When we bought our first MINI in 2002 I had to work hard to convince Marianne that we had to get a stick and not an auto. She had never driven a stick and really did not want one at all. She told me later that she had resigned herself to not being able to drive the car after we brought it home.

Well after a week of practice in my truck she was in the MINI and has never looked back. When she got her own MCS she told me that she thinks MINI should not sell any with an auto because of all the fun you are missing.

I could not believe my ears, this was the same women who worked so hard to convince me otherwise. Of course I reminded her of all the reasons she told me an auto was better and that just because we prefer a stick we should not force that on everyone. She told me but I have never felt so involved in driving a car, she feels so much more in control, so much more a part of the car, she could not see how you could ever get this feeling from an auto.

I have to admit that it made me smile to hear her be so adamant about the virtues of manual MINI driving, she always agrues for free choice in all other issues we discuss political or otherwise. I guess she has made the leap from driver to enthusiast..... I love it.

 

put on the flame suit....

 

>> put on the flame suit....

 

Well, as an owner of both a Cooper CVT and a MCS I really think both cars compliment each other just fine and also each car is very fun to drive in their very own way. The CVT transmission is not your ordinary 4-speed automatic slushbox, rather a technological wonder that is the best kept secret in the MINI lineup. The CVT features 3 program modes (Normal, sport and simulated 6-speed clutchless shifting) and this car is the most fun "automatic" we ever owned hands down. The CVT tranny doesn't have gears, only 2 metal pulleys that adjust according to vehicle speed and engine load and provide an infinite range of gears for optimum performance, no matter where you are in the powerband. I have a detailed document from ZF, the manufacturer of the VT-1 CVT transmissionfor the MINI Cooper and if you read it and then drive the car, you'll be totally amazed!

Last year we took the CVT to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and the CVT in Manual 6 speed mode was as fun as riding a roller coaster down a mountain...complete control using strict engine braking power like in a real manual transmission butwithout a clutch...



I think that before issuing blanket staments such as this one, I highly recommend visiting your MINI dealer and take a CVT for a spin...it is an absolute faboulous car and ours has been troublefree in 20K miles of motoring.

It is unfair to compare the CVT vs the MCS because they are different cars but both are mighty fun.


In a MINI you'll always have fun driving regardless of the transmission choice.

_________________
'02 Cooper CVT PW/B, Bone stock (Hers)
'04 MCS CR/W/Chrome Grille and mirror caps (His)

 

My wife refuses to drive a manual transmission so the CVT has been the ticket for her to be able to motor in a MINI. While she likes my new MCS she still prefers the CVT for her day to day driving. Having both cars allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

*flame on*
So by your statement, you're biased against the handicaped. You'd prefer them NOT to have the pleasure of owning a MINI. How RUDE!
*flame off*

 

ops:

 

Okay......everyone with a CVT back away......put down the weapons......go quietly and pretend this never happened.

csasso - Do a little searching to see some of the past threads on this topic, assuming they weren't all removed by the moderators for getting way out of hand. You'll get a little indication of the giant mushroom cloud you may have just triggered.

Peace to all,

James

"tip-toes quietly out of the room........"

 

>>ops: No No don't start a flame war on this one, the point is the power of the MINI to so change a persons view of cars and to have my liberal wife take such a single sided view - now thats power.
>>
>>After we talked she realized that there are very good reasons to buy both. I prefer sticks but will argue to the cows back home that it is my choice and everyone gets to make their own. Thats what this country is all about.
>>
>>The cool thing is that a car the MINI could so change a persons mind. It really is more then a car. ops:


I agree and this topic of manual vs CVT has been beaten to death too many times already. One of the most wonderful aspects of MINI ownership is the ability to configure the car with the color and equipment I WANT and that BEST SUITS MY NEEDS/WANTS. So when you have this much choice at hand, in our case, my wife prefers the CVT and still enjoy all the cool attributes of the MINI and I opted for a 6-speed manual MCS and still enjoy all the cool attributes of the MINI. See different choices yield the same end results.

