Hey everyone, I was hoping to get a consensus from owners who have the manual transmission on their countrymen. I hear from some the clutch is evil and that you have to rev more than usual to get the car to move off. I guess I am use to letting the clutch out a little and the idle starts to move the car then I feed more power and off I go. Is this not the case with the countryman?

I’m sure I can adapt but I am a little worried for the sake of my wife. This will be her first manual transmission car and I was hoping the learning process would be easy for her. If I cannot get her to catch on to the transmission of the countryman then that will dash my plans to get a Fiat 500 Abarth too.

Also I would like to know what your opinions are of the gearbox itself and how the pedals/gearbox are for heel and toe shifting. I am super stoked to get this car. S model, manual transmission and sport suspension should be a blast!

Thanks,
Nick

 

I will say, that on my test drive I stalled the car quite a few time trying to get it going. It is like no other manual I have driven coming out of first! I am a little worried myself! I'm known for being hard on clutches!!

I'm wondering if a Sprint booster would help out a little on starting off out of first??

 

I don't really find it a problem at all.

The only difficult maneuver is starting facing uphill and trying to smoothly take off with out over revving.

On a flat surface or facing downhill it is not difficult at all, especially in sport mode. Like all manual transmissions it takes a little while to feel the sweet spot in the clutch but once you get used to it, it isn't hard at all.

The issue with the countryman is the underpowered engine trying to get that heavy vehicle moving.

 

We had the same experience. We test drove the countryman S stick not one, or two but three times - to make sure it wasn't just a random occurrence. It felt strange coming out of first. In higher gears it was smooth and easy enough - but both my husband and myself stalled multiple times getting out of first. We are both experienced stick drivers and currently have/drive another stick car. Perhaps there's just a learning curve - but it did feel different getting out of first from other stick cars we have and have driven (mercedes, bmw and vw). The bad first feel combined with the fact that we live in urban traffic environment (lots of driving in 1st to 2nd in rush hour) led us to purchase the countryman S in automatic. The occasions where we would have been able to truly enjoy the stick vs. the feel of it/traffic where we are made it an easy choice. We really tried to love the stick in this model mini - but it wasn't happening. If we lived somewhere more rural we might have tried to put up with it though. HTH

p.s. To the original poster - depending on where you live I would buy the countryman S and auto and the Fiat 500 Abarth in stick. If we purchase a mini cooper original model down the line it would be stick 100%.

 

I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. During my test drive I attempted to parallel park on a steep hill (facing downhill). I live in San Francisco, where steep is steep. For me, this was the "high degree of difficulty" manuever that would make or break my decision on the manual. Also, I haven't driven a manual in years, and each manual has a different feel so doing this during a test drive is like having 2 strikes against me.

So how did it go? Well, I managed to park without too much trouble, but I did end up revving the engine quite a bit because I was sure that I would stall if I didn't, plus I didn't really know where that magical point of engagement was on the clutch. So there definitely was a little clutch burn going on.

At one point, I thought I was in reverse but I was in 1st (not used to the position of R - very different than my old manual), and so the hill-hold was not engaged. When I lifted my foot off the brake, the car rolled forward within inches of the car in front of me (a steep hill really accentuates any screw-up). At that point I saw my dream of a manual MINI slipping away. If I couldn't park on the hill, I was going to get the automatic - that was the deal I made with myself. So what did I do with only inches separating me from my manual MINI dream?

I went for the handbrake to get me out of the jam. The handbrake is really awkward as a hill-assist because if its long throw, unusual shape and poor location partly underneath the armrest, but it managed to get the job done (with a little more clutch burn). I think the hill-hold is going to be great. The handbrake? not so much.

Did you know that the hill-hold "knows" if your facing downhill and holds when your in reverse, and does the same for you if your facing uphill in 1st. Pretty nifty! (I assume it also "knows" when you're on flat ground and doesn't hold you then - that would not be good).

I imagine that getting the feel of the clutch on fairly flat ground s/b a breeze compared to the parking drill. I'll be finding out if I made the right choice in 8-12 weeks when I get the car!

 

It is a little bit of a learning curve for sure, but I drive 90% city traffic/surface streets in a fairly hilly metro area, and the only stall i've had lately was leaving it in 4th at a stop light! Ok I admit I stalled leaving the lot the day I took it home! I adjusted to the clutch pretty quickly running around town with all the stop signs and lights. I also have to say the hill assist is like magic for me, despite the varying opinions expressed here! I find it gives me the perfect amount of time to move my foot and make a smooth start even on extreme grades with idiots crawling up behind. A great confidence boost. can you tell I really like the 6 manual tranny?

 

Hmmm...the manual and the clutch.

First, we drove multiple auto and manual countrymen to decide which transmission would be our choice to order. It was obvious to us that the ALL4 was a _much_ better MINI experience with the manual.

After our MINI arrived, we have both driven it, we have both on occasion stalled it in first gear, although infrequently. We feel that the clutch behavior can be rather inconsistent, and that starting out in first gear is not always reliable. We think the first gear is rather tall for the small engine and heavy weight of the ALL4.

Having said all that, the car is fun to drive, we enjoy the manual, hill assist makes even driving in San Francisco not a problem (although traditional hand brake starts work, too). We don't regret buying the ALL4, we've taken it on long drives, played in the dirt, exercised it on curvy roads, and it delivers the fun we hoped for. You can expect to enjoy it, too.

