[Hugo]

I know this should go into the cvt or automatic section. Has anyone driven or own a flappy paddle MCS? Just to see what its like compared to a manual S.

[I love MINI, Laura]

I've got a Auto MCS with the flappy paddles (R53 56 reg).

I love it! Its brilliant. Amazing in stop and start traffic, but very good on the open roads too. The paddles come in very handy when you want to nip around but the accelorator pedal reacts to the pressure you put on it and changes down for you if you don't. It's brilliant, very smooth and effortless with alot of engineering gone into it (maybe over engineered). The paddles move with the steering wheel and sometimes aren't always where your hands are (say going round a roundabout) so the gear lever shifting helps too and Sports Drive mode is mental (revs you to the redline without changing gear)! You have to test drive it!

Are you looking at a R53 or a R56? The R56 I believe have the same setup. The R53 auto has slightly more tax than the R53 manual. Really this isn't a problem in the R56.

And yes there is a Works kit for the auto MCS too!

[Hugo]

I've got a R53 MCS manual, but I've seen an Astro Black MCSa with a really good spec.

Full leather (which mine has) plus sunroof crono pack and a few other bits and pieces with only 13k miles for a 05 car.

[I love MINI, Laura]

All I can say is I went from a MINI One to a MCS Auto so I never owned a MCS Manual but I have test driven the MCS manual and the auto is great. You must test drive it but I love it! Supposedly its 0.2 secs slower. But its great in my opinion!

Good luck xx

[nonsequitur]

Had one of these new cars for more than a day last week, Cooper 6-Speed Auto.

An interesting day with an interesting machine. They didn't mess up the feeling, and the exterior styling is,... still MINI!

I'd personally like fewer electronics, readouts, dials, and such in the complicated dash. The center binnacle is too big, but once you own it that impression will go away so quickly it does not matter. Other than that lots is new, most everything is better fit and finish, and the car just feels solid around you.

Although nobody would expect this from nonsequitur, I must say that the drivetrain works well too. The motor is eager, and the exhaust note distinctive (a real difference from mine). Under hard work, the gearbox works with tight shift points and willingness to hold a selected gear.

There is an obvious torque converter, and that clearly yields mushy throttle control. As we did for the early car, there are techniques to develop for this one too.

I would love to have this car again on a wonderfully wet day at the track to see how it drives in those conditions. My bet? The CVT-equipped car outperforms this new one by a little bit.

I'm surprised by the heavy steering feel, which may be the run flats that were fitted.

On balance, a significantly improved car. All the rattles, squeeks, and movement are gone from the interior; this is a comfortable, tidy, higher-expectations interior. The exterior justs works very well. I like it!