I have a 2011 Countryman S FWD and I am having several ride quality and handling issues. They are:
1. Any time I hit a bump at highway speed, especially in a turn, the car feels momentarily out of control. In a turn the steering wheel gets pulled sharply in the direction of the turn and I have almost driven off the road several times.
2. When I purchased the car I lived south where it never snowed. Now I live in Wisconsin! Last winter with even just a little snow the car felt like it would start sliding if I moved the wheel 1/8" either way. It seems like this car can go out of control quickly when it's slippery. I grew up in Indiana so I am good with driving in snow, but this car is ridiculous.

I have read about replacing the run flats, which I am planning on doing, but do you guys have any other suggestions that will help with both of these issues?

Thanks!

 

With respect to driving in the snow, you didn't mention if your CM has all season or summer tires. If yours came with summer tires (which I would assume many cars in the south do) that's likely the issue with snow traction.

 

Sorry, yes they do have all seasons. I purchased it in Indianapolis as I was moving south.

 

you did not say the brand size of your tires nor if you have standard or sport suspension

my cms all4 has sport suspension with pirelli p7 225/45R18 summer runflats and i have upped the tire pressures to 42psi frt / 36psi rear with much improved ride and handling

my dad's cms all4 has standard suspension with pirelli p7 205/55R17 all season runflats and on his i have upped the tire pressures to 38psi frt / 34psi rear, also with much improved ride and handling

neither car has much reaction to hitting a bump in a turn after raising the tire pressures

as to winter driving, neither of us has owned the cars during the winter yet, i got mine march 31, 2012 and dad got his 2 weeks after me

scott

 

You are not the first here to report the issue with bumps and turns. My reaction each time this has been brought up is that the driver is simply not used to how communicative and quick the steering is, the stiff sidewalls of the run flats amplify the issue, and there's nothing wrong with the car. I would suggest you switch to non run flats and that you immediately notice a huge difference. But I'd hate to tell you to spend all that $ only to find out that there really is something wrong with your car, as that could certainly be the case too. Perhaps it's something to ask your dealer to check before you try the run flats. I suspect they will tell you there's nothing wrong with your car, but you never know.

Regarding snow traction, it again might be that you are not used to the quick steering. Irrespective of that, you will find that a good set of winter tires will give you far better snow traction versus typical all season tires. The downside of course is having to mount and dismount them each season or buy an extra set of wheels.

 

I have a sport button but I don't believe that I have the sport package. I have 17" continental contiprocontact tires that came with it.

I made a service appointment for next week to have the car looked over, but since its been doing this since I purchased it, I'm assuming everything is fine. Unless they find something wrong, I will try the tire pressure adjustment then as a last resort new tires. I love how the mini drives and I really like the responsive steering, but the car feels momentarily out of control and that's not acceptable to me. I'm willing to try every option to fix this, but if I can't I'm going to sell it.

 

Your tires are Continental ContiProContact SSR tires. According to Tire Rack's survey of Grand Touring All Season tires, my guess is that these tires are not doing you any favors in the handling/traction departments. And, while there are no survey results for the SSRs, the other Conti tires rate no higher that 13th, 15th, 18th and 25th in a field of 29 tire surveys. HERE is the list.

I have not noticed the issue that you describe. However, I have the OEM Pirelli Cinturato P7s Grand Touring All Seasons and, while there is some harshness over bumps, they seem to be very poised for a run flat and produce good initial turn-in. Of course, my choice would be non-runflats, but these tires aren't too bad for what they are.

One thing you could do is have the MINI dealer temporarily swap-in one of the other OEM 17" tire/wheel combos to see if your handling issue abate.

 

I have the Continental ContiProContact SSR all-season tires, 17", and Sport Suspension on my car (note: the Sport Button and Sport Package have nothing to do with the suspension). They are decent tires overall with acceptable ride, OK dry grip and acceptable wet and snow traction. I have driven at the limit of adhesion in a non-competitive autocross type event without problems on these tires. I have also driven in light snow. I have not had the symptoms you describe.

The first thing I recommend is a 4-wheel alignment. Then tire rotation and experiment with tire pressure. I run 34-41 psi depending on the conditions and use.

 

I just had an alignment and tire rotation about 6 months ago. Unfortunately the issue was happening before and after that.

koopah- thanks for that link. I've been trying to find a site to compare tires and that one is perfect! I will ask the dealer if they can do a temporary swap. Can't hurt!

Thanks!

 

This actually sounds like two separate issues.

Less control over bumps sounds like a tire or suspension issue. I have the same non-sport suspension and 17“ contiprocontacts as you. I've noticed on some curves at highway speeds, my tires sometimes skip if I hit some rough asphalt or a gap in the pavement. But I never really felt like I might lose control. In addition to ditching your runflats, I wonder if your shocks are worn. A more compliant shock/strut setup might help.

As for the other issue, I noticed you have the FWD model. That pull you feel around turns (especially while accelerating) is torque steer. It's considered 'normal' on FWD cars but gets worse as your suspension wears out. This is a long shot for a 2011, but I'd have your front end inspected for worn control arm bushings, CV joints and even motor mounts.

This post is about a Clubman, but the info still applies https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...que-steer.html.

 

I am new to the Mini CMA4,love the run flats, but ,I am afraid they will be bad on ice and snow. I hate front wheel drive cars, they as a rule are less desirable . The all4 is a different car then the FWD as the all4 takes care of all the problems FWD cars are famous for.
That said , your description sounds a lot like bump steer. This is very common on lifted FWD off /on road SUV and P/U. The effect can be very scary when you hit even the smallest dip or irregular hard surface roadway. I just went through this with my Suzuki Samurai I built last winter. The fix included changing the location of the steering damper and remounting the shocks for more travel. If I had this problem with my CM I would take it in ASAP, something is seriously wrong. I would like to believe the run flats are part of the problem.( I want Nokia winter tires ) A stiffer sidewall will enhance the bump steer to the point that you might be afraid to drive over 50 MPH !... Now remember, my experence comes from a lifted Samurai that has 32 inch super swampers." Another thing that helped was to reduce tire pressure / hence more flex in the sidewall. Could be all this might be excelerated by the run flats and, a serious front suspension problem.

 

Ditto the darty, oversensitive and torque steerious (made that word up- but it describes the problem well) nature of fwd-only CM that I've experienced.

I don't like it, but have resigned to the fact that it is "normal."

Changes made thus far: Non-run flat tires, NM lowering springs.

Change that helped the most: adjusted the front to have a toe OUT of 1/8". IIRC, the specifications Call for a slight bit of toe in.If you have toe boards it is easy to change and play with the settings.

At what number did they set your front toe?

Good luck. Call if I can help 770-886-2500.

Robert Patton