Hi all! Have been wanting a Mini for over 2 years now and am finally going to pull the trigger! I couldn't find a 2009 with what I want, so have decided to order a new 2010. I wanted to get feedback from all of you, since I am a newbie and have lots to learn!

2010 Cooper S
chili red, black roof and mirrors, grey leatherette
premium, cold weather, convenience packages
white turn signals, xenon headlights, rear fog lights
chrome interior, piano black interior, anthracite headliner

Now onto some questions: Am debating about manual or auto transmission. I don't drive manual but am willing to learn. Is it more fun on the cooper s if you've got manual? Also, for the same cost of auto, I would instead do manual with sport package. Otherwise, auto w/out sport. Also, I live in los angeles so have to deal with lots of traffic driving. What do y'all think?

Finally, I'm thinking of having the invisishield added for the bonnet, bumper and fog lights. Should I have it done by Mini or would you suggest I get it done on my own? I plan to add black stripes (maybe viper or something similar) but want to get the invisishield first.

Thanks for reading all of this! Any feedback is appreciated! Can't wait to get my Mini and join the family!

 

Go with the manual. You won't look back. I've got an 09 MCS with a manual transmission and while I know how to drive a stick, it wasn't something that I thought I'd look forward to.

It's a very easy clutch, forgiving, and has only 1 or 2 bad spots.

I haven't banged up the hood or mirrors yet though the windshield is positioned perfectly to catch rocks. Already chipped one and had another deflect and hit about 1in into the roof which left a nice mark.

You'll still be happy.

Good luck.

 

I started with a manual, hated it in traffic so I traded for an auto. Better in traffic but not as much fun. I'm thinking of going back to a manual...

 

I love manual and don't mind it in traffic, it's pretty easy to learn on, I taught my wife on ours and she picked it up in a day or two. I drive ours every day from Pasadena to Culver City and back with no problems at all. I have an automatic loaner now and don't care for it nearly as much. It's kind of boring and doesn't feel as smooth or refined as the manual to me. But hey, test drive both and see what you like more

I'd also add DTC to the car, it's a cheap option worth getting.

 

I used to drive only auto and had great fun in my '07 Cooper. It was still very powerful & fun to drive as far as autos go.. I then decided to get my manual licence, and reverted to an '04 manual Cooper (would love a Cooper S but insurance would cost me too much atm).. And it is much more fun! I probably wouldn't go back to an auto now. Peak hour traffic can be a pain, but I think it's still worth it. Even so, if you decide on the auto I don't think you will be disappointed

 

Just to add - I thought learning a manual would be really hard, as I had tried previously. But, after driving auto first, it was a LOT easier to get the hang of.

 

One of the reasons I'm getting the Mini is because I want a car that is fun to drive. Buying an automatic Mini would defeat the purpose for me. It was a no-brainer. I've been driving an automatic for the past 2 years, and I can't wait to get back into a car with a 3rd pedal!!

Learning is easy, and once you learn its like riding a bike. I don't mind much driving in traffic. The fun you get outweighs the minor inconvenience in traffic.

If you can, try to find a friend that can teach you on his or her car. I wouldn't learn on the Mini. You don't want to put excess wear and tear on your new car while you're learning!

 

Congratulations, and welcome to the obsession.

Transmission choice is a personal thing.

I grew up in West Los Angeles and learned on a manual (sports car). I much prefer manual. Only auto I've ever had was in a 1966 Dodge Van (the manual was a 3 speed without syncro in first). I've driven my MCS in rush hour on the Santa Monica Frwy. It wasn't bad. Not sure how I'd feel if I had to do it every day for a long commute.

Had a Clubman MC with auto for about a week while my MCS was at MINI of Mountain View for the timing chain issue. It was interesting to see what the auto was like, for about an hour. The rest of the time I couldn't wait to get my manual back.

I'd also recommend DTC. It allows you to control which electronic systems are active, and has an electronic traction control that is supposed to be quite good. It replaces the mechanical LSD that I have.

Personally, I'm not fond of sunroofs. The MINI's is large and can really cook you in Los Angeles. The shade is not adequate. So, you will need to look into things like tints that don't explode the glass, perforated vinyl graphics, and/or aftermarket shades. Sunroofs also tend to have rattles, mechanical problems, leaks, and add a fair amount of weight to the top of the car. Some people love them, though. Just my dos centavos.

I recommend invisishield for the headlights and foglights. I'm not so sure about the bonnet. If you put the stripe over it, how do you deal with the edge of the invisishield? Do you cut the stripe? I guess that would work. If you put the stripe under the invisishield, water can seep along the edges of the stripe and cause problems.

