So does using the sport button drastically reduce mpg? I have tried it out a couple of times, and like the way the car drives with it on, but not sure how much it will affect my mpg. Just wondering if anyone knew the effects of using the sport button other than the obvious!

 

I have found that I get better gas mileage with it on. Mostly because you have more control over the pedal and are not having to cramp it in the floor to go anywhere.

 

The sport button tends to encourage more aggressive driving so I would think it almost certainly reduces mpg a little. That said, if mpg was your primary concern you probably should be in a Prius or Civic hybrid. The Mini is all about style and bringing a little more fun to your daily commute.

 

I drive with the Sport button pushed all the time. As soon as I start it up, the button gets pushed.

I'm getting about 32 mpg on a regular basis (and that's driving with a lead foot!). I've thought about not using Sport and driving very conservatively just to see how high my mpg's would go, but then I thought again... I bought my car for a reason, and it wasn't to drive like an old lady!

 

I'm the exact same way.

I pop in the key, start it up, hit the sport button, buckle up and I'm ready to rock. I don't baby this thing one bit and get around 30 MPG average all the time.

 

I drive conservatively with the sport button on and I am not joking when I say this but I average out about a 1 to 2 mpg better doing that way. Even driving like aggressively I still get better gas mileage then with the sport button off.

 

Oh come on... The sport button has no effect on mileage. Zero, zip, zilch... Mileage is affected by the driver. X rpm in y gear = Z mph.

 

I also drive with the sport button on all the time. Haven't tried to drive with it off for a full tank, as I'm to used to it on... if its ever off I almost stall the car when starting in 1st because I am used to the engagement point with a % throttle, which changes drastically with the button off. Also sucks for rev match down shifting when the button it off. blah.

It won't change mileage, the only thing that would is your right foot. Since its more sensitive of a throttle, you'll probably be applying more gas while cruising without realizing it, since a much smaller foot movement modulates the pedal a lot more, so its a lot more on/off throttle for cruising versus having the button off. Get to a cruising speed and hold the throttle where u would normally and look at the instant MPG, do the same with the button on then look at the instant MPG just to see where it is. If you actually look at the MPG's AFTER getting to your cruising throttle position, you may notice a difference. But technically no, the button doesn't change the engines behavior to give you more power/change the MPG, its all relative to your right foot

 

Or it could be the OP is interested in taking advantage of all the benefits of the MINI and not just half of them.

 

I assume those saying that it doesn't affect MPG have a stick as the sport button changes shift points of the auto dramatically. I'm not sure that the auto even goes into overdrive (6th gear) with the sport button on.

 

you guys must be kidding me... sport button on and still get 30 mpg!!!!!!
Damn, I only get 21, if lucky 23, with sport button "off" city driving. avg full tank. 230-250 mile.. is something wrong with my JCW.?

 

I'm at 280 miles on this tank and I got a 1/4 tank to go. that includes driving spiritly with Sport mode on [and mainly to have the PnB and louder spool] I have the 2011 LCI though, not a JCW.

EDIT: I also notice you have a tune, lol. that may have something to do with it

 

^^^This pretty much sums it up. The sport button has no effect on fuel maps or the like, it DOES however increase throttle sensitivity and that alone can encourage us to be a little more liberal with the go pedal.

 

^^Yes. And hey I notice better gas mileage with it on.

 

 

I just bought my 2008 Mini S (automatic) last week, and am still working on my first tank. So far, I'm averaging (per the on-board computer) about 32 MPG in mixed traffic (stop & go, and 80+mph on the highway). I've been trying to see what kind of mileage I can get if I drive conservatively, so I've left the sport button off. But like was said previously, the sport button keeps the revs higher (on the automatic) by keeping the transmission in a lower gear. I haven't gone fast enough to see if it will ever shift into 6th, but cruising at 70+ mph, it stays in 5th gear, thus it's running at higher RPM, and I have to assume it's drinking a little more fuel. This lower-gear feature seems to work at all speeds - even driving slowly (25mph) through my neighborhood.

 

Yes, that is correct. On an automatic, it changes the shift points and prevents use of 6th gear.

 

I have an 11 JCW with an AccessPort tune. A little over 10,000 miles. When I got to about 9,000 miles, my incity mileage jumped from 23 to 27mpg and my highway mileage from 30 to 33+. At the same time there is a slight increase in acceleration, low end torque, so I think the engine is just breaking in. This increase in mileage occured two tankfulls after installing the AccessPort tune. And of course there was an immediate big increase in performance when the AP was installed, with no change in mileage.

 

That seems really low... I also drive a JCW and the only time I get less than decent mpg's is during the winter when I warm it up 15+ minutes 2-3 times a day and have my roof racks on with a Thule ski rack on top of it. Even then, I get about 28 mpg.

I will also say that I had a the whole "cold start" thing going on, and once I got my timing chain fixed my mpg's went up.

Have you changed your sparkplugs recently? What kind of octane are you running? I run the highest I can get up here, 91, and I've heard that can make a difference. But you really shouldn't be getting 21-23... Perhaps you just need a tune-up.

 

At most I have seen a 2-3 MPG drop.

 

I get better MPG with the sport mode on also. I usually get 33-35 mpg in town. And 36-39 on highway. And always 39+ in the country. Gotta love this car!

Btw that's conservative mileage^^^^ and all MPG stated here is with sport button

Me driving the car fairly hard = 32 mpg in town. 35 mpg on highway. And country... Who cares... I like the twisties =D

 

Hey guys, wow, thanks for all the replies! I was really only asking as I just got the car Friday, so I'm on my first tank of gas and wasn't really sure what exactly the sport button did, other than I liked the way it felt with it on. I find myself feeling like the car will stall with it off when I go into first gear, ha, and the steering feels looser or something. This is my first MINI with the sport button in it.

Mpg is NOT my primary concern - no matter how I drive this car I figure I'll get better mpg than my 2006 and I was fine with the 2006 mpg! I was just wondering if it drastically reduced the mpg as that would sort of suck! Forgot to mention in the original post that I do have a manual.

I think I'll just drive with it on from now on then as I definitely do not drive like an old lady!

 

The easiest thing to do is install the AutoSport module. Then you never even have to think about the stupid button.

 

Sport Button engaged as every time as part of the start-up ritual.
Have tried experimenting with the Button on and off when in traffic and for me: Not engaging the Sport button has the same effect as SooperCuperErik mentioned in that the car stumbles from a stop.
I note that holding my foot steady on the throttle and disengaging the Sport Button causes the car to slow.
Guess this is the decreased throttle sensitivity that others mentioned so I have to push a bit more to get back to speed.
I’ll try the same thing using Cruise Control to see if similar results are seen.

As for MPG:
Thirty-six fillips (~10,200 miles) since delivery and a 30.0 MPG average is what I am seeing.
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/aaonms/jcw
Best tank so far was nearly 33 MPG and the worst was a bit over 21, however that was driving the Tail of the Dragon and other roads in the vicinity.

 

so, today, i drove for the first time with the sport button on. oh.my.god. ...amazing. But I did go down two gas gauge tick marks in about 50 miles...