And yes the MINi does really change people's perceptions about small cars (and cars in general) and driving. My wife has never been a car person (I am a carnut) but I have never seen her into a car like the MINI.

 

>>Okay......everyone with a CVT back away......put down the weapons......go quietly and pretend this never happened.
>>
>>csasso - Do a little searching to see some of the past threads on this topic, assuming they weren't all removed by the moderators for getting way out of hand. You'll get a little indication of the giant mushroom cloud you may have just triggered.
>>
>>Peace to all,
>>
>>James
>>
>>"tip-toes quietly out of the room........"


Mister-S the only one triggering a mushroom clousd here is you!

 

Wanna hear something really crappy?!

You can't even buy a 1.8T Audi TT in manual anymore! They are all automatic! A sports car that only comes in automatic. WTF?! You have to buy the 225hp version to get stick. Luckily we got one of the last manual 1.8t's.

_________________

 

>>*flame on*
>>So by your statement, you're biased against the handicaped. You'd prefer them NOT to have the pleasure of owning a MINI. How RUDE!
>>*flame off*


I am sorry Dominic, but I don't think this has been directed against the *handicapped*. You'll be surprised to find out that the great majority of CVT owners are also manual drivers. Please do not promote this narrow minded view on drivers of automatic cars. So you mean to tell me that the majority of US drivers are physically handicapped?

That's pretty lame.

 

>>Wanna hear something really crappy?!
>>
>>You can't even buy a 1.8T Audi TT in manual anymore! They are all automatic! A sports car that only comes in automatic. WTF?! You have to buy the 225hp version to get stick. Luckily we got one of the last manual 1.8t's.
>>
>>_________________
>>
That's in the US market only.

And you can still buy a 1.8T GTI Golf, Jetta with a 5-speed.

 

>>Okay......everyone with a CVT back away......put down the weapons......go quietly and pretend this never happened.
>>
>>csasso - Do a little searching to see some of the past threads on this topic, assuming they weren't all removed by the moderators for getting way out of hand. You'll get a little indication of the giant mushroom cloud you may have just triggered.
>>
>>Peace to all,
>>
>>James
>>
>>"tip-toes quietly out of the room........"


James you are right wholly cow.

I have driven a CVT and its awsesom. You buy what you want, the minute someone limits your choice is a bad thing. I don't care if I hated a color, model, feature I would agrue if you want it get it.

The statement No mini should be sold with an automatic was shocking to come from someone who up to a two years ago did not like cars that much. It just show how fun the car is to drive and the hold it has on people. Of course Marianne believes like I do, but it was cool to see her get worked up about a newfound joy.


FLAME OFF please.

 

 

>>That's in the US market only.

Exactly. And I do live in the US.

>>And you can still buy a 1.8T GTI Golf, Jetta with a 5-speed.

But why would I want to buy a VW when I could buy an Audi?! I come from vw's and trust me, the difference is night/day.

 

>>
>>>>That's in the US market only.
>>
>>Exactly. And I do live in the US.
>>
>>>>And you can still buy a 1.8T GTI Golf, Jetta with a 5-speed.
>>
>>But why would I want to buy a VW when I could buy an Audi?! I come from vw's and trust me, the difference is night/day.


Well if you can buy a VW with a manual but not an Audi A4, the sporty model of the entire model range, something is really wrong up at VW Group headquarters in Germany. Speaking of VW, what a misguided brand it has become...neglecting Audi to death, products getting stale, a $80K VW Phaeton sedan that no one wants, ha! and a SUV which has a tongue twister name...Touareg! And quality problems galore!

Oh Dr. Piech what have you done???

 

>>
>>>>That's in the US market only.
>>
>>Exactly. And I do live in the US.
>>



Why do compaines seem to change their cars for our market so much. Are we that different in our taste for cars? I often hate that we just don't get some models ever.