I have the Xenon headlights, and they do have disadvantages. They are overly bright, so your eyes adjust to the bright area. The low beams have a sharp cutoff. So, with your eyes adjusted to bright lights, it is very difficult to see anything beyond the low-beam cutoff. Not good if you are driving Malibu Canyon at night. Probably irrelevant if you are just doing city driving, but then you don't need Xenons anyway. In Los Angeles, headlights are just to let other drivers know you are there.

The Sport Package adds 17" wheels, white turn signals, and bonnet stripes to what you are getting. You don't want the strips. The factory 17" wheels are very heavy (22.5 lbs. each). You can get more interesting and lighter weight wheels for a little more than you would pay for adding the Sport Package. A lighter wheel will improve ride comfort, handling, braking, and acceleration. I paid $760 for a set of 17x7" whees that only weigh 16 lbs. each. The other option is to go for 16x7" wheels for about the same price and only weigh 14 lbs. I'm running 205/55-16 tires on a set of Rota Slipstreams, and the ride is less harsh than with the 17x7" wheels. There are also less expensive wheels available.

I also have the Cold Weather and Comfort packages. I like the heated seats and the Convenience Access features. The rain sensor is nice as well, so for those two days a year you get rain...

 

While I prefer modern paddle shifting transmissions to a standard shift the Mini's tiptronic is annoying. It's a typical hydraulic auto, sucking up HP and MPG and the manual shifts don't happen fast enough. I mean like reeeeealy slow, too slow for any kind of performance driving in the twisty sections. It's annoying enough to make you stay in auto mode all the time. Whereupon you find the unique combination of **** hesitation combining with the hint of turbo lag the motor has in the S version.

The manual can get annoying in traffic jams but it's light and smooth enough to make shifting easy. The turbo motor lets you burble along with fewer shifts than usual.

 

Transmission is like color choice. It is completely up to the individual. For me, I do not like chili red, but you do. Don't get the color *I* like, get the color *you* like. It is YOUR car after all. Get what YOU want.

That said, I got the auto in my MCS....and I love it! I don't think that it has taken away one iota from my enjoyment of the car. I guess I don't understand how people equate shifting into fun, but that is just me. If someone can explain that to me I'd love to hear it. Again, this is a personal choice and if you think that shifting is fun then get the manual. For the record, I DO know how to drive a manual and I chose the auto based on what I wanted.

I think that some of you who trash the autobox just have a closed mind about it. Keep in mind that sometimes the loaner cars are MC and if you're comparing a MC to an MCS that will also really change things on you. Finally, the Sport button does have quite a bit of effect on the auto MINIs since it changes the shift points.

To the OP - try them both out and see what fits YOU best. Ignore the people who tell you that a manual is "more fun" than an auto - trust me I have a ton of fun in my mini! I do think that you should look closely at Robin Casady's post - there is a lot of good information in there about specific package pro/con and add-on items.

I will agree that if you go manual that the DTC/LSD is the way to go. If you go auto people on the board here have said the the JCW tuning kit makes the car a near-perfect auto machine. Now if I could only find that 2100$ to make it happen....

The decision making about a MINI is half the fun!

 

About the sunroof, you should be 100% sure you want that thing. It gets extremely hot in socal with it and since the surface area is so large when you open it, you're baking under the sun the whole time. I rarely use mine, mostly at night, because it's often too hot during the day. I've also had a lot of alignment issues with mine, it's now in service for the 4th time (1st time it wouldn't open when hot). You could always tint it, but I wish I didn't get it now.

My loaner is a MCSa and I still feel like the auto takes away from it. It may sound dumb, but I think I just can't drive it as well as a manual. It's too unresponsive and chunky for me. I'm 26 and I've owned 12 cars now and the only automatic is my R32 which has DSG and my wife drives 90% of the time.

The automatic is odd since 1st gear is very harsh and you have to feather the gas way to much not to have the car buck from acceleration. Normally in drive it seems to take off in 2nd gear which is also weird since the car revs to a little over 2k rpm and the transmission feels like it needs time to catch up the engine. I sounds like someone slipping the clutch who can't drive. Sport feels weird to me since if you use it, it locks out 6th gear and holds revs too long for my tastes. I don't know if it locks it out in steptronic mode and you manually choose 6th gear. I won't go into all the reasons why I don't like the auto, it does just come down to personal preference.

 

WELCOME!

I opted for the clear bra my self. I shopped around to a few local installers and then spoke with my dealership who matched the best price. Then as an added bonus i got a coupon in the mail a day or so before my install for 10% off any parts/service. So not only did they match the price i got about 10% off. Then when i went to pick up they didn't install the part they discribed to me (i wanted the xpel to go to half up the hood or about 10 inches past the headlamps but instead they installed the version that stopped at the top of the headlamps). So they took another $100 off. All said and done i got the front of the car from the very bottom to the top of the headlamps, mirror caps, and rear bumper (just the part to protect from loading and unloading) for $620.

