Hey minimagyar,

I drive 300-400 mile round-trip highway jaunts all the time in my '06 JCW MCS, w/JCW suspension. I think it is very manageable. I never feel beat up. I also have 16" non-runflats, which make a huge difference in comfort compared to 17". I've test driven the 16's and 17's back to back on my car and there is a significant difference in the harshness/comfort of ride.

I'd much rather drive on highways compared to the disgusting urban war zone here in the Midwest, aka Kansas City. It's great that Minis are small and manuverable because it is a must to dodge every manhole cover, pot hole, large "temporary" metal plates that cover up half-finished broken water mains projects etc. There are so many road hazards to watch, there's little time to keep an eye out for things like... pedestrians.

Anyway, extended highway drives are a joy, especially with HK stereo. Urban streets--not so much.

 

At the risk of getting clobbered, I'd suggest a ride in the '07. Reports are that the seats and suspension are better than the R53--I don't have anything to compare with because I've not spent much time in the earlier models, but I find my car to be firm but very comfortable. It's not your father's Buick, but it is quite reasonable for a sports car--very glad I joined the MINI world. I've wanted one since the 60's, and the reality is great!

 

Not from me you won't. If the handling is still great, (and I'm sure it is), there is no way I would object to a smoother and/or slightly softer ride.

 

I have two BMWs, both with various mods. My 325is was my ride until I got my '03 MCS. The ride in my Mini is harsher than the BMW. I tend to believe that the runflats (any size) are a significant factor in this because they have such firm side walls. On the highway the Mini is fairly tame except where the road is trashed. It's got a short wheel base and that doesn't help much when there are bumps in the road. It's also fairly light in the rear end adding to the feeling that it "jumps" around.

An interesting discussion (off topic of course) would be doing the suspension work or replacing wheels/tires first... and what effect would it have on, say, strut towers or other weak links in the design.

 

On a MCS (which came with the sport springs stock):
+ 16x7 wheels
+ 205/50-16 non runflat tires (Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S in my instance)
+ Koni FSDs

With the above combination, I have zero ride harshness. For me ride harshness is a critical factor due to prior whiplash and lower back injuries.

Hope this helps.

 

it all depends on your age, your back condition, road condition, and your tolerance of BUmPs!

 

I have had my base '04 MC since the end of October 2006. I have since put 18K miles on it. Not bad in 4 months... Granted, I have 15" wheels, but I don't consider the ride to be overly rough...not smooth, but not overly rough. I think the seats (cloth) are very supportive and comfortable. Last week, my wife and I took a trip from Kentucky to Texas for a wedding. We decided to drive our '97 740il for the long drive. I am more comfortable on the long trips in the MINI than I am in the big Bimmer. I drive lots with my job...mostly interstate, but occasionally there is the opportunity in the MINI to take an alternate route (like I tooks about 3 weeks ago through the Tail of the Dragon). That trip would not have happened in the 7! ;0)

BTW...I also considered a GTI. I am a longtime VW nut, but the VW seemed a little ify on the interior trim. I also test drove a new Rabbit...I enjoy the great gas mileage with the MINI. I think I made the right choice.

I agree with an earlier comment, that you should rent one and take a road trip. Only you can determine what you would be comfortable with in the long run.

David

 

I've yet to take a "long" trip in my MCS, but have pissed around the central CA area. My car has the sport seats with lumbar support. I fiddle with the lumbar support periodically but I think that's mostly due to my advanced age

I've driven many cars on many roads and I think it boils down to "what makes you feel good". I happen to like the feeling you get when driving a car, or bike that stimulates. Anything less and you're ASATW...

 

IF you have lower back problem then you should think about getting the leather seats,they have a lumbar adjustment. I suggest you go to test drive different types of MINI. I have a MCSc with the sports and leather seats and 17" tires ,I'm a big guy and I haven't had any problem with the ride... I had a loaner without the sports package and that car felt a bit more softer ride,I think they also had the 16" tires ... the sports package makes the ride a bit firm but that's why it's the sports package. Keep asking the SA a ton of questions and you'll find the ideal one for you... I talked to a MINI owner before I bought mine and he told me that he liked the MCc with 16'tires with cloth seats because he felt that was a comfortable combination for a nice un-jolting ride ...

 

I find my MCS with the 16in runflats to be comfortable on the highway, even rough ones.

 

Those opinions are from people who should have bought SUVs. I have had my S for years and drive on the highway for long stretches regularly with no discomfort.

There is a substantial number of people who have bough MINIs because they excited by the idea of having MINIs but of course really wanted luxury cars. These are the people you see on forums like this one whining about how harsh their cars ride and about the lack of storage space.

If having a luxurious ride is your focus, there are plenty of cars that are engineered specifically to have smooth, ship-like rides.

