Bwahahahaha. Too funny Tigs! Can't Mike teach him?

 

It is myself and my husband that own RUDEBOX. Remembering what it was like learning to drive 5-speed not too long ago, I just felt like some girl talk and felt like asking the ladies what they preferred or ordered with their MINIs. If the guys want to comment too, that's fine. No other deep underlying meanings. Geez!

 

Stick!! My last car was my very first automatic - I was very happy to go back to a stick!!

 

I feel like I have more control over my vehicle if it has a manual tranny, for sure. It was nice to get back to a stick with MINI #1 in '02, after 18 years with 2 automatic trannies. But I will say that our '88 Isuzu Trooper has an incredible automatic tranny -- between the 4WD and the power buttons, we have like 10 speeds!

I agree! There is no shame in driving whichever you choose.

Great ideas, from both you and 'Rita for special ladies badges.

BTW, my 2 MINIs have been manual trannies, but I have a bad left knee, so it is only a matter of time before I will have to drive an automatic. I had the pleasure of driving cubbyr's MCSCa when we shared driving from the FL Panhandle down to the Kennedy Space Center to see a shuttle lunch in August. It was a lot of fun! Nothing wrong with the MINI automatic.

 

Don't worry about it. I LIKE girl talk once in a while, and it was interesting to see how many ladies like manual transmissions. I wouldn't have predicted it. I've driven manuals for SO many years. Do ya want to know how many? Long enough that my '69 SAAB Sonett had a 4-speed, on the tree! And that wasn't the first one, either.

 

i just learned to drive manual while in iraq so my next MINI will problay be a manual

 

For those with bonafide reasons to drive an automatic (ie, bad knees, hips, etc... geez, I'm getting old) but still have the sporty car attitude, the CVT offers a nice compromise.

Slam that lever over into Manual Mode and you'll still feel like you're operating the vehicle.

For those youngins out there who just never learned to drive a stick... just get out there and learn, For The Love Of God !!! It's kind of like sex. When you're a virgin, you don't realize what you're missing.

But unlike using a clutch pedal, you won't want to give up the sex just because it makes your knees and hips ache.

 

Normally, I prefer automatic. I've been driving for 20+ years (both manual and automatic), and have always considered driving a necessary evil and driving manual too labor intensive.

However...when I test drove different Minis, I felt that the manual had more punch than the automatic, and it was just more fun.

For the most part, I'm glad I chose a manual except on those rare occasions when I shift into the wrong gear. That's embarrassing.

 

I thought the CVT was no longer made, because of its unreliabity.

 

Here's another for if ya wanna have a brewski while you are rockin

 

I don't know if the R56's have it or not... I have no intention of ever buying one of those. I'm waiting for the R-59s to come out.

But I know both our 06's have them and I'll bet if you really look, you can find one or two of those for sale in your home state.

Unreliability ? Do a search on the board and I'm sure you'll see that the reliability issues were few in number and pretty much relegated to the early model years of its existence.

 

I have an auto, and am not ashamed. People are usually surprised to hear that, because I have no problem keeping up, and don't ride the brakes (like many auto drivers do ).

I don't see how the original intent of this thread could be seen as sexist . It was never implied that MINI Ladies couldn't or shouldn't drive stick. The OP just seemed curious as to which is more popular.

 

I had to have a manual trans. I learned on one and only owned cars with stick shifts until my last car. It was so boring to drive, theres no way Im going back!

 

Manual! And I wouldn't have it any other way, it's one of the best 6spds i've driven

 

I think the R56's have something called steptronic. I never paid much attention since I was going for the 6 speed.

Seriously though, I know several people on the boards here with it (the two that come to mind are both men btw) and they say manual mode on the R56 auto tranny is very nice.

 

My '05 MCSC has Steptronic transmission. Did they go back to calling the automatic 07's by the same name ??

Either way, they operate the same as the CVTs... sport mode or manual mode. Manual mode is .

 

Stick for sure!!
Cant own a Cooper S without a stick!! Wouldn't be as much fun in an auto.

 

Stick, for sure! I learned to drive on a '68 manual transmission VW bug and I have driven manual transmission cars ever since. I have trouble whenever I have to drive an automatic (rentals, work vehicles, etc) I always end up easing up on the break with my left foot like it's a clutch. Ugh!!

 

To me my MCS is my sports car, so I could only see getting a stick.

 

I swore that my next car would be a automatic since our traffic here is getting worse by the week. I just couldn't do that to myself when the Hubby said, "it's your car, order what you want". I ordered Shelby Jr. with a manual and haven't looked back. The area traffic is still getting worse, but the Mini actually brought back my love for driving. I'm back to looking for reasons to take a drive and the traffic really doesn't matter.

 

Nemo is a stick and he's the first one I've ever had. I bought him without knowing how to drive him home. My husband drove him home for me. I learned quickly though! Flash forward to now, 6 months later - I LOVE IT!!! I will probably always have a stick. I sure didn't know what I was missing! I've never been so attached to a car.

 

Stick! (Even if I HAD had the option, I would have chosen stick . . . )

 

Both of my MINI's have been a stick shift....wouldn't have it any other way!!

 

I'm pretty sure you've got a biased sample here... odds are, if a lady is interested enough to be on a car website, chatting with other car owners, she may also be more likely to drive a stick, as many car enthusiasts seem to.