Is the new mini to be a man or a woman - be careful on how "involved" you get... aside from this.

I thought my next car would be a VW by default - DSG. Then I drove it - not for me (had an acura RSX-s - gone in 60 seconds).

Then reality hit - my spouse CAN drive a manual; in fact, she used to steal my pulsar in college (3rd Gen - w/T-tops - 5spd). So, she just dislikes the manual. Well, I dislike automatic. So, I have 6 forward gears and one to go backwards with the bonus pedal!

Fast forward 6 months to current - there hasn't been any complaints - I drive my car 100%, she drives her's 80%. We actually use the mini 60% of the time as my 3yr old is all about it! The car was out in the driveway at night and my better half mentioned that I should pull it in (alas, to avoid the sequel of gone in 60 seconds) and I flippantly said "just pull it in for me."

- she responded with "I don't want to practice [stickshift] tonight.... we can try next week"

It's either in the water, or it's the mini - and I don't even have a sunroof!

go for it.

 

This is an item that I took a pretty hard stance on - I will drive the car 90-95% of the time and a manual trans is not something that can not be learned. I'm trying to get my wife out on my old car to learn but she has not been enthusiatic - guess I will spend 6 1/2 hrs behind wheel when we visit her father.

Color (SS/B) and interior was by mutual agreement, though I did give in on interior chome.

 

One thing I have found with my Clubman which is different from all of the other manuals I have owned-you can't idle in first gear. I have to give it a little gas or it will die out. I haven't been in heavy traffic so far but that is when I will most likely be in the situation to want to idle in first.

 

that's not right. should idle regardless.