 

>>>>
>>>>>>That's in the US market only.
>>>>
>>>>Exactly. And I do live in the US.
>>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Why do compaines seem to change their cars for our market so much. Are we that different in our taste for cars? I often hate that we just don't get some models ever.


It is the worldwide perception that the majority of US drivers only care about having big cars with big motors and automatics but with no handling, no braking and no style.

And yes, us MINI drivers are in the inmense minority of US drivers.

 

Cooper4us,

My one and only post in this thread was intended to be a light-hearted, humorous attempt at saying "please everyone, let's not start this again"; humorous in the same way as dandp's comment regarding the flame suit. If you did not take it that way, my apologies.

This topic has been been more than beat to death. In fact I watched it escalate in the past to the degree that posts had to be deleted by moderators, members were leaving the site permanently out of frustration, and some antagonists may have even been barred from use of the site. I did not participate in those threads, but watched in horror as I saw a forum I respect and enjoy degrade into a mud-slinging, name-calling, Jerry Springer episode.

What you interpreted above as a defense of my statement was actually the originator of this thread taking my advice to review those old threads and see that his title was possibly akin to pulling the pin on a hand grenade.

Please go back and re-read the previous posts with these comments in mind. I think you may find you've misinterpreted a couple. And again, if you misunderstood my initial attempt at humor, accept my apology. If you still mistakenly believe I'm trying to incite something, there's nothing else I can say to try to clear up the misunderstanding.

Respond as you wish; I will not post anything more in this thread, and I sincerely hope the conversation continues in a friendly manner or fades away quietly.

Cheers,

James

 

>>Cooper4us,
>>
>>My one and only post in this thread was intended to be a light-hearted, humorous attempt at saying "please everyone, let's not start this again"; humorous in the same way as dandp's comment regarding the flame suit. If you did not take it that way, my apologies.
>>
>>This topic has been been more than beat to death. In fact I watched it escalate in the past to the degree that posts had to be deleted by moderators, members were leaving the site permanently out of frustration, and some antagonists may have even been barred from use of the site. I did not participate in those threads, but watched in horror as I saw a forum I respect and enjoy degrade into a mud-slinging, name-calling, Jerry Springer episode.
>>
>>What you interpreted above as a defense of my statement was actually the originator of this thread taking my advice to review those old threads and see that his title was possibly akin to pulling the pin on a hand grenade.
>>
>>Please go back and re-read the previous posts with these comments in mind. I think you may find you've misinterpreted a couple. And again, if you misunderstood my initial attempt at humor, accept my apology. If you still mistakenly believe I'm trying to incite something, there's nothing else I can say to try to clear up the misunderstanding.
>>
>>Respond as you wish; I will not post anything more in this thread, and I sincerely hope the conversation continues in a friendly manner or fades away quietly.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>James

James:

Sometimes it is very hard to separate a joke from a mean or rude statement in an internet message board. I have done that many times before.

Please accept my apologies.

Peace
:smile:

 

I don't mean to add fuel to this debate thing, but MINI has a model for everyone's taste and need. Nothing wrong with driving automatic,especially one with the technological gizmo of the CVT.

Nothing wrong with the Steptronic either. We're all different. To each his own.

Amen.

____________________
'02 MC-5 spd.

 

as a ex-cvt owner let me say that this topic really sucks!
if you want to drive manual and love it, good for you! i'll be joining you with a '05 S.
either way we're all freaks who love this god damn little car!

 

lock all doors and windows, close your curtains, and stay away from
the windows!!! leave the country for your safety!

 

>>I am sorry Dominic, but I don't think this has been directed against the *handicapped*. You'll be surprised to find out that the great majority of CVT owners are also manual drivers. Please do not promote this narrow minded view on drivers of automatic cars. So you mean to tell me that the majority of US drivers are physically handicapped?

Respectfully, Cooper4us, you need to take a class (or read a book) on basic logic.

_________________
Happy Motoring!