so same problem here with shifting, 1st gear and second are jerky, 3rd gear is toothy and gear changes sound hard like im not clutching smoothly enough. I would really love to read a detailed account of how to properly shift the mini. I'm not new to manuals my 2008 jetta was butter smooth and very forgiving, can anyone provide a good link for mini shifting?

 

I have to believe there is something wrong with you car. I owned a 2009 and it shifted perfectly with no hint of what you describe at all. I have a 2012 Coupe and it shifts smooth as butter. No problems whatsoever.

Every Mini I have driven and it's been quite a few though not owned have never had a problem with the shifter.

I would have it checked out.

 

Ok, after 5 months of ownership I have come to a conclusion. The clutch pedal is too light in the Mini. All they have to do is make the pedal throw a little more stiff, and I bet the problem would go away. I think the reason some people feel it and some don't comes down to quite a few different factors. Driving history, vehicle ownership history, driving style, physical attributes (tall, short, big, skinny, etc....IOW how you fit behind the wheel and your seating position). I am used to driving V8's so I want a clutch pedal to have a little bit of resistance to it. I swapped cars with my brother last week for a few days and it all became a little more clear. He has a 2004 Mustang GT. Anyone who has driven a Mustang such as this one knows that the clutch pedal feels like it belongs in a Mack truck when you first get into it. If the pedal was as free flowing and easy to depress as our Mini's are, it would be jerky as hell!

This jerky clutch pedal thing is not an issue in most small cars because there is a lot more slack built into the clutch system and they are designed to slip more. Our Mini's have a very tight clutch with a small grab point compared to most other cars. Couple this with the previously mentioned theory of the way our turbo builds boost and torque at lower RPM and you end up with clunky, jerky shifts in the shorter gears (1st, 2nd.) Again, you usually don't feel it in other similar cars because the pedal throw is stiffened in one way or another to compensate. This is my theory. Anyone agree or disagree? Have anything to add?

 

...and hear I was thinking that the jerky 1st-2nd shift was all because of my fault.

I even designated a pair of shoes specifically for driving because I thought it gave me better control!

 

Checkout the link to the site below:

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_shifting

I too drove a Jetta (10 years) before my 200 miles so far with a 2012 MINI Hardtop. I'm still "adapting", but the cupped hand suggestion in the Shifting link has lessened my tendency to "over steer" the shifter. I guess muscle memory is difficult to overcome.