If I had a 45 min traffic commute I'd go Auto for sure. I test drove one and it was great I thought. I was on the fence myself.

 

i'm the opposite..

I got manual BECAUSE it's a long commute

the long boring drives would be even MORE dull if i didn't interact with my car...

besides highway is the place for a stick shift.. not the short distances..

for those that don't know

some pros/cons of auto/manual

Pro's of auto:

* u don't use ur left foot and right hand

Cons of auto:

* heavier
*more expensive to buy
*more complex (more to go wrong)
*less reliable
*more expensive to repair when it does go
*more drivetrain loss (5-7% less power reaches the wheels, due to the slushbox nature of the tranny)
*worse fuel consumption
*less control over engine/power band

and that's just off the top of my head

i bet i can think of many more.. but i just woke up... *yawn*

 

Based on the OP's information, the fact he's an inexperienced driver says it all. I've seen a lot of new drivers with new MINIs as their first car and these first time cars are the ones that get really beat up.but aside from that I'd get an automatic for sure.

No matter what automobile forum you are on, this automatic versus manual debate is there and there is no "winner" here.

I've driven manuals since I was 16..I'm 38 now. I had a 2003 MC with the 5 speed and currently a 2005 MCS with the 6 speed. In 2 years I put 70,000 miles of 100 mile a day commutes. Driving a manual in stop and go traffic where you have to go faster than 1st gear but not fast enough for 2nd gear means you're always shifting..clutching in and out. It's a great way to become proficient at driving a manual but it's tiresome and puts a lot of wear on your clutch.

I eventually solved my problem by purchasing a 21 year old automatic daily driver that cost me $3000 and is loads of fun to drive as it was one of the worlds best performance cars in the 80's that was compared to the Testarosa..could say it was the MINI Cooper of the 80's for an economical, high performing, fun to drive car. Driving my same routes in an automatic is no longer stressful or tiresome. Having the best of both worlds, I can say honestly say that having an automatic is the practical solution for a daily driver..and having driven a manual, I will use engine braking to slow my automatic down in turns and keep the revs high for quick acceleration. In other words, I might drive an automatic, but I think like a manual driver when I want to drive spiritedly and I can do that because I've done both...or I can just sit back and use the gearing the auto chooses for more relaxing cruising.

Another great thing about the $3,000 daily driver...yearly car insurance is less than $300 compared to $1,800 for the MINI!

As I said before, there is no right or wrong answer. It's a personal decision and you will love your MINI either way....just learn to drive it safely before you start modding it.

p.s. having driven a friends '06 Automatic with the Sprint Booster..that thing pulled so much harder than my daily driver...it reminded me how slow my NA 1.6L engine was! It was a blast driving it.

 

...I love the sound the standard transmission MINI makes when you accelerate from about 1500 RPM--you get this sort of roar and surge in acceleration instead of an increase in RPM's like the automatic with its torque converter ("rubber band effect"). It's addicting. The MINI (even the non-S) has quite a bit of pull in that range.

However, the Aisin automatic is a great 'box too. It's reliable, performs well, and is fun to drive in its own way. It's just... like one of the posters on the very first page said, they're two different animals. Nobody can really tell you which to go with. Go test drive them both, and see which you prefer! (That's a good excuse to get more seat time anyways!)

 

Well it seems in the spring I will only be going to school 3 days a week and carpooling, so only driving for 3 every two weeks.
Had a friend give me a short manual lesson and after about 30 minutes I could feel that I had a feel for it as was doing it well...cept maybe a tad bit of clutch riding.
Having passed my first test with a stick I'm going manual...as I wanted in the first place :D

 

Sounds like you made the right choice for you.

Now, update your sig!!!

 

Nice call malteseracer...enjoy

 

You've made the right choice, congratulations. If I may offer a small recommendation -- if you're new to manual, when you first start out try and get some time behind the wheel every day, even if you have to make an excuse. Practice x3. Your first few times solo your confidence might be shaken by stalling out at red lights or hill starts. Don't bail, stick with it and keep driving until you get a good comfort level with the stick. Good luck

 

My rule is going to be half a gas tank in the first three days...which I'm taking off from work. I have a manual at the house here belonging to a friend (may as well be my sister though) who is teaching me. Once she feels comfortable with the way I drive it I will ask her to trade cars for a few days and just drive the clutch the week before my MINI comes.

 

Sounds like you have it all planned out! It's great you have a friend who is willing and able to teach you. By the end of my sister's second lesson in my Mini I was practically squirming for her to get out of my car . It's a tough little bugger, though, I had nothing to worry about.

 

She's got a 1991 Corolla so there isnt much to break. I'll tell you though...I almost sent us both into the roof a few times learning 1st gear.
I felt like I did good for my first try having it pretty close to down in like half an hour and 15 minutes later doing it in a way that could be drivable on a road.

I have to work on staying farther from the clutch if I'm not shifting so I don;t ride it, and I need to better balance the changes to first and second gear.

 

Nice choice! As much as the Aisin would have been a good choice too... I'm also happy that there's one more person to keep the "art" of manual driving alive.

A couple tips:

Regarding riding the clutch. A good rule of thumb is that if you're not changing gear, your left foot should be off the clutch. There are exceptions--i.e., waiting for a left turn, or winter driving, but it's a good habit to get into. If your foot isn't on the clutch, it should be on the dead pedal.

Don't worry too much about burning the clutch while learning (just don't pick up bad habits). Your launches will probably either be slow or at high RPMs for the first while, but the clutch can take it and you'll naturally learn in time (heck on a hill I still end up with 2K RPM launches).

1st-to-2nd changes--try to change as early as possible (assuming everyday driving). The higher you take 1st gear (higher RPMs in 1st), the greater the difference in RPMs between 1st and 2nd will be and the shift will probably be jerkier. You can basically change out of 1st once you get moving with the clutch completely up.

Driving around in 1st and 2nd, and in general, modulate the gas pedal more smoothly than you would in an automatic car--many automatic drivers tend to treat the gas pedal as more of an "on/off" switch than a gradual input. You'll notice it's quite jerky if you suddenly take your foot off the pedal in 1st or 2nd--that's the engine braking at work.

I presume you're past the parking lot stage, but it always helps to build some confidence launching. The MINI is a great car to learn on--the hill-holder function is great, and the clutch has good feedback.

After a couple goes practicing in the parking lot, I was ready to go with regular around town driving. I still got pretty stressed in stop-start traffic and on hills, and did stall a few times, but it's a learning process (I slapped my "Learner" sign on for the first day). On my first week I got stuck on a particularly steep hill (welcome to Vancouver!) with an Escalade on my back bumper... I just slapped the hazard lights on until he left. Handbrake starts are a good thing to learn even with the hill holder, for extra confidence. A few days' practice is enough to get you confident to get where you want to go, though it really only feels truly natural after a few months.

A good resource is this site: www.standardshift.com. The guys on the forum there are incredibly helpful but use the search function first for any questions you might have or they might not be quite... so... welcoming.

You better change your signature soon!

 

yeah...it really depends on the driving condition or where u live. I live in the city and most of the time get stuck in traffic. I like manuals, but considering where i live having a automatic is more practical.The auto tranny is absolutely fun driving in the twisty mountain roads. I'm also planning to get the JCW engine kit for auto which will add even more fun.

My next car would probablly be the next gen mini jcw manual.
I like to switch around auto and manual. I appreciate both, they both have their goods and bads.