[ipoulin]

Greetings to all --

Although my Cooper-on-order will arrive after this winters (this never ending, why is it snowing outside every damn minute; where do you think I live, in Minnesota?) end, I am curious to know if the CVT, when in steptronic mode, can initiate from outside of "first gear?"

I question as the method I would often use (when I did live in Minnesota) to initiate movement from a standstill in heavy snow or ice conditions would be to put the gear into second, and thus avoid spinning/traction-loss issues.

Or, is the CVT systems smart enough to sense this an automatically adjust during such conditions?

[Yes, I am aware that the Twin Cities has received only 5 inches of snow this year; I hope the winter festival still goes off without a hitch! :)]

[BillK]

The computer will not let you do something that "does not make sense". That said, yes, it will let you take off in second gear. I don't think it will let you take off in third though.

[cooper4us]

Yes you can. In Steptronic mode, the computer prgram will allow you to begin driving the car in either 1st or 2nd gears.

The Steptronic program mode is fool proof so it will not allow you to do something "stupid" to the tranny like you would easily do in a manual transmission car.

For instance, say you are in 5th gear and are approaching a curve or stopping the car and forget to manually downshift, the computer will compensate and do it for you. You can't select a gear that would cause a severe engine overrevving.

But mostly otherwise you can play with it as it if was a regular manual but without dealing with the clutch pedal.

[LordWinslow]

Quote:

Originally posted by ipoulin
Greetings to all --

Although my Cooper-on-order will arrive after this winters (this never ending, why is it snowing outside every damn minute; where do you think I live, in Minnesota?) end, I am curious to know if the CVT, when in steptronic mode, can initiate from outside of "first gear?"

I question as the method I would often use (when I did live in Minnesota) to initiate movement from a standstill in heavy snow or ice conditions would be to put the gear into second, and thus avoid spinning/traction-loss issues.

Or, is the CVT systems smart enough to sense this an automatically adjust during such conditions?

[Yes, I am aware that the Twin Cities has received only 5 inches of snow this year; I hope the winter festival still goes off without a hitch! ]

Yeah it works great you can start out in 2nd. I see you got the Sport package, so you got DSC, that should also help keeping you going where you want to.

I got a CVT Cooper (no DSC though) and live in the "snow dump" zone of New Hampshire (or at least is seems that way this year). One thing to better your odds, on top of what you have, is to get Winter Tires. I get mine put on Thrusday (at Mini of Peabody). The stock tires are ok in the snow once your moving, but they are horrible trying to get traction from a standstill. (Been stuck a few times because I couldn't get traction, now when it snows I carry a shovel to better my odds.)