[monica]

I'll try to stick w/just the facts. WARNING the following is in lay person terms. If there are terms to describe what I'm saying, tell me I take no offense at learning a thing or two. First things that were the same in both cars (but not) - The shifter, I'm not sure if they improved/changed the gearbox/shifter (see I'm not even sure where the difference lies) but oh my god!! There has either been some major reworking or I had a very defective gearbox and was too stupid to realize it. I always had to sort of give the shifter a little jiggle before changing gears, sometimes it would pop out (blamed it on being too tired and not putting enough muscle behind it ), and I was always conscious that I was changing gears. I kept thinking that "I just had to get used to it" and honestly if I didn't drive my new 2004 MC I would have lived on forever in blissful ignorance. The 2004 MC shifts crisply and precisely it also feels as if it has to "travel less" to get into gear and it feels secure when it gets there. In the 2003 MC 2nd to 3rd was a pain you had to push it into gear but sort of apply a downward pull pressure at the last second to get it in smoothly, if not it would go into gear but felt like it was "bumping" into something every time. Second improvement - My 2003 Mini did this thing (or rather didn't do) that if you were in 2nd and slowing down but then had to speed up again you would end up pressing the accelerator all the way down and nothing would happen for a few second. The car would just keep cruising as if you weren't giving it any gas at all then speed up in it's own sweet time. Sort of embarrassing and dangerous when turning and other cars were headed towards me and there was nothing i could do to go. Is that a "dead spot"? Anyhooo no trace of that in the 2004. Obviously I'm very pleased at this unexpected bonus of improved performance. THe other stuff was to be expected, sport seats blow the standard seats away and I'm 5'3", so even to someone small the standard seats still suck. I'd pay $500.00 extra but they should be standard I mean does it actually cost that much more to build sport seats? Harmon Kardom is way better than the boost but then the boost really sucks and I don't think the stereo upgrade is worth the extra $. For $500.00 you could put something together that is better than anything Mini offers, and I've got that damned rattling in my left speaker I've got to ssearch for the thread on that. Steering wheels should always have a leather (or leatherette cover) unless they are wood which none are anymore so the fact that the 2003 came wrapped in nothing sucked, very uncomfortable, and was staring to peel. Oh yeah there is no more pull to the side when starting from a stop. Nice.

[NEMINI]

Glad your happy with your '04 but I must say I have none of those problems with my very early '03

[Rob.]

Congrats on your new car. Glad it seems better built than your old one I agree sports seat should be standard. Hope when mini get round to replacing the seat they do a better job, more bucket like please. Help me with spirited cornering

[HarryHBMCC]

Sounds like your tranny was knackered. My first one was not going into gear properly, not going into 1st and reverse sometimes before the loud banging noises in first got me a new one. So far, knock on wood, the replacement tranny is going OK...

Eventually the 2004's will have a new gearbox (Getrag instead of Midlands) but not yet unless the rumours were very wrong.

Harry

[NEMINI]

the gearbox will change with the convertible comes out, so it will be close to the '05 MY before anyone sees then, and then it will be sometime before we know if they are an actual improvement or whether they will have 'new model' growing pains as well

[monica]

I honestly had no idea anything was wrong. I mean the car worked fine enough, maybe I was just weeks away from the bottom falling out. I figured that being a Cooper she was supposed to be slow of the starting line. I didn't realise she was too slow. To her credit once she got up to cruising speed did just fine. I just hope my 2004 will be able to handle a decent highway speed. And before anyone asks, no I didn't take a test drive because I did not know how to drive stick. Learned on my Mini, she was my first and imperfect as she was I knew no better. Hmmmmm