Yes, an odd question being early July now.

I live in northern Utah and will be trading my 2000 Passat and my '94 Miata toward a MCS convertible. The Miata is pretty much worthless to me in the winter. I leave it garaged. Is the MINI something I can confidently drive year-round? Are snow tires advisable or are the stock all-weathers decent in the snow?

I'm way down the waiting list (around #34 or so) with my dealer, so I doubt I'll be collecting the car until spring. But long term I want this to be a year-round daily driver. Any snow-related MINI horror stories? I once had a Honda CRX that was dreadful in the snow. I did a full 360 on the highway and a 540 on the freeway in snowstorms. Unintentionally. :(

I'm hoping the MINI fares better than the CRX in the white stuff. Otherwise, the Passat/Miata combo may have to stay.

 

Any front-wheel drive car should be OK in the snow with decent tires, but they often fail on ice due to their light weight. The biggest problem, however, is low ground clearance. Unpacked snow will stop anything if it won't pass over it. My daughters VW New Beetle works great until the snow reaches the front bumper's rubber flap that stops air turbulence under the car. Then all bets are off. I would not count on it being very good in any kind of heavy snow. And studded tires will probably be required to be safe on ice. Its a go-kart, and they make bad snowmobiles.

 

I drove my MCS No.1 in the snow back in England :smile:

Really handled nicely with the DSC on, very good traction and positive feeling on steering.

Just for a blast I switched off DSC one day to see if it was really doing anything....

Woooooo Hoooooooooo, car was all over the place

So to answer your question, it handles really well in the snow, and for some fun in wide open spaces, switch of the DSC and let rip!

Chris.

 

Oh no, please don't tell me I need the DSC option for snow, my car price is already getting out of control with options.

Guess maybe I'll have to kiss the metallic paint goodbye.

 

We see some snow in Alberta , however my MCS hasn't yet as I took delivery in late May. I had the same concern you have expressed and have had positive feedback from fellow Canadian MINI owners. Concensus is:

Run Winter Tires, not all seasons
16 inch is fine but, 15 inch is prefereable.
DSC and ASC are useful

The ground clearance issue is an interesting one. Alberta receives dry snow and although I have driven through many blizards I have never actually pushed deep snow on a public road.

I am currently looking for a winter tire/wheel combination. The best winter tire I've owned was a Toyo that had full depth siping. Although it wasn't great in accumulated loose snow, it was fantastic on ice. Nokians also have good reputations but I haven't found any that fit the MINI. Blizzaks are popular but I've never had them.

Winter driving is all about the tires and sensible use of the throttle. This is why DSC is valued. I cannot imagine the MINI would be any worse than the Miata or the Passat.

 

I'd say DSC is essential where you live!

 

Yikes, looks like my MINI will be hitting the $30k mark in short order with all these "must-haves." BMW sure knows how to hit your pocketbook with options. When I bought my Passat, I really wanted a 3-series BMW, which "started" at $26k. "Reasonable," thought I, then started adding some "options." Like folding rear seats for $500 (that's an option???). A moonroof for $1000. Cold weather package for $1000. Metallic paint for $500. A couple other little odds and ends and I was suddenly over $32k, while my Passat, with those same "options," was around $23k. Ouch.

$500 extra for metallic paint should be criminal.

But I digress while venting. Back to the original question...

 

Not to mention the extra $$$ for winter wheels and tires...

 

Although my experience has been limited to only a few hours of snow time to date, I've found the Mini to be fantastic in the snow, even without DSC. ASC can be helpful on hills, but even that is not essential if you carry enough speed and modulate the torque (I did a little experimenting in my previous Cooper). The front-weighted fwd supplies great traction and road feel is so good you always know exactly what is happening at each corner. Don't worry about DSC - just slap on a set of Blizzaks and you're in business.

 

I think that a lot of these opinions about how the car does "in snow" is really about how the car does "when it snows."

