Hey,

I am looking for a new car. I was wondering if Mini Cooper with CVT transmission is good. Anybody driven it? Is it quick and fun to drive? This would be my daily driver, so I would need something that's reliable, quick, fun, good fuel efficiency, etc. And I love styling of mini. Just out of curiousity, what do ya think 0-60 and 1/4 mile for CVT mini is? Considering it has 115 HP and 110 ft.lbs. it wouldn't be quick I guess.

Thanks for any help!

 

>>Hey,
>>
>>I am looking for a new car. I was wondering if Mini Cooper with CVT transmission is good. Anybody driven it? Is it quick and fun to drive? This would be my daily driver, so I would need something that's reliable, quick, fun, good fuel efficiency, etc. And I love styling of mini. Just out of curiousity, what do ya think 0-60 and 1/4 mile for CVT mini is? Considering it has 115 HP and 110 ft.lbs. it wouldn't be quick I guess.

Haris,
Aloha and welcome to MCO,
Yes the MC with CVT is fine. Take it for a test drive- a long one so you can get the feel for it. Perfectly good city car but you can shift it if you like for more performance. I would say that in general it is quick enough and certainly fun to drive in the lighter stock wheel configuration. For MC with CVT
0-62 mph: 10.4 seconds
1/4 mile time: 17+ seconds

Not fast but generally great handling. Comfortable and big enough. Safe car with decent gas mileage.

_________________
ALOHA

 

My opinion of the CVT is terrible. I have no doubts about the quality of the transaxle, but the time it took the CVT version to get up to speed on my test drive made me want to take a nap while i waited for it to accelerate. And the way it functions feels WAY too much like an old worn out automatic that slips and won't find a gear. It would take some getting used to if you decide on it... but i don't feel the $1200 price tag on it is worth not having to shift it yourself. When i placed my order i got the 5-spd manual. Now THAT is fun.

 

just get an MCS. i had a cvt and it SUCKS with the A/C on.. power is absolutely horrible. with MCS power is slowed a little bit nothing major like the damn cvt. stick is so much better anyway.....

 

i agree with these folks.
though i dont think the cvt sucks

i would say get a 5 speed mc. it will be much more fun :smile:
i am thinking of doing the same :smile:

good luck. and get red, its the fastest mini

 

>>i agree with these folks.
>>though i dont think the cvt sucks
>>

it sucks with the A/C on........

 

>>My opinion of the CVT is terrible. I have no doubts about the quality of the transaxle, but the time it took the CVT version to get up to speed on my test drive made me want to take a nap while i waited for it to accelerate. And the way it functions feels WAY too much like an old worn out automatic that slips and won't find a gear. It would take some getting used to if you decide on it... but i don't feel the $1200 price tag on it is worth not having to shift it yourself. When i placed my order i got the 5-spd manual. Now THAT is fun.

I drive a MCS and find it is great.
I test drove a loaner 2003 MC CVT with no options other than CVT. Bare stock. Base 15" wheels. I turned the AC off.
I drove the car around for 100 miles and it was great fun-mostly cooler weather cause I drove alone all night (OK -many hours). No problems with power, curves, up hill. Ride was smooth, comfortable. Highly recommend it.

So what happened that others did not get the same experience? Ask yourself -why was the CVT sluggish to them. Sure, if it is a hot day and the AC is on it will rob power from a car that doesn't have excess power. Sure, if you have the premium package/heavy sunroof option and extras plus the sports package with very heavy runflat wheels it will be underpowered. And finally- it takes some getting use to (skill), to drive the CVT correctly. That's because it is so much more than an "automatic". I was very pleasantly surprised after my 100 miles of CVT practice. And yes I did test drive the CVT initially when I bought my MCS and Yes I did think like you all do because I didn't give enough time to look at the CVT in depth (my mistake- so impatient).

Then in the end before you decide- take the car with the number of people you usually ride with, and test the CVT under situations and environments that are closest to what you intend to use it for. Then you will know if it works for you. And do try shifting the CVT to get the hang of it. I'd take it out for 20+ minutes at least minimum. Shift the whole time.

 

i've currently got the cvt. plan to sell it and get a mcs with works. main reason why is power, but this is more for passing on hills. i actually can pass on hills by just shifting over to SD. but loaded down with several adults and AC on, it does strain to pass cars. by self, no problem. but i just want more performance out of my daily drive, which consists of 50+ miles mostly highway/freeway driving, of which 10-15 is traffic. plus about a 4-5 mile incline.

now if i pretty much worked in the city, i would stay with the cvt. it really is adequately powered for the city. but if you want more performance out of it, get a S. i believe i will really be able to appreciate the extra power with my daily drive, where most of my driving will be done at > 40-50 mph. but i doubt i would notice much difference if i was just driving in city at speeds < 40 mph daily. only difference would probably be all the jerky shifting i would have to do in the traffic.

gas is fairly even, i think. if more highway driving, i think the S will inch ahead into the low 30's. right now i get about 300 miles to the tank.

