooper D, you'll pay £35 per year in VED, while All4 diesels are higher at £165 per year. 1.6 petrol cars straddle two bands, G and H; £265 and £315, respectively.

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 was unique to the model: Starlight Blue.