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MINI Cooper - READ ONLY
2671 messages, Last post on Mar 31, 2009 at 2:03 PM
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#1029 of 2671 CVT Owner by drivinisfun
Oct 16, 2002 (11:31 am)
I have a 2002 MINI Cooper CVT. I took delivery just a little over 5 weeks ago. This car is awesome!. So far I have driven it for 900 miles (Still in the mandatory 1,250 mile break in period)and I am having a total blast. The MINI is indeed automotive NIRVANA.The CVT transmission in the MINI has 3 different "Programming" modes:
1)Normal CVT
2)Sport Mode
3)Steptronic
In Normal mode the car is a bit sluggish off the line below 2000RPM but as the car collects miles, the engine begins to open up more and more. For normal city driving, "Normal" mode is very satisfying and provides a good degree of acceleration/performance and great fuel economy. You have your regular PRND gear arragemment.
In Sport Mode the car takes off much faster from the get go and the RPM's are kept constant (Say between 2K and 3K RPM) so the transmission constantly adjusts for optimal torque and power delivery.
In Steptronic mode, the CVT features 6 "Simulated" forward gears. With a quick flick of the gearshift selector (A full push to the right)you can either upshift or downshift (+/-) as you would do in a car equipped with a regular manual transmission the only difference being that you are not depressing a clutch pedal making the upshifts and downshifts very quick, smooth and above all, FUN!.
The CVT provides lots of engine breaking power and you can switch between any of the 3 programming modes on the fly while driving. If switching from Normal to Steptronic mode while doing 50 or 60MPH, the car automatically takes you to the "Simulated" gear it is in Steptronic mode and it simply takes off!
The programming also has a fail safe mode that prevents the driver from accidentally overreving the engine if you make an attempt to downshift the car all the way down while at speed in Steptronic mode.
The CVT is really fun in this car and the more you toy with it the more neat things about it you discover in terms of response and performance.
The CVT in the MINI is metal belt driven. I read somewhere that this transmission is capable of supporting a 200HP engine power rating. If this is the case a CVT Cooper "S" might not be far off the distant future. Hey I would even go for a SMG Cooper 'S'!.
The CVT is great and highly recommend it. It does not take away from the character and performance/handling dynamics of the car. It is the best choice for those that do not know or rather not deal with the compromises found with manual transmission cars or do a lot of city driving but from time to time wish to have a little bit of fun messhing their own "gears" without having to deal with a clutch pedal.
If you have any other questions regarding the CVT, let me know.
Cheers
#1030 of 2671 Safety? by rickrover
Oct 16, 2002 (6:46 pm)
You really can't compare the MINI results to a Highlander or Grand Cherokee in a crash. The SUV's weigh significantly more than a subcompact which means much more mass to crash into a barrier. Compare apples to apples - MINI 4 star, VW Golf 5 star, Honda Civic 5 star, Toyota Corolla 5 star, Hyundai Accent 4 star.The MINI is right up there with the Hyundai Accent!
The offset crash test results should be interesting as well.
#1031 of 2671 drivinisfun by harlequin1971
Oct 18, 2002 (11:00 am)
thanks so much!So, you feel that the CVT with the base Cooper has plenty of go in it? Just curious, what car did you have before it, or better yet, what other car do you have now. (Seems as though many Mini owners are not one-car people.)
You answered a good deal of my questions about the CVT. I keep going back and forth...the Cooper S would be a nice bump up, and would cost about the same (with more little features and power) than the Cooper CVT I would option out. I have done the "Build My Mini" option on the web site...
I just don't like the thought of rowing gears any more...too much of a pain in the knee. But, I am doing it now...and the value/cost tradeoff keeps the S in the running...if I go Mini.
Just curious, have you driven the Audi A4? How would you compare the CVT trannies?
#1032 of 2671 rick rover by harlequin1971
Oct 18, 2002 (11:08 am)
You really can't compare the MINI results to a Highlander or Grand Cherokee in a crash. The SUV's weigh significantly more than a subcompact which means much more mass to crash into a barrier. Compare apples to apples - MINI 4 star, VW Golf 5 star, Honda Civic 5 star, Toyota Corolla 5 star, Hyundai Accent 4 star.The MINI is right up there with the Hyundai Accent!
The offset crash test results should be interesting as well.
You are right, and wrong. The ratings stay the same, so the ratings are a display of the actual forces affecting the occupants (driver, passenger) based on the standard tests, which are not changed because a small car is being crashed, rather than a large.