 

I have an '03 CVT, 15" NON run-flats; no sunroof; cloth sport seats; auto A/C; HK sound. Over 4,000 miles on it and it's literally NEVER been back to the dealership. Perfect car. Power is more than fine; handling is terrific. I came out of a MCS, which I found harsh; slow off the start. Delivered gas mileage in high teens in city driving. My take: I think the CVT is a gem. Go for it. Peter

 

I have a CVT 03 Cooper with 2700 miles .. 2 months old. I like the tranny alot, it is a lot more verstile than most make it out to be. Just found a great thread on mini2.com that goes into detail on driving CVT with all the skill of a manual.

All I can say is that the Steptronic mode can give a manual Cooper a headache :smile:

 

>>My opinion of the CVT is terrible. I have no doubts about the quality of the transaxle, but the time it took the CVT version to get up to speed on my test drive made me want to take a nap while i waited for it to accelerate. And the way it functions feels WAY too much like an old worn out automatic that slips and won't find a gear. It would take some getting used to if you decide on it... but i don't feel the $1200 price tag on it is worth not having to shift it yourself. When i placed my order i got the 5-spd manual. Now THAT is fun.


I couldn't disagree more. I am better qualified to issue an honest opinion on the Cooper CVT as I have owned one for 1 year and 14K+ troublefree miles. Ever since the car received software update 33.2, the car accelerates with turbine smooth quality, very quick from the get go on all 3 available program modes (Normal, Sport and Steptronic). The more miles you pile up in the Cooper CVT, the engines gets, much, much better. These cars take at least 15K to properly brake in. I ahve done many roadtrips in it, and I have an upcoming roadtrip from Miami to Virginia and back (2,000 miles) and this car has never lacked any power in the highway...just point and shoot and it FLIES!

 

Also don't listen to the anti-CVT naysayers in these threads. Either they have never driven the car (Armchair reviewers), have prejudices against any kind of automatic or simply hate the car because the stick shift makes them feel "Cooler" and they don't understand what the CVT technology is all about (They feel threatened for what is unkown to them).

The CVT as shown in the MINI2.com thread has surprised many Cooper S drivers in the track...

 

I have a MC S.

The people on this site that are negative are really starting to wear on me. I drove both vehicles, and I think both are great in different ways. There is a contingent of people on here with the maturity level that is embarrassing. They seem to be so focused on being able to wipe out cars in stop light races that they seem to have no understanding that not everyone buys this or any car to become speed racer and become king of the Ricers!

I think that for a great fun daily driver especially for people driving it in the city regularly the CVT MINI Cooper would be a better car than the S. The car seemed quick to me, when I drove it. I could rapidly get it up to and beyond highway speed, certainly faster than most SUVs which are the most common vehicles people buy these days.

Again, the negativity and the my car is faster than your car mentality, sucks, is immature and is killing peoples interest in this site. IMHO!

jc

 

BRAVO....xpcdoojk and Cooper4us. Wells said.

 

Order the CVT. Because my knees are shot (no I'm not an old codger) I ordered the CVT and have had no complaints. Performance is more than adequate - not like an MCs but I don't expect it to be. :smile:

 

>>I have a MC S.
>>
>>The people on this site that are negative are really starting to wear on me. I drove both vehicles, and I think both are great in different ways. There is a contingent of people on here with the maturity level that is embarrassing. They seem to be so focused on being able to wipe out cars in stop light races that they seem to have no understanding that not everyone buys this or any car to become speed racer and become king of the Ricers!
>>
>>I think that for a great fun daily driver especially for people driving it in the city regularly the CVT MINI Cooper would be a better car than the S. The car seemed quick to me, when I drove it. I could rapidly get it up to and beyond highway speed, certainly faster than most SUVs which are the most common vehicles people buy these days.
>>
>>Again, the negativity and the my car is faster than your car mentality, sucks, is immature and is killing peoples interest in this site. IMHO!
>>
>>jc

Amen, JC!

 

>>Also don't listen to the anti-CVT naysayers in these threads. Either they have never driven the car (Armchair reviewers), have prejudices against any kind of automatic or simply hate the car because the stick shift makes them feel "Cooler" and they don't understand what the CVT technology is all about (They feel threatened for what is unkown to them).

actually i went from a CVT to an S. for me it was the BEST thing to do. i was super disappointed in my CVT and the performance with the A/C SUCKS! I dont regret it and i dont miss my cvt at all.... the S is super fun and has the hottest exclusive colors
if you like the CVT good for you, i'm just giving my opinion..

