Here’s an excerpt:
This may sound like a tautology, but if you like Minis and you like automatics then you’ll like the Mini Cooper S Auto. Let me explain. For most people, driving a Mini without a manual would be anathema to the whole spirit of the car. BMW has realised this and gone out of its way to make an auto which, unlike the CVT system of old, doesn’t dampen the spirit of the Mini. As a result it’s quite a shock when you first slip it into Drive, expecting to be mollycoddled along by the torque converter.
The six-speed ‘box is incredibly eager to kick-down, seemingly always ready to exploit to the maximum even the merest hint of enthusiastic accelerator pressure. If you actually hit the switch at the end of the throttle-pedal travel then it becomes a case of ‘how low can you go?’ Down from sixth to second was its best effort. Likewise, if the ECU even suspects that you’re pushing on, it will hold tenaciously onto each gear right through the rev range. In short, it’s a bit like having a puppy with boundless energy that wants to play the whole time; quite endearing, but tiring after prolonged exposure.
[ MINI Cooper S Reviewed ] AutoExpress/Evo
Thanks to carcounsel.com for the heads up.
For more on the MCSa, check out our full review from last February:
[ MF MCSa Review ] MotoringFile
<p>Awesome review! Thanks!</p>
<p>Although, I don’t think the CVT dampens the spirit of the MINI. It has that great “runabout” feeling!</p>
<p>Hard to admit when I’m wrong but I recently made a posting turning my nose up a the idea of the automatic in a JCW MCS.</p>
<p>I recently drove a MC with the automatic and found it fun with the manual mode. Not for me, but not bad at all.</p>
<p>Apologies to all offended parties.</p>
<p>My friend recently purchased an S with auto and was worried of the “lost spirt” but the more I read the less worried they should be, good show MINI.</p>
<p>having lived with the MCSa for a while, I can say this is absolutely the most accurate review I’ve read of its pros and cons – good show catchpole!</p>
<p>just like he says, the car is so eager to show you its sporting nature, it can be nigh impossible to potter around in drive – even in manual it is most likely to refuse upshifts that take the revs even a touch too low, god forbid!</p>
<p>this can make it strangely unsuited to urban driving, which I’m sure a lot of people (myself included) thought would be one of its main advantages.</p>
<p>a great car when shown the cane, though – an over enthusiastic puppy indeed!</p>
<p>while the review sounds great as one of those with the cvt in my mini, if you know how to handle it right, the mini cvt will handle as well or better than the mini five speed</p>
<p>There will a JCW conversion available for the automatic, with the full 210Bhp, and according to a very high up source from JCW garages it is actually faster round the track than a manual car!</p>
<p>that’s really interesting! I wonder if they mean faster than the manual with the JCW kit or faster than the stock MCS?</p>
<p>The automatic slows down the MCS no matter what you do to it. A JCW MCSa will be slower than a JCW MCS just like the MCSa is slower than the standard MCS. That said, the JCW MCSa may be pretty close to the standard MCS… maybe even a touch faster.</p>
<p>well, that would be my assumption – unless witchcraft is involved ! </p>
<p>….now we just need someone to 17% pulley the MCSa?!</p>
<p>….now we just need someone to 17% pulley the MCSa?!</p>
<pre><code> -allan MICHAEL
</code></pre>
<p>I wonder how the auto will hold up to added power..</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the 6-speed Aisin Warner transmission’s ability to handle the added power of a JCW kit. The same transmission is used in a number of cars with much higher engine output. The real challenge for the MINI tuning community is to wring the maximum response out of the transmission: Higher stall speed for the torque converter, faster shift speeds, etc. And yes, with a little tuning, the AW 6 speed A/T would be faster than a comparable 6 speed manual transmission. The only transmission technology that can compete with a tuned A/T is SMG.</p>
<p>I’ll be the first to disagree with that.</p>
<p>JCW garages have done extensive testing on track of the works kit for the automatic and they are saying that round a track the automatic is faster than a manual with works kit! They say it’s down to the automatic being able to make faster shifts than the manual. </p>
<p>They are not saying it will be faster in a straight line or 0-60, just that it is faster round a track.</p>
<p>What is the big deal with the Cooper S Auto? It’s just another tiptronic, just like BMWs have been using for years.</p>
<p>It still has a torque convertor, with all its associated inefficiencies – it may just happen to be programmed to shift at higher RPMs. But BMW autos do the same thing in ‘S’ mode.</p>
<p>Sounds like another bog standard automatic.</p>
<p>Now if it had VW/Audi’s ‘DSG’, that would be a different matter…</p>
<p>I wonder if JCW’s claim that a JCW/MCSa is track faster than a JCW/MCS is allowing for the driver forgivability of the auto? If the 0-60’s aren’t any faster, it might be shifting faster, but it wouldn’t seem more efficiently. Regardless, as a lay driver, the auto is looking as attractive as my DSC. Thanks, MINI!</p>
<p>I agree that the DSG is a great transmission.</p>
<p>Interestingly though, EVO reviewed the DSG GTI and gave it a very similar review to the MSCa – that it works very well, but is over keen to hang on to gears in sports mode, is most convincing driven hard using the paddles, lacks the level of involvement of a true manual etc. If anything they found it somewhat over-efficient and characterless . . .</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sounds like another bog standard automatic.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That’s exactly what it is. While it’s one of the nicer ones out there, it’s still uses a plain old power sapping torque converter and it is still not anything like a DSG or SMG.</p>
<p><em>plain old power sapping torque converter</em> – is someone impersonating you Gabe? You sound much more negative on the auto than you have in the past …</p>
<p>I’m not negative on the transmission at all. I think MINI did a fantastic job with it. I just don’t want people to start thinking it’s something that it’s not. The fact of the matter is that it’s not anything like a DSG or SMG (cluthless manual) transmission. It doesn’t have the same attributes or the same benefits. It’s simply a modern automatic transmission… similar to what you’d find in most cars made these days.</p>
<p>I would really like a MCS with SMG similar to whats offered with the BMW M3….and since I’m wishing for things that won’t happen, active suspension where you have full control over bump, rebound, and ride height over a bluetooth connection to a HP iPaq….:)</p>
<p>We have a MCS auto due to arrive shortly. Once here, we’ll add our new exhaust, ColdAir Box and a 15% pulley to it. We’ll keep you posted on the fun/results!</p>
<p>Definitely keep us posted Pete!</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m glad that this is one of the better autos that can handle more power and torque. Sidenote–Recall that Mazda engineers had to detune the RX-8 auto about 30 lb/ft of torque over the manual version because the auto couldn’t handle that much pwer from the rotary. Be glad MINI engineers didn’t have to do that!</p>