thats great! all cars have problems if you don't like it don't buy it. i love mine.

 

Ha...I love it. I'm not crazy after all. I've had my 2012 All4 for about a month now...and each day I say to myself..."I'll get the feel for this clutch any day now". I've never had such a learning curve for a manual trani as I have with this Mini. ...and yes...the feel for the clutch is difficult. Bang on with the take-off assessment...you either launch or stall. I have stalled twice. I luv it though. Ha!

 

We had an 06 MCS and every time I went over a larger bump I would hit my head on the ceiling.....I didn't care because the car was so much fun to drive I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face! Traded in the 06 for our Countryman and while I don't hit my head anymore I still have the stupid grin!

Reviews are meant to be taken with a grain of salt as opinions can vary widely. Heck Consumer Reports has the Countryman as a recommended car even though it's numerical score is much lower than others in it's class. The only opinion that counts is your own after you drive and research a car.

 

Wow - you've only stalled it twice in your first month! Congratulations!

I found the discussion of how to get off the line quickly in an AWD was very helpful to getting the clutch right.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...l-drivers.html

 

See my other post. I did the change. While the car is still no Buick Roadmaster, the change is HUGE. Definitely worthwhile for me.

 

The wife and I have been looking for a replacement for our 1998 CR-V (we bought new) for a few months. We researched, looked at and test drove a wide spectrum of SUV-ish vehicles. Our Honda has been a good vehicle only two major complaints, its absolute lack of power and not being rewarded in MPG for it (its bad in both regards). After looking at Ford, Kia, Jeep, Honda, Nissan, VW and Mini it came down to the VW Tiguan and Mini Countryman. Price for what we wanted was within a few hundred dollars of each other. The Tiguan has an awful low end throttle lag. The 2012 Beetle had the exact some issue. You really have to press on the gas to get the thing going (felt like a flat spot in a carbureted car). I did not experience this in my test drive of the 2012 Countryman S FWD Auto. One thing that turned us off to the VW was the lack of options; you get what you get depending on trim level, you can pick your floor mats. The ride was slightly better in the Tiguan but wasn’t enough for a tipping factor. Power wise it was a wash between the two. If you want to talk about size and a direct compete for the Countryman then compared to the Nissan Juke (which we test drove) NOT another Mini, the Countrymans back seat room blew away the Juke. My wife is 4’11 and I’m 5’11, with me driving she could barely fit in the back seat behind me, non-existent leg room! We ordered a ALL4 on 23 Nov.

 

Long term reviewer in latest Top Gear magazine despises run flat tires.
Will change to non-RF for the last couple of months before returning the car.

 

I have the sports suspension, 18" rims and the Bridgestone Dueler run-flats, and I think the ride is firm but still compliant. I like a firm ride with road feel. My kids don't complain either sitting in the back -- I ask them but they have no problem. I actually love the way it feels. It whips around corners and I usually nearly hit cars in front of me because they can't turn nearly as well. Great brakes too -- another plus.

My only complaint is the high, sharp clutch engagement and revs needed to get it going -- it's a revver, unlike my 5-speed Cherokee with can start in 2nd, or 3rd even because it has so much torque. But supposedly they cured this in the 2012 according to another post.

As an anecdote, my cousin, who has driven manuals all his life and currently drives a manual in Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh!!! With steep hills and snowy ones in winter. Anyway, he drove my CM and stalled it several times. So...that just tells me they got some work to do here. And I agree, it was a steep learning curve for me as well, esp. since I am a new manual driver, but now I don't feel so bad.

 

I don;t recall having much concern with clutch takeup during my test drive, but I wonder if the CM has a the dreaded Clutch Delay Valve (CDV). It really makes smooth take off and 1st to 2nd shifting jerky and makes everyone look like a rookie.
I have heard that giving it a few revs before lift off seems to help, but the best cure is to remove the CDV altoghether or blow its guts out and put it back in (depending on how the hydraulic lines are routed, the gutted CDV may be the only way to go.) CDV is almost as bad as Runflats in my book. It's a free easy mod and it really improves clutch take-up in the cars where I've bypassed the bloody thing.
Maybe someone knows if the CM has the CDV.

 

My first car was a Triumph GT6+, and I've owned a Lotus Europa, Mazda RX-7, Audi Fox, BMW 325, Merkur Xr4ti, Porsche 928S4, Audi A6, and a half-dozen others along the way. But right now, I WANT a compromise car.
I want a car that will let me take my wife to a nice dinner without revealing the color of her underwear to the valet upon disembarkation at the restaurant.
I want a car that will pull away from a stop sign when the road is wet, icy, or snow-covered, and which will get me up my driveway in January after the snow plow has walled me out.
I want a car that will let me pass a gas station without me compulsively checking the sign, the gauge, and my wallet.
I want a car that will help me feel content on my way to work and on my way home.
Except for my Lotus, every other car I've ever owned was a compromise on clear dry days with perfect roads and no other idiots trying to kill me. But for the other 340 or so days of the year, I WANT a freakin' compromise!
I've spent a year researching what, for me, is the highest common denominator across my needs. It's a Mini Countryman All4, and that's MY review, darn it!

 

I checked RealOEM.com and did not see anything that resembled a CDV on the clutch parts diagrams. On the BMW's they are listed as lock valves, but nothing on the CM.
Anyone else know for sure?

 

I love this post. The MINI is great for days when my BMW E24 is not ideal. Which is to say every day for the work commute and anytime there is bad weather.

 

+1

[DETOUR]

Apropos of nothing...

In 1976, I had the chance to purchase a 1974 Lotus Europa JPS from a good friend. I drove the car for a week during an Ohio summer and fell in love. His firm price was $7,800. I passed because I felt that was too much considering he paid $7,500 two years earlier.



For it's day, this car was incredible. It was incredibly quick for its time, perhaps 0-60 in the high six-second or low seven-second range. The handling was incredible but the sound of the engine behind your shoulders was to die for!

I think they are now going for about $20,000...

[/DETOUR]

 

Went from 17" run flats to performance continental's for the summer on the new 19's from
Nuespeed. Handling improved along with the looks, but not the bumps. Wasn't expecting it to. The 17 all season RFlat's are back on, don't mind them at all.

 

I dont think mini cares about there customers, i have had problems with my cms all 4 with misfiring loss of power and they called me after complaining that this new mini had all these problems and told them, that my mini had been in the shop more then i had drove it, they just said ok thanks for the info. Haven't heard anything since, so i think all mini owners have to stick together b/c the large companies dont care about the small people. just my 2 cents