My MINI got stuck a total of 7 times today.

We received a huge dump of snow over the weekend. I was running the stock 15" wheels with Continental All Seasons. After getting stuck twice coming home from the GF's. I got stuck 2 more times two blocks from my house. The icing on the cake was 4 girls trying to push me out unsuccessfully. After having my ***** handed to me, two guys pushed my car to the side of the road and I took the bus to work.

Then the frantic must find winter tires in the middle of a national shortage occurred. I was able to procure 4 nearly new Michelin X Ice (195/65/R15) for a good price off of Craigslist. When I returned to the my car after work. I had to dig it out of the spot and in front of my house. Vancouver does not plow the side streets after a foot of snow. At least the MINI acts like a snowplow pushing the snow into the lower grill making the fan work into overdrive. In addition, it's great to hear chunks of snow hit the belly of the car. I was really worried that muffler would rip off but the snow is still soft.

I gathered some observations about the MINI in adverse conditions. The Anti Slip control really works. It really limits the amounts of Rev's and keep the car moving forward. I don't have DSC but gather this would be useful as well. Once the car is on main roads, it's slow going but at least your moving. The Continental's are useless in deep snow. The tire has 3 channels that are great to move water through but there is no traction in the snow.

I'm looking forward to digging out my car one last time before I get the winter tires mounted on the stock 15's. This is the first winter with my MINI and I look forward to purchasing new 17" wheels and summer tires in the spring.

Have shovel will travel is a good motto if you venture out with all seasons in the pow pow.

Cheers,

Red Rain

 

no, the score is Snow: 2, MINI: 0

 

Hey, a fellow Vancouverite. Over here in Coquitlam, we've gotten about 30cm of snow over the past two days. The City has been very good about plowing, salting, and sanding though, so surprisingly, getting around Coquitlam on the stock 16" Continental all-seasons has been pretty good (as good as all-seasons get!). They left the side streets at first, but once the main roads were done they came around. Even so, if there's one thing about living on a hill--at least it's always easy to get down.

As soon as I hit Burnaby or Vancouver though... wow good thing for current mayors that there isn't a municipal election coming up!

Next year I am definitely picking up winter tires. Even if they're on steel rims. Once the winter tires are on, I don't think the Mini should be any worse than any other FWD car; which is to say, fairly decent.

 

You had four girls who wanted to help and you made them stay outside the car?!

 

Pack hounds?

 

Come on down here to FLORIDA.

 

I had some trouble getting out of unplowed parking spots on a hill, but we didn't get as much snow. I think the car's height is more to blame in some cases. I had the same trouble in a Geo Metro as a delivery boy, but I could push that car myself (in neutral). How well are the snow tires working for you?

I lug a snow shovel with me behind the driver's seat just for this reason. Though I may swap for a coal shovel, since they are shorter and can chip ice. An e-tool - found at Army Navy surplus stores- is a compact metal shovel, but some are so cheaply made that they are useless as ice chippers. for a while some were selling the "spetnaz shovel," a shorty surplus Russian shovel that doesn't fold, so it is more sturdy.

 

hey there my car always has trouble going up the hill too, so dissapointing...in fact, i've had to turn completely around to go another way and hope i make it! (I DIDN'T) anyway, i purchased some BLIZZAKS, and im installing them tommorow. I've read so much about how people have fun with their mini's and race in the mountains with snow!! So they all suggested SNOW TIRES, and I did so we'll see!

 

Dispite a few other threads around here proclaiming otherwise, tires make all the difference. Even if you manage to get moving on all seasons your stopping distances will be massive, abs will kick in constantly and you will have much worse handling.

A set of snows will last many years and are about the same cost as most deductables. Plus as mentioned you can actually have *fun*.

 

Snow tires are not required for fun while driving.

Back in Montana, I would have quite a bit of fun with 4 nearly bald all seasons on my Ford Taurus. I fondly remember trying to take one corner on my way home, only to find myself still going in a straight line, but having spun a full 360 on the ice.

 

California: 1, BC: 0



Just kidding. I loooove Vancouver.