Obviously, in a car versus car accident, mass becomes a major factor. A Mini will suffer impact disadvantages if it should collide with an SUV. The extra mass of the heavier vehicle has a nasty tendency to continue pushing through a smaller mass vehicle, adding additional energy to be absorbed by the smaller car.
Nonetheless, most accidents are single car accidents. In a single car accident, you will fair in most ways as well in a Mini as you will in some of those EarthDestroyers out there. Which is good to know.
Besides, the side impact test is not too far off from real world. A heavy item (concrete block) is accelerated into the side of the vehicle, and then the forces of impact are measured. The block isn't reduced in size or mass for small cars, so a side impact rating of 4-stars is exactly the same, regardless of car.
All I am saying is that the Mini has received an impressive crash rating, certainly high enough to dismiss those who want to say, "It is a flimsy tin can car that will be crushed in an accident."
According to the ratings, it won't be any more crushed than a Toyota Highlander in a similar situation.
#1033 of 2671 compare by hpulley4
Oct 18, 2002 (11:53 am)
See subcompacts here (for some reason the MINI is a compact): http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2002SubC.html
You'll see that the Accent gets 3 stars front side and 2 stars rear side so the MINI is better than an Accent for side impacts where tested. Some cars get 5 stars in one or the other for front impacts so there is room for improvement in the MINI. Many other cars are worse on the side than the MINI so they have room for improvement also.
Also note that most of these are 4-door cars. Many 2-door cars tradionally are much weaker in side impacts with the larger door and lack of a B pillar. For instance, look at the coupe versions of the Cavalier and Sunfire in the Compact class with 1 star front side and 2 stars rear side:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2002Cmpt.html
The ZX2 is also very poor and many other coupes are not tested.
They haven't tested a 2-door Golf for some reason but the 2-door Beetle gets excellent side impact results so the Golf is probably good as well.
#1034 of 2671 Ratings by rickrover
Oct 19, 2002 (5:58 am)
What suprised me the most is how well the Japanese and Korean cars did and how poorly the U.S. cars did.The MINI did really well considering how little mass it has to absorb an impact.
I'm thinking the side ratings depend on side and curtain (head) air bags. All VW's have a similar setup to the MINI with head and side bags where the Accent doesn't - they seem to make a significant difference.
#1035 of 2671 and little room by hpulley4
Oct 19, 2002 (10:00 am)
I'm impressed with the front impact numbers from a car that has almost no overhang whatsoever. The distance from the front passenger to the bumper is very short. All things considered, it is a tough little car.You're right about the north american disappointments though the 2003 Camry is also bad, 2 star side without side airbags upgraded to 3 with airbags. The Corolla and Matrix/Vibe did very well though.
#1036 of 2671 comment by okidokie
Oct 19, 2002 (3:21 pm)
I was impressed with the way mini cooper looks. I'm still a fan of its look. Its interior looks great. Good styling. But I personally I don't think it is a true 21st century styling. So I don't think it won't last that long. Any other future cars with edgier design suits my taste better. On the other hands, the mini will soon be buried in a huge wave of new retro cars. It won't be distinctive anymore. But, still, I love its styling.One big disappointment I have with this car is the engine. The pentagon engine is simply not up to its standard. It needs real refinement at high rpm. I wish the engine would have been GM's Ecotoc, as the ecotec is superior in terms of refinement and performance. I hope BMW will replace it with its in-house built valvetronic engines soon. I am quite picky on the engine of a car because the engine is the heart of the car. It needs to be good. In fact, I'm quite sure that BMW will replace the pentagon engine with a new one in the next few years.
#1037 of 2671 another comment by okidokie
Oct 19, 2002 (3:31 pm)
The mini cooper sure looks good. But the gut is nothing new.The price of mini cooper S is approaching BMW 325 or 330i. That's not cheap.
So, I rather choose a BMW. A real genuine BMW is more appealing to me, since putting a nice looking Mini skin over a BMW is not a good appeal to me.
#1038 of 2671 by gotenks243
Oct 19, 2002 (4:03 pm)
There's not much room under the bonnet for an engine any larger in displacement. The Ecotec in the Ion didn't exactly seem like a pinnacle of refinement to me anyway.About the price comment, a fully loaded Cooper S is just over $27k sticker. That's with leather, nav, metallic paint, and all that other not necessary stuff. A 325i is mid-$28k without all of that. By the time you give a 325i all those unnecessary options that are on a $27k Cooper S, you'll have a $37k sticker 325i. There's a huge price difference. Mini prices are in line with competitive Volkswagen models, and in my opinion represent a very good deal.
Mike
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