Seriously considering a 17 Clubman jcw with adaptive dampers. It will be my daily driver and I do about 20K a year. How much harder does it ride in standard mode compared to a non JCW with adaptive or standard suspension. I back to back drove 2 yesterday but I was with the dealer on their planned out route. Couldnt really get a feel for the difference other than in sport mode the ride is drastically firmer. Thanks for your input on this everyone. Hoping to get back into a MINI soon.
2nd Gear
I use my 17 F54 JCW with adaptive dampers as a daily driver. Regular mode is not uncomfortable at all. I drive my kids to and from school everyday. Never a complaint. Sport mode IS stiffer but not as stiff as the regular sport suspension. I chose it to have the option to adjust. Best choice ever!
1st Gear
My understanding is the adaptive dampers are +/- 10% from the standard suspension, while the sports suspension is +30%. Having said that one of the best features on my F54 JCW are the adaptive dampers. In Sport mode it feels hard like my old R56 MCS, you feel every irregularity on the road and you can hustle it around tight turns. In Regular mode it is a lot more pliant and smooth, great for long distance trips. You can customise the settings so you can turn off the hard setting in Sport Mode... But I am happy with the existing settings and it is nice to be able to adjust the car as needs dictate.
I have the adaptive dampers on my 2017 ALL4 S and run on Sport Mode around town all the time. I don't consider the ride harsh at all and find it to have great handling, although it needs a bigger bar on the back and plan to get the NM 25mm bar soon. Only time I run in Mid mode is on the highway or when the old lady is in the car......