Hello, I am very close to getting a new mini, but I cannot decide which car would be more practical. I am only 19, so the MCS's insurance would be astronomical... but the fun factor would probably top that in a MCS, but the more reading I do on the CVT, the more I am leaning towards that. I will be in Denver next year, so i will be in a large city, and I will be doing cross country drives to NY state from Colorado, and the MCS stick just doesnt seem appealing with all the driving i will be doing.... But what is everyones opinion on the differences between the MCS and CVT. Is the fun factor still with the CVT? and how is the power in the CVT? ANY Opinions would be appreciated.
Wes

I went through the same decision making process last year, and ended up choosing the CVT. I LOVE it. It's still a lot of fun - you should go test drive one to see for yourself. Make sure your MA shows you how to use the Steptronic mode.

Get an insurance quote. I'm a few years older then you, but the MC vcs MCS insurance is only a couple dollars a month, essentially irrelevant.

Then, decide which care you want, and test drive both of them first. Though make sure you realize what you actually expect to do, for instance the drive from NY to CO is just cruising on the highway, you won't really shift at all while cruising at 70, you will however shift a lot if you're stuck in traffic in a large city.

Definitely get an insurance quote. Mine turned out to be exactly the same for both MC and MCS. I went w/ the MCS since I'd need to plunk down quite bit more than $3k to match the MCS performance. And the stick isn't as much of a hassle as you think. Once you get used to it it's pretty fun.

The CVT is just an automatic,and therefore cuts most of the fun factor of the MINI. The MCS is a performance vehicle and the CVT is biult for practicality. So if you want fun, go for the MCS, if you want practicality, go for the MC. :cool:

Now now, I beg to differ, the CVT isn't just an automatic! As I said a week or so ago in another message:

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Although you will get just about everyone telling you to get a stick, the CVT really isn't bad at all. Took mine on a twisty road the other day and put the CVT into steptronic mode. I was whipping around the twists and turns with the best of 'em.

Than I put it into auto, and slogged my way home through DC traffic.
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The CVT is still plenty fun on the twisties, especially if you take advantage of the 'clutchless manual' steptronic mode. Don't listen to all of the CVT 'playa hatas' out there. :)

I will conceed though, if I wasn't living in and around a major city but in some rural area or suburb with little traffic, I'd probably have gotten a MCS. :)

-Paul!

We've got a whole Forum on the CVT-equipped cars where you can read much more about just how capable and fun and competitive they really are! Lots of good people have contributed experience and opinion there. Give those threads some reading.
http://www.mini2.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=624

And then, to have fun, I could recommend a thread where over 13,000 people have read about, and many have commented on, the concept of an automatic MCS. This will let you read what others have said about the merits of the different drivetrains and the attitudes that steer drivers one way or another. You need to think about what you really want to buy.
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13867

I wouldn't trade our MINI Cooper CVT for any of the cars currently available. It's a fabulous "driving" package, that performs very well on the track as well.

I love the CVT and it certainly isn't just another automatic. There is far more that you can do with it than a normal auto transmission. That being said, you need to test drive both cars to know which is right for you and make sure that you play around with the CVT's different modes when you do that test drive.

And then, to have fun, I could recommend a thread where over 13,000 people have read about, and many have commented on, the concept of an automatic MCS.

But 12,000 of those hits were Spycar's. :D

Hi Wes

The CVT Cooper is a great car If you drive around in a big city or on Mountain roads. Once you work out how to dive it it's a blast. You will never have the straight line speed of an S but you will have just as much fun when it comes to going around corners. :D

If you want to go crazy fast get an S, if you are going to use your MINI every day and play on weekends try a CVT :)

People who say a CVT is "just an automatic" have never driven one.

cjay.

I'm 18, and I drive a CVT. I love it! :D The car has lots of zip to it, and it's really fun to drive. I think you should test drive both and find out which would fit you better.

Back before I ordered my MINI, we test drove both (we being my family and I since I was 17 at the time) and we all fell in love with the CVT. The MCS has its benefits, but the CVT is a practical, all-around great car! Test drive and see what you think. :)

Being a person with only an automatic license (no smart remarks on my ability to drive thank you) I have driven many 'automatic' cars. I can safely say with conviction and experience the Mini CVT is categorically NOT just an automatic!
Try it, you WILL love it.

Well looking at the nationality of responses I think automatics are clearly more popular in the U.S than here in the UK so maybe I'm not the best person to reply but here goes. Personally I find driving a car with an automatic transmission a bit dull as I think the shift change is part of driving a car, but thats only my opinion. I think going to drive both cars is good advise though because then you can see what you prefer, but if you can drive a manual well I think I know what you will prefer :)

I'm just making up this statistic, but I've read things similar, about 95% of cars (trucks, SUVs, etc) in the US are automatics, with 5% being stick shift. I think its about opposite in Europe. Of course since only a handful of cars are sold with CVT's I think they would make up less then 1% of cars. Something like 25 million cars a year are sold in the US, and only MINI, Toyota, Saturn and Audi (that I've kept track of) are selling 1 or 2 models with CVTs.

