can someone tell me the reasons why the ALL4 would be better? i dont live in the snow or have severe weather conditions....nor do i go offroading an mountain roads...IS ALL4 useless to me??

what are the benefits of having the ALL4 vs regular? is it faster? does the ALL4 handle significantly better under normal driving conditions?

say, if i were to drive on the freeway or local roads under good weather...would i even notice the difference? so far, im thinking ALL4 is only bought if u live in mountainous areas or have snow and stuff like that...forgive my ignorance but im just trying to figure out what to order and how i can keep the cost down..dont want to get something i wont use

 

the ALL4 will certainly have more traction = a bit faster. I bet under regular driving conditions like apparently you have much of the year, you wouldn't notice much of a difference though.

 

The ALL4 will be slightly slower in straight line acceleration due to the added weight & drivetrain friction. It may be a bit faster through turns due to a bit better transfer of power to both front & rear axles. The ALL4 would get slightly reduced fuel efficiency, also due to the increased drivetrain friction, and added weight.

If you never see snow, and/or ice, I would forget the ALL4. The S model without ALL4 would be a great combo.

Mark

 

so is it safe to assume that ALL4 is made for driving thru rough terrain or weather conditions? ive never had a 4WD car in my life...i drove a WRX 4wd car and i couldnt feel that it was better handling than my non4wd cars...and i just want to basically get this to tool around town, run errands and stuff..

 

We live in rainy Seattle. All our family vehicles have been all wheel drive for the past 15 years or more. Seattle roads have steep hills and are wet frequently. All4 prevents tire spin when simply starting from a stop on a steep, wet road. I also notice a difference when I power through corners on wet roads. Whenever I rent a car and go back to front wheel drive, I am amazed what a difference the all wheel drive has made. It's like a lot of things, once you get used to it, you can't live without it.

 

My previous two cars were all wheel drive, and the handling was improved by it being available. I made it a priority to only consider AWD cars this time, too. My prior car and this one are both independent suspension and AWD. The AWD gets rid of the torque steer common with FWD and improves handling under power in general. To me they're more fun to drive (although they weigh more and get lower mileage).

And, I can drift my CM4 when I want to.

 

ghamma,

I got my countryman S in front drive, as I live in Los Angeles. It has no torque steer. It is an automatic. Mini did a great job of getting rid of torque steer. I have alot of torque steer in my 2009 MCS JCW stage 1 6 speed manual convertible. But it is not an issue in the CM.

isellputs, save the money and get the front wheel drive. I did, and put the money into the navigation/mini connected system instead. My CM handles great, almost as good as my 2009. You do not need it.

 

If we didn't have snow and we didn't live on a gravel road, I would say the ALL4 was a waste of money and weight. It adds significant money to the cost, takes a few mph off the top speed, adds a few tenths of a second to the 0-60 time, and shaves a few percent off the mpgs.

According to the early reviews I read in car mags, MINI corrected the torque steer in all R60s. It's not just the ALL4.

I'm not sure I'd notice in 99% of non-snow on-pavement driving, so getting the weight and the extra dollars out of the car would probably be worth it.

Now, for me, a huge portion of why I went with a Countryman had to do with the fact that it was pretty much the best combo of efficiency, size, and AWD on the market. It's hard to downsize your car in New England and still be able to take your dogs around and get out to the store in the snow, and the CM fit the bill perfectly. As you can see from my sig, I'm smitten with this car.

 

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that ALL4 doesn't do anything unless the front wheels say they need help. No 4 on regular roads, no 4 off road, no 4 around corners - nada under normal conditions. I've got All2 and have no problems, so far.

 

Why buy an R60 at all?

I should have kept my R56 MCS. The only reason to buy the R60 was because of the ALL4.

 

4drs, more space, interesting styling dynamic.

If you don't need ALL4 because you live/drive on flat roads and don't have snow, then don't get one.

Get the CM S or CM base. They are excellent examples of a larger MINI.

The ALL4 is for those who need or want the security of extra traction and road holding in slippery curves.

I drove a CM S 6sp, it was an excellent ride, no sunroof with the NAV unit, fuel economy on the computer was showing better than my ALL4 CM.

I prefer driving my 07 MCSa with it's mods but I do enjoy the ride in our CM ALL4 for long trips.

Don

 

Yup! You don't get any power to the rear unless one of the front tires slips. So you're driving an FWD car right up until then. So if you're not going to be in situations where the front tires slip, the AWD is expensive dead weight.

 

For me, it was the combo of ALL4, the space for two adults in the back seat, and the ability to have comfortable space for 2 dogs. I can totally see why somebody who didn't need ALL4 would still like the slightly larger car.

 

I ski a lot in the winter, which is the main reason I'm interested in the All4. If they had made an AWD Clubman, I'd probably rather drive that.

 

I have to agree. If you don't need All4, keep the money in the bank. I have the All4 for the beach and for the flash thunderstorms in Houston.

For me, it is worth every penny.

Bill

 

I got a CM4 because my house looks like this in January...

Yes, that really is my house. If you don't get snow, you probably don't have any use for ALL4 or any AWD.

Cheers,
Tad

 

PS... bonus points if you can name that car!



Cheers,
Tad

 

lol some type of audi?

 

I bought an old Jeep Cherokee 4x4 for the beach. No way I would take a nice car like the CM on the beaches where I live. The sand is often loose and deep, where ground clearance and power would be an issue, and combined with the salt air it will eat your undercarriage in no time flat.

 

this is an old thread but since my r60 is at the dealer( preasure crack window) they gave me the all4 loaner and i don't like it at all, feels heavier and slower, never been a fan of awd.

 

I live in NH and other than this past winter we normally get plenty of snow. I have had several AWD cars but chose FWD for this one. I have found that with good snow the only thing AWD gets me is a little better take off and much less MPG.

When I test drove the mini, the dealer let me drive both FWD and AWD and the FWD did just as well in the corners. The rare occasion(if ever)I feel I needed AWD still doesn't offset the added cost,weight or MPG loss of AWD.

 

Come on, is that the only advantage of an R60 in your mind? Did comfortable room for 4 adults or cargo space ever cross your mind?

 

I wonder how this perception got started? According to the MINI literature and the article referenced below, what you said is not correct. MINI says in its brochure (in part):
"Torque split is instantaneous and varies seamlessly based on multiple factors, including speed, steering angle, and acceleration". No mention of tire slip, but that is likely ONE of the factors.

This Motoringfile article describes how the system works according to one of the designers at MINI:
http://www.motoringfile.com/2011/12/...tem-clarified/

So according to this MINI engineer, the system starts from rest with 50% torque split to the rear.

However I agree that the OP probably should not get ALL4 because of the weight/fuel efficiency issue. But for my use it is great.

 

That's wrong wrong wrong.

 

Wifey and I reside in chicago and replaced her 2012 MC w/ a just-ordered 2012 CMs non-4. Baby on the way, but we have an Acura MDX w/ 4WD, which is main baby bus. Since she had the base MC, we just decided to upgrade for space w/ the 4drs. and better engine. She did experienced splippage on some occasions this past "winter", but feels confident in the CMs during inclement weather.