If you live in an urban area with pavement from your garage door to wherever you are going that is plowed or shovelled, you are not driving "in snow." To drive "in snow" there actually has to be snow on the road. about 4" or so to actually count. If you kive like I do where if you are lucky, they will plow your road on the fourth day, you are driving "in the snow." Small, sporty cars with high revving engines and low ground clearance do not do well in these conditions. This is why the Land Rover was invented.

If you live where the roads will be plowed before you leave for work, you can drive just about anthing and be OK. That Dodge Caravan will be excellent. Sports cars are designed for driving is good weather on dry roads which are smooth. They are not off-road vehicles. Is a BMW Z4 good in snow? No. Is a Corvette good in snow? No. Is a Ford GT40 good in snow? No. Is a Mini Cooper good in snow? No. Probably better than a rear wheel drive car, but still No. Entusiastic owners will lie and say it is, but it is not.

You may not get killed, but do not expect much from this type of car. If it was good in snow, it would be worse at everything else it does do well.

When it snows here, the Mini will be parked and the Land Rover will come out to play. 32" of white powder and you can't tell its there. Thats driving "good in the snow."

 

Damn JoeDentist, I guess I was just lying.

So sorry, don't know what I was thinking

Maybe my experience driving my MCS in unplowed snow is really as worthless as you say

Oh well, I'll never ever mention it again

And of course LagunaSol should ditch the MINI idea and buy a Land Rover instead.....

 

Well Joe, that being said, the most dangerous drivers in winter are those SUV owners who think their 4wd will help them stop. My old Honda was pretty low but for sport last winter we would count the SUV's in the ditch. Our best (worst?) day was 8.

While its true there are days and roads where I pick the F150, its all come down to how the vehicle is driven. I'm not scared of the MCS in winter, but I will adjust my driving style just like I do with the F150.

I think the original post was whether the MCS is useable in the snow. Sure the risk is how you drive it.

BTW they plow your roads? Seriously, you are right in stating the MCS wouldn't be anyone's first choice as a winter car, but that doesn't mean it can't be driven in winter safely. Heck they even sell chains for this little puppy!

 

I live in rural Virginia up a 1/4 mile gravel driveway that goes up a mountain. The snow plow, if I am lucky, goes by the main road about 4 days after a major snow. At the end of my driveway is a non-state maintenance private road that leads to the main road. It would be crazy to take a mini down that road in any snow that matters. It would be impossible to get back up.

People who live in cities tend to forget the reality of life without City services. I bet my 61 VW with 40 HP would do a lot better than a new MCS in that situation. Great ground clearance and all the weight over the drive wheels (no effort to even it out for handling) Its just the way it is. Small low clearance cars with supercharged engines and manual transmissions are not anyone's first choice for snow. They shouldn't be the 20th choice. If you are lucky they will get you from point A to point B if you are an experienced driver in the snow. I grew up in New York, and I consider myself a pretty good driver in the snow.



Volvo 240's were notoriously bad in the snow. People used to ask how a car made in Sweden could be bad in the snow. Just was. My Saab 99 was a lot better.

People like to get over-enthusiastic about their cars. Maybe lying is a bad term, but lets just say that they like to put the best face on their buying decision. Start asking people about the towing ability of the Mini and lets see if anyone gives a glowing report. I'm sure we'll find someone who swears he towed a 5 horse trailer across the Rockies without breaking a sweat!

The original post wanted to know if the Mini would be better in snow than the Honda CRX that he had. Is there anyone that thinks it will be significantly better?

 

I agree with rhogg completely. I live in Detroit and we see a little snow with occational 6" droppings. I felt pretty in control of my vehicle with my MCS this last winter. I drive the all-season run-flats. I would consider winter tires, but the MINI does pretty well. If the snow gets more than 4" it can get tough to drive since you're really plowing not driving, but that is only a couple times a winter.

I definately would recommend the ASC for winter as a minimum. The DSC will save your hide when driving especially changing lanes that have a snow ridge between them.

 

I'm going on 2 years with a MINI Cooper 5-speed in MN and I humbly submit that ASC and DSC are not necessary.

Winter tires, however, are a MUST.
I got a wheel/tire/hubcap deal from TireRack delivered to my door.

 

To clarify, my situation is nothing like Joe's. I don't plan on attempting 32" powder in the MINI.

