Won't the "hill-hold" feature on the '07s help keep this from happening?

 

I had a friend who had an old (87 or so) Suburban this thing was HUGE... we one day he was at a light and poped it in revers to get into the turn lane and ended up half way accross the hood of a Civic... The Civic was found at fault because they were too close to the Suburban and should have taken precautions when approching such a big car... that's what i was basing my comment on... it's not your fault they rode your a$$ it's their responsability to give you enough room specialy up hill.

 

You mean in MINIs or in general. I've had or driven lots of Automatics and they never roll backwards. In fact, if you dont have your foot on the brake, they always creep forward (since they are always in gear).

Must be a MINI thing.

 

I hate it no matter what I'm driving, it's plain annoying and bad manners.

 

HECK, since they are already back there just skip burning up the clutch and roll back into them and let them keep you from slipping backwards any further, HEH...

 

One thing I'm still learning (after a year!) is that objects on the rear view mirror are not as close as they appear.

So don't worry.

[I think they're on my bumper, but there's always at least 2 feet left. If I roll back (and I'm pretty good with letting the cluth out enough to prevent that), it's usually very little before I catch it.]

 

That is the only purpose of the hill-hold feature so I hope so!

This is going to be a great new option. Along with telescoping steering wheel. =)

 

I dislike the highway bumper huggers far worse. I had one today in fact, following so closely I could count the blackheads on her face.

 

My '00 Volvo S70 did, and my wife's G35 do. Now, mind you, they don't roll back THAT much, but it is noticable.

 

Never rolled back in the MINI. But then again I was an F1 driver in a former life.

 

Learn to drive a clutch. When on a steep hill, let out the clutch until the engine drops 1-200 rpm while the foot brake is still fully applied. Then hit the gas. It's actually easier to learn proper clutch/throttle coordination, than trying to coordinate clutch, throttle and handbrake (especially while trying to make a sharp right hand turn).

 

i drive an automatic, but i still hate it. the size of the MINI lets the headlights on those SUVs shine right into every mirror PERFECTLY! and in turn, right in my eyes

 

I have found this too. It always appears that the cars are right on my tail..
I havn't driven stick too long, but I'm getting the hang of starting on hills, but I do get nervous every now and then when it looks like someone is sitting on top of me ..

 

It seems that when you think you're rolling back a foot or two it really ends up being about 3-4 inches, nowhere near enough to hit something.

 

I only had my car for a couple of weeks when some guy pulled up so close behind me, I was watching him in the mirror and I don't think he had the brake all the way in because he continued to creep closer and closer. When I went to take off and only rolled back maybe a half an inch, it was enough to touch bumpers and get a nice impression of his license plate screw in my rear bumper. Grrrrrrrrr

 

I am pretty sure the idea of rolling forward started back in the the days of racing and hot rods, when racers would do this to get the advantage. I don't really know why we do it in traffic now, especially in our automatic cars, or when we are behind people.

I too hate these kinds of people, but then again, I live in ole' flat Michigan.

Medic

 

I can;t say I love it when people pull right up to me, but I also don't have any issues strating out even if they do. When I was in high school, learning to drive in 1986 I learned on my dad's old 76 honda civic. We had a fairly long driveway with a pad off to the side. He made me master backing up, parking in a "space" on the pad, then starting out and pulling back up to the space by the house. Him making me do that, coupled with the fact that I was eager to get time driving the car resulted in me doing that manuever hundreds of times before I ever had the car in a parking lot even. We also had a super steep driveway, probably about an 8or10/12 pitch which would be like a roof a little on the steeper side. Eventually I mastered stopping on that hill on the way home, then starting out again. Also, if I ever do get in a real tight situation, I can always use the e-brake.

 

Try using your handbrake to avoid any rollback on hill starts. Yes some people are clueless zombies (95% IMHO) but rather than curse them, we should sing praise to the fact that we are not among them, plodding from place to place.

 

because those few inches the people roll saves them SOOOOOO much time, or so they believe.

 

Yep. I do that exact same trick.

 

is heal-toeing the gas/brake that hard... I'm definatly no miricale driver but I have never had a problem not rolling backward when I don't want to or can't.

I just use the exact same technique that I would use when heal-toe corner braking. /shrug.

 

Ive gone to the point of yelling out the window to the driver behind me that he was too close to me and the car may roll back a little bit

 

Don't flame me for the obvious but a little skill and some experience with the manual and this will no longer be an issue.

 

I hate them with passion specially since my MC has backing up sensors that start beeping when they feel something really close I wish I can put a sticker in my bumper that reads: "manual transmition vehicle stay away from me in the hills" is too long of a sticker

 

Just roll back and use their bumper to hold you steady...then you can take your time starting without fear of rolling down the hill