Another new review (from Sean at Checkered Flag):
http://mini.uglydoris.com/

Cooper S Automatic Driving Impressions


This past Saturday I finally got a chance to drive a Cooper S automatic, as we received our first one that wasn't already pre-sold. I am not a big fan of automatics, so I went into this not expecting much but it turns out I was pleasantly surprised.


When preparing to drive off, my left foot instinctively went to press the clutch pedal but of course hit only the brake instead. Whoops! Once I told Mr. Left Foot that he would not be needed, we were off.


I started out in normal Drive mode. Unlike the CVT, the MCSa does not have any of the very low speed jerkiness. That's because the MCSa is a conventional automatic and the "creep" behavior is a side effect of how a torque converter works. The CVT in the Cooper has no torque converter and so the "creep" behavior had to be engineered in after the fact.


It's weird creeping along in an MCS, but once I turned out onto the boulevard, HOLY MOLY! The MCSa is every bit as responsive to the Go pedal as is the manual. Shifts are executed smoothly and quickly and if you are pressing urgently on the throttle, it will hold gears for a long time, even in normal Drive mode. The MCSa will not of course match the 0-60 time of the manual due to the power-robbing effects of an automatic transmission, but it doesn't feel any slower either. It's a very linear acceleration process, very turbine-like. And since you don't have to ease off the gas when it shifts, you have non-stop supercharger whine action.


The MCSa accelerates very briskly and will still spin the wheels without even really trying. Frankly, the LSD would not be out of place in this automatic at all if it was offered.


The MCSa also has a SportDrive mode in which it will hold gears longer and avoid downshifting right away if you lift off the throttle (so it doesn't mess up your corner exit by being in 4th gear when you want it in 2nd).


And finally, there is the StepTronic mode. This was perhaps the most fun of the day. I had a lot of fun playing with the paddle shifters. They work very well. There is a slight lag on upshifts between when you hit the paddle and when the shift actually occurs. It's hard to guess how long the lag is but I'd say no more than a quarter of a second. It seems like downshifts are executed more immediately than upshifts, though I don't know why that would be. It's really a blast to blip the paddles through the gears on acceleration, then tap for downshifts before the corner, then blast out again tapping your way on up.


To be quite honest, it's a lot more fun than I thought it would be and I arrived back at the dealer grinning. I am not a fan of automatics but I would say that this automatic does not cost you anything in terms of the fun factor of the Cooper S. I liked it a lot more than I was prepared to and now that I've driven it I wouldn't shy away from recommending it wholeheartedly to someone who really wants a Cooper S but who just isn't interested in a manual transmission. I know how the purists out there feel about an automatic Cooper S but I have to concede that MINI actually made it fun.


Central to making it fun was the decision to use a 6-speed automatic, I think. Had they gone with a 4- or 5-speed automatic, the gear ratio spacing would have been highly unsatisfactory and the car would have been a dog. Thankfully MINI remained true to its mission and paid a little more for a transmission that is much better suited to the car and that keeps the fun factor high.


I have no doubts that this automatic will be a big seller, especially here in the U.S. Even though I love a manual transmission, I can't bear anybody any ill will if they choose this automatic because it's still a blast to drive.

 

The best review yet! Now this is what NAM is all about. Thanks for sharing.

 

i just drove one today at mini of manhattan. as my ma so adequately put it, "no point in driving around the city...let's hit the hiway!"

after ten minutes on the west side hiway i can honestly say this car is going to blow people's minds. paddle shifts are crisp and fast, the engine sounds amazing and the handling is just insane. this car had 16s on it and it felt exactly like my old cvt cooper. i look forward to the 17's - although i have been told they are bouncier. i am sure they are more sure footed as well!

anyhoo - it's all been said before, but the mcsa is a real marvel. can't wait for mine to arrive in a week or two!

cheers- drew

 

Whoa these are great little write ups. Keep them coming.

 

Geez, here I was...all ready to order another CVT MC, and now I read these reviews, and I have to wonder if I should step up to a MCSa.

I've enjoyed my current CVT MC, that I had no problem in ordering a new, with an upgrade to the OEM high performance muffler this time...in preperation for going the cold intake route, and getting a few more ponies out of my MC driving experience.

While stick shifts can certainly be fun to drive sometimes, they can also be a real drag at other times. I've often felt I'm just too old to go back to a standard stick in this day and age of bumper to bumper traffic jams. But...with a fairly nice shifting MCS, it could be fun again. Now though, I could have the best of both worlds...if only I wasn't such a poor fella.

