Just wanted to find out from folks who have used their Minis through a couple or more typical southern BC winters - you know, the snow, followed by freeze, then rain, then slush kind.

What winter tires do you use - make, studded, no studs?
Do you find the ground clearance to be adequate?
What is uphill traction on slippery roads like?
Is downhill braking on slippery roads dependable?

I bought my Mini for a sportier, better handling and generally more modern driving experience than the 23 year old Audi Quattro sedan that it replaces. I have put the old Audi up for sale but now am wondering if I should hang on to it as a winter beater.

 

Bump! Someone's got to have some experience using an R50/52/53 through a Vancouver, Whistler or Victoria winter. I'd love to hear how you managed.
Thanks.

 

I had good luck with Pirelli's Winter Carvers in deep snow here in Iowa. Until the car gets lifted off the ground it will plow snow.

 

Hold on to the Audi.Great in all kinds of weather...Wish I had'nt sold mine.Can't beat the quatro in snow......

 

I use blizzaks mounted on steel rims. I have never been or felt unsafe or stuck. Suprisingly the mini is a pretty good winter car. The ground clearance, yes, you will plow snow sometime.. but overall as long as you get winter tires you'll be okay.

 

Thanks everyone! A part of me really wants to keep the Audi - it's been a friend and family member over the 9 years we've owned it. Not to mention, it remains undefeated in all kinds of snow and ice! Although my wife would prefer us to not have more than two cars, I think I'll cling to it just a little while longer.
In the meantime, I'll put some Hakka 5's or Hakka R's on the Mini just to learn its winter habits. Perhaps I'll gain enough experience to use the Mini exlusively the following winter.

 

MINIs are great in the snow. A couple winters ago I even drove in to work with 8 inches of snow with snow coming down hard. Left work with a foot of snow and made it home ok. It's made a few trips up and over Coq hwy to Kamloops in the snow too. Leave your ASC and/or DSC on.

I run Pirelli Snowsports 195 60 R15s on steelies.

Jeremy

 

I don't know if this is a dumb question, but do all/most of you have winter wheels as well as tires? I'm contemplating putting winter wheels on mine when I put the winter tires on it.
Also, I LOVE my black wheels...and I thought about if I were to get new wheels for winter, to get black as well. Is there any cons against black wheels in the winter? Will the salt discolour them?

 

The black thermoset coating (crosslinked Melamine-Polyester)will not discolor from salt exposure during the winter months. Just make sure that the wheels are properly cleaned and rinsed after winter. Waxing before winter also helps.Touch up any chipped paint as aluminum oxidizes and corrodes with white residue when exposed to hydrous salt solutions.

 

X2 on the Bizzaks - Mount on dedicated wheels and go anywhere.... Studless perfection.....

 

I drive in Seattle and last winter I got dedicated winter wheels. I got Blizzak WS60 195/55 on 16" cheap enkies. It is more rain here than snow but they worked so good I started taking the mini up skiing. Never needed to chain up and drove on everything from deep slush to hard frozen packed. I highly reccomend them.

 

There's your chem background kicking in Ed! Sound advice!

Jeremy

 

Nice to hear from you again Jeremy! What projects are you working on now? When time comes, we'll put on an NS1 cam in my car. The headers we did is still

 

Glad your header is AOK Ed!

Let me know when you want that head or cam done.

Are you going to drive it this winter or is going to hibernate again?

Jeremy

 

Yes it's gonna hibernate again by the end of the month. It's gonna be early this time but Wife is going for business trip for more than 3 weeks and there is no point of running 3 cars. Will play around her 330i instead.

For those of you who do not know: Jeremy is a very passionate Mini guy and very mechanically inclined in modding cars. His garage is like a shop. I was amazed by his DIY works and his projects that I have read in NAM.

Sorry for hijacking this thread...

Cheers.

 

I drove to Edmonton, Calgary and back to Vancouver through southern BC in the dead of Winter. Fun! Get snow tires. Pirelli Winter Control 190's are good and not expensive either.