The First Review of the MINI DCT
The MINI DCT has been highly anticipated and today we get to see our first review of the new transmission. Car Magazine had the opportunity to drive the MINI Cooper D with the all new DCT and came away quietly impressed. While this combination of engine and DCT isn’t the most exciting (the Cooper D makes 114 hp and 199 ft lbs of torque with a low powerband), this is the first product to see the DCT.
Car wasn’t blown away with the transformation but found a few aspects of the DCT to be real improvements.
On first impression, the new DCT is a smooth operator. The shifts aren’t pin-sharp and super quick, but it’s silky smooth when changing up and down on its own, with no sign of jerkiness or shudder (seen with torque concverter autos) sent through the car.
Hit a country lane and plant your foot, and kickdown takes a while to, well, kick down. When it does, though, it does it in a civilised fashion. There’s no severe body movement or kicking you in the back when changing down a cog or two – it’s a properly smooth little gearbox, if one that doesn’t like to be hurried.
Better than the old auto? Yes. It’s a slicker transmission when you want to kick down, but it’s still fairly relaxed. But that suits the Cooper D we drove fairly well, although there’s a noticeable amount of vibration at low speeds if you’re sitting in a higher gear. It doesn’t hunt around for the appropriate ratio, though. It works well.
Read the full review here.
<p>It never does any harm to seek a second opinion, and below is the verdict of WhatCar? on MINI’s new DCT</p>
<p>“All-in-all it is impressive how well the new DCT automatic integrates. It provides a noticeable difference in performance and costs no more than the old six-speed option did. The only drawback for the time being is that there’s no option to add paddle shifters. However, given this gearbox is shared with the BMW X1, that SUV’s ‘sports automatic’ option will likely be passed onto the Mini range in due course, which gets two paddles mounted on the steering wheel.</p>
<p>But does Mini’s new DCT better the Volkswagen Group’s dual-clutch DSG automatic gearbox, as seen in the Seat Ibiza and VW Polo? It’s close, but we’re not sure it does. There’s no doubt, though, that this new DCT makes an automatic Mini a more enticing prospect now than it ever has done previously”.</p>
<p>The 7 spd DSG in the Golf R is a welcome improvement and appears to work well in the TT-RS.
Probably still not in PDK level of sophistication if I were a betting man.
Seriously, though, no paddle shifter implies that MINI is not seeing this as a performance enhancer but rather as smoothing out the shifting for the average Joe.</p>
<p>It’s a fact of life that the Golf – and especially the ‘R’ – kicks sand in the faces of all of its close competitors. If one could only afford one car to cover all basses, it would have to be a Golf R. It will carry four full-sized adults across vast continents at high speed and in serene comfort, it will perform at track day events with honour, and in the evening it will not look out of place arriving at a black-tie event.</p>
<p>If there is one downside to the Golf it’s that every man and his dog seems to own one. Those of us who buy MINIs do so to express our individuality. In other words, buying a MINI, for better or worse, is a lifestyle choice and it’s difficult to put a price on that :)</p>
<p>Beyond these considerations the Golf is an efficient vehicle, whilst the Mini is a driver car.
A different philosophy, one is no better than the other.</p>
<p>I agree with you Eric, the MINI – especially the F56 – is a driver’s car. It’s not the best driver’s car though – the 2018 Fiesta ST is still rated the best driver’s car in its class, and the Focus RS and Golf R will out drive the Clubman All4 JCW. I still prefer MINI.</p>
<p>In the US atleast there is no longer a two door golf. Many would say so what but it changes the way the driver sees out of a compact car, especially if one has long legs. The R is great but VW in its wisdom decided to not upgrade the US engine to the port and direct injection version and left the power the same even as rivals grow. Prospects are more dim for the R also given how much cheaper a GTI can be had. It just does not pay to R when a GTI’s real world dealer price can be had for 22-23K and the R is more like 35-36K at cheapest. Great car but not >50% more great</p>
<p>Interestingly, the all new 2018 VW Polo – built on a shorter version of VW’s excellent MQB Platform and a direct competitor to the MINI F55/56 and Fiesta – has recently gone on sale throughout Europe. It’s larger than the original Golf Mk1, and will only be available as a 4-door. VW claims that there is insufficient demand for a 2-door version in all of its major markets. The GTI version goes on sale next May and has a 197hp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. <a href="https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff398f5ef524313646f5a57a6e1a405ecf11977107fa308c97b67e4195a2aaad.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff398f5ef524313646f5a57a6e1a405ecf11977107fa308c97b67e4195a2aaad.jpg</a></p>
<p>Europe also offers the 2 door VW up, the 2 door beetle and most importantly the Scirocco, so perhaps they are right about the polo. The US meanwhile looks down on small efficient 2 door hatches. Still a 2 door golf or polo and pulling the ridiculous looking, slow, fat, oversize beetle that amounts to a geriatric mobile I cant help but think would increase total US sales. Then again im sure they have run studies based on what current VW US owners think. They seem to want to focus on SUV’s which indeed does seem to be the smart move in the USA.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, YTD in the USA, the F56 2-door Hardtop has outsold the F55 4-door by a ratio of 3:2 – completely bucking the trend – and it’s the same story worldwide. I think MINI is unique in this regard.</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>I for sure would want the 2 door. Im just waiting (maybe for a long time) for new powertrain.</p>