So I'm all ready to get a '11 MCS but I've heard from multiple people, don't do it unless its a standard!

I've been driving automatics all my life, I did almost learn standard a two years ago and had a lot of trouble starting off from a dead stop or knowing when to downshift (car didn't have a tach)

I must've called every driving school in a 20 mile radius and no one offers standard lessons anymore..

Anyone know of a place/person that offers lessons in a standard without a ridiculous rate? Or anyone feel like giving a kid a lesson or two for some extra cash?

 

Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Congratulations on your decision finally to learn how to drive a real car.

Learning to drive a manual can greatly shorten the life of the clutch, and potentially damage the gearbox of the car you choose to learn on. I doubt anyone would let you use a MINI as your training platform, given the cost of changing a clutch. I suggest you find an old, American, rear-wheel drive car or truck to learn on. Heck, just find an old rustbucket for $500 on eBay/Craigslist/local paper, thrash it around until you get the hang of it/smoke the clutch/glaze the flywheel/strip the gears (whichever comes first), then sell or junk it when you are done.

 

I also think you'll hear from plenty of folks on here that the auto is just as good, esp with the steptronic.

I personally have a manual and love it, but I have been driving a manual for years so, so has my wife, and we both enjoy driving manual.

I'd go and check out an auto and see how it feels and reacts. I think you can still get alot of enjoyment of of a MINI w/ an auto. There is certainly some additional enjoyment in a manual, but unless you already enjoy manuals if might not be that much additional enjoyment.

Also do as Jazzop suggested maybe find a junker to learn on and in the process see if manual is something you'll like.

 

Hmm. I taught my son manual using my MCS, and he didn't hurt it. The Mini has a nice light predictable clutch and seemed to work well for him.

Hopefully you can find a friend as a coach -- what LJ and I did was just to find a lovely large parking lot to practice in for an hour. After that hour we had enough confidence to start working secondary roads with light traffic.

I think the key is to practice in an area where operating the controls at low speed can safely require most of your attention. After a time in that setting you'll have some familiarity and should be able to split your attention between the normal challenges of driving, and the new challenge of dealing with the gearbox and clutch.

Good luck in any event.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

If you truly want to learn to drive a manual, then do so....

But some people just are better off with an auto trans - that's not a slam at them either, some people have a natural affinity and skill at handling a car, some simply don't - fact of life.

That said, I've been very vocal against people who claim that it's not a proper car if it doesn't have three pedals. Why?

I'm not trying to convert those who prefer a stick - most of the cars I've owned over my lifetime were sticks, and I still have one. But getting an auto trans does not make you or the car "less" in any way!

Facts:

1) The auto trans has 6 forward speeds, just like the manual.
2 ) You can shift up and down thru the gears on a MINI auto trans - just like a manual.
3) The MINI automatic has a lever to change gears, just like the manual.
4) You can match revs on a downshift with the Auto - just like the manual (actually, it does it for you)

What you can't do - you can't push a clutch pedal down a million times over the time you own it.

You can't spend $3k for a new clutch at 30K miles because the dealer says you burned it.

You can't kill the engine taking off from a stop on a hill (of course, the new- hill holder feature pretty much makes this a moot point)

My point is simply that there is no downside to owning an automatic over a manual - so if you prefer it, go ahead and get it. Make yourself happy, it's your car, get what you want and quit listening to the naysayers.

 

Oh it's still a car, just a crappy, boring one. Ya know, it's funny, I just happen to be very vocal against people who fail to acknowledge that automatic transmissions, and those who must use them, are inferior. (I make an exemption for those who are physically handicapped and require an automatic) .

1. The car is inferior:

(a) While automatic transmission technology has greatly improved to the point that the vehicle's performance doesn't suffer as much as it used to (in fact, some supercars actually have faster 0-60 times with the auto trans), the fact remains that for the vast majority of cars on this planet, the ones equipped with automatics are not as fast or responsive as the same models equipped with manuals.

(b) Drivers of manuals can optimize their fuel economy by remaining in higher gears longer. The automatic doesn't know how many cars are around you or what your intentions are, so it will shift at the same points all the time. Also, manual cars weigh less, increasing performance and economy.

(c) Try pushstarting an automatic.

(d) Reliability and cost of repair. Check the CVT forum for others' opinions on this issue.

(e) Tire chirp/squeal will quickly clear jaywalkers from an intersection. Does your automatic do that?

(f) Try doing some high-performance driving in the mountains, on a hot day, with an automatic car. Let me know how your brakes hold up, how cool the engine remains, and how smoothly the auto trans shifts at the end of the day without being able to engine brake.

2. The drivers are inferior:

I shall use a maxim from the world of aviation: airplane pilots who fly tailwheel airplanes are better pilots than those who don't know how.

Alternate version: airplane pilots who can fly gliders are better pilots than those who don't know how.

[What I mean by "better pilots" is centered on the physical control of the airplane, not better at navigating or performing other pilot tasks, per se.]

The issue is that both tailwheel and glider pilots are less distant from the forces acting on the aircraft, as they are required to make continuous assessments of the direction and trend of the aircraft's motion, and act on those assessments with greater finesse and frequency. For the glider pilot, one's ability to remain in the air longer or travel farther depends on precise handling of the glider. For the tailwheel pilot, not flipping the plane over on the ground is a major concern. The complexity of this type of flying reveals itself when they are flying a simple, tricycle-gear airplane through greater coordination and precision.

I believe a similar distinction exists between those who are proficient with manual gearboxes and those who aren't. Being in tune with the potential and kinetic energy of your car, the engine, and the gearbox leads to a greater ability to manage this energy and use it for your intended purpose (speed or economy). As anyone with a lot of "stick time" in a car will tell you, they can detect the slightest hiccup in engine speed or wheel vibration, allowing them to spot mechanical problems earlier. And when driving conditions are less than stellar, I believe that the heightened awareness of engine/gear/wheel speeds allows one to make finer adjustments to maintain traction.

The problem occurs when you have a bimodal distribution of driving skill and both humps on the curve share the same road.

 

 

Lots of folks in the Navy drive Standard. Look around and ask those that are with you now whats the old saying "Ask the Chief". Assuming that your still in school etc your going to have to network and search the answer out but at the end of the day if you told someone that you would be willing to buy them a cup of coffee, meal etc they would be more then willing to help you out. The auto hobby shop on base might also be a great place to go. The Mini is one of the easiest to learn how to drive and as everyone has posted in both the automatic esp with paddle shifters and the manual you will enjoy your time behind the wheel.

 

As soon as you come up from underwater and hit land...just get one of your buddies help you out.

 

I have an R60 Auto and R52 Auto because my wife is a Multi-Networker...

She can't think for one second, texting, talking on the phone, side-seat driver, nagging me to death, and going at a rate of 250 beats per minute.

Thank goodness for earplugs.