I had autos for 15 years when I got my first GTI which was a manual PP and I loved it. Really embraced it, did a few simple mods to improve the feel. I would've kept it but I found the PP engine a bit lacking at times so went for a TCR which of course is DSG only. Most of the time the DSG is very good but it has some irritating habits. It can be slow when you want to get on with it and I find selecting different modes daft, on a normal auto if you want to go fast you just give the loud pedal a hard shove and off you go, no fannying around! Also not a fan of the paddles on the steering wheel, a bit too much playstation, I like proper mechanicals. From what you've said about your Mini, it doesn't sound like you are a keen manual user so I'd guess that a DSG would likely be your best bet.