With the sport button off, when I start off from the stop the engine lugs. But with the sport button on, the starting off is a lot smoother and easier.
Has anyone noticed that?

 

I have.

 

There's probably no difference...

It's just your anticipation of the spirited driving that lies ahead (sport button "On") that makes you feel that way!

Motor On!

 

WOO HOO!!! My first post...

I ordered my new MCS 6spd this past saturday and definitely noticed the same thing on my test drive. I couldn't find the "sweet spot" in the clutch when not in sport mode. I'm interested to hear what current owners have to say.

 

Which begs the question - Why Mini doesn't have it in "Sport" all the time, negating the need for a little button?

 

If the fuel mileage actually goes up by not using the sport button, it might make sense. I am not sure how much difference in MPG it makes. I definitely feel the difference in gas pedal reaction but not in the steering. The steering is already tight and nice.

 

I have this same experience. If I'm starting on a steep hill, I put the sport button on. It seems to get more gas and take off quicker.

My wife learned to drive a manual on our MCS and she definitely finds the sport button helpful for starting out.

 

One of the things that the sport button does is quicken the response time from the pedal to the throttle, which would help getting the car moving. If you push the pedal and the throttle responds the way you expect it should, you'll get moving fine. If you push the pedal the same amount and the throttle doesn't respond as quickly, you're more likely to bog it.

 

I turned on the 'sport' button once to see what it was like, and have never turned it on again. I did not care for what it did to the steering.

Lauching is easy and it does not take any gas to get Romi moving. When I first started driving her, I had a difficult time keeping the engine under 2,000RPM during lauch. Now, I seldom hit 1200 to 1500 RPM during launch.

Course, Romi is an MC, and there seems to be some differences between the MC and MCS as it pertains to the sport button.

 

There's a lot of hills were I drive ,I cant drive with the sport button off.

 

I found this out too, and pretty much keep the sport button on now unless I'm just cruising on the highway.

 

There's a first!!!

 

There's a lot of mountains where I drive. I find I use the sport button rarely, mostly on twisty roads, just for the fun of it.

 

I agree, the MINI is quite a bit more responsive from a start with the sport button on. Today, I drove in heavy, stop and go traffic into DC for the HBO Screen on the Green. Over the 14th street bridge, I had traction control off and sport button on, and pretty much stayed in first and second gear for about two miles. Wow, the MINI did very well under what would normally be pretty lousy driving conditions. It was a beautiful evening of course, and with the windows down, roofs open and some Moby blaring a bit, an all around great ride. The MINI does surprisingly well in traffic (compared to my old BMWs) and I can dispell the myth that using the manual is a pain in heavy traffic, it is not, in fact it works most excellently!

So for me, I turn off sport on the highway, when I am cruising in sixth gear, but for twisty roads and stop and go traffic, sport is the way to go!

 

I agree with Skuzzy, I used it once and not since. I have no problem taking off w/o the sport button. Seems to do just fine. Mine is also a mc not mcs.

 

I've used it a couple of times just to see what's it's like, but like Skuzzy and glangford I prefer it off. For seriously twisty roads, it's can be fun on, but for city and freeway (with stop and go traffic), the sport button on makes the throttle response too sensitive for me.