My question is more to the 4"-6" range, which apparently "doesn't count" as actually being snow on the road. :smile:

So to rephrase, how is the MINI when there is slippery white stuff (which we won't necessarily call "snow") covering the roads? By your responses, pretty good. Now for the DSC or No-DSC question...

P.S. Land Rover drivers can be such snobs...

 

My MC did great this past winter:smile:We have"real" winter up here in Manitoba,snow ,cold ,lots of blowing snow.I live in a rural area,with good snow plowing.My commute to work is 40miles of highway and 10 miles of city each way.Lots of drives in snow storms,and the MINI did great.I have ASC and I leave it on all the time.I ran with the all season non run-flats,I may get snows this winter.But the stock tires were fine.I feel skill gets your around on snow,as much as the car you are driving.
Oh,and it is great fun

 

Why oh why are we always polar opposites!?

I've had mine 5-speeder as well for two years. I love the DSC in the snow, but I don't put on snow tires. Then again...maybe if I had snows, I wouldn't need the DSC as much. We had 61" this past January alone, and never had any problems. Just expect to hear a few scrapes driving through the ruts that everyone else seems to clear.

 

Now that the site is fully transitioned over to the new software, and most features seem to work as well as before (if not better), perhaps it's time again to issue the time honored request to use the thread search function to seek answers before posting anew.

Laguna's question has been asked (by my recollection) about two dozen times over the past year; and that's not counting the related treads/questions specifically about DSC and/or traction control.

If one is shy about using the search function, a good place to start is to go back about 2 or 3 pages in the Tire forum. Looking for threads from winter months would obviously help.

:smile: :smile:

(ps -- the MINI is great in the snow. Get snow tires or at least decent all seasons. )

 

My MINI did fine in the snow once I put on the Blizzaks, though it was not drivable with DSC turned on.

 

Ok, I stand corrected, According to the posts, the Mini will do well, but only if you, turn DSC on, turn DSC off, get winter tires, use the all season tires, don't try to cross a rut in the snow, have ASC, don't have ASC, and you know how to drive in the snow.

Settle for this - if you know how to drive in the snow, you'll be fine. This basically means don't try anything you do not know in advance that you can do.
Try THAT in a civic!

 

Yeah, Land Rovers are great in the snow, provided you never have to turn. Landies are not exactly dominating the winter courses in WRC. :smile: Granted in a foot of unplowed snow you need a truck, but if it's not too deep, I much prefer driving a well balanced "small sporty car" with good road feel, a low center of gravity, and some narrow snow tires to any truck.

 

Let me start out by saying I have not read any of the other posts. I live in the Mid Atlantic (just outside Washington DC). I have to be able to drive my car most of the year. If I do not get to work someone does not get to go home.

The first winter I had DaMINI (my car's name) it was a trial to drive in the snow. I was supprised as I had driven other Front Wheel Drive (FWD) cars in worse conditions with less trouble. Then Goodyear runflats wore enough that I would not chance them on another winter, and I had sold the Honda that had been my ugly wx car. Both of these things happened at the start of last winter.

When the Goodyears (I understand that they are not an all seasion tyre) got low enough on tread that I did not trust them in the rain and slush I called http://www.rspeed.net/mini and picked up very good set Falken Ziex tyres ( http://www.rspeed.net/mini/item.asp?...6&prod=405-712). They were great in the weather we get here. If you have more and deeper snow you may want to get a snow tire. But these pups do great.

I like the DSC but it took some getting use to.

 

Nope, not significantly. The extra weight of the Mini might give it a slight edge in straight line traction, given the same tires.

 

jsun,

I did use the search function, as I always do in forums. I typed in "snow" and got page after page of results. After scanning through 5 pages and not seeing a topic directly related to "how the MINI does in the snow," I posted the question anew.

Yes, I realize if I spent hours going through all those seemingly unrelated topics and subsequent posts I would probably find an answer to my question. Or I could post the question again and get some friendly responses immediately. If you see a common topic you don't have to respond. Others may be perfectly willing to do so.

Cheers.