OK, don't beat me. I KNOW there are tons of threads dealing with MINIs and snow. I know it because i've spent hours (literally) looking through them. BUT, maybe it's a coincidence, but it seems like most posters dealing with the topic are Coop-S owners, not justamini owners.

SO, can / would you justamini owners give me a few lines about how well your justa does in snow. I get the part about good snow tires--i've read that over and over. Will i suffer capability or safety without limited slip in snow? Are there other issues unique to the justas that i should know about BEFORE i configurate / approach dealer? i'm in hilly western NY and though i can't swear i'd need the mini every time i go out in snow (and i have gotten to love the outback in all kinds of weather), it has to be part of my decision-making process.

Thanks in advance for any input. Now i guess i can start reading up on those cold-weather starts as i can only house the mini in an unheated garage or the great outdoors...

 

pardon me if I am wrong.... but I just cant see how can a mini drive any different than a S (if not better) in snow.... if there is any different I would imaging the extra hp on the S will dig you into the snow easier than a mini in the same condition

 

My Justa does just fine in OH snow with her snow shoes (tires) on!!! Can run with her S garage mate with no problem.

 

I live in Maine, It is the 21st of May. The snow just melted. I do not want to talk about how does a MINI do in the snow. It is just wrong. Having said that my 07 MC does just fine in the snow with 4 snow tires. I do not have LSD although I did try it once during my misspent yout. I also do not have DSC. I think it handles quite well and feel more secure in it than in my 4 x4 Ranger.

 

We live in the Colorado mountains at about 8600 feet and get a ton of snow in the winter - we measure it in feet and don't bother with inches... The Cooper does pretty well with a good set of snow tires (I run performance snows without any trouble - Dunlop Winter Sport M3).

I don't have traction control so it takes a bit to manipulate the throttle to avoid spinning the tires on steep hills when stopped. As long as the road is relatively plowed it's fine. We've even gotten out of our driveway with half a foot of fresh powder!

Overall, the MINI gets driven in the snow more often than our AWD car.

-Michael

 

All R56 MINIs come with AST (All Season Traction Control). I guess it wasn't standard on the 2005.

AST will apply the brake on a spinning drive wheel -- transferring power to the other wheel. If both spin, it can cut engine output.

There is an option that is often confused with AST. It is called DSC and has nothing to do with acceleration on slick surfaces. It comes into play when the car starts to slide. It can't overcome the laws of physics, but it can help you regain control on slick surfaces. Statistics have shown that it is more effective at reducing fatalities than ABS brakes have been. It will be mandatory in the USA in a few years. It was an option in 2007, but it may be standard now. If it isn't, it is worth ordering as an option.

 

I have yet to have anyone explain how DSC works different from ASC (and I've asked the question several times). Does anybody have the answer?

 

ASC limits wheel spin by modulating the brake on either front wheel as they lose traction during acceleration.

DSC uses additonal sensors and will use all four brakes (individually) in order to limit unintended rotation. DSC may save your butt in the event of emergency maneuvers, ASC will not be involved.

 

No winter driving problems this winter at 8000 feet on the western slope of Colorado. Good winter tires (not all-seasons) are essential here. I've messed around with the idea of lowering the car an inch with new springs to make it look better, but have abandoned that idea in favor of being able to get around more effectively in the winter snow.

 

The key to driving the MINI (no matter the gender......lol) in the snow is the tires and the depth of the snow. As long as you have dedicated snow tires and don't try to drive through more than 5-6 inches of un-plowed snow you will do just fine. If at all possible try to get a new set of wheels, either custom's or steel wheels for the snow tires. makes it real easy to change over to the snows when needed

 

We had record snowfall this past winter (118 inches) and live near the top of a steep hill. We still have a few feet of snow on the hills in back of the house and it's almost June. To illustrate how much show we had, I have a shop where the eaves are 14 feet off the ground - I shoveled snow off my shop roof twice and the 2nd time I didn't need a ladder to get down, I simply stepped off the roof onto the snow piles. I drove the Mini ('07) almost every day - there were a few days when the plows weren't able to keep up with the snowfall and the berms between tire tracks got too tall to take the Mini out. I'm using the all season tires that came on the car. I had a couple of times at night when I wasn't sure it would make it up the hill to the house, usually in 6-8 inches of new, wet snow. The car did fine, I wouldn't worry about driving one in the snow.

 

Snow is fun!

 

Nice pics! I went to grade school in Nederland back in the late '60s. Brings back memories of the town ringing the fire siren and the senior boys getting let out to go chase off the hippies, taking the peak to peak highway to and from school, five miles west of Jamestown on Overland Mountain.

I remember measuring feet in snow -- three to four feet at at time.