I hope to be able to purchase a clubman soon.
Most likely the non-S edition and not the JCW edition either.
I will be living in toronto and i hav heard about its snow!
I know the clubman is quite low and so i have been suggested to get adjustable coilovers and raise it so the clearance is no longer a problem.
Would this work? and what company coilovers should i use?

also, what size tires and what type of tires are recommended?

Thanks in advance!

 

This sounds like you have not spent a winter in Toronto. Is that true?

I have a few friends that have Mini's that live in New England and find that they really have no problem with their Mini's as they came from the factory. They have not raised the height of the car to compensate for snow.

Of course you can not drive thru 3 feet of snow with a Mini but then again my neighbor with her Toyota Camery can not either.

I think it all comes down to common sense. if the streets are plowed and it is safe to drive any normal sedan (not truck or suv) then you should have no problem.

I have done a lot of driving in snow to go skiing. I would recommend that you get a second set of rims (16") and SNOW tires mounted on them.

Do Not try to use "All Season Tires" they just do not work very well in the amounts of snow you will see in Toronto.

Will some of the Maine and New Hampshire people chime in as well on this.

Edit: BTW my Clubman S is higher off the ground than my BMW 525 iTA and that gets around just fine in the snow we get in Massachusetts, which last year was continuosly on the ground from November to April with a total snow fall of over 15 feet where I live.

 

Congrats on the new clubman!

I'll chime in here too... Toronto winters are not particularly trying. Of course there could be a big snowstorm once in a while but typical winters in Toronto are brief and mild. And if you are living within the city there is even less to worry about as you benefit from the "urban heat island effect" and the fairly regular plowing (mind you, this part could be improved as they are pretty slow to get to smaller local streets).

As for ground clearance, as the poster above stated, stock R56 clearance is actually quite high... higher than many "non-sporting" cars, in fact. Also, I had no clearance issues even with JCW suspension on my R56 last winter in Ottawa, which received about twice the snowfall that Toronto did.

More important than worrying about ground clearance is to ensure that you have the right tires for the winter weather. The 15" all seasons will do the trick for the first winter (largely because they are so narrow) but they are not a wise choice after that. Would recommend a set of winter tires if you plan to stay in TO for several years.

 

Hey thanks for the great advice, this is very helpful!

Now i sort of have one last question.
Im going to be living in a dorm w/ obviously very little space.
Do you have any ideas where i could keep this extra set of tires?

 

You can stack them two high, throw a mattress on them and use it as a bed.

 

Also, just a note, i have not yet bought my clubman.
But if i do, is there any chance i could buy it in around the 26k CND range?

Is there any possibility for that?

 

schatzy62 have you used chains on any of your trips to the hill? I have checked the forum and only have found a couple references to using chains. Here is Seattle chains are frequently required (unless the vehicle has AWD/4x4) when going over the passes (ie, going to the snow). Just wondering if you have any experience using chains.

In one of my configurations, I have a Clubman S built with LSD, not sure how that would work with chains or if it would be a non issue.

 

The only time I have used chains is when I was driving a two wheel drive pickup when i should have had a 4X4 in Vermont. I can also tell you that my BMW 525 wagon gets around better than my old pickup with chains on it. But then again New England does not have mountains like you have in Seatle, and we close roads that go thru mountain passes and find a way to drive around the mountian.

As for my traveling in New England, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire they do such as good job at clearing the snow off the roads that I have never had to use chains.

Now I have only had my Mini Clubman since the end of May so i do not know how it will really be in the snow. as for people that have actually driven a Clubman in the snow there are prbably only a few since it came out in February.

Hopefully the clubman handles as well as i am told the cooper s does.

 

I can't imagine that Clubbies are meaningfully different in snow than '07 Coopers. Wheelbase shouldn't change much. Drivers of those cars could give us some good info -- having been through a winter (or 2).

Has anyone actually driven a Clubby in snow? Were the first ones delivered in winter?

 

I actually took my Clubman test drives in snow, at the beginning of March. The worst was over, but we had very messy, icy/washboard-y streets. Interestingly, that pointed me toward the Sport suspension, which was markedly more stable in those conditions than the normal suspension. Obviously the car's behavior in bad conditions didn't scare me, or I wouldn't have bought it. Have only had my own Clubman since April, so no extended snow experience.

After several big snowfalls last year, the lower clearance (relative to some cars) gives me a bit of anxiety, but I picked up winter rims and real snow tires, and I feel everything will be well. I've had other FWD cars that did very well with snow tires here in Wisconsin.

 

Thanks Alto Clef for the insights.

I also have had a few front wheel drive cars during winter weather and have not had any problems as long as the snow was more than about 6-8 inches deep on the road.

 

Same here. I've never even put snow tires on a FWD car.

6-8 inches of snow will cause problems of some sort for anything not built for combat.

 

I live in Manitoba, Canada - not as much snow as Toronto, but colder.

I would absolutely recommend getting a good set of winter tires on a separate set of rims. There is a world of difference between their traction in snow, and maybe especially on ice, compared to even the best all-seasons.

No suspension change, or even AWD or stability control (we have a G35x as well as the Clubman) can even begin to compensate for a lack of traction between the tires and the road.

Good winter tires - by far, the most important safety feature available for any vehicle in the winter. Everyone driving in winter conditions should have them, and some provinces here in Canada are considering making them mandatory.

 

I'm moving from the Carolinas to NE Ohio next spring. I've never driven in snow. Can you share with me what kind of rims and tires you purchased?

Did you buy a second set of rims from Mini?

 

Sure. Driving in snow isn't a thing to be feared, but it is something to be respected, and proper tires are absolutely the most important safety feature.

I bought a cheap set of rims (Sport Edition five spokes - I can't remember which ones, but I have to say I like them at least as well as the OEM wheels on the G), and Dunlop WinterSport M3 tires. These have been really good, but when I order tires for the MINI, I'll go with a winter tire that sacrifices dry performance for even better traction on snow and ice. Something like the Michelin X-Ice (we have these on our little old Mazda B2200, really a huge change from the previous all-seasons), or Bridgestone Blizzaks.

You might also consider going for simple black steel rims. Here, having these, without covers, is something of a winter fashion statement. I might even do this myself.

I bought from TireTrends here in Canada, but did my research at Tirerack.com Excellent stuff to be had there. I don't know what you'll find where you are, but dealer wheel/tire packages at both the Infiniti and MINI/BMW dealerships appear very overpriced, IMO.

Good luck shopping.

 

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