Hi,

I am looking at the Mini and had my first test drive.....I thought I would try the CVT first and it was ok. I had no idea of what to expect but judged the CVT as adequate and returned to the dealer and asked to drive a 5 speed. Oh my gosh...this was the MINI that I have been reading about. The 5 spd brings the car to life!!! Could I have some of your thoughts? I spec out a 2005 Mini with premium, sport and cold and leatherette for $21,000....and 5 speed and it seems like the one for me...The down side no in the family can drive 5 speed but me...I wanted to like CVT for my wife so she could drive...hmmm...maybe that's good!!

Thanks for a great web site...you guys are great.

 

One friend has the CVT. He bought the car on a whim between dropping his daughter off at school and going to work. His wife was horrified because it looked so small and dangerous. Of course she now drives it all the time and he is wondering what to get for himself. That would not have happened if he had gotten it with a clutch.

I have an MCSa. It need not be involving to drive (I have not even used the paddles), but in my crowded and hilly city it is all my pea brain can handle. It vaguely reminds me of the Mini I had 30 years ago (although that had a roll cage, hot cam and straight cut gears). I am sure the car would be a lot more fun with a clutch, but 99% of my driving is not for pleasure anymore.

Learning how to drive with a clutch is not difficult. It's a bit intimidating stopping and starting while going uphill and even worse when doing so in rush hour. But if your area is not too hilly your family should be able to adapt to a clutch car. And welcome to NAM.

 

Ooooooo.....tough spot!!! If your family has to be able to drive it, true, they can always learn to drive a manual. But, excessive traffic and hills would be a real frustration (and maybe even dangerous) 'til they got good.

On the other hand, if you did wind up w/ a CVT, you would have a real chance to explore the manual shift modes the CVT offers. I've heard real good things about this.

Maybe another test drive in manual mode would be helpful, but I expect time and experience would be required to get good at it.

If my this scenario was playing out in my family, a family meeting would be in order.

 

The CVT isn't bad, but it does take some getting used to. Try and find an experienced CVT driver close by and see if he'll take you for a drive. I've impressed and have been complimented by manual MC and MCS drivers on how well the CVT keeps up in the twisties and how capable a tranny it is.


-Paul!

 

I have to second that, we have a cvt and I have been aproached by S drivers after a run through the canyons with comments like "I didnt know a cooper was that fast?" Once you learn how to use it it is definitly capable of holding its own, now light to leght accelleration is does leave something to be desired. I myself have a modded S but my daughters cooper was hella fun for the 2 years before I bought my S ( now we have 2 )

 

auto is must in NYC....i hate drive my porsche there hehe

 

Hiya, Big Al! Be sure to test-drive ALL the MINI Models on offer! You need to drive an MCS with the 6-speed tranny AND the new MCS automatic, which is NOT a CVT. Give them all a try and then see which one best suits you! Have fun figuring it all out!


Clover

 

Hey Big Al,

I'm right there with ya! I drove a CVT and ordered one, Just before it went into production I drove a 6 speed.....WOW what a difference. If you don't need the convienence of the Automatic I suggest a Stick. I felt much more connected to the car with the stick. It felt more like I was driving rather than just being a passenger. My opinion, take it for what it's worth.

ELMANN

 

A CVT Mini is a great car, but if you really liked the 5-speed just remember it's easier to teach your wife to drive a 5-speed than to teach your CVT to drive like a 5-speed:smile:

 

After deciding on the transmission your real conundrum will be color. I hope you let us know what spec Cooper you decide on.

 

I will always get a Manual but i must say the Auto in the MCS is pretty sweet. Havent driven the CVT

 

Hmmmmm......perhaps I see a need for two MINIs in your future????

(...don't laugh, I have friends who do this!!:smile: )

 

I'm a happy CVT owner.

One thing to remember about driving a CVT demo car is that the transmission is adaptive and 'learns' the driver's style. With a demo or a loaner that has lots of different drivers, the performance suffers because the computer is constantly adjusting to try and match the driver.

If you have a friend who will take you for a ride or let you drive his or her car, you'll get a better idea of the potential of the CVT.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll be happy with your MINI.

 

We love our CVT! 30K miles since September 2002 and no problems:smile:

 

I drove a service loaner MC Convert with CVT last week while my MCS was getting fitted for it's JCW intake. Didn't much like it - felt like I was driving the world's biggest snowmobile that was not so snappy. The CVT responded only slightly better in sport mode.

If you're interested - why don't you go test a MCS with the Automatic - it's a non-CVT and is quite responsive and sprightly.

 

When I was first shopping for a MINI I tried a CVT MC and an MCS with 6 speeds. I wasn't that impressed with the CVT and I thought the MCS was fine.

Later I got a chance to drive a loaner MC with CVT and it was much better than my first impression. You really need to spend some time learning how to drive a CVT (not in the normal drive mode). Try SD or full manual shifting. Or get a CVT owner to take you for a test drive in their MC.

The CVT would have been good for me- my wife and kids could drive it as well. Right now I'm the only one that drives my MCS- which sounds good but limits who is taking which car out.

The MCS automatic with paddle shifters is also very good. Very smooth.
Love those paddles!

 

I'm very suprised Rally hasnt hopped in here yet to express his opinion!

 

When we first test drove a MINI we went straight to the MCC w/ CVT since it was for my wife and she disliked driving a manual tranny. Six months and 9K miles later we still love it. The MTH software you can find information about on a number of forums makes a HUGE improvement in how the MC w/ CVT responds, particularly in Sport Drive (SD) mode, and if you do a lot of city driving, or stuck in traffic a lot, resetting the adaptive cache puts the fun right back where it belongs :smile:

I only wish I could find an aftermarket (improved) intake and an exhaust that would fit an '05 MCC and my wife would be in heaven. Me, soon to be ordering my own MCS with a manual tranny, but I do enjoy driving the MCC and CVT, and almost never take it out of SD

 

Forgot to add that the steptronic mode of the CVT is a hoot to use also when you just gotta drive in "stick mode"

 

Sadly, the excellent ZF VT-1 CVT transmission is going away after the 2006 model year. It is rumored that the 2007 MC will have a hydraulically operated slushbox instead (Like the current MCSa) to "remedy" some of the dislikes of the CVT driveability.

 

I went back to a manual (picking up my MCS TODAY!) after driving a Jeep auto trans and a Saturn SC-2 auto trans... Previous to that I had four manuals (all VWs, Dasher, Rabbit, two Jettas) and I *really* missed that "oneness" with the car so here I am getting back to the manual "grind." Pardon the pun. I haven't driven a manual since I was in Greece on vacation last year. Let's see if I buck and heave out of the driveway... lol.

Good luck in your decision.