Fun reading.....pros and cons of the 2005

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/je...&src=reviewers

Donna

 

Not much of a review. More of a listing of features, specs and prices. Struck me as a lot of the same old same old.

 

One thing I just don't get is almost every review talks about a lot of shifting with the stick. I have owned stick shifts most of my life and the mini 02 to 04 has tall gears. The 05 is a little lower but not much different than any other stick car. 0 to 70 1st and 2nd I keep forgetting I have 5th and 6th.

 

I actually work for one of the top two news papers in Los Angeles. Our automotive editor was actually test driving a Mini Cooper S convertable today. Being as I read his opinions every day, I asked what he though about the litlle darrling. So he started complaining about a rattle on the passengers side. At which point I got in and adsjuted the pasenger seat belt. Had him go for another drive aroung the block....

His review should be out on any given Thursday with in the nextt 30 days...

May be it's just me..., but if I did't hear an unusual noise every now and than, I would feel like I am missing out...

 

P.S. Admin: what this forum needs is a spell checker. After 3-8 martinis it sure as hell is hard to type... At lealst I am no driving...

 

You can edit yourself, goaljnky! Or, you can PM me and ask me to make corrections for you!


Clover

 

OK, but you better not be CLOVER form Ft. Stweart...,

dang, I had to make two corrections to that sentence

 

No Fair . Then you would get to make posts about all of your editing and then you would be making 42.529% of the post on here.

Earl

 

I'm Clover from West Los Angeles....Los Angeles native. :smile:


Clover

 

Oh, Earl...you STILL don't get the post-count thing. My editing does not count as a post....sheeesh! Only comments posted by ME count towards my post count.


Clover

 

Cool,

so when is the next local motoring ride?

 

I got a little defensive about this "review", I mean Helllllooooo, I know the boot was small when I bought the car, as well as the back seat! Duh! What do they expect in a MINI. And the ride, and the shifting....I don't see these things as negative.


Anyway goaljnky and Clo, I live about 100 miles north of LA, would love to join in any activities!

 

Sounds like we need to organize something.

 

Goaljnky,


I am not sure which members belong to which groups, BUT there is several LA based organizations, just not sure how to get involved.

C3 Club http://www.c3club.org/2/finder/index.asp
SoCal Mini Maniacs http://www.scmm.org/

There are the sites I guess we need to check them out!

 

Yep, I've seen those before. They just don't look too active. Although I think I just found a guy to install my graphics!!!

 

Wouldn't be Dan Neil of the LAT, would it? Great writer! If it is him, tell him he's got a fan in Sacramento!

 

from the article

The manual gearbox calls for lots of shifting with either version of the car's 4-cylinder for the best performance because the engine is small with a 1.6 liter displacement. Moreover, while the shifters work nicely in forward speeds, engaging reverse gear calls for awkward moves and extra effort. Also, the clutch has a long throw.


I find the reverse patern shifter easier to get into reverse then a standard shifter. I mean first is right next to reverse where it should be logicaly not all the way at the other end of the pattern.

If this guy thinks the MINI has a long clutch throw he must have never driven a mustang with the T-5. That has about the longest clutch throw for any non truck I have driven.

 

I'm guessing the Daily Breeze? (just a guess as it's the only other paper I'm really familiar with that has a sizeable distribution, but then again I lived in the South Bay).

 

Sorry, the other paper. The guys name is Teb Biederman.

 

No, not the Daily Breeze. But it is one of the papers that the News Paper group owns.