1st Gen R50 Cooper Most liked posts in thread: Class Action in California - 1st Gen MINI with CVT

Sorry Jeff same for your MINI too. Swap in a 5 speed & feel the silverback love. :lol:

 

The MINI has around 45k now and other than an early leak at around 6k that went unnoticed as it left the factory until I had it repaired at MAG, I have NEVER had a problem with it, since. It has been tracked [2 2-day Phil Wicks schools], gone Dragon-slaying and to MOTD 4x and gone on long trips as well as on various twisties.

I don't mind a stick...would get one but do not want to get rid of the MINI...or the S for that matter.

In retrospect, the only way I'd ever go back to a stick is if one could go into the Cooper. I just love that car, not to mention its rare color and interior. In the meantime, its CVT will be driven sparingly...mostly to and from British car shows.

So, all the above said, I guess I've been kicked out of the Silverback Club. Oh well...life goes on.....

 

I wish my MINI was a 5 speed. I think that 6th gear is a waste in the US.

Everytime I get a loaner I hate that they only auto transmission loaners. It's the weirdest feeling auto trans I've ever felt. I love MINIs but I do not like their auto trannies.

 

The loaner that I had to drive was an automatic Justa. It would hesitate when going into 3rd. When third gear finally hit, it hit with a loud "thunk". I had to manually shift the thing as I was afraid the trans was about to fall out. The Justa loaner had 16,000 mile on the odometer.

 

Did you just have that experience recently? I'm asking because the CVT is no longer made...I think it went away when the Gen 2 MINIs started coming out.........

 

Correct old wise one. No more CVTs in MINIs. I read somewhere that the remaining CVTs were being used in riding lawnmowers sold by Wally World. :lol:

 

LOL- I apparently don't like their replacements, either :lol:

 

Gee, thanks Mark! I'm feeling all gushy inside now.:ihih:

 

It was a second generation but was not in the best mechanical condition.

 

I've never driven an second generation auto, so I cannot compare. I have an '06 [pre-May build] MCSa and a [9/02 build], early '03 MCcvt.

 

It seems to shift hard and not when you want it to.

Well, maybe I'm just a manual snob now :lol:

 

Good luck to all you CVT owners. I wish you continued good luck....

 

You are a real positive type guy Crash. You don't like CVT, so the rest of the world should hate it too. Give it a break.

Jim

 

^ ???

 

Nah...it's all good, as it is merely one's preference. I drove manuals all my life [here in the States, and in Europe] until I bought the MC-CVT, and then I bought the MCSa new just before the second generations came out. I never once figured that I'd leave the manual shift behind and prefer what I now have, but I do. I REALLY like the MCSa tranny with its stick and paddle shifters, but that wasn't available for the MC when I bought it, slightly used in early ' 04. Even so, until the CVT goes under [it now has just over 45k], I'll still drive and love that car.

The CVT gets great mileage when in the "D" drive, while the MCS does better in the shift mode. Go figure.

One more thing, my bad left leg is thanking me everday now.

 

My wife had a Nissan Murano for 3 years (leased) with a spectacular CVT. I was amazed that it worked so well on such a large vehicle (230hp, I think). That car was a joy to drive, but I had to be careful... with the loss of shift-points, you lose a speed reference and I'd occasionally look down and be doing 90+ MPH.

If I didn't dislike Nissan so much now (see www.nissan.com), we might have gone back to one when that lease was up.

To bad that the CVT magic didn't rub off on the MINI.

 

I'm the opposite- the '03 MINI was the first manual car I've ever owned. The husband said if I wanted a MINI it HAD to be manual. My '09 is a manual as well and I just love driving them now. It will be a long time until I choose an auto again.