Used Mini Paceman (2013 - 2017) review – a weird crossover from a weird time

The Mini Paceman was the seventh model to join the revived Mini range BMW began in 2001. It was essentially a two-door version of the first-generation Countryman SUV. At the time of its launch towards the end of 2012, new high-rider niches were opening up and Mini was brave in pushing the boundaries of what it thought would appeal to customers. No lessons learned from the Mini Coupe and Roadster then…

Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque was a roaring success following its 2010 introduction, adding motivation for Mini’s entry into the slant-roofed, two-door SUV class. It nonetheless belongs to a niche we certainly never asked to be filled, the Paceman never proving to offer anything for keen drivers over an equivalent Mini hatch.

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

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The Paceman sat lower than the Countryman when on the standard sport suspension, though this could be swapped at no cost for normal suspension. You could have the Mini Paceman front-driven or with the ‘ALL4’ four-wheel-drive system. 

Engines? This was the early to mid 2010s and so petrol and diesel were your choices, with no electrification or hybridisation to be seen. The range consisted of Cooper and Cooper S petrols and Cooper D and Cooper SD diesels, power ranging from 110 to 181bhp, with manual and automatic transmission options. The 215bhp AWD-only Paceman JCW topped the tree for, at the time, a full £7000 more than the equivalent Cooper S.

Springs and dampers were firmer in the JCW, the hotter version sitting 10mm closer to the ground than the standard Paceman. The anti-roll bars were thicker and larger 307mm diameter front brake discs were fitted as standard. As with all quicker Minis of the time, a ‘Sport’ button could be used to sharpen throttle response and add some weight to the steering. The stability control system also included an ‘electronic locking’ function to replicate (some of) the effect of a proper limited-slip differential, braking a spinning wheel to redistribute torque with DSC off.

Driving the Paceman Cooper S

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‘You’re probably expecting to hear that the Paceman drives pretty much like the Countyman. But it doesn’t. The revised suspension seemed to turn it into a considerably more dynamic machine, with less roll, more grip and a far less front-biased chassis balance. It steers with the same keenness as a regular Mini and, in the Cooper S petrol version we tried, has the same turbocharged pace and willingness to rev.

‘The downside, thanks to its more slab-sided SUV form, is the inevitable greater feeling of weight transfer when you up the ante. Cornering isn’t as natural as in a Mini hatchback or coupe, but the Paceman is certainly one of the more agile small SUVs you can buy. 

‘The front-driven car doesn’t corner quite as gamely as an ALL4-equipped car, where you can feel the rear wheels contributing during especially committed driving. The Paceman proves far happier to play on slidey surfaces than its understeery sister. In that regard it feels like a bigger Mini hatchback.

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'The steering is still too lacking in feel, but prod the Sport button for a sharper throttle response and the wheel’s accompanying extra weight isn’t unwelcome like in other Minis; it firms up more naturally and the only downside of Sport mode is an artificial collection of pops and bangs not just when you back sharply off the throttle, but when you lightly lift when changing gear. Fun for five minutes, but the novelty wears off. 

‘The ride quality and body control feel better than in the Countryman, though there is still room for improvement. The Paceman has less vibration coming through the steering column over broken road surfaces in spite of the firmer chassis settings.

‘Comments for the rest of the powertrain are as those for the Countryman – the higher-powered 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine doesn’t produce as much raw performance as you’d expect considering its 184bhp: blame the 1435kg kerbweight.’ – Mike Duff and Steven Dobie

Driving the Mini Paceman JCW

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‘It’s hard not to feel like a playground bully when you look at a Mini Paceman. There’s something about its chubby proportions and ungainly stance; it’s familiar yet bloated, the weird-looking kid of the family. You end up fighting an urge to steal its lunch money.

‘Subjectively it’s no quicker than the Cooper S Paceman unless it’s being thrashed to within the proverbial inch: blame the 1400kg kerb weight for that. At least it sounds reasonably good, with a raspy sports exhaust and a popping overrun in Sport mode.

‘It’s definitely firmer than the standard Paceman, with sharper initial response and a neutral stance in faster corners. In slower turns it suffers from the same nose-heavy feeling as the Countryman, fading into unremitting understeer when the limits are breached. A 17-inch wheel was standard though an 18-inch with lower-profile tyres improves grip and responses if not feel, at the slight expense of ride quality. 

‘The JCW Paceman is safe, fast and secure, but nothing like exciting enough to deserve the John Cooper Works badge. And that’s before you consider that comical price.’ – Mike Duff

Mini Paceman prices and values

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The big question of ‘why?’ was never quite answered, though the fact it lived for one generation and went without a direct replacement probably rules out the answer ‘why not?’. Even if you could say the electric Aceman is its equivalent today. 

The Paceman was less agile than the Mini hatchback, and far less practical than the five-door Countryman. Its main appeal really was being a quirkier, cheaper alternative to the Range Rover Evoque three-door – a car it could meet spec-for-spec and in terms of quality and (lack of) style for about £7000 less when new. A strange car but in this context, no more irrational a choice.

Prices today, years on from its 2017 discontinuation, are relatively low. The manual Cooper S is about the least Paceman you want, with prices starting from around £7000 for a car with less than 70,000 miles. JCWs of a similar used standard start from around £9000. The latest, lowest-miles models registered in 2017 can be priced as high as £15,000.

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A sturdy service and MOT history are worthwhile when looking at a Paceman. The 1.6-litre turbocharged engines especially, do not take kindly to neglect. The engine that Mini shared with Peugeot and Citroen at the time can display timing chain issues – check for a significant rattle on start-up and for a difficult-to-explain puff of smoke from the exhaust. 

Be sure there’s plenty of life in the brakes, tyres and clutch too – the latter can be especially expensive when it comes to replacement. Test it by accelerating hard in second and fourth gear and look and listen out for clutch slip.

Specifications