Haha, clever, really! You got me with that one.

 

Borat,
You forgot your medication this morning.

 

No Sir...I take my meds before I go to bed..

 

Yep, I hear the blue ones keep you up all night.

It's the same ol' arguement, manual vs. automatic.

 

 

continue, please!

 

OK I'm ready.......
Is there a tach delete for the auto trans?

 

Manual. I sit in tons of traffic, and it sucks. But for those drives when its just you and the road, you will be killing yourself for not having manual.

 

I have to chime in here. I came out of a leased 06 BMW 330xi auto. I was going to buy a MINI Cooper S with Auto but wound up with a JCW. And I am glad that I did.

I have driven a Cooper, Cooper S, and a Clubman all with auto. All for at least a day or 2 as they were service loaner cars. Now that I have driven all the current line up of MINI's sans a Cooper S auto with JCW kit. I can safely say that I made the right decision getting a JCW and I am doubly glad that its a manual. I think its way more fun to drive the car with a manual.

I live near NYC and don't drive in the city as much as I used to. If I lived in a city with stop and go traffic I might have a different opinion.

In the end you have to make your own decision.

 

 

When I go to order my car here in a couple months, it will be a PW/B MCS with Stage 1 JCW, JCW aero kit, JCW suspension, and painted wheel arches.
And it's going to be AUTOMATIC! And yes, I'm well prepared for the flak that I will take here as a result. Bring it on!
Jon

 

Jon....since your getting an auto I think you dont we can say anything that could hurt you

 

The stock LuK clutches and flywheels in these cars are CACA. My next MINI will be auto

 

Really....Luk You do know you have to step on the pedel on the left when you change gears?

 

Let me ask this: Did the people that bought a manual trans for their MINI test drive an auto for comparison? I can only guess that some didn't, judging by some previous responses. If those of who own MTs didn't test an AT then you really don't know how the AT feels.

Regardless, neither is perfect for everyone, so it is, and always has been, up to the owner.

 

Hey son.... I have a 2005 R53 MCS 6spd bought new in March 2005. In 51K miles it has had 2 clutch failures, all paid and covered by MINI, no questions asked. The stock clutch/dual mass flywheel are supplied by a German company called LuK. In fact, they are the OEM supplier to most automakers in the world. The MINI OEM clutch/flywheels are JUNK and even admitted by MINI tech personnel. The problems with the clutch and FW in the R53 have made it to the R56. The Getrag gearbox in the R53 is rock solid, however, quality control seems to be suffering on the R56 Getrag manual boxes as of late as well.

The clutch and FW are of substandard quality, period. Been driving manuals for well over 25 years (Mostly Hondas and Acuras). The MINI is the first car that I have had to replace the clutch under 100K miles.

I love my manual R53 S but I won't be buying another manual MINI until they put a gun to the head's of LuK management and demand a better quality clutch/FW.

When my recently replaced second clutch and FW goes, (Hopefully well north of 100K miles), I will be replacing the LuK stuff with a proper Clutchmasters FX200 clutch and FW kit. LuK should take a lesson from Clutchmasters on how to properly manufacture a clutch with quality materials.

Last year I bought a Clubman S auto and I am beyond PLEASED with the AISIN 6speed slushbox. One of the best and most underrated automatics in the market today. Japanese quality, engineering and reliability (Toyota owns 60% of AISIN transmission by the way). The car is a blast to drive with it and a beast in every driving circumstance.

So, if I ever decide to let go of my 2005 R53 S (Not likely ever), my next MINI will be A-U-T-O-M-A-T-I-C-O.

 

For the record I have owned since 2002:

2002 R50 Cooper CVT
2004 R53 Cooper S Manual
2005 R53 Cooper S Manual
2008 R55 Clubman S automatic.

2 manuals and 2 autos (1 CVT, 1 Slushbox)

 

70,000 miles of hard driving and burn-outs, and my clutch is still working well. Starting to feel a bit stiff these days, so it may be close to a replacement. Longest lasting clutch I've ever had.

 

Haha who would have thought that a flameproof racing suit would be more useful on NAM than it would be on the track?!
By the way, RB, I love your car! (I really do, but I just had to add that to prove that an auto-tranny fan could muster up some love in this thread!)
Jon in Dallas

 

Stop inhaling the cannabis, would ya?

 

Pretty mediocre by the standard of a German engineered car with "Premium" components.

Try this....None of my Hondas Acuras ever required a clutch/FW replacement before 150K miles under hard driving.

 

"what ClubmanS said," as my (left leg) monoplegic Vietnam war vet buddy who can only motor in a MCSa, might say...

or, "good Luk."

 

At least I can admit I inhale.....son. And as far as an auto goes I dont care about the clutch...if I had to I would put a new one in. As for an auto you can have it.....for me its boring as hell.

 

Depends on the driver and the driving style. My wife's Acura wears out clutches in 60,000 miles. At 160k it's on its 3rd clutch.

 

Thanks man...I feel the love...don't you..