 

It's a fairly heavy car with a small engine so it repays practice to hone clutch-control skills. That doesn't make it 'evil' though.

 

I have a 2012 and don't have the problem at all. In between my 2009 Cooper S Clubman and my CMS ALL4, I had a 2011 Cooper S hatch, and on that one I noticed a high engagement point on the clutch that took some time to get used to (with quite some stalls at green lights). Either I got used to it or they changed the engagement point for the better on the 2012 models.

 

While the availability of a manual transmission was one of the big deciding factors in getting the CM, we drove test drove both the auto and manual transmission versions.
I thought the automatic was a good one and it felt rather zippy off the line, but the manual was our choice.

To me, it feels fine on flat and slightly hilly starts. Very steep parallel parking in San Francisco requires a bit more revs and finesse than other cars, same with steeps driveways. The hill hold feature is great IMO but if you have a car with hill hold and one without, you have to be conscious of which you are driving.

I like the manual much better when driving through mountainous highways and going over passes. It is much more comfortable and less frustrating to select the correct gear as opposed to have the automatic "guess" and either change or hold a gear at the wrong time. No regrets with the manual.

 

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like the clutch is fine on the Countryman its just about what you get use to. This will be the only manual transmission vehicle besides motorcycles that we have so it should be fairly easy.

How about those pedals? Are they positioned in a way that is conducive of heel and toe?

Thanks everyone,

Nick

 

Skinny foot, not too big, and skinny shoes help. It can be done, but like other things it takes some work. The pedals are adjacent, the gap can be spanned, and the gas can be blipped.

Now to work on your left foot braking...

 

IMHO yes!

 

duplicate

 

My 2 cents. I have a '09, '10 and now '12 MINIs, all manual "S" and the clutch engagement is definitely different on the CMS than my 2 Cabrios. I have driven '11 HT "S", many manual non "S" models and the engagement appears to be similar across the model lines except for the CMS. My BMW engagement is similar to the all the MINIs except the CMS. I have driven 3 CMS and the engagement is similar. So my conclusion is it is intended by design. I have heard different stories, the weight difference, ALL4, make it easier to appeal to a wider market. Regardless it is different as far as I am concerned and a royal PITA when you are switching among the different cars. I agree with the others, practice makes perfect. And yes you can heel and toe the CMS.

 

I tested both an auto and manual 2012 All4. I liked the manual; not that much different than my R53. I had no problem at all with stalling or clutch action. It was on flat terrain, however. Will report again after my new car arrives.

 

I believe it is the combination of throttle mapping & the clutch. The acceleration is very flat without the SPORT button engaged from a stopped position. The Sprint Booster seems to be an alternative fix, I also just read about an ECU update yesterday here on another thread that could be the answer I've been waiting for.

 

Wow, I just about ordered the same car as you. How do you like the Sports Suspension? On a test drive I had the tires screaming around a bend on a standard CMS with a bit of body roll, hopefully the suspension makes a big difference.

As soon as I am past the break in period I will have to put it in "Sport" mode. I do have to wait until its broken in before using the sport button right?

 

The clutch is faulty. After complaining for 9 months and having technicians telling me it was faulty only to have management tell me it was within specs, they finally replaced the clutch. It works great now. They found that only. Half of the pressure plate was being used. I was also without my car for over a month while they tried to figure out my fuel injection problems. There they eventually reprogram the computer and replaced the entire fuel injection system. So why do I still love the car?

Don't fool yourself into thinking you can't drive a stick anymore. It not you it's the car. Get it replaced.

 

you can use the sport button now, just watch the rpm's

 

On day 3 with mine and I am still having difficulty getting used to the clutch. Engagement is very vague and soft and requires reving a lot more than I am used to. The hill holder is taking some getting used to- and I have stalled the car several times. Embarassing as I have had been driving manual trasmissions for over 25 years.

I am also incredibly spoiled as my other car, a Miata, has the perfect gearbox. Hoping it is me and things improve as I get used to it. Heading into mid-town Manhattan tomorow- which will be the real test.

 

I think just about all of us who feel comfortable with manual transmissions of various types have had some difficulty getting in sync with the CM version (I've certainly stalled it a bunch at the beginning). Almost all the problems are starting up - keep the revs up and you should be fine.

 

The clutch is fine.Like you,I ease off the pedal and throttle up at the same time.
Take off is always smooth. The gearshift is a bit notchy from 1st to second otherwise
its good. Now,if only BMW would put its N20 engine in the Countryman CooperS......

 

I have now had my Countryman for a whole day and I have stalled it a few times so far. Like others have said the problem seems to be moving off as I have to rev the engine a bit more then I'm use to. This does not seem to be a problem with the car it's just something I need to get use to.

It is a bit of a pain at the moment, I am taking a second or so longer to move off from a stop while I get the revs up and try and find that sweet spot to get the car moving. I think a week of practice and I will have it down.

After the car gets going its awesome! Great gearbox, lots of pep from the motor...can't wait to get past the break-in period.

 

My wife & I picked up our CMS4 last month and are still struggling with the vague clutch. We have had 5 MINIs in the last 10 years, all manual, and the vagueness in the actuation point is really taking away from the overall experience. The sport button helps but you still feel like you are hunting for the perfect clutch point. I'm going to try the BOV spring mod and will report back if things improve. If not I'll be making an appointment at the dealer.