...oooooh.yer rough

 

Dont forget that turbo boost is constant thru the gear changes with the auto, and one reason why they generally do better at the track compared to manuals.

 

That's cold, man.

 

I get the same feeling all the way around. But those with JCW-fitted MCSa's that are pulling low-mid 14 second standing quarter mile times at the track dont use the stick or pads, they put it in D (Sport mode on, DSC off), left foot brake, rev to 1500-2K, let go, and allow the car shift itself...

remember the JCW kit changes everything, most specifically the shift points, and it's a rush...

 

I would like to drive a JCW Stage 1 equipped Clubman S auto. That may just tempt me to get the kit added on mine.

 

Is it available yet? I beleive the exhaust mount points (and the exhaust in general) was a complete redesign.

 

I just picked up my Zuggy last weekend. She has an auto tranny with paddles. I very quickly discovered a little trick.

If you leave the gear shift in "D" and use the paddles, the tranny will automatically go back to "auto" within a few seconds of using the paddles.

HOWEVER, if you move the shifter from "D" into the SPORT Steptronic position (I'm not talking about the Sport Button), the tranny will remain in a Manual position so you can use the paddles as much as you like. The paddles are especially helpful for highway passing and downshifting, saving your brakes.

The Auto S gives you the best of both worlds.

Good luck!

 

in the +/- mode it will also downshift automatically if the computer thinks the engine is lugging in higher gears.

 

I am in a loaner again today. Its an auto Just-A-Cooper. Sorry to tell you the car is a real dud for me. There is absolutely NOTHING thrilling about driving it. It makes a very nice commuter car though.

To the OP, go and test drive all the cars. That is what I did. That is THE best way to make up your mind. Maybe the dealer will let you take a manual and then an auto for an extended ride. That should really help you decide.

 

Different strokes for different folks. Not everybody is a speed demon or a torque freak.

 

We Aren't???

 

Personally, after driving automatic on a couple of my cars, I would never buy another without a manual. That being said, the steptronic in the Cooper is a very nice transmission overall, but I would never want to see the repair bills if something were to break. Just too complicated. In the end, it's what you want, and nothing else. If you are happy with just an automatic and you can live with that, fine. Go for it. Have fun! If you need to feel a connection to the car and you like the simplicity and time proven design of the manual, go for it. This thread is pointless. It's all about user preference, and not about true facts.

 

Actually the AISIN 6speed automatic is made in Japan. Toyota owns about 60% of AISIN transmission. It is a very solid unit. Something that can not be said of the OEM MINI clutches.

 

I have nothing against the upshifting in SD mode, it's downshifting I can't really deal with. It by itself ends up in a higher gear and downshifts too late for me, only when the car begins to slow down. That's why I use paddles or the shifter. I doubt that JCW kit downshifts earlier but if does I might consider it.

 

Not saying it isn't solid, just saying it will never be as easy to repair as a manual tran. In the long run, what is going to cost more, repairs on a manual or repairs on the steptronic. Think about it.

 

At this point.... no one has a clue, because we don't have enough years on them... but YOU think about it... search the forums and find how many Aisin 6 speeds have failed here (I've heard of NONE) - and compare with the number (and cost) of clutch and flywheel and even manual tranny issues that have been reported here. Factor for the ratio of manuals to autos in the market (granted - there are more manuals out there)... and you'll still see that, at this point... the manuals and related mechanicals are costing way more to keep on the road...

Also... I'm confident that there will be more rebuild options available for these trannies in the next few years... starting to be enough steptronic-type trannies on the road, it's inevitable that someone makes a good business out of cost-effective rebuilds...

 

I personally have never heard of people with manuals having trouble here. Sure, if you mod it or drop your clutch from redline you will have problems, but just normal driving there will probably not be. It has been proven time and time again that the manual will outlast the automatic and I'm not talking about just the Mini, and will be cheaper. Now ask yourself this, how many people could diagnose problems with a manual transmission on here. Now think the same thing for the automatic. I'd place a bet 90% of the posters on here don't understand how the steptronic works, and that's fine. But not so the manual. The design has been relatively the same for the last 60 years of so. It's the same basic principal over and over again.

 

I get your argument - really, I do. And I understand how it applies in general. But it doesn't match the reality of posting history on this forum.

Google:
transmission fail site:northamericanmotoring.com
clutch fail site:northamericanmotoring.com

etc.

Eliminate the CVT issues (which are many, but aren't what we're talking about here) and you'll find the VAST majority concern manual transmissions.... I would wager that, to date, the total out of pocket costs spent on MINI manual trannies and clutches is 20x the total out of pocket spent on MINI Aisin 6 speed automatics. ...

 

Only time will tell I guess. Not that it matters, but when I test drove, the steptronic was really nice. Downshifted when you needed it to and whatnot, if I were in the market for the auto, I would get one.

 

remember it's not so much tranny vs. tranny as it is the two weak links in the MINI manual setup: LuK clutch and LuK DM flywheel, both of which have goads of defective documentation--including two defective clutches and flywheels on my R53 in the first 25K miles. even my Toyota mechanic, who also works on BMWs, will do his best to talk his customers out of LuK clutch and flywheel components (he swears by Aisin), and I dont know many track and auto-X freaks that are OK with that gimpy plastic throwout bearing within their oem clutch setups--therefore they swap out to something more h/d. Plus Ive been to quite a few stock auto-X events where the foul stench of toasted LuK clutches wafts thru the air, and the auto guys are kicked back, laughing out loud, not only over their superior lap times, but that they're able to actually motor, not tow, their cars home...

 

Haha!!

Well put Sequence!

 

I see. I'll look into them.

 

Actually It turns out that manual Minis are not as much fun as the autos.

 

Don't forget the automatic has paddle shifters and an M/S mode!

Sure, it's computer assisted, but I've had a lot of fun with them.

 

I chose to get a MCS with auto transmission, simply because of the aggravation of driving a stick in Tokyo. It's stop-and-go hell.

Also, I've been raised in a country where the handle is on the left side of the car, been driving manual cars exclusively there and I still believe I prefer manual, but ever since I moved here and everything is on the wrong side, I can't get my brain (or my body) to smoothly shift through gears with my left hand ;-)

The DS mode of the auto transmission is a lot of fun with the paddles when the streets are empty, and when I'm stuck in traffic there's one less thing to **** me off. Best of both worlds !!