 

Kinda like this:




Corners like it's on RAILS.

Literally.

 

i drove my 03 mc about 900 miles from CA to AZ stopping for gas and food only 4 times with no problems due to the seats. i have the sport seats.

 

My MCS with 17" runflats is no pillowcloud for sure, but there's a lot more to the sore back and butt than just ride quality.

I had a company car Taurus for a while and had to make the Louisville-Chattanooga run in it every week for about 2 years. The Taurus when fully topped off could do the trip without stopping, but I accomplished that feat only once. My boss was in a hurry to get home and he hitched a ride with me. Between the "easy-rider" constant pitch and yaw, and the 30 cent yard sale seats, it took him and his football player son to help me get out of the damned thing after we got home. The MINI has good supportive seats with proper support (even with base seats), and when you hit a bump..you hit it and it's over. The Taurus would hit a bump and bounce up and down for a 1/4 mile afterwards. That'll take a toll on you after a few hours.

The only thing really negative about the MCS with 17" runflats that makes a trip a little tough is the road noise from the tires. It gets a little old, and on cobblestone like surfaces, it's a little difficult to hear on a cell phone.

If I had to go on a 300-400 mile road trip today, I'd prefer the MCS to the Taurus. Just because a car is comfortable on a 1 or 2 mile trip, it doesn't mean that it won't beat you up on a long trip.

I thought I'd offer a different perspective for you.

Rawhyde

 

Just took my '06 MCS with 16" Dunlop runflats to Jacksonville for the Spring Thing last week. My wife had been dreading the trip and had told everyone how she just didn't know whether she'd be able to enjoy such a long drive in a MINI [short wheelbase, bumpy roads, runflat tires, etc.]. She never had so much fun...slept most of the way down, and was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and awake ALL the way back...plus we drove a longer route home, too, and arrived back with just under 1900 miles on the trip ticker. She even went to work the following day! Now, all she talks about is going on future drives, so I guess the verdict in our family is: INNOCENT.

 

Thanks for all the replies... but for the record, if I was looking for a lux ride I would not be here would I???? The cabrio is not a cushy ride either, btw.

Rawhyde, I really appreciate your comparison, it's very useful.

I could not find a car to rent unfortunately, so I went for a couple more test drives in two other minis. I came to the conclusion that the ride is not that hard and on my last one (and best test drive so far) I totally fell in love with the handling! Wow... that thing turns on a dime.

So, I am concluding that probably the roads that I tested my choice car at must be in terrible shape and/or they overinflated the runflats... I cannot think of any other reasons why that ride was so harsh, when yesterday I tested an 04 w/17"s and felt no issues going over bumps and stuff.

I will still do the tire swap first and also consider Koni's. I think #1 should suffice... and I am definitely getting the mini!

I just a used one that looks great too... I might just save myself some $$ in the end... but Mini it is!!!!

 

Tell it to all the others who hang out here lamenting their lack of a Rolls Royce type of ride. This is an American problem--unrealistic expectations. You don't see it as much on the non-U.S. sites.
The runflats will be significantly harder than normal tires. I have 205/45 snow tires on 17x7s that are signficantly softer than my stock euphori@s of the same size.

 

I have a Cooper and an MCS. Both have 16" OEM runflats. The Cooper has Goodyears, while the MCS has Dunlops. The Goodyears ride harder than the Dunlops, but, that said, if the road is smooth, the ride isn't bad in either car.
My conclusion is that the car will ride as the road goes...hard, if the road is bumpy...and not bad, if it is smooth.

The ride gets considerably better whenever I install the OEM 15" Continentals on either car, no matter what condition the road is in.

 

Same here!

 

Ok, point taken though I am hungarian btw. hence the screen name

this is what was strange... the car has 16" runflats Dunlop Sport and they were harder than the 17" Dunlop Sports I tested yesterday...

 

The handling really is neat.... The best thing about the car is that there are options available so that you can have great handling and good ride quality.

Well, you could also be seeing the affect of runflat vs. non-runflat tire....

You might want to consider the Koni FSDs first before going with non-runflat tires and/or smaller wheels. In retrospect, the Konis improved the ride for me so much that I probably would not have needed to go with smaller wheels; I could have just gone with non-runflat 17 inch tires. But then again, by going with forged wheels (SSR Comps), I lost ~80 lbs of rotational mass, which improved acceleration and braking performance.... (Kind of like losing a rather fat phantom passenger....)

If your only concern about getting into a MINI is the ride quality, there are solutions that are available immediately (as opposed to being developed with who knows how long of a wait time); go for it - you won't regret it.

 

That was precisely the point... to find solutions to my mini dilemma

This is important to me... not sure V-spokes are that light though but I might get 10 or 15lbs off each wheel w/non RFs I think plus I am only 120 lbs myself