The MINI Paceman is a unique proposition: a three-door coupe SUV. What you get is a car with sporty styling, plus a higher driving position and greater practicality than any other coupe of a similar size. If that sounds tempting, you’re in the right place to find out everything you need to know about the Paceman.
Here, we’ll give you all the information you need about what the car is like to drive and live with every day, plus the various trim levels and engines that are available. The Paceman is no longer available to buy or lease new and hasn’t been for some years. However, there are plenty of used examples to choose from.
MINIs have a reputation for being fun to drive, one that the Paceman lives up to. It feels agile and responsive, the steering is accurate and it gives you a good impression of what state the road is in beneath the front wheels. There’s little body-roll in corners and the ride is settled over bumps. Put it all together and you have the confidence to go along a twisty road as quickly as you like.
The car’s compact size means driving around town is a doddle and it’s a stable, efficient motorway cruiser. The Paceman is even available with four-wheel drive, which could be useful if you live in the countryside. It’s not a serious off-roader, though.
The interior is essentially the same as that of the MINI Hatch, with a big circular speedometer in the middle of the dashboard and a row of toggle switches below. It looks good and is a fun place to spend time. There are plenty of standard features and many new buyers chose a lot of extras from the extensive options list.
Space in the front seats is generous, even if you’re six feet tall, but room in the two back seats is quite tight. A child will fit comfortably, adults not so much because legroom is in short supply. Anyway, you probably don’t need to use a car’s back seats very often if you’re considering a Paceman.
Of more use, perhaps, is the surprisingly large 330-litre boot – pretty much the biggest of any compact coupe. The rear seats also fold down if you need to cram in a lot of stuff.
The Paceman is available with three petrol engines and two diesels, plus there were three trim levels offered.
Prices for the Paceman are in the same ballpark as a Countryman of the same age and spec. So are running costs, which are quite low anyway. It’s some years since the manufacturer’s warranty expired on the most recent examples of the Paceman, so it’s reassuring to know that there are no particular reliability issues to worry about.
Other small-ish coupes you might want to consider include the Peugeot RCZ, Vauxhall Astra GTC and Volkswagen Scirocco. There’s not a dud among them, but the Paceman’s more SUV-like styling and greater practicality could be enough to swing your decision.
There’s a lot to like about the Paceman. It’s great to drive, practical enough for single people and couples, running costs are low and it’s uniquely stylish. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but that just means it stands out from the crowd even more.
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The MINI Paceman Cooper version was the most popular when new, so it’s the one you’ll most easily find on the used car market. We just wish it were a bit quicker. The MINI Paceman Cooper D diesel isn’t very fast either, but it does have a bit more pulling power than the non-turbocharged Cooper petrol.
You’re best picking a MINI Paceman Cooper S, we reckon. This has the necessary performance to back up the Paceman’s intriguing styling, and the turbo petrol engine is lots of fun in its own right. The Cooper SD is less convincing, although it is at least a proper BMW diesel, so has a sophisticated feel. The MINI Paceman John Cooper Works is great fun, but expensive – and rare on the used market.
Each Paceman model has a different engine. None are exactly slow, and the most powerful ones accelerate rapidly. CO2 emissions are a little high as a result.
Most engines are available with a manual or automatic gearbox, and front- or four-wheel drive (badged ALL4). Zero to 62mph times and CO2 emissions are essentially identical between the gearboxes.
Mini Paceman Cooper petrol – The entry-point engine is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit with 122PS. The 0-62mph sprint takes 10.3 seconds (FWD) or 11.5 seconds (ALL4), with CO2 emissions of 137g/km (FWD) or 156g/km (ALL4).
Mini Paceman Cooper S petrol – The most popular version of the Paceman has 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 190PS. Zero to 62mph takes 7.4 seconds (FWD) or 7.6 seconds (ALL4), with CO2 emissions of 139g/km (FWD) or 148g/km (ALL4).
Mini Paceman John Cooper Works petrol – The fastest Paceman has a more powerful, 218PS version of the engine found in the Cooper S. ALL4 four-wheel drive is fitted as standard. The 0-62mph dash takes 6.8 seconds and CO2 emissions are 165g/km.
Mini Paceman Cooper D diesel – The entry-level diesel Paceman has a 1.6-litre four-cylinder,turbocharged engine that produces 112PS. It’s only available with a manual gearbox and 0-62mph takes 10.8 seconds (FWD) or 11.5 seconds (ALL4). CO2 emissions are 111g/km (FWD) or 123g/km (ALL4).
Mini Paceman Cooper SD diesel – The faster diesel Paceman has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 143PS. An automatic gearbox is fitted as standard. Standstill to 62mph takes 9.1 seconds (FWD) or 9.2 seconds (ALL4), while CO2 emissions are 119g/km (FWD) or 126g/km (ALL4).
There are three ‘core’ trim levels available with the Paceman. They actually all have the same standard features, instead being marked out by different engines and styling details. Bear in mind that many people who bought a new MINI chose a lot of options for their car, so any used Paceman you look at will probably have many more features than those listed here.
Mini Paceman Cooper – The entry-point model in the Paceman range comes with the lower-powered engine options. Standard features include air conditioning, a radio/CD player, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors.
Mini Paceman Cooper S – The mid-range Paceman has more powerful engines, which provide a greater turn of speed. Standard features match those of the Cooper.
Mini Paceman John Cooper Works – The ‘JCW’ has the most powerful engine available in the Paceman, plus a package of really sporty styling details. Again, standard features match those of the other models.
The MINI Paceman’s exterior dimensions are:
Length: 4109mm
Width: 1786mm
Height: 1518mm
The MINI Paceman’s boot capacity is:
Rear seats up: 330 litres
Rear seats folded down: 1080 litres
As the MINI Paceman was on sale throughout its lifespan prior to 1 April 2017, all have their annual road tax calculated on their carbon dioxide emissions. This makes the 1.6-litre turbodiesel the cheapest for road tax, which comes in at between £35 and £150. The most popular Cooper S model attracts a yearly payment of between £180 and £200, while the John Cooper Works is the priciest with a figure of £240.
Stick with the more affordable end of the MINI Paceman range with the Cooper with the least powerful petrol or diesel engines and it starts from Group 13. A Cooper S sits in Group 27, while the John Cooper Works will be the most expensive to get covered as it's in Group 32, which is on par with similarly fast hot hatches.