I got a 2005 mini. I love it but the ride is very rough. Potholes hurt. What is the best thing I can do to improve this. It is entirely stock

 

Congrats. Cooper or Cooper S? The S has run-flat tires that definitely don't help the ride.

 

I bought my R50 used and it had run flats on it. Someone must have talked the previous owner into them. That's most likely it; crappy tires.

 

Tires and wheels probably have the most effect. 16"s ride better than 17"s, real tires ride better than runflats. Different tire brand/models run differently. What wheels and tires do you have.

The MINI ride is just kind of harsh, no matter what you do to it.

 

as others have said, the rims and tires will make a huge difference. the mini however is not the best riding car on earth, lets be real about this. I have a R53 and my wife always comments that it is so "stiff and bouncy" when hitting bumps, but i hardly notice it. On the flip side when i drive a car other than a mini i feel like its kind of "boaty" and unstable. short story: loose the runflats, go with 16" rims and give it a little while.

 

I have the S and it has run flats. I would like nice black rims and tires that offer a better ride. Any suggestions? I can handle bouncy but when i hit a bump it is jarring.

 

i had same problem as ya.... S with run flat...i can feel every potohle or bump

 

The smaller the rim, the more tire sidewall you will have. The amount of rubber between the road and the actual rim determines the harshness of the ride. On the flip side, less rubber between gives you better handling since you lessen the amount of tire roll. A 15 inch rim will give you an additional inch beteen the pavement and rim if you replace a 17. Tire composition makes a huge differance too. Run flats are very heavy since they have a thick "self repairing" sealant on the inside of the tire. Heavy tires transmit more bounce than a lighter weight non-run flat.

Before jumping into a 15 inch rim, install a set of higher quality non-run flat tires. Just keep in mind you don't have a spare tire, bit that anyone actually changes them on the side of the road anymore...

 

If you have 17's I recommend Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 215/45ZR17. They make the ride a bit smoother & still stick like glue on the twisties.


Of course I have always driven small cars & prefer the feel of them so I am not an expert on a super smooth ride

 

I just went through this about 2 months ago, this board as well as friends in the MINI community were united in saying the same thing, ditch the run flats. I did and could not be happier, The car went from a nightmare that i was going to sell after three weeks to a much smoother ridiing car!!!! seriously it is night and day. The funny thing is that I have four nearly new runflats and ran them on ebay three times and can't sell them. No one wants the darn things. For the record I had dunlop 9000s RSSTs tyres and went to normal Dunlop 9000s. Do it, you won't be dissapppointed, I was avoiding even the most tiny road imperfections before.

Peter

 

I am running Michelin Primacy HP ZP run-flats with Nitrogen in the tires. I am very pleased with them. Noticed a big difference in ride & handeling with the Nitrogen in the tires.

 

what difference does the nitrogen make?

 

Nitrogen is used in aircraft tires. The pressure remains stable over a wide temperature range.

 

im aware of the aircraft usage as im a pilot myself, but what differences do you notice in terms of ride and handling or any other benefits? im curious george, sorry

 

I don't think there is a difference. The only thing I can say is that the pressure will not change. Now does that mean a softer ride? I wouldn't think so.

 

i would recommend Toyo Proxy 4's

 

i would recommend Toyo Proxy 4's

 

Again, lose the runflats. best decision I ever made.

 

Newb here... looking for a Mini.
How can you lose the run flats... Mini's don't have a spare, right?

 

Buy non run flats. Put on car . Seriously though I just carry a compressor and a can of slime.

 

i wish i can swap out my run flat but no money now... i have to wait till run flat wear out...

 

that stinks.

why did mini even make the S's have run flats? was there even a real point?
someone please enlighten me.

 

Runflats are seen as safer, and thus desirable by people who've never driven on them.

Also the lack of a spare on the S means they've got to do something and they don't seem comfortable selling the "MINI Mobility System" (ie a compressor and a can of slime) in the US. Don't forget the S can't have a spare because the battery is where the spare would be, because the supercharger/intercooler is where the battery would be.

 

The runflats actually work by having very stiff sidewalls. They're stiff enough you can run just on the sidewall, without pressure, at least for 50 miles. The stiff sidewall is what gives them their crappy ride, its just stiffer than a normal tire. Its also what makes them weigh more.

 

There is one benefit of that stiff sidewall, the ability to not dent or damage a rim. So I plan on staying with the runflats, the roads/potholes are bad up here, I would rather not take the chance.