Any winter driving Tips?

This has most likely come up before but I thought I'd ask anyway

My mini is my only car and we're getting our first winter storm of the year here in CT. The only reason I can say I'm not a bad winter driver is because I know I have limited snow and ice skill and drive with appropriate caution.

Any tip for a manual? I learned snow driving in an auto and there's something I'm not catching onto with the manual. I have the worst time accerating (with or without the traction control). I'm also still learning to resist pumping the brakes abs is nice...

My one extra great tip
KNOW YOUR ABILITIES AND DON'T EXCEED THEM.
I'm terrified of those people wo drive with out a care in the world because they think awd or 4wd will prevent anything bad from happening or think they're good drivers because they're from insert snowy city here.

 

My number one tip for anyone who drives in the ice & snow. Buy a set of snow tires. They make an amazing difference. They most likely will cost less that a $500 deductible.

Tip number two, go slow & easy.

 

Go hit a snowy(not too much snow), empty parking lot and try driving around in it. See how your vehicle reacts starting, stopping. Hit the brakes, try turning and try going straight to understand how your ABS works.

I have driven many 4x4's, rear wheel drive, front wheel drive vehicles and find that lack of experience with their vehicle, lack of common sense and driving too fast are the main reasons why drivers have issues...not to mention Cell phones and other distractions.

Remember that when the Traction Control system kicks in it will keep you going but going slow so make sure you have plenty of room to turn in front of other vehicles.


I love doing spins in our work parking lot after it snows. I'm usually there before anyone else and leave my tracks.

Slow driving is good in snow...stay in the slow lane. I'll drive by and wave!

Oh and don't forget to buckle up for safety!

 

I've had bad luck with empty lots... I tried a couple of times but in connecticut an unplowed lot is usually a bit deep for a mini and if it's plowed people use it for parking.

I'm trying to deside if I go to my gym and the empty lot across the street or stay in my warm apartment...

 

You have a manual. This is huge. ASC/DSC aside, this alone will make driving a little easier, especially if you have an r56 with all the torque down low.

Start in second gear. Sometimes maybe even 3rd, but that's rare. This is a sure fire way to prevent wheel spin when you are starting off.

It's been said before, but go slow. Assume that no matter what it is that you are trying to do - whether it's turn left or get up that hill - is going to take 5x longer than you're used to.

+1,000 for the snow tires.

 

The MINI is pretty dependable in snow [with its front wheel drive], as long as its driver respects the conditions and drives accordingly. Stay in the slow lane and keep a safe distance between other cars. Lower gearing, low speeds and your traction control will keep you safe...DON'T hit the brakes or you WILL skid. Try to keep one side of the wheels on dry pavement, if possible, and BE ALERT for the drivers out there who always seem to think that the speed limit is OK all year around,and in ALL driving conditions.

Snow tires are great if you can afford them; however, thinner tires are good, too, as they cut thru the snow more easily than wider tires. Just respect the driving conditions and you should be fine.

 

I will echo what everyone else here has already said, get some winter tires and you're laughing! The MINI is quite capable in snow. The only problem is deep snow, more than a foot and you are liable to turn into a miniature snow plow. The R56 has a bit more clearance IIRC.

 

I was able to get a set of 16 inch runflat snow tires from www.tirerack.com for $456.00 out the door. Shop around and you should be able to get a deal.

All other driving rules above apply. Do find an empty open area to hone your snow/ice driving skills.

For the 4X4s, four wheel drive does not mean four wheel stop.

 

Funny thing about 4x4 people just assume that 4x4 means they can drive in snow like dry pavement. While it will help you get arround getting used to pulling yourself thru a corner is a different thing.

 

I love my Land Rover Discovery for winter / Snow driving. It can go like heck. Stopping is the problem....

 

Actually, it does... the catch is that many 4X4 owners forget that all cars have four wheel stop, therefore 4X4 has absolutely no effect whatsoever on braking ability.

In discussions with people about snow driving & wheel drive, I often like to make this point by a short Q&A session:

Me: "How many brakes does a four wheel drive vehicle have?"
Them: "Uhhh - four".
Me: "Correct. And how many brakes does a two wheel drive vehicle have?"

