I bit the bullet as we say and traded in my 2004 Mini Indigo Blue CVT for a new 2005 MCSa. Wow, I liked my old Mini with CVT but the 2005 MCSa is a different car altogether. Dark silver and black top and loaded with options.

Now I know the MCS purists are not going to like this but yes, I got the automatic. And it's super. Great pickup from a dead stop and passing on the expresway is a breeze. The power I always wanted in a Mini without the hassle of shifting in stop and go Washington, DC rush hour traffic. (I did my manual shifting when I was younger, no more for me, thank you very much.)

Funny story though (sort of) - must have had a faulty seal in one of the 16 in. run flats. Tire warning light went on while I was driving home from the showroon near Baltimore (Mini of Towson) . Stopped the car, noticed one tire appeared a little low, no big deal, and continued on home. Turns out, there was no air in the tire at all! I guess those run flats do work.

Hope to see some of my fellow DC Mini owners soon.

 

Hey I'm one of those purists. I love my six speed Gertrag. However, if an automatic works for you, enjoy it! Everything I've read is very positive about the new automatics and it is good to hear you concur.

Saludos

 

Congratulations on your new baby... but a an A Mini what's the fun in driving it???



I am dringin an automatic loaner and I have to stop myself from trying to shift on a turn, zipping thru traffic .. where is the fun when the car does it ??



MD STREGA2 (sans rear window, for now)

 

A tired argument on the boards but I understand your passion. 30 years ago, I would have felt the same way - back in the days when you could cruise at 65 MPH on just about any part of the Beltway, day or night, non stop. Where's the fun? I get plenty enough with the MCSa and at the end of the day, I am a helluva lot more relaxed. But that's just me.

Having said that however, if I lived out in the middle of nowhere and was a young buck again (younger anyway), I'd be right behind you with a manual tranny. Seems like Sunday is the only day in the DC Area when the traffic is not a killer.

Was that an S auto you drove or a CVT? Nothing wrong at all with the CVT. I loved mine but the extra 50 horses with the S auto makes a BIG difference. Hey, Minis are Minis. Whichever model or options you choose, you are going to have one great time. :smile:

 

I agreed with you about driving and how bad the Metro DC area is . Luckily I drive very little in the city, visit my clients by metro, walking or within 10 miles from home (no traffic) but I do enjoy (for the most part) the weekly trips from DC to Annapolis and of course the Mini runs... I can't wait for Spring to restart our monthly runs...


MD STREGA2
... driving "Pepperina" the loaner

 

I hear ya. Hope to see you one of these days.

 

You can shift to any gear you want, when you want to (and keep your hands on the wheel to boot), that is the beauty of this transmission. These new steptronic trannys are nothing like the old school autos if you drive them in manual mode. (I'm guessing that if you have a Mini loaner its a CVT which is not the same as the MCS transmission.)

Anyhow, congrats on the new car kraigster414

 

Thanks. Yes, having owned an MC 04 CVT and now the 05 MCSa, it's an entirely different experience.

 

Welcome, and you can see lots of us just about any time if you come out for our events. Next scheduled event is our monthly breakfast at Tate MINI in Annapolis on March 19. I am working on a Sunday drive for the end of the month. Stay tuned.

 

Thanks Jen. March 19th is the wife's birthday but who knows...and the Sunday drive sounds great. :smile: