Random Thoughts on MINI Loaners

Donna Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Thank you for addressing the “stumble”…how can we get MINI to listen and act on this?

Gabriel Bridger Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Wow - what a difference a day makes. The CVT feels so much better this morning in cooler temps.

Frank Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Gabe, I currently own a 2002 Cooper CVT (August 2002 build) with 12.9K miles. If you ever come down to Miami, I will let you experience how wonderful my car drives. It drives and feels like a 1600cc engine should be…PERFECT.

I have no yo-yoing, no bogging, no stumble, no stutter, no stalling, no hesitation, nada, zero, zilch, zip.

I have perfect linear acceleration, awesome throttle response from the get go (In all 3 CVT programming modes), excellent fule economy, no rough idling with the A/C in out 90F+ and 100% humidity weather.

I have software update version 33.2 which was installed in my car on May 17th, 2003 and after 5K miles the car drives much, much better in comparison when we first took delivery in early Sept 2002 and when it had software version 30 from the factory…totally different car.

Your experience with the CVT loaners is by no means representative of the experience with the majority of privately owned CVTs. Even the lead MINI tech at my dealer tells me time and time again that when he drives my car it is one of the smoothest and better driving CVTs in South Florida.

Gabriel Bridger Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Thanks for chiming in on this topic Frank - I was hoping you would.

I know several CVT owners that absolutely love their car and their transmission so I knew what I was experiencing wasn't normal. I would love to take yours out as a comparison if I ever make it down that way - how about January :)

Seriously though my experience this morning with the CVT was much much different. This may not be normal but the acceleration has this sort of elastic feel to it. When you punch it - it takes just an instant to spool up. But once things get moving you surge forward very smoothly with a good amount power. When you let off you it seems the CVT very gradually gears down. It all adds up to this elastic sort of feel that, once your used to, is pretty fun.

Would I ever opt for the CVT personally - probably not. I'm a diehard when it comes to a manual I suppose. Would I recommend it to others looking for some commuting relief - yes.

Frank Aug 29th, 2003 Link

My Cooper CVT does not have a sunroof and my upcoming '04 MCS will not have one either. I test drove a couple of cars with it but was not sufficiently convinced to spring up the extra $800 for it. Don't get me wrong, the Webasto Panorama sunroof is a very nice concept on its own as it covers 60% of the roof area and gives a lot of light to the interior. But it is not without is shortcomings:

• Biggest mistake IMO is the lack of solid shades. The factory meshes fail to filter the direct sun rays getting inside the cabin when the car is parked outside. Add to this a barely sufficient A/C and you'll have a rolling oven on wheels. Very badly conceived for tropical climates.

• The sunroof when fully open gets very loud at speeds above 30MPH.

• The sunroof tends to rattle after a few months of use

• Adds around 60 pounds of weight to the roof.

The lack of solid shades is what broke the Camel's back. perhaps in colder Northern climates this is not much of an issue, but in South Florida the MINI sunroof unfortunately is a no-no.

Gabriel Bridger Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Some good points Frank. I'm convinced that the rattles can be overcome. I've got almost 30k on my Cooper and no rattles in the sunroof area at all.

However the lack of a true shade must be a serious issue in South Florida. I can completely see how that would be a deal breaker. Of course in the northern climates we need all the light we can get ;) I personally love the sunroof shades as they are - they create this cabana effect that I love. The MINI being an English car designed in the UK I guess this is just one of those issues we just have to deal with.

Frank Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Gabe, your CVT loaner driving experience mirrors that of our CVT when we first took delivery last year. The car felt like a “Snowmobile”…the rubber band driving effect and “Herky Jerky” effect when releasing the E-gas pedal was nothing sort of annoying.

Our car came with update 29 or 30. Shortly after we took it home, the dealer downloaded 31 and it was even worse. The steering wheel would shake and vibrate very badly with the A/C on while the engine idling and in Drive. As soon as I got update 32.1 back in February it did ironed out a lot of these out of whack behaviors, but still was rough around the edges. Update 33.2 has been the cleanest of the bunch but it is not 100% perfect yet. Still has its very occassional glitches. I think MINI will soon release update 34.1 or 34.2 which appears to be in prototype form as we speak (Someone I know that was having tons of problems with a 5-speed Cooper, MINI HQ in NJ, gave him the 34.x prototype and he says that the car drives and feels perfect for the first time in over 14 months of ownership).

I agree, MINIUSA has a big hot potato in thier hands with these software updates. They are damaging thier reputation with unhappy owners as each days goes by that they fail to provide a final fix.

Gabe, you are welcome to come to Miami in January…it should be nice a cool then. Looking forward to meet you in person.

Frank Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Gabe, the CVT has lots of engine braking power effect which is unsual on an Automatic car, but then again the CVT is not your everyday slushbox.

After driving a MCS and CVT back to back, the CVT has much more engine braking power effect than the MCS. I think that while a bit weird in the beginning is a nice safety feature that helps minimize brake pad wear and increases braking effectiviness.

Vanwall Aug 29th, 2003 Link

Sorry you had a bad experience, Gabe. I have a CVT Cooper and as yet, after 30,000+ miles, none of the problems I've heard about. Must be a Wednesday car! And I agree with Frank - the engine braking is amazingly effective.

I've also got the sunroof, and maybe once a year, at a particular time of a sunny day, I wonder if I need a solid shade, and then I say - Nah, I like 'em like they are. I'm in San Diego, and have driven a lot to AZ, in the summer, too, and I feel claustrophobic in a non-sunroof MINI now.

      BCNU,
     Rob in Dago

JaCe Jun 4th, 2005 Link

I know this is a bit late but I felt like suggesting maybe MINI purposely lets in as much as light/heat as possible because back in Britain it’s REALLY REALLY REALLY COLD? Just my two cents.

MotoringFile » Archive » The CVT Revisited - A Full Review Feb 19th, 2006 Link

[...] After my initial post about my CVT loaner experience I got several emails saying that I obviously had a MINI with old software and the dreaded CVT stumble (that seems to have been fixed by the current software). Knowing the stumble was an issue that had been supposedly solved on the CVT I tried to not hold that against the car and do a review purely from the perspective of a diehard manual driver. It is worth noting that once the weather cooled down below 90F the stumble seemed to pretty much go away entirely. [...]

Grabt Tucker Aug 16th, 2007 Link

My CVT mini was a nightmare. It would try to take off in the equivalent of 3rd gear. Ver dangerous when going across an intersection. After sending back to the dealer (Team McMillan in New Zealand) 6 times I tried to trade it in on a cooper S and Team McMillam tried to shaft me on the trade in.
I now drive a great VW golf TDI way more car for the money

MaxMCS Nov 7th, 2008 Link

Sorry to hear, Grabt. But I have to respectfully and firmly disagree with the “more car for the money” comment- it just isn’t. Please allow my 6-speed MCS with a 16% pulley, CAI, and one-ball exhaust drive the point home!