 

@thevelourfog - You are right that with the sport button engaged you only use gear 1-5 and with the sport button disengaged it uses gears 2-6. Strange, I agree, but I don't have the "clutch slip" you mention, but I'll be looking for it when i'm out and about today. I will say that with the sport button off getting moving from a standstill can feel pokey unless you really put your foot into it.

When you are using the "manual mode" you have access to all 6 gears. Additionally, it will step you into second gear at a stop should you forget.

I *do* agree that first gear on the auto is a bit "short" - if you rev up to high it is a very harsh shift into second. You just need to know how to best use it if you're shifting.

 

I've been using the manual mode today and it isn't too bad. My main complaint is the paddle shifters aren't good at skipping gears quickly unlike a dual-clutch system. Otherwise, the auto's gearing just takes a little getting used to. I like the extra tall 6th gear, would be nicer for a road trip or high speed cusing with less revs, but I'm not a fan of 1st gear, it's a little too short. Can't have it all I suppose.

 

I may as well chime in.

My first two minis were sticks. I got stuck in a traffic jam for almost 3 hours at the beach and decided right then I was getting an automatic.

I bought an '08 MCSa and it WAS A BLAST. The automatics RUN GREAT!! Because it is still a 6 speed, you can shift manually, semi automatic or fully automatic. No matter what you choose, you'll love the automatic.

Having said that, I started going back to the track. I can tell you that an automatic is not as conducive as a stick at the track.... thus me trading in my '08 and buying an '09 JCW (which only comes in stick)

I've put 11K miles on my car and haven't regretted trading in the automatic yet.

I think in either case you'll love the car but I can tell you that the stick is more fun to drive.

Mark

 

Welcome to NAM. What part of the country do you live? There many clubs to join, and some need new members...Getting what you think you want on your car is not easy. Go sit in friends' cars or go rent one. Or go to the dealer and bug them a lot. I did. Xenon is worth it, you stand out at night. Auto or Man is a preference. Are you in traffic or is it a joy ride on the weekends? Hills or no hills? (but it has a great hill stop feature either which way). clear coat is a must. I don't have it, I know it would have been great. Ask your dealer to NOT detail your MCS. Detail it out yourself. Just one person's opinion....Stacy in CA

 

You should test drive both Manual and Automatic.

I can remember special ordering and waiting months to get a stick long ago, when the automatic for that model was a two-speed definition of "slush-box".

I first drove the MINI Manual and if the Automatic had not been so enjoyable to drive, I would not have bought a MINI.

Welcome to the MINI and I'm sure whichever version 'floats-your-boat' you are going to love it.

After-Market Accessories like the invisi-shield and stripes would be better done after research, in the after-marketplace. MINI Dealer will also 'contract' it out and add a fee for having done it.

 

I love manual even I am in a light traffic....
however, next time I will buy an auto tranny because of the paddle shifting

 

Thanks so much for all of the great feedback already!
This group is amazing...owning a MINI must do that to a person, eh?

After reading your suggestions, I've decided to rent a stick shift miata for the weekend to learn manual and then go and test drive some Coopers at the dealer next week. I can definitely understand it being a personal preference, so I want to experience both before I make a commitment. I thought the automatics I drove were a little jerky when first starting up (I think someone had mentioned it sort of jumping forward in first gear), but then they were really fun once I got used to them. I would be very happy with the automatic. I just really like the idea of having a manual car, especially since I am such a girly type most of the time and the only stick shift drivers I know are men...so I tend to think a woman who drives a sporty car with a stick shift is pretty hawt.

On another note, the downside of this website is that I seem to change my idea of what I want in my MINI after seeing some of the gorgeous cars on here! My latest obsession now is whether to add the JCW body kit when I order mine. I almost bought a 2009 at a dealer last week that had added the kit to a chili red s. At the time, I was impartial to both the aero and JCW kits, and couldn't really justify paying the extra $3K the dealer was charging. But now I've been playing around with the idea, and really like the sporty look it gives. Any suggestions one way or the other?

The great thing about the MINI is that there are so many choices! But then the terrible thing about the MINI is that there are so many choices! What's a girl to do???

 

Stacy, what do you mean you don't have clearcoat? You mean on the paint or did you mean the clear bra?



Mark

 

Get an auto. It seems the auto is just as fast if not faster than the stick, and if you are not tracking it and will get stuck in traffic, it's a no brainier.

If you do decide to go stick, make sure you learn before you buy the car.

My .02

I prefer manuals, however, when given the option.