 

High of 81, Low of 63 down here in Orlando today. Come on down!

 

the other day in chicago -4F without windchill, with windchill -30F
the tps system wasnt even working so cold. haha

 

What a disappointment...
Hope your new snows are the answer.
Has anyone tried the Green Diamond carbide impregnated tires yet?
So far my choice for snowy driving is 4 Toyo Open Country T/As 285-65-16 attached to a 1996 Dodge 1500 4X4. Though I realize that is not possible for many to have multiple vehicles. I did have every intention of making my MINI my primary vehicle but then I'd have to give up my snow plow which came in very handy this past weekend. (Plus the Dodge is paid for)
Just cleaned the foot of snow off the MINI today. Yippee for 50(F) degree temps!!

 

BRAVO to the OP of this thread I'm from Winnipeg, and about the only good thing about winter there, is laughing at Vancouver when it looks like it "Might" snow in Van

Snow tires are a must in both snowy, and constant cold temps.

Mark

 

If you install stainless steel brake lines, that ABS shutter is almost gone

Mark

 

You'll notice a HUGE difference when you get some good snows mounted. The main problem I still have is the front wheel wells getting jammed full of snow since it sticks to that silly cloth/felt fenderwell crap like glue. Oh and the whole issue with the front lip plowing...any ideas of lowering my car any further than stock are long out of my head lol.

 

Yeah, they do tend to plow, but it does lift over the bonnet and windscreen in a very dramatic way

Deep snow=gentle, but firm throttle, planning, and a little e-brake

Mark

 

Honestly, with all the snow that we have had, I have found the DSC to do more harm than good. With the snow and ice we have had, the tires were slipping so much that the DSC was totally cutting the throttle out. From a start, I actually had to turn it off, so I could get the revs up to make the car move.

 

I can't tell if you're kidding but I'm going to hope you are.

 

I had a set five years ago for my WRX, very impressive grip, pretty firm feel on dry roads. Unfortunately I got a bubble in one of the sidewalls just after New Year but by then GD was sold out in the US, no replacement tires available at all. That is unacceptable IMO, they eventually had to buy back all four tires because they couldn't find a replacement for me, and other people were having problems.

So I won't go back to GD.

 

 

--Survived my first snowy winter here in Vermont on a set of Green Diamonds. The roads to my work are pretty hilly but the old set of GD's did pretty well. I picked them up from a former MINI owner who sold her MINI after moving here from Seattle. I really bought this set for the white holeys that came with them. This was probably the last winter for these tires but they did really well. Never got stuck going up a hill, and was always able to drive away from my outdoor parking stall at work even in 8 inches of snow.

U turns were probably the diciest situations I had because I had the rear end slide a little sideways, but once I slowed down and steered into the slide I brought the MINI back under control. Looking into my rear view mirror I saw that other cars did even worse in the U-turns as some nearly clipped the sidewalk.

These tires don't turn the MINI into a snowmobile or "snowmachine" as they say here but they will keep you safe if you drive carefully in the snow. I don't know how they compare to the Nokian Hakkepalitas but I've heard that those studded ones are the best.

But yes they are very stable and very solid in the snow. No sliding, or problems going up hill. I've heard a lot of people complaining about running on all seasons in snowy regions though. They say that the all seasons are pretty much useless in anything more than a couple of inches of snow.

~p

 

The OEM Continental 15" all-season tires are not that good, rain, snow, or fair weather. They're a popular tire as OEM for BMW / MINI, but there are better choices out there.

On my last car, a BMW wagon, I ditched the Continentals at around 20k because of the lousy grip in the rain. They still had plenty of tread, but they couldn't cut it in foul weather.

I won't get into the "best tire" debate, other than to say the OEM Continentals are not on my "best tire" list, and I'll probably swap them out early on my MINI, as well.

 

This last Winter the Goodyear Exclaim UHP Summer Tires, didn't work at all. So come October Molly will be sporting Goodyear Eagle Ultr Grp GW3's!! Gonna' be a blast gettin' around now!!