With the budget I have (~25k before tax and fees), I can get either a new mini 2 door base, new mini 4 door base, or a used countryman s all4.

Mini 2 door is my favorite. I've driven my friend's Mini 2 door from time to time and loved it. However, I only drove it in the summer and on flat roads. I'm relocating and here are the three factors I need to consider:

(1) I will be in New England, which gets an insane amount of snow in the winter. Think the snow in Boston this year;
(2) I live in a hilly area. I need to drive up and down hilly streets before merging onto the highway;
(3) I drive long distance for work - over an hour one way.

I'm not sure if the 2 door is enough to handle this type of commute in winter.

The 4 door is also on my list because it has a higher ground clearance and is heavier, which can be useful in deeper snow. The 4 door is not much different from the 2 door to me otherwise.

Lastly, I'm thinking about the countryman s all4 solely because it's AWD and could be useful in snow, especially when I need to go uphill.

This will be my only car. I will be my only passenger, so space is not something I need to consider. I actually prefer the smaller models because they are easier to park. However, I'll take the countryman s all4 if that means more safety in the snow.

I understand having snow tires on is very important. But given that they all have snow tires on, which one would you recommend getting?

 

I just ordered an F55s. The dealer I got it from said they had no problems this year driving the cars around in the heavy snow. Obviously they wouldn't want to talk badly about their cars but if you really feel unsure about it toss some winter tires on the 2 or 4 door and you will be fine. I got the free upgrade to all season tires on my order because I was fine with just all seasons on my 12 year old mazda but if I feel the need for them I've heard putting a set of blizzak on the mini will make the car very reliable in the snow.

 

I live in Northern Maine and have logged numerous winters in my R53. Using common sense and understanding the limits of your car, you won't have trouble in snow. Obviously watching the forecasts and planning sensibly makes sense.

I didn't drive in heavy snow even when I had my FJ Cruiser. Not due to me but the other idiots out on the road.

 

I live in southern Maine and I have a '13 R56S, which I've driven through two winters. I, too, have a long commute to work (80 mi round trip), and I have never not been able to get where I needed to go. And I work a job that doesn't permit me to not go to work just because of weather. Sure, there would times when you'd be forced to go 35-40 mph on I-95, but it was always doable.

I run Bridgestone Blizzak WS70s, which I've run on three separate vehicles, and would never use anything different. Amazing in the snow. Granted, I never need to drive through more than 3-4" of snow due to effective snow removal. It will certainly depend on how well your municipality handles snow removal.

 

A set of good snowtires...actually any snowtires, narrow and on the smallest wheels (highest aspect ratio) possible that will fit around the brakes.

 

I agree that a front wheel 2 door will do fine with snow tires but I think the game changes if you are living in hilly or mountainous terrain. Where in New England? I used to live in VT and I assure you there are good reasons so many people drive AWD Subarus there. I currently live on top of a ridge in the Adirondacks, have a steep driveway, and I chose the All4 due to this. I've had front wheels which couldn't get up my drive in the winter even with "good snow tires." You know your terrain and snow driving ability better than anyone here. If you have doubts and can afford the extra cost, I'd say go with the peace of mind of the All4.

 

Rhode Island. My driveway is not steep, but there is a hilly street right next to my place, and basically I have to drive uphill and downhill a few times to get to most places. I've never lived in hilly areas before. That's why I'm not sure if the mini cooper (or cooper s) can handle that.

 

I live in NH, and have family in RI, the countryman all 4 will definently work, no doubt about it. BUT I don't think RI makes the NEED for the all 4 unless you really like it. I you can get the new mini with a limited slip and snow tires, youll be fine there. like posted above, if your in the mountains I would definently say the all4. this year in RI they have had the most snow since like the 1800's so its doubtful youll see that kind again for a long time, and most of those days the roads were closed anyways.


in short: get the car you really want, with a set of snow tires. my r53 has plowed thru 6-10 inches of snow. this year, all the major snowstorms I was on the mountains skiing driving when plows weren't out. the all4 may make you more confident in starting in the snow, but just remember, most vehicles have 4 wheel stopping =D

 

Snow tires on the MINI of your choice.

 

Yeah I agree. In RI you can probably get any model with good snow tires and do just fine.

 

I've had an R53 in a colorado ski town for 8 winters, and I only got dedicated snow tires for the first time last winter. I had one morning this winter that we had gotten 18 inches over night, I drove past a BMW X3 that was spinning all 4 of it's wheels.

AWD/4WD is nice for getting started, but if you have good tires, drive gently, and have asc/dsc any mini will work. And I love driving mine on the mountain roads in the summer time!

 

Voice of reason here.


With a daily commute of at least 2 hours, You are going to be racking up mileage. You really aren't going to have time for fun. Face it, you're spending at least 12 hours a week going to and from work.


Yes a MINI is fun to drive, but I don't care what you drive, NO commute of over an hour is fun...


The All 4 (non S) will be a dog. Take a Justa, (non S), and add all wheel drive and 1000 lbs. Especially worse if it's an autotragic...


Don't get me wrong, I love my Hardtop S. The thing is an absolute tank in the snow. But, and it's a big but... I don't have to go anywhere. I have a second and third vehicle to drive (including a 4wd Truck) for when it's in the shop. And an All4 will be in the shop...


Look, I get why they make the All4. It's simple profit. I don't get why people buy them. It's not that small, it's not that fun to drive, it's not terribly reliable. There are much better small utes.


I'd think a Subaru might be a better car for the OP's needs. Just saying...

 

DSC helps tremendously with hills. My only concern would be if you need to negotiate deep snow.

 

Thanks to everyone who replied. I read every single piece of advice.

The reason I want to get a Mini (as opposed to, say Subaru) is because although I didn't drive a lot, whenever I drove, I almost always drove a Mini (friend's, family's, rental car). It's so easy to maneuver and get around in city traffic. There was one time when all the cars are stuck in a jammed parking lot, my Mini was the first car that was able to get out. I simply don't want to deal with a larger car anymore. However, since I'm moving to a less crowded and more hilly part of the country, and I will need to drive a vehicle much more frequently than I did before, I wasn't sure if a Mini would still be a good choice.

After reading all the comments, I decided to go for a certified used Mini Cooper with a low mileage for around $18k. This is lower than my original budget. That way, I will be able to invest in really good snow tires and pay off my loan sooner. I'll see how my first Mini Cooper (this will be the first car truly owned by me) experience goes and if things go well, who knows I wouldn't get another nicer Mini in a few short years?

 

Nice! What year/model/trim level did you get?

Knowing how to drive in the snow is probably the biggest factor in how well you can get around in it. A ski-bum buddy of mine can drive a 2WD pickup truck up into the mountains with 18" of snow on the roads with no problem. And when I used to go skiing with him, we would routinely see big AWD SUVs stuck or off the road in a ditch. (He drove because I would probably be one of the people whose car wound up in a ditch trying to drive through that stuff.)

And my mom used to drive 40+ miles each way to work in a FWD Honda Civic, even in Midwestern winters. And that was with all-season tires, not with snow tires. And in the 70s, when tires were not nearly as good as they are today. The only trouble she ever really had was if the city's snow plows piled up a hill in front of our driveway.

If you know what you're doing, you can drive any car in the snow. So have fun with your MINI!