I'm looking at a 05 cabrio S w auto trans, are the auto trans any good, reliable, etc.? Can one add heated seats if they did not come w/ the car?

 

Yes the Steptronic is fine.

I believe there is a kit to add seats.

Do a search on the boards.

 

The Steptronic is the only trans. that Mini has offered that I haven't read a durability complaint about.

 

I have an 05 MCC, (not an S model, unfortunately) with the CVT auto trans. The transmission is uh ...weird. Don't get me wrong, I have no complaint, its just unusual. At very low speeds the car feels like it has the handbrake on: the car feels like its dragging a brake or something. This is not really a problem, it just takes a little getting used to. It actually enhances the stopping performance at low speed and has no effect on acceleration. It feels as if it is just resisting something at very low speed.

Another thing is the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). It is interesting to never feel the car "shift". It just makes a sort of smooth transition that is only noticable if you watch the tach.

In the "sport" mode, the performance is noticably upgraded and I frequently shift between normal and then into this mode when driving.

Finally, the up-down manual shift works flawlessly. Again, it takes a little getting used to if you have never driven one. Because there are 6 speeds, the ratios are pretty close together and you have to shift alot to keep the engine in its fairly high powerband. But it is very responsive and a lot of fun to push hard.

As for the heated seats ...this is a "must have" for a cabrio, IMO - especially if you live in a region that has seasons. The heated seats feature extends your top-down motoring season by several months depending on where you live and drive. If you can get it as an after-market add-on DO IT. You will NOT regret it.

peace, love and MINIs

-B

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One more confirmation that the '05 MCS Convertible with the automatic Steptronic transmission is a fine piece of motoring equipment.

The power output is so smooth and strong, I rarely use the Sport or Manual mode (unlike in my MC with CVT in which I practically live in the Sport Mode).

You'll love it, bimmerbud, trust me.

 

I'm new to MINI, only had my 07 MCS a couple weeks but I love the auto tranny. Occasionaly I'll be surprised by the gear I'm in- too low, but I'll upshift with the steering wheel paddles (you do not need to be in sport mode to do this) and the gearing will be "corrected". Feels like the gearing is programmed for maximum power, not necessarily a bad thing unless you're gas concious. That said, I have no idea if the 05 has paddles or if it's the same transmission, and am thinking I shouldn't have replied to the post...

 

My wife's '05 MCSa has the 6 speed auto - she has 22K miles on the car and the transmission has been trouble free. With the original ECU software (don't know the version) the car would stumble a bit on cool to cold mornings for the first minute or so. A software upgrade mostly cured this although it still has a little bit more hesitation when cold compared to my '06 MCS. My wife loves her MINI and the auto.

 

If you get your MINI get it with all the works... the leather heated seats are very good especially if you need the lumbar support to your back ,,, I have an '06 MCSca , I love the cool air drives at night, so the heated seats and the 'wind screen' is a must..I have only 1 complaint about the auto trans.. with the A/C on it kicks a bit on the downshift .. I took it in to have it checked and the results was that the onboard computer does that to protect the trans from over working... I don't know about that but it sounds like a 'push it under the carpet answer' .. so I'll have it checked again before the warrantee runs out...

 

The only thing about the MCS automatic I don't like is that the shift from 3rd to 2nd as you stop is a little rough. To reduce the effect, I keep the car in manual mode a lot now, so at least I know when the downshift is coming

 

Another lover of the MCSCa... at the Dragon this past weekend, I was perplexing some manual drivers with the ability to brake VERY little by effectively using the paddles and downshifting strategically... and making it a challenge for them to keep up... for hardcore twisty driving I'd MUCH rather have the auto with the paddles, vs. a "rower"...