>>Again, the negativity and the my car is faster than your car mentality, sucks, is immature and is killing peoples interest in this site. IMHO!

its all about sharing opinions. and not once did i say dont get the cooper cause its slow... i guess the other guy did. the cvt cooper performs fine, just not when the a/c is on. and that is not acceptable for me. that isnt THE reason i switched but its a big factor.
i'd also like to add with my cvt i had many problems.. with my S i have NONE...

 

>>>>Also don't listen to the anti-CVT naysayers in these threads. Either they have never driven the car (Armchair reviewers), have prejudices against any kind of automatic or simply hate the car because the stick shift makes them feel "Cooler" and they don't understand what the CVT technology is all about (They feel threatened for what is unkown to them).
>>
>>actually i went from a CVT to an S. for me it was the BEST thing to do. i was super disappointed in my CVT and the performance with the A/C SUCKS! I dont regret it and i dont miss my cvt at all.... the S is super fun and has the hottest exclusive colors
>>if you like the CVT good for you, i'm just giving my opinion..
>>
>>>>Again, the negativity and the my car is faster than your car mentality, sucks, is immature and is killing peoples interest in this site. IMHO!
>>
>>its all about sharing opinions. and not once did i say dont get the cooper cause its slow... i guess the other guy did. the cvt cooper performs fine, just not when the a/c is on. and that is not acceptable for me. that isnt THE reason i switched but its a big factor.
>>i'd also like to add with my cvt i had many problems.. with my S i have NONE...


There must have been something really wrong with your car, because the A/C doesn't affect the performance of my Cooper CVT. My giess is that you had an older version of the DME software. When I got 33.2 some of the "A/C related" performance issues went away. I live in South Florida where today's temp is over 92F+ and at least 85% humidity factor. Again no problems.

 

I have a CVT and have just over 7,800 mile on it. Just yesterday, I was driving between stores in what I’d call mostly highway driving with ~10% stop-n-go. The onboard computer registered 34.1 mpg at the end of the day. In heave city (Wash DC) traffic, I usually get ~25-27 mpg with the A/C running. Not to shabby for such a sporty car. I usually drive in D as opposed to SD or M+/- mode. I think the CVT is plenty sporty in the acceleration department (and I am talking as a former 1971 454CI Vette owner). No MINI is going to win a lot of stop light drag races. So if that’s what you want to do, stay out of the any MINI. And to those who test drove a CVT and found it to shift awkwardly, I say you need to know something: There is a detent in the gas pedal that you should keep above. Floor the gas and you get the stupidest behaviour you’ll ever see in a CVT. It goes into some idiotic programming that actually has slower acceleration than stopping at the detent. If you go to the detent the engine runs up and hold its RPM while the CVT does all the adjusting to get you up to speed. No shifting- very cool. So if one plans to do a lot of city driving and you don’t want to be working your left leg all day long, I think the CVT is the MINI to have. And that is my 2¢ worth.

 

Flooring the gas E-pedal in the Cooper CVT yields to less than desirable acceleration results, just because if you pass the "Detent" point the computer will select a different mapping.

Pressing the gas pedal before the detent point affords very quick and turbine smooth acceleration, the way a CVT should perform.

These are the kind of details that are unkown to many naysayers.

 

>>My opinion of the CVT is terrible. I have no doubts about the quality of the transaxle, but the time it took the CVT version to get up to speed on my test drive made me want to take a nap while i waited for it to accelerate. And the way it functions feels WAY too much like an old worn out automatic that slips and won't find a gear. It would take some getting used to if you decide on it... but i don't feel the $1200 price tag on it is worth not having to shift it yourself. When i placed my order i got the 5-spd manual. Now THAT is fun.

my opinion of your signature is terrible. i also have doubts about your dj skills. if you actually knew what you were talking about, maybe i'd be a little less harsh on you. if you knew how to drive the cvt, you'd have a much different opinion of it. and then again if i'd heard you dj, maybe i'd have less doubts in your skills......

 

I'm ignorant. Can somebody tell me what a "detent point" is?


Thanks.

 

I have the CVT, and have to agree its not that great. It bucks and lurchs.....also the power on it is horrible. If you dare have the AC or if you have more than one person in it, the car is sluggish as all hell. If I had to do it again I would get the MCS. Driven in a few of them, and that thing has no problem getting to speed.

 

^^^I have a CVT, and it's great (and yes I test frove all 3 MINI variations). Ok, so when you press the gas down you can either go the whole way to the floor (denoted by a "click" of the pedal--you can feel it too) or you can hold it down before it "clicks." The CVT shifts more turbine like if you don't floor it (click it) especially in SD mode--makes a nice sound. Also, did anyone notice that if you do click/floor it until the engine revs fully and immediately bring the pedal to the before the click (?) position so get a huge surge of power. I don't know if this is just my CVT or all of them, but I like it . This technique it good for pulling out. I personally like the CVT better than the MCS (just me). It has fine power and I like the program options (D, SD, M/S).

 

Oh, and I also agree w/ cooper4us that 33.2 works great w/ the CVT.