They just taught me how to drive stick at the dealer two weeks ago and now I'm moving customer's cars. Not quite good enough to get them through the car wash yet, but I'm getting there. Hahaha, the only time I shifted into second, I couldn't remember what to do when coming to a stop so I ended up stalling. Anyways, I learned on a 2012 Clubman justa.

 

add me. I taught my self in a day on my MCS. If your worrying about the clutch, you should have because it is getting replaced now. Under warranty that is how you do it. Run it out under warranty so you get a nice new one to last hopefully till i sell it. Anyways i love Stick nothing beats the feeling of shifting through the corners, down shifting, and of course the feel of 2nd to third gear, one of the best feelings in the world, also 3rd to 4th is also good. Not a fan of 1st to 2nd, it kind of gets old after a while. Anyways, a manual is the only way to truly drive a car.

 

ohhhhhh yes manual transmission all the way. I learned on a '91 miata in the elementary school parking lot when I was 15. My first car was an auto ('04 gmc canyon) and I hated that transmission. My MCS has the 6 speed (my second car) and I love it!

I do have to hand it to BMW though, the double clutch semi-automatic transmission is incredible (DCT). It can upshift and downshift quicker, smoother and more consistently than anyone person I've ever met. Hearing that V8 M3 downshift to the tune of a perfectly timed computer controlled rev-match blip is one I'll never get tired of.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...1&d=1321521853

Learning to operate a manual transmission is difficult. Especially the 1st few
practice sessions. I revisited this frustration when teaching my two sons the art. They stuck with it, learned it and now they are stick shift snobs just like their dad. I learned eons ago from my dad on a '56 Buick (" 3 on the tree").
I ,like most of you, simply could not extract the pure joy it brings to drive a car like the MINI without it. Having said that, it is nice to have the auto option
if there is an issue of physical pain or disability. I strongly urge anyone who is willing to learn to do so. The feeling of control and involvement it brings to driving a MINI is truly worth it. My $0.02.

 

A).
It's the car I ordered, waited for 6 weeks and bought. It's the car I wanted. Could have had any JCW, M3, AMG MB.

 

WHAT? You're driving customers' cars when you don't even know what to do when you're in second coming to a stop? This is why I do all my work on my car myeslf. I don't want a manual novice driving my car because it may get into an accident, ie: you freak out because you don't know what to do with the pedals or gear shifter and hit something because your were distracted, or, you stall and someone rear ends you at a light.

PS, not getting upset at you, but you really shouldn't be driving customers' manual cars yet.

 

Oh, no. I don't drive them on the road, just moving them from the service drive out back. Like I said, I really don't leave first gear.

 

It's not only the Mini dealer's that hire people that can't drive a stick and turn them loose in customers cars. There is a Chevy dealer that I used to go to that had guy's there that could not drive a stick. I was there one day when the oil change "MONKEY" drove a customers corvette into a brick wall because he forgot to put the clutch in when he stopped.

Then when the owners of these cars that were abused by certain dealers have problems with the clutch's the dealers like to blame the car owners.

The dealers should not hire anyone that can't drive a stick. Of course that will never happen so just be aware of who they let drive your car when you go in for service. If you notice clutch abuse you need to raise hell and be sure it is on record that the idiot at the dealership was abusive to your car. Another way of abuse is when they rev the engine and slip the clutch to get the car moving. That is just as bad as not putting the clutch in when stopping.

 

I usually try not to think of myself as a "Monkey". I agree with you all 100%, but they won't let someone drive a manual who doesn't know how to or at least at our dealer. I didn't know how to even get one started until they taught me. I have no need to know how to get past first if the speed limit in the autocampus is 10mph.

 

Been driving sticks since I learned to drive, 40+ years now. Learned on a VW Bug. Drive automatics only when necessary (rental, wife's car, etc.). And with a Mini, there was never even a question.

 

Been driving stick shift cars and other mechanical devices for 40 years. Have the Coupe now and a 2005 GTO with a 6 speed as well. I love the manual transmissions. My wife drives an automatic but can drive a stick as well.

 

I just think driving a manual is more fun in almost any vehicle. I bought a 5-speed 1986 Saab 900 when I was in college (Spring of 1999). I had spring break to clean it up and learn how to drive it so I could take it back to school. Learned in two 45 min lessons from my dad around a large parking lot. The next year at school I tore up my left knee and learned with a quickness how to shift without using the clutch.

Since then I've had the following cars all with manual transmissions:

2001 Ford Mustang GT
2000 Saab 9-3 SE
2003 Ford Ranger Edge (still own)
2008 MCS (still own)

I still have the truck along with my MCS and my wife is bugging me to to teach her (she really want to drive the MINI). I took her out in the MCS a couple times and she did okay (was pretty easy on the clutch but stalled a few times), but I think I'll use the truck the rest of the way as a new clutch in that is about half of one in the MCS.

 

Driving stick for 6 years now. Both my MINIs have been stick-shift. Although I admit I enjoyed the paddles on the MCa loaners I've had I would be loathe to give up my third pedal.

 

I've driven manuals all my life and the mini has the nicest trans ever!

 

Add me to the "brethren of Shiftophia". There's nothing like mashing the gas while downshifting to 4th to take on a cloverleaf.

 

I'd drive a manual any day!! Learned on a Vega My dad wouldn't let us take it on the road until we could back out of the driveway cleanly (for those who don't drive manual, it's a lot harder than it sounds!!). My first two cars were manual, but then we went through several years of automatics. It was sooooo much fun to get back to it with my MCS

 

I learnt to drive in a manual Mini 32 years ago. I've never lived with an auto apart from US rental cars.

With the state of my knees I worry I might need an auto in future, I'm hoping for a MINI with a DCT. If I can control it (as opposed to the other way around) and the wheels are connected to the engine then I don't have a theoretical problem with an auto. DCTs sound like a good thing.

 

I'm a minority; I have a manual for more practical than aesthetic reasons. My first car was a stick because that was what I could afford, and then when the auto transmission on my husband's Saab died I thought that automatics were untrustworthy and have had manuals ever since.

But I do get a kick out of shifting into 6th gear!

 

Manual is just fun and keeps you from doing stupid things like texting and talking on the phone. Maybe we should make manual transmissions mandatory?

=Laserjock=

 

Been driving manual for 25 years

 

I learned to drive on my mom's Dodge Omni 024 which was a manual, but I've owned mostly automatic cars with the exception of a 1974 Beetle I had throughout the early 2000's. When I decided to buy a new car, I wanted a manual because I missed it. I bought my current MINI off the lot but the manual transmission is what sold me on it.

 

Self taught manual transmission driver as a parking lot attendant (probably not a great decision by my boss to hire a teenager that just got his license, but those were the times). Over the years I've driven one in just about any situation... the hill of San Francisco... Colorado mountains in the summer or winter... winter, summer, north, south, east or west coast, USA, Europe.

Had to buy my first MINI with a Manual transmission.

 

Only been driving manual for about 2.5 months, but I love it! I'm really not sure I remember how to drive auto....juuuuust kidding :P

 

count me in!!!

 

I recently moved from a MCa into a manual MCSC. It's a blast!! Although I loved my Justa, the manual is the way to go if you're going to do some serious motoring.