| It'll be very weird to drive. Its a CVT box, meaning it will not change gear (it has one gear only, which continuously changes). Basically it'll find the optimum revs for the amount of acceleration you want (if you put your foot right down it'll sit high up the range, if you put it a bit it'll go lower etc). So it will take a lot of getting used to - totally different from the auto you are used to.
There are good and bad points... Some fail, others don't. Fuel economy is reduced a bit, but insurance tends to be cheaper on an auto... She'd have to drive it because its unlike most other cars. Oh and on minis of that age, power steering fails a fair bit. If it hasn't had a pump, chances are it will have to have one in the not so distant future! I'd recommend you go for a lower specced one, facelift (54 onwards) which will be much more reliable. Although it may cost £2k to do, it'd be well worth doing in the long run.
Also don't rule out the one. If she can live without a contrast roof (or will pay to get one sprayed) a one would be better in some ways. It'd be cheaper, and if you really wanted power spend £240 on a bluefin. Its a chip which removes the throttle restrictor bmw put onto a one due to the fact it has the same engine as the cooper. The power developed by a cooper is only really noticeable after 3,800 revs, so if she's not a speed demon, a newer one would be the better car really. A manual one is about the same in terms as performance as a CVT cooper.
Hope that sort of helps!
The Original MINI One Seven
Yorkshire MINI Register - PM for details | 