Hmmm...looks like I need to visit the configurator again, and see what kind of final pricing I end up with...as long as I play it cool with options. I have to admit though, that I find that MCSa shifter to be rather on the ugly side, while I've alwas loved the standard CVT shifter set up.

Any further opinions on the subject matter? And does anyone have any thoughts on the expected reliability of this new tranny set up? An MCS without a clutch sure is tempting, but I hear the standard MCS is a very good, smooth, easy shifting stick comparded to other sticks. My last stick driving experience was an old Toyota minivan, a U-Haul truck, and a Datsun B-210 on it's last legs, so maybe I've missed out on something?

 

Check out page 13 and 14 on the February build thread. I have posted some finer points about the auto. I LOVE it!

 

I'll get paddle shift is it's a REAL clutchless manual such as SMG on M3 and new M5.

Auto trans with shifter on the steering wheel just isn't the same.

 

Drew,
I test drove the auto MCS last weekend. It has all the pep & fun of all MINIs. The only trouble I had was trying to decide to push the paddles, leave it in auto & let the car do it or put it in sports mode & shift. I've never had an auto tranny car so I also kept trying to put my foot thru the floor boards
I personally still prefer my manual MC which seems to have just as much spunk as the auto MCS. But living in NYC, I think you have made a good choice And be sure to stretch it's legs out in the countryside every so often Congrats on your new MINI:smile:

Lois

 

As I can only guess as to what that first sentence is trying to say, I'll have to say, "no, it is an automatic." See this article from MOTORINGFILE:

http://www.motoringfile.com/2004/12/...s_the_mcs_auto

 

I haven't driven an auto MCS yet, but I have had lots of time driving an SMG M3, and to be honest, aside from the behind the scenes technology the action of driving has to be almost exactly the same. Basically you use paddles to shift, up down, single flick or a couple in quick succession, you use gas and break pedals. Yes the SMG is faster and rev matches and it has various modes, but the actions you follow are pretty identical since your options are so similar (its not like the SMG has an F1 wheel). I understand the auto tranny is good and quick, and with software to delete any lag, improve throttle response, and increase the revs it should be terrifically engaging to drive.

I frequently read the comment that SMG is okay, auto w/paddles not - but I'll bet if you put those people in cars equally powerful/quick, and of equal weight, with a really good steptronic paddle shifter auto with appropriate throttle response they would be challenged to show how they would drive it any differently, or enjoyed the auto any less in street driving (except for the sound of the SMG rev matching, that is cool I really think the idea of the technology and the hydraulic clutch enchants people more then they recognize or admit, more then it really effects the actual real world driving.

One thing is for sure, the M3s SMG in auto mode is horrible and jerky.

My .02

 

Finally- people out there that support the automatic! I have gotten SO much crap from people that think MINIs should only come in manual... I cant wait for mine... oh and my MA actually talked me into an automatic... he thinks they are better than the manual

 

I must say that I feel the same when driving an auto,I want to put my right foot to the mats.
I took out a MC with steptronic,fun ,very responsive,and did not take long to figure out.Go for for it,great tranny.
I look forward to testing a MCS with an auto,next time at the dealer.
I like shifting though,not that a hot auto is bad thing

 

I too am a little disappointed that the new MCS automatic is not a CVT model, which just seems to me like it would've been so cool. Despite that, it sounds like there are very few differences in how the MCS auto and CVT MC actually feel when "shifting", other than the fact that the MCS auto obviously has more power to work with.

Any opinions on weather or not an upgraded CVT MC, with light weight wheels, high performance muffler, and cold air intake would be close enough to an MCS automatic for street use...that the real world performance difference would be...er...marginal? I'm curious to know, as this is the debate I'm having with myself right now.

I enjoy the smooth operating uniqueness of the CVT MC, despite it's mild performance loss compared to a standard MC. And with some mods, I think I can likely get some more performance fun...without feeling like I'm losing out on all that much by not getting an MCS auto. Or am I just totally wrong here? I'm very split between getting a "base" MCS auto, and getting a "modded out" CVT MC.

I suppose a test drive, when the MCS automatics are more available, would likely resolve the issue in my mind. Even though, I never did test drive a MINI before I bought my CVT MC, and I've been pretty darn happy with her, for the most part.

 

HEY LOIS! long time no see ; ) thanks for the note - my car actually hits the port TODAY - so i should have it by tuesday or wednesday. and don't you worry - it's going to spend a lot of time out in the hamptons on the backroads...

- drew