Have a MCSa on order and wonder what the general feedback is on the Steptronic transmission. This car is going to be my wife's daily driver so she wanted an auto but didn't like the CVT when she drove it a few years back.

 

I like it. The MCSa is also my daily driver and I have no complaints. Congrats on the order, what are the specs? Welcome to the forum.

 

My MCSa is from the same litter as Kellzir's above. I have put nearly 350 miles on it now and I like it more each time I drive it, but that has more to do with its being a MINI than an MCSa variant. The MINI is full of nift. I haven't gotten out of D mode yet. Someone on NAM posted an observation that the transmission may be over-anxious to downshift. I agree with that. It senses when the car is going up AND down a hill. Even when I don't want it to downshift going downhill it will do so in the manner of the sporty driver I used to be. I cannot modulate this with the throttle and only sometimes with the brake. So eventually I will have to use the paddles to keep the engine in the lower rev range for daily driving. Meanwhile I am so pleased that the MCSa will allow me to drive it just like any other small car--sunroof cracked open, IPod humming, both my hands keeping beat. But after the break-in period I hope to find out what the car is capable of in the rural twisty bits (wherever they are anymore). Congratulations on placing the order. Welcome to NAM.

 

We've had our MCSCa for a few weeks now. The transmission is great, though I'm still adjusting to the paddles. They work differently in the Sport setting -- there are many variations. After a 1000 miles or so you'll have a good feel what works best for you. In the auto mode there is still that inherent "automatic transmission" hesitation when coming out of turn and sometimes is stop-and-go traffic on the freeway.

 

I would agree as well. Lots of power being made but not applied as I'd like. I think learning to use the paddles would be loads of fun and the key to a happy long-term relationship w/ the car.

I actually preferred the MCC 5-speed I test drove after the MCSa. I had better control of everything about the car, and on normal roads it gave me just what I needed w/o feeling I required an open freeway to have real fun.

 

I think if you search on it here and on Mini2 you'll find plenty of info.

That said, having done the test drive and then owning one gives me a new perspective, and that is that a test drive will not do the transmission justice as most people do not use the manual mode to its fullest advantage on a test drive and during the period they are getting to know the car/tranny. On top of that the adaptive transmission does not have the chance to 'learn' the driver either which also does not reveal what the car will really feel like in real world ownership.

I almost always just drive in manual mode, in full control of the gear changes (I may let it downshift at a stop but that's about it), and find the car very rewarding, immediate and repsonsive, fun and full of pep to drive. I'm sure she'll love it, tell her to have fun wringing out the gears (past break in and with the oil warmed up) and not leave it in auto all the time :smile:

 

My wife has had hers since the 25th of May and loves it. I drove it to compare to my JCW MCS and have to say I was impressed. Very peppy response and I like the way the paddles work.

My wife used to say she wasn't interested in racing even when we had our Mustang but now she's thinking differently since she got her Mini....

 

Thanks for the welcome!
Ours is Dk.Slvr, Blk. roof/mirrors, Blk. bonnet stripes, 17" lite run flats, HK radio, Spt and Premium pkg, Chrome line interior, Ipod connect.

She's going from a Honda CRV to a MCS! Work is only 2 miles away, I'm betting she finds a longer route once she gets the mini.