I live in NE Ohio. I posted this earlier in the Burning River Region forum, but no responses. What is the larger group's experience? Thanks, Bill

Hi All,

My wife is on her third 3 series BMW X drive. We live in eastern Geauga county in the heavy snow belt. Her lease expires in a few months and we're looking around for something different. Still fun to drive, good quality, less money, better gas mileage.

I've always liked the Mini, both old and new, and we've had a lot of cars, (still have an MG) but never a Mini.

The most recent non-BMWs we've had were an Acura TL and a Murano. Both were spooky to point of being dangerous in snow/ice due to either plain front wheel drive or faux 4WD based on a FWD sedan platform. So I'm biased against FWD but maybe it's time to reconsider.

I see Mini has a 4WD, but only in the Countryman model. If we get a Mini, it will be the sedan.

What's the real world, NE Ohio, all season experience, particularly in snow and ice?

Thanks, Bill

 

no experience in Ohio......but i drove my mini all winter here in New England on stock run flats......and at no point did i ever feel like i was going to die.

its still a FWD car, so its not the easiest thing to scoot around on snow with.....and i do have trouble getting up snowy inlcines....but with a decent set of snow tires and some experience with winter driving and theres no reason a mini cant handle some snow reasonably well.

 

theres a reasons why mine is dubbed the snowshark..... this is the best non awd vehicle ive had in the snow. i have some nice snow tires slightly larger than stock size 215/45/17. ive never gotton stock, never felt like.... OMG ima die! ive passed people in snow. and have plowed. the snow up in NH last year was preety relentless. granted in first gear ill spin a tad, but with a supercharger, i expect that, then it grabs and i never have to worry. ive been down unplowed roads in the middle of snow storms where i shouldnt have..... the mini is awsome, trac control off, take it easy and have no problems!

 

Durango,
I live in E. Central Ohio, and am leaning the same way you are. I need something with AWD, but want some fun as well. I am thinking a Countryman S right now. I need to get to a dealer to try it out and also check on a couple of the features that I think I want.
I don't have an answer to your question, but was planning on asking the same thing.
Rob

 

I just replaced my winter non MINI with a R53. I live in SE Michigan and we got blasted this year.
My wife drives her R53 year round, we just have summer and winter wheels/tires for it. If you put Blizzaks on a MINI it will pretty much go thru any weather that the northern midwest can throw at it.
There was just a similar thread on one of the MINI facebook groups. And some people say that their Conti/Dunlop/[insert your tire here] do just fine. But I suspect that they have never driven with snow tires. Yes, a MINI will get thru the snow on the same tires you run in summer.
But snow tires make such a dramatic difference, I would never not use them.

Just be sure to turn off the DSC. It will try and stop the tires from spinning by braking, which is terrible in snow.

 

This is all good info, thanks.

Daughter had a VW Pissant a few years ago, I put Blizzaks on it and fiigured I could climb trees in an ice storm with it. I forgot about that.

Is there a guide that tells what these models like R53, etc., are? I just want the normal coupe/sedan with the big engine, she needs automatic because on the phone all the time.

 

We had 120 inches of snow in West Michigan this season and I did ok. I have all-season tires on my 2012 "Justa" and did just fine. Hardest part was a few days when the clearance could have been a little higher...

 

As a present owner of both a BMW X-drive (335ix) and a MINI (Cooper S), both of which see daily driver winter duty, I believe I'm uniquely positioned to comment on this question.

I live in NNJ/NYC area, and we got 1+" of snow repeatedly this winter. I also spent 4 winters in OH, if anything, diving in NNJ/NYC is more challenging with all the hills and massive pot holes.

Bottom line - I prefer the MINI on 4 Blizzaks over X-drive in the winter.

It's really simple - 4WD only matters if you can't get going and make it up the hill otherwise. I have a 15 degree uphill to get to a plowed street, and never once got traction challenged in the MINI (I did have fun going up that hill in other snow winter shot bimmers in the past!).
This is not to say that I would not grab 335ix for a snow skiing trip in the mountains, which I do mostly for a piece of mind, but for everything else I prefer the MINI.

Because it's significantly lighter, and stops and changes directly over snow and ice more effectively and more consistently than the 900+lbs heavier 3-series. It's that simple - I can accelerate in MCS (on Blizzaks - not all season crappy tires!) on par with 4WD 335ix, but can stop and turn better in the MINI.

With the above in mind, a Coutryman would be a half-way step from MCS to a 3-series: heavier, but with a 4WD. Frankly, I don't see the point. If you need a 4-door sedan, 3-series is far superior to Countryman in every way. 3-series (or a 5-, or a 7-) will be an order of magnitude better cruiser than an MCS or a Countryman, and will retain its resale value better to boot.

If you want a fun car that handles great in the winter with proper snow tiers, MCS is it. If you want added snow traction for downhill skiing trips, you need to move out of OH anyway!

a

 

Buy 4 real snow tires & all will be fine. My MINI has been my daily driver for almost 10 years no mater what the weather.

 

I live in Northern Maine and drive regularly in the snow. With a good set of proper tires and common sense the car does exceptionally well in the snow. Turn off traction control and be mindful of the limited ground clearance and you will be fine. The car does very well and is a great deal of fun to drive in the slippery conditions.

 

As everybody is saying, actual real snow tires are the key. Not some crappy, all season, does nothing well tire.

Unless the snow is above the bumper lip, my MINI will go anywhere in winter.

The real key is the correct size snow tire. My summer wheels are stock crownspokes 17" with 215-40-17 Michlien PSS. In the winter I have a set of 16" with 195-55-16 Michlien Pilot Alpin3's

The narrower tire cuts through the muck and gets the tire on the road. The rubber compound is designed to actually work in the cold, and the construction of the tread lets is actually grip ice and snow.

No it doesn't offer summer tire levels of grip, but so what, it's winter...

Oh and AWD>FWD>RWD in most standing start situations. But after you get moving, it's all about the tires...

 

Mini Model Guide - http://new.minimania.com/MINI_model_designations

"Normal Car" - THERE IS NO NORMAL!

Sounds like you want a R53 or and R56 "S" model. Do your homework with both.

 

Thanks for the model guide. And all the snow info. This would be a 2014 MY car, so looks like Gen 3 F56 Hatchback Cooper S is what I'm going to be doing my homework on. As the family car guy, I love this stuff.