I used to be able to make a U-Turn on my residential street with all of my past BMWs and Mercedes, but this Mini cannot make the turn - even 'though it is MUCH smaller than those other cars. Is there something wrong with my car??

 

Nope. That's also a complaint of the Car and Driver staff too.

 

Ok, cool. you just saved me a trip to the mechanic. I was hearing a whining sound at idle today and thought that it may be the power steering. Apparently that is normal too

 

Yep its the powersteering Beats the hell out of ford powersteering its very loud when not serviced.
The turn circle is not that badd.... I think its fine.

 

im not sure which you are talking about, but the mini power steering is loud, service or not!

 

Weird... So far I have only owned one car that could turn tighter than the Mini and it was a jeep. That thing had the sharpest turn of any car I have seen.

 

Same here, I owned a 318, 320, 525, and a 635 and none of them turns as sharp as my Mini that I can remember.

 

Test drive a Volvo S60 and then see how you feel about your MINI's radius...you won't complain then!

 

Actually, my 325 (E46) turns almost exactly like the R52

 

In theory rear-wheel-drive cars can have rather smaller turning circles than front-wheel-drive cars.

If you pine for a rear-wheel-drive MINI, you really want a BMW 2002 (turning circle 9.60m compared to R56's 10.7m).

 

What is the science behind the RWD making tighter circles? I don't understand it

 

It's called a doughnut or drifting.

 

The drivetrain is not connected to the drive wheels on a rearwheel drive car.

 

It is connected, you probably meant. The drive mechanisms connected to the steering wheels in front-wheel-drive cars tend to limit lock-to-lock angles.

 

You must have one very, very narrow street. I have to make two u-turns a day on the side street next to where I work. No problems.

 

LOL I agree. My S60 R with 18" rims has the turning radius of a school bus. It makes even pulling into regular supermarket parking spots into a 3 point turn affair. Absurd. Mini is MUCH better.

 

Bear in mind also, that if this MINI has (or has previously had) the 18" JCW wheels, then there is a requirement (at least "officially") to install a "steering angle stop", which slightly reduces the maximum turning angle and therefore increases the turning radius. So, if that applies to your MINI, it's the likely reason that you're disappointed.

In my case, it was the only downside to moving up to the JCW wheels when I got them.

 

 

I have no issues. The only car I owned that turned tighter was a 1971 MG Midget. I think my '06 R53 turns pretty dang good!

 

LMAO

 

ON an FWD car, the drive axles have to connect to the front wheels, limiting their ability to turn since the axle must always be in the middle. On a RWD car, the limiting factor is the amount of space around the front wheels and the steering geometry, so (given the proper geometry) the front wheels on a RWD car can almost turn at 90 degrees.

That said, I'm pretty satisfied with the turning circle, comparable to the good FWD cars I've owned, better than most.

 

Well MINI does turn sharp (as to small move of the steering wheel yields big turn) but this is due to the quick steering rack.
I do have to agree that the turning radius sucks. This was one of the first things that I discovered after getting the car. I alway's reverse into my garage and I'm able make less of a turn to prepare for reverse compared to my last car. In other words, the wheels are hitting the turn-stops much quicker than in other cars and you can't make the turn deep enough.

 

Tightest turns are done in reverse! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQPVrkaX7sQ

 

fixed it for you.

 

I've found that handbrake turns in the snow make for small radius u-turns in the Mini (and other FWD cars as well).

A friend's Evo had the worst turning radius of any car I've ever driven...
Mini seems no worse and no better than most other vehicles to me.