But what about clearance. If I back into my driveway, the something plastic scrapes on bottom (air diverter or whatever). If there is more than 3 inches on the ground, I'd be a plow and by no means, am I really low. I'm sure there are many out there far lower.

 

Pictures like the ones posted by our friends from "The Great White North" remind me why after spending 4 long years in Minneapolis I decided to enroll at the University Of Arizona (class of '96)!!!

 

Runs fine in the snow -- especially with Blizzaks

 

I'm not bothered. I love listening to that show, and think it would be great to hear those guys laughing over all the emails they got about this. My goal isn't to make them regret what they said, my goal is to have fun with them!

...and you're right, I do know what I can do! But most of those stories I'll never share!

 

Send Click and Clack the story of those Mini folks who drove to Hudson's Bay last winter. Hmmmm.........maybe not - there was a problem with a convertible upside down in the snow.

 

went all winter on high performance summer tires.
all hail traction control...

dan

 

Too funny! Good eye!

 

Wait a minute.....Tom and Ray have sung the MINI's praises many times. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a chance to respond. They will be giggling up their sleeves soon about their mistaken ideas about MINIs in the snow. Now, re-read gokartride's comment, and see that they were referring to "two things: ground clearance and the preferability of 4-wheel drive for snow." We can educate them and you know they'll mention NAM and our enthusiastic community on the show!


Clover

 

That what I was thinking. Tom and Ray should get a kick out of this... if we send enough emails to get them to notice. The first time I heard about the new MINI and how well it was built was from Car Talk. In fact I was suprised that they didn't mention that the MINI or any car for that matter can handle winter fine with dedicated tires. At any rate I'm hoping they mention the MINI again because of our efforts here.
:smile:

 

Those two guys [Tom and Ray] also write a column for Saturday morning newspapers on cars. Essentially the same thing came up from a guy in Chicago who wanted to know if a Maxima would do better in the Chicago winter or a MINI? They said to go with the Maxima, as the MINI was too light, too low, too, too.... I thought to myself, "these guys have NO CLUE about the MINI. All they are doing is looking at a pic and making a value judgement." I had a '59 way back when and the thing to do when stuck was to put it in gear, get out of the car [slider window open] and allow the idle to back the car out as you steered from outside the car. Now, with my new MINI, all I need in SW Ohio snow and ice are those 15" Contintentals. Yeah, I realize that it's NOT Chicago, but, a bit of common driving sense in winter goes a longer way than the stupid advice those to bozos offered.

 

Easy, everyone... write 'em a testimonial and set 'em straight! When I was researching my next car... the one that turned out to be my VR beauty... I probably had Tom & Ray's review of the MINI bookmarked. They had an early model SG MINI for about a week and raved about it! A year or so later I shot off an e-mail after I heard them talk about the MINI's "quality issues." Maybe they were checking in on NAM??? I've heard themn recommend the MINI quite a bit lately.

I'd send them an e-mail again but we don't get a lot of snow here in Sactown . So if you love the way your MINI handles in the snow, let them know!

 

I won't be e-mailing Tom and Ray on this one as this will be my first winter driving a MINI. I will say that this thread has been very incouraging , since most of the comments I hear from friends and co-workers are how I was crazy to sell by 4x4 and buy a MINI with the snow we get here in the sierra.

Got my snow tires on, just waiting for the flakes.

TT

 

As I stated on the two MINI2 threads, I'd be more than happy to, next time it snows and they are airing, run circles around their Harvard Sq. studios.

 

I love my MINI, and my paramount concideration when buying a car is dry road handling! There really is no comparison here the MINI is one of the best!

If your main concern is winter driving and handling, then there are better cars, I can't stand click and clack, but they didn't say the MINI is a deathtrap of will get stuck in 1" of snow... they said there are better cars than the MINI for winter driving....This is 100% true.....If the factor you desire most is winter handling then there are better cars for you.........and stay away from the heated seat debate threads

 

Tahoe, Lot15, up in Manitoba, drives his MINI through the long Canadian winters and regularly sees the 4x4s off in ditches, as he motors by! Enjoy your first winter with your MINI!:smile:

 

I remember the fun I used to have with my 64 Austin Cooper in the NY snow belt and wish we had some of that white stuff down here! Maybe ground clearance could be an issue on an unplowed road, but after a first plow cut I would love to try the new MINI in the snow!
______
"Topper" 05 MCS JB/JB

 

I'm in the snow belt now, and actually unplowed roads aren't really an issue. Unless you've modified your MINI and lowered it, rarely is there over 5 inches of snow on the road to plow with your MINI. The only time I run into this is usually in neglected driveways (I use this excuse to not visit my Mother-In-Law in the winter). Basically if a plow has been through within the last two hours the snow height is usually fine.

However I try like crazy to avoid those chuncks of frozen brown snow that fall out of peoples wheel wells, some of those things are the size of my MINI. I fear the damage one of those things could cause.

 

Dang, I remember those chuncks, and that was before SUVs! I can imagine how big they are coming out of an Expedition's or Hummer's wheel well

 

Snow is NOT an issue in the MINI (especially if you put on some good snow tires). In two years of ownership, I have never missed a day of work because of snow.

In fact, I get to work at 6am every day, even when it snows, and then proceed to listen as many of the SUV drivers call out because there is "too much snow on the ground".

I've offered to pick a few of them up when it snows since their vehicles apparently aren't up to the task.

Oh, and as far as those big chunks of snow/ice that fall off other people's cars, I'm very happy that I invested in my skidplate!

 

I've always heavily considered one, but didn't want the added weight of steel. Now moss has changed theirs to aluminum, I might just do it. I would have long ago if the 04 PS fan had not had some protection. But I am again thinking of it, I know there was more than once that I was shaving the hight of the snow last year and probably moreso now that I have snow tires this year.

 

Thats no fun! The whole point of it snowing is to get the day off