Which way to go ? this will be my 1st cooper S. Is manual or auto the way to go ?
anyone who bought manual regretted they did not get matic & vice versa ?

Thanks again guys!

 

I have a 2009 Jcw and they only come with the six speed manual. If they came with that great paddle shift automatic I would have one.

 

Point #1: If you are interested in a MINI for the fun factor, the zen of MOTORING, looking for the twisties and how straight you can make them, go with the manual. It adds a great deal to the experience. If you are not well experienced with that, find a local club member who is and learn the basics from the start...and hand wash it only.

Point #2: If you are buying a MINI for the economy as a daily driver in heavy stop/go traffic and you see it as nothing more than a car/machine, get the automatic...and drag it thru a car wash twice a year regardless of the swirls and holograms.

 

I know I've been accused of being very brash and pompous with this topic, but the manual transmission is far superior. The added driving enjoyment you get with a manual outweighs the soul sucking automatic transmission. This is a "fun" car and putting a slushbox in it deducts from that.

 

I love manuals also but I have to disagree with ya on this one. My auto is
very responsive and the option to use the paddles or shifter is a plus. I can have just as much fun with it as a manual and when I don't feel like it, it's the auto.
Of course, my car is heavily modded with suspension upgrades which really makes alot of diff. also.

 

Get whichever one you want based on your driving style and needs. If you're still torn, test drive both and go from there. You'll never get an unbiased opinion from folks here.

I have an auto and it was the right choice for me. I have a 25 mile commute where half is spent at highway speed and the other is spent in slow congestion. I did it in a manual for years but I felt like it was a lot of wear and tear on a clutch. This is the first AT I've ever driven that doesn't frustrate me. It shifts smoothly and has plenty of power when I need it. On the fun drives there's still the option to switch to sport mode and use steptronic, and I'm happy with that too.

 

Manual. Makes driving a little bit more involving, I also like the mechanical feel of changing gears. It also makes the car easier to hoon about in.

 

I'm sorry but this maybe the only stupid question you can ask on this forum. Everyone here will have some personal belief that they hold dear, not unlike a religion or cult.

There is no right or wrong answer, they're both fun and both have advantages and disadvantages. The only thing that is absolute, is that if you want a JCW you don't get a choice...

Good Luck and enjoy whatever you get!

 

These days, with automatics erasing the mpg and performance edge that sticks once had, the only good reason left to get a manual is for the added fun factor. It's hard to justify based on practical advantages alone. Also, with many cars (MINI's being a possible exception), you take a hit on resale value with a manual.

I chose manual, love it, but I realize it's not for everyone.

 

I'm a driving purist so I went with the manual. It really boils down to your driving style... There have however been times when I am in stop and go traffic that I regret the manual. But for the most part I love it.

 

I have the 6 speed manual...and it's been 25 years since my last manual. I love the fact that you need to think when you drive with the manual....it keeps me on my toes and I like to be in control when I drive .

But it's a matter of preference....

 

This is so not true and borderline offensive.

 

PRND - Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive - throw in Tiptronic and those cool paddle shifters and drive your way into the current century. Automatics are civilized!

 

I'm 60 and I used to own 911's, 944's, a 912, and a 914.
For me, the manual Mini brings back the driver's sensation of these great cars of yesterday. The new automatics are so good that the choice is really personal.Another thing that makes me favor the manual is that with good habits, a driver can get extremely good mileage, and if you run the shifts a little higher( 5000 shift points) the performance is marginally better than the auto.
But, both trannies are great.
Don C.

 

This is going to be a toughie for me... The traffic here in the Philippines are pretty bad especially during school days.
I plan to use to Mini as an every other day car & seldom use for fun run as we don't have quite the roads for that.
I think the matic might serve me well, but but I do enjoy shifting the gears. Its been a while i haven;t had a manual car due to above reasons.
Maybe for this mini, i should opt for the manual.
Will see-but many thanks for those who replied.

 

Get a manual.

 

...yet. The JCW Countryman will be leading the way for Automatic JCWs.


The MINI manuals still have some performance and mileage edge because the auto is still a traditional torque converter automatic, not a DCT/DSG/PDK . In addition, the Auto costs $1250 extra.

 

I agree with you on your second part. Unfortunately it is true, the deplorable habit having more than once actually been observed hence my comment. One I see occasionally I don't think has ever been washed and one of the fender arches is missing. I once helped pull a '32 Studebaker pickup out of a barn that looked better.

 

manual might be it for me.... thanks for those who replied

 

'Payze me now, or payze me, later.' How much will a clutch replacement (or two) cost over the next few years?

I like the various enhancements MINI offers in its auto, like having the option of precise 'Sport Mode' manual shifting up or down while accelerating using paddles or stick (no clutch depression power lags).

Now, if the MINI's auto was like my Honda Pilot, I'd pass... but it's NOT. It's quite different. MINI's auto is a very sophisticated and clever piece of engineering design. Speaking from experience as a several early VW Beetles owner, I liked their manual everything. Eventually and it took quite a while to get here, I concluded the control they offered was just an illusion. As such and given that one's MINI ownership might span 10-25% of their working years, I'm hard pressed to give the MINI an automatic downgrade.

My two cents... M

 

With my paddleshifted automatic in my 2008 Cooper, there has not been 1 single time that I regretted the automatic. I feel it is one of the best and keeps the car in its torque band at all times. No regrets at all. And the car washes I use leave the car flawless after being washed.

 

Hi, thanks for sharing... kindly clarify... does this mean that the mini automatic is quite good that its worth considering over the manual counterpart ?
I too have been thinking about this and if i pass my mini someday to my daughter, the auto version might be better purchase for me ??

 

Yes, I consider the MINI auto to be quite good. Its design is very responsive to MINI's spirited style driving experience. It's very different than the standard issue automatic you get in a US airport rental car.

As to passing it to your daughter, I found (with my daughters) in the end it did not matter the make of the car so long as the gas tank was full. Also, expect fender benders. Each Fall I'd present my 'kid car' (Toyota auto wagon) to my local body shop and proudly announce that I was there to help fund their annual Christmas party. They greatly appreciated the gesture.

In sum, buy the car that fits your needs, not your daughter's. She will always love you, no matter what. Plus, you will change, the car will not.

Again from my experience, the MINI's auto is not better (or worse) than a manual... it's just different, but not by very much.

Cheers...

 

If you are even entertaining the thought of using your mini in a real performance driving scenario (auto-x, HPDE, etc), get a stick. The auto won't hold your gear at redline for very long and can be balky downshifting back into the gear it just switched out of. Will you notice on the street? Probably not. It is one of the better slushboxes I've encountered. However, if you ever do take it racing, you will be cursing your decision shortly thereafter.

Personally, the MCS clutch is one of the softest and easiest to use I've ever encountered. Driving it in traffic isn't a huge deal, especially in non-sport mode. Its very happy creeping along at idle in first or second if needed.

 

There may be small differences on both fronts, but (speaking as a hard-core, pry-it-from-my-cold-dead-hands stick enthusiast) I feel like any practical advantages on either side of the argument have become marginal. That's true even with modern torque converters.

In my mind, the one intangible area where sticks still hold a decisive edge is the engagement, the sense of "connection" with your car, the fun factor - and that's why I love them.

As for the $1,250 price premium, you're right that auto MINI's still have a higher price tag. With a lot of manuals, the price advantage is lost on the resale side, but I wouldn't be surprised if MINIs are an exception.