For those of you who have taken delivery, anyone wishing they had done differently regarding their transmissions?

It seems as though the automatic continues to get begrudging acceptance - "it sucks less than I expected it to". The manual is very nice, and with the hill-holder feature, removes one concern many folks have.

Wanting to finalize my order in the next couple of days, and this is one more thing that I"m torn up about!

TIA!

 

Zero regrets with the automatic transmission! Very happy so far!

Cheers!

 

+1000

Very fast shifting

 

I have an e93 and the only regret I have is I went with an auto, so I made sure I didn't make the same mistake twice. I took delivery of my manual R60 S last Jan 12th and been loving it more and more each day. I've got some images posted from previous threads. Put your right hand to good use! You won't regret it!

 

I have manual. The clutch pressure is very low so your leg doesn't get a workout in traffic. No regrets on that decision. First Mini was auto, second was manual with a very stiff clutch pedal and the Countryman is smooth and easy.

 

took delivery of my R60 ALL4 last week in manual transmission. Haven't had a manual in 15 years and I couldn't be happier. I drive in the mountains a lot and am loving the more responsive control...even though my VW Touareg had a "manual mode" as an auto...it wasn't the same immediate engine braking and ability to downshift coming into a corner...
DRIVING IS FUN AGAIN!

 

I have the auto box & with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. I reckon that is the best of both worlds.

 

I have a Manual and absolutely love it. From reading other threads seems like most folks like their choice and it seems really comes down to what YOU want to drive.

 

Yes! +1

Dave

 

Love the manual! Clutch is smooth and does not require much pressure. Shifter is like butter, not notchy at all. Hill holder clutch removes any anxiety over rolling backwards from a stop. Great drivetrain for a manual!

 

I ordered my Countryman manual, couldn't see myself with anything else love it!!!

manual +1

 

One more vote for auto w/paddle shifters here...manual's fun for a week or so for me.....

 

Great!
Nice to hear!


Awesome!

I've been driving a manual transmission vehicle of some flavor since 1990 (that makes me sound really old) and I can do it. But now I'm commuting into the city for work every day. On a "normal" traffic day, even rush hour, I'm OK with it. But since the beginning of December at least two days a week have been commutes that have been 1-1.5 (and more!) hours due to snowstorms. Crawling along at 5-10 MPH for 20 miles with a stick is no fun. I'm over it. It's too bad I probably won't get my CM until next year at the earliest. I love my little 5 speed convertible, but not so much this winter.

 

Love my manual my, MCS was manual minus the hill assist. The Miss's swears I did it just so she can't drive my car. The hill assist makes life so much easier, anxiety free. I'm glad this option was standard.

 

Ordered my '09 MCS with manual and love it. Smooth, easy, hill hold feature and FUN. No regrets!! Really depends on what you want.

 

Thanks for all the input - I just ordered my CountryMan this afternoon with the manual transmission!

I've also opted for the sport suspension - surprised that more folks haven't either opted for it or are talking about it. I guess it's just not very common on the CM, although I thought it was very common on the MCS.

Thanks again.

 

My wife and I are waiting for the next dealer allocation to put our order in. We test drove the CMs in manual & automatic, and found both to be fun. I probably will go with a manual, but its really hard to decide. I did put down I want the sport suspension (and every other option available), but we have to wait just to put our deposit down next month... oh well. Good post.

 

Manual plus sport here.

Nicest 'auto' (paddles) I ever drove was an SLK55, and I still felt rather detached from the process (I've driven more expensive paddle cars, but thought the SLK smoother). I don't want a machine second guessing my goals, and haven't missed a shift yet in... uh... wow... lots of years of driving (about 21 of them for those counting, though I hadn't done the math until now!)

No slight intended, but I believe that a manual is the only real option for a true enthusiast and an automatic is for commuters and multi-taskers.

As support for this theory, I would propose there's a strong correlation between the selection of technology items (Nav, bluetooth, Connected, etc.) and the auto box, and a similarly strong correlation between the manual and the sport suspension. I don't have the numbers, and doubt MINI would pony up with them, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that's the case.

Congrats on your decision, and to those who are 'unhappy' with their selection, for heaven's sake... it's a car, not your child. Sell it and order the one you want already!

Cheers,
Tad

 

Auto is great, same as the R56, Aisin autos are the best after DSG. At first I was regretting not getting an MT a bit this time (although the wife's inability to learn really makes it a hassle to have), until I started to hear the complaints about the long clutch.

 

Love the manual transmission on this car. Easily one of the best shifter-feel of the cars I've owned in the past.

 

I know the issue is settled for the OP, but I have the manual, and I agree that for me it's an integral part of the driving experience of getting a MINI. For me, it would be counterintuitive to get a manual in a MINI. I also found it much more responsive and fun than the automatic when I test drove both.

That said, I respect everybody's choice of transmission. It's your car, and you should have the features that make you happy and that make your driving experience pleasurable.

 

Haven't taken delivery of my car yet so my experience is limited to test drives, but I felt the same way. I was very seriously considering an automatic until I test drove the manual and felt that it was much more responsive. The tradeoff in convenience given by the automatic in traffic, etc just didn't seem worth it to lose the responsiveness that is there in the manual. I've been driving a manual for the last 6yrs so at this point I'm pretty comfortable with it.

 

The Manual trans is very good now, I have completely adapted to the clutch & hill-assist. I'm looking forward to getting past the break-in period. 1200 mi is taking forever

 

You're telling me. I keep wanting to open up the damn throttle, but I'm only at 700 miles. The car is BEGGING to go over 4500 rpms. On the upside, the gentle acceleration is keeping me at like 28 mpgs for combined driving.

 

Same here... 1200 is taking forever....