The last time I recall reading a govt statistic on automatics it was about 80% (a very little more, like 83%) in the US for "light vehicles" such as cars, vans, SUVs, and trucks. That's not too far from your guess.

A hugely changing market here is heavy trucks where many are now automatic, including the big boys (Class 8, 9), because of the traffic mess we have [not] built for ourselves, and items like driver training, insurance, fatigue, etc.

Earlier in the year, I found a report from the UK that predicted the very rapid adoption there of automatics and automated manuals because of better fuel economy and much tighter controls on emissions that are coming. The report had a US-like percentage in the UK by 2025.

I did more searching, and this is the only thing I found (I gave up pretty easily), its saying 91% of vehicles: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/6454620p-7406435c.html also gives the reasons many people here have stated for switching from years of standard cars.

That article is clear, and a fun read because of how it pokes at the American driver. I must agree with the drift there.

CVTs, IVTs, automated manuals, and very sophisticated automatics (7 speeds+) are coming to all markets. These are just now gaining a production foothold, but you will see lots more of them starting this Fall (Ford, Honda, those you mentioned Toyota, Audi, MINI, and several we won't get stateside yet). Cost, Fuel economy, Emissions, Fail-safe on expensive components (insurance may find this advantage?), Reliability, and amazing as it sounds ... Performance.

thanks for the replys everyone, the more i hear about the CVT's, the more i want one over the S. Im test drivin one tommorrow, ill let everyone know how that goes.
wes

But 12,000 of those hits were Spycar's. :D


:D :D :D

Good God Wes...you're 19 not 65...don't be a dope...get a manual :p :D

You can always drive an auto when you are old. This COULD be your last chance to enjoy the marvels of a manually shifted transmission before they are killed off forever.

Keep shifting baby ;) :D

Good God Wes...you're 19 not 65...don't be a dope...get a manual :p :D

You can always drive an auto when you are old. This COULD be your last chance to enjoy the marvels of a manually shifted transmission before they are killed off forever.

Keep shifting baby ;) :D

Don't listen to that 'ole luddite Spycar. If he had his way we'd all be driving Model-Ts for the purity of the driving experience. It's the new millenium, get a CVT and be on the cutting edge. :D

well, I went and test drove the CVT, and i was very impressed! I actually think im going to get a CVT instead of an MCS because of a couple of reasons. 1- The MCS is just to fast for me, and me only being 19 doesnt mix with a fast car. 2- The CVT is more powerful than everyone thinks, except for the takeofff. But I could care less about 0-60 times, as long as its still fun in the twisties. which it is comparable to the MCS on the twisty roads. 3- As spy said. The manual transmission is old, and will be killed off forever within time, and the CVT will be the next big thing in all cars, and the CVT just seems to be more reliable. but that could just be me. 4- I see more problems with the MCS than the CVT, 5- I havent met one guy who purchased the CVT who has been dissapointed. I think im going to get the CVT as my first Mini, but in a couple years I may switch for a MCS. But time shall tell.

well, I went and test drove the CVT, and i was very impressed! I actually think im going to get a CVT instead of an MCS because of a couple of reasons. 1- The MCS is just to fast for me, and me only being 19 doesnt mix with a fast car. 2- The CVT is more powerful than everyone thinks, except for the takeofff. But I could care less about 0-60 times, as long as its still fun in the twisties. which it is comparable to the MCS on the twisty roads. 3- As spy said. The manual transmission is old, and will be killed off forever within time, and the CVT will be the next big thing in all cars, and the CVT just seems to be more reliable. but that could just be me. 4- I see more problems with the MCS than the CVT, 5- I havent met one guy who purchased the CVT who has been dissapointed. I think im going to get the CVT as my first Mini, but in a couple years I may switch for a MCS. But time shall tell.


Nice one. Both the Cooper and S are great fun to drive (although I must confess that I have never sadly driven the CVT). I do agree that eventually manuals will be phased out over time. Just the other day I was talking to somebody who was going to get an automatic A3 that has 2 clutches, so that the gearchange is instant and he was well impressed with it. Have you ordered your CVT MINI yet ?

well, I went and test drove the CVT, and i was very impressed! I actually think im going to get a CVT instead of an MCS because of a couple of reasons. 1- The MCS is just to fast for me, and me only being 19 doesnt mix with a fast car. 2- The CVT is more powerful than everyone thinks, except for the takeofff. But I could care less about 0-60 times, as long as its still fun in the twisties. which it is comparable to the MCS on the twisty roads. 3- As spy said. The manual transmission is old, and will be killed off forever within time, and the CVT will be the next big thing in all cars, and the CVT just seems to be more reliable. but that could just be me. 4- I see more problems with the MCS than the CVT, 5- I havent met one guy who purchased the CVT who has been dissapointed. I think im going to get the CVT as my first Mini, but in a couple years I may switch for a MCS. But time shall tell.

The CVT sells itself. The twisties are just as much fun in a CVT as any other MINI, and if you have any possibilty of heavy traffic, the CVT is the best. It's not so bad on the stoplight Grand Prix either - most of the SUVs and toyotahondanissanchevyforddodge floggers out here are slow off the mark anyways. Manual shifts in the CVT are very quick, indeed, and smooth. Good luck!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago