I was thinking about getting a MINI S auto for the wife and was wondering how much preformance you give up with the auto box.

 

not much, especially if you suck at driving MT, you'll gain.

 

we own one of each - my wife's 05 MCSa, and my 06 MCS. YOU give up very little in performance. Yes, the driving feel is a little bit different, but the actual performance is similar, IMHO.

Actually, there are times when i feel like her auto jumps off the line quicker..... She, of course, loves that...

-jac

 

I have the auto, and I have to say it is very nice in the city. You wont get as much wheel spin, but that isn't always a good bad thing. Especially, just like Ken said, if you can't drive a 6 speed, then you'll gain performance with the auto.

The only down side that I can think of....is that the autos seem to have just a few more problems. There was a wiring harness recall a while back, and just over all weird things happeneing. Our tranny occasonally says EP for emergency programing. Some times, it will show sport mode, when its really in drive. Nothing major though.

 

GBMINIs 1-1/2 years old now, and no issues at all.
Sometimes it doesn't shift quite as quick as I want - but a press of the steering wheel paddles solves that. And mostly, it shifts perfectly fine and with much less effort than me doing it

I actually find off the line it can wheel spin more than a manual, especially if accelerating while turning onto a road - I think it's due to the torque converter being able to dump lots of torque at down low revs.

 

We also own one of each and my wife is happy as a clam with her MCSa. I drive it once a week and find that it is an enjoyable ride. It is definitely the way to go for stop and go driving or for those who don't do sticks. Our MCSa is an early 6/05 build and has almost 11K miles on it with no transmission related issues.

 

wife and i considered an MCSa but eventually went with a 6 speed.

excluding the ride, handling and power aspects, the auto felt very responsive on each of our test drives and the paddle shifters were fun (for me). I would not hesitate to consider an auto for the Cooper S the next time around. The standard Cooper is a different story. its a snail in comparison and often found in gear too long before shifting. It was a nice car as a loaner but i would not buy one for that price. Better shifting is found in hondas at half the price.

 

that is exactly when i find that her auto really hauls...take a tunr off of a stoplight and stand on it, that car just moves!