I have an MCS on order and due in soon. I need to add the ability to tow small sailboats with my new Mini. I am sure this question has been asked in the past, and if so help me with a link. My question is Mini Fini or the more traditional towing setup similar to the Mini Do More / Curt systems - which is better and why? Is Mini Fini worth the extra cost? Thanks for the feedback.

 

In my opinion the Mini Fini set up is far superior and adds more flexibility. I am installing the Mini Fini sport link before I head down to the Dragon this spring. with mini fini it enables you to add a variety of options that are not avaialble with the Curt set up. The mini fini has two attachemnt ponts that are bolted into the frame and for my puposes [using the cargo tray], it provides a much more stable platform.

Another troublesome point about the Curt design is that they pretty much ripped off the design from another NAM vendor.

I saw both last year at the Dragon and the Mini Fini set up is a higher quality product. You get what you pay for. Just my two cents.

 

The Mini Do More hitch is supplied by a vendor that has been around Mini for some time. Brent at MDM has donated many of his products to many events. Their products are of very good design and quality. Also, their hir hitch is the std. 1-1/4" square design and can work with other bike racks, carrier as well as towing. It gives a lot of options. Have fun with your new Mini!

 

I love my MINI_FINI hitch for the above reasons. The main one being I don't have to tow a trailer if I have a small load, like for track days. It all goes into the cargo container.

And it is the only one that came with MINI's blessing. You can find the official MINI installation instructions around.

 

I had the MDM on my '06. It was a good system but it was not easy to take off and remove so I just left it on all the time. It had a serious rattle.
I'm trying the Mini Fini with my '11, doing the install at the Dragon.
Annette

 

My MDM hitch is great. About 1 1/2 hours to install, and another 1 1/2 for the wiring kit. Didn't like the fact that the Curt hitch is a ripoff of the MDM design. I thought about the Mini Fini setup, but I didn't want to be limited to buying the proprietary accessories for big $.

 

That's the main problem with the Minifini, isn't it? That you have to buy different attachements for everything you do with it?

 

Depends........you can get just the hitch attachment and then buy whatever you want to tow behind. But you can also get some attachments for specific purposes that are custom to the MINIFINI, not much different than the ones offered by the others.

 

I got the MDM hitch and cargo platform for my '06. Even when loaded well below the stated limit, the hitch mount bent to the point that the rear edge of the platform was dragging on the ground.

I think the problem is that even though the hitch is rated for 200 pounds tongue weight, it only works if the force is acting straight downward at the hitch.

But when you have the weight on the cargo platform (which isn't supported anywhere except at the hitch), there's too much of a twisting force - the rear end of the hitch gets bent down and the front edge bends up (there's nothing under the car to keep the hitch from rotating once it starts to bend.)

I've gotten rid of the platform/cargo box, and I probably won't use the MDM hitch for towing anything other than a small trailer, so that the weight is supported by wheels in addition to the hitch.

 

I have a Curt hitch on my car. It was cheaper so that is why I went with it. It is powder coated steel, Curt can sell them cheaper because they are a bigger company than Mini Do More. I was not going to pay twice the price for the same thing, and also the Curt hitch has the safety chain loops on the hitch and not on the drawbar. If you look at real hitches on trucks, they are on the hitch, not on the part that could potentially come out, the drawbar. I say save your money and get the less expensive one.

 

And support a knock-off producer.

Nah, stay with the MDM or the MINIFini. Not enough money to be really to concerned about it.

 

MINIFINI is great. We have a continental kit with a spare tire..Love it.....

 

Contacted MDM, and they are still working on the hitch for the 2011. I haven't check with MINIFINI yet what they offer for 2011 vehicles. The MINIFINI is just so pricey I wonder if the extra $$$ is worth it.

 

I have an 06 MCS and am looking into getting a hitch.

The MiniFini would cost $680 ($351 sport link 1, $250 sport link attachement, $80 receiver attachment)

whereas

The MDM would only cost $250. (And these prices are before I buy a bike rack!)

I only plan to mount a bike/snowboard rack. But I heard from one source that because the MDM hitch is hidden within the bumper, it makes adding/removing attachments a pain because you have to crawl under the car to pin/upin them to the hitch.

Is this accurate? That would be a pain, but idk if it's worth a ~$400 diference

If so, with the Mini Fini all aspects of the hitch would be readily accessible. I would likely leave the sports link attachment on all the time because it doesn't look at that bad and would keep people away from my bumper when parallel parking (I live in a city). Even with the sports link attachment off, the visible sport link mounts match the aesthetic of the car and don't bother me.

Can someone speak to their experience?

 

A technique for deciding is to first pretend they cost the same.

Would you rather have the internal attachment or external?

Only if external, does the fini play in. Then you can put price back in and decide if that capability itself (and the various benefits it provides) is worth it.

 

Mini Do More for us on our 2009 clubman. We tow a 12' aluminum trailer with either a grasshopper, or steiner mower on it. About 1300 to 1600 lbs total. The Mini does a nice job.

 

Has anyone installed one of these on an R56 LCI? I have a 2013 "Justa" Cooper with rear fog light and am not sure how convenient it would be to have the hitch receiver set behind the light housing. On the other hand, I haven't seen any pictures of a mini-fini system installed on a car like mine and would like to see how it looks with those little tubes sticking out of my style rear bumper.