Sometimes they actually say "Two"! Even if they stop and think about it, and correctly answer "Four", it still really helps to make the same point - that you can't treat four wheel drive cars any differently when it comes to stopping distances.

 

That was my point in a lot less words. I was being sarcastic in my statement because some 4x4 drivers drive faster during inclimate conditions not realizing that their stoppong ability has been effected.

One final point. Check your rearview mirror often and leave yourself an out whenever possible. Being able to quickly pull around the car in front of you or off the road may save you from the inexpierenced driver coming up too fast behind you.

 

We're supposed to get 6" tonight and I have to drive 30 miles in the AM to help a friend work on her Mini classic, I may just take the wife's Audi quattro allroad.

Echo what others have already said about 4WD, it really helps with the go, it may help a little with turns, but it's no better than any other car when it comes to stopping, and may be worse because many people with 4wd or awd still run summer tires in the winter, with disasterous results.

I think all the bases are covered above, but there's no substitute for experience. Best to gain some of that experience in a wide open parking lot with no one around, watch out for light poles and hidden drains and curbs if you do. Best advice, take your time.........

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...highlight=snow

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...highlight=snow

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...highlight=snow

 

Hey All,

Great thread. In my prior reply, I noted some excellent previous threads on this subject. In one of them, DixonL2 gave the following excellent advice:

DSC acts sort of like an LSD in low speed start-up situations, in that it brakes the spinning wheel so the other can gain traction BUT... it also cuts engine power at the same time.

Having an LSD and turning DSC/traction control OFF can result in useful wheelspin if you know what you're doing - limited spinning can move you forward when it's not possible to do so otherwise. It's also possible to "burn through" to a higher traction surface, but this needs to be done with extreme care to avoid breaking something, overheating tires, over-revving the engine, and generally causing a bunch of havoc.

If you're ordering the car, the LSD option is worth it. If you're buying a used car, it'd be nice but may not be worth the time/aggravation of finding a car with it. If you're thinking of upgrading to an LSD, consider if ~ $2,000+ is worth it.

Driving in snow: There are whole threads on this (do a search), but the best advice, consolidated, is this:

1. Drive like there's a raw egg between you and all control surfaces: be appropriately gentle.

2. Don't do anything you're going to have to un-do (accelerate hard toward a stoplight, etc.), and it's related corollary:

3. Momentum is a best friend and mortal enemy. Know when each applies (using current momentum to get up a hill, or scrubbing momentum early to avoid sliding through an intersection)

4. Be especially observant: When tread noise goes away (snow buildup on roads), or pavement changes "gloss" (maybe ice!), or sidestreets are "in play" - recognize that and act appropriately - and early.

5. if you cant get out of the driveway - DON'T! There are definitely times when the appropriate driving decision is "not to drive".

6. 4wd can get you going when you shouldn't be going. 4wd, FWD, and RWD cars all have the same number of tires steering and braking, but 4wd adds mass (and adds momentum, see number 3). What, you're going to accelerate to avoid a collision? Yes it does happen, just not the majority of the time.

Drive safe!
__________________
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TK

 

Our MINI with the all-season tires handles quite well in snow. The only problem we've noticed is that snow really clings to the fabric-like material in the wheel wells, to the point of completely filling them and causing steering problems. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

I gave up on driving my MINI in the white stuff. It really is pointless....wheelspin all over the place, even with Nokians. I just take the FX35AWD now and decided A/S tires are fine for the MINI for winter (since it only gets driven on non-snowy days)

 

TK76911s - I think you've got it!

With a manual (especially the MCS kinda-sensitive touchy manual), you'll need to concentrate to minimize wheelspin and g-forces acting on the vehicle. Use the highest gear you can get away with, shift up soon (short shift). Feather the clutch and throttle... a nice light touch... everywhere... and it'll really get you by! I've driven a lot of FWD cars in snow and an MCS - with LSD and good winter tires - is among the more capable ones. The only exception is hill climbing, where a little extra weight over the drive wheels wouldn't hurt. Sometimes the only resort is to avoid the hill or, in extreme situations, go up backwards.