I've encountered several threads and reviews that complain about the torque steer our Clubman S's "suffer" from. Being new to the Clubman S, I took mine out last night to test out this property. I got on a road that I know extermely well and put the car thru it's paces. At every tight corner, I made sure to downshift and give the throttle a good prod.

At NO point did I experience what I would call bad torque steer. In fact, the wheel barely wiggled in my hands. For the life of me, I cannot understand why folks would whine about this, it really was almost completely un-noticeable. Maybe those who can't contend with this malady should get out of their cars and into a gym to beef up those girly-man arms and wrist muscles...

Torque steer = a complete non-issue...

-RW-

 

Do you have the limited slip differential? Maybe cars without it experience more TS?

 

I thought it was one of MINI's strong points - the equal-length axles that minimize torque steer into pretty much a non-issue.

I wonder how much help EDLC will be in the turns. I drove a demo Clubbie S with LSD in the rain and there was more than enough inner wheel spin in turns to make me try something different (like EDLC). But I won't know until the silly car gets here...

 

I do not know if I have the LSD, I bought the car (gently) used from a Mazda dealer.

This raises a question, is it possible to get the build sheet for the car if you know the VIN? I would love to know exactly what options were installed on my new ride...

BTW, what is EDLC?

 

You should be able to get the build info from your local MINI dealer, even over email / phone. If one MA refuses, another one will be bored / nice enough to help.

EDLC is an Electronic Differential Lock Control - not sure if it's the new "Sport Package" feature, or was around for a while, but It's in my build sheet as part of sport package / DTC combo.

 

rlw,

It seems you do not live in a area where the roads are a mess. Where do you live?

Get on a straight road with bumps (pot holes, filled and unfilled) and then keep your foot to the floor while shifting and you will find the torque steer. In fact any a bumpy road driven hard will show you where the torque steer is.

I will admit it is a lot less than on many other front wheel drive cars i have driven but it is definitely there.

 

I live outside of Washington, DC and the roads here are a mess. And I have had high-horsepower front wheel drive cars for the past 13 years (Taurus SHO and Saab 9-3 SE) in this area. Both of my previous cars exhibited MUCH more torque steer than does the Mini. The Mini is a doddle in comparison.

Honestly, I think a lot of Mini owners are a bit whiny and I'm starting to discount most of the complaints I read on these forums...

 

If it pulls on bumpy, cambered, or rutted roads, that's not torque steer.
Torque steer will pull the car to one side on a flat straight road when you
step on the gas, and pull to the other side when you downshift and let off
the gas.

 

If there's one thing I've learned from reading the many threads about TS it's that not everyone is talking about the same thing when they refer to this, and that people's seat of the pants impressions vary widely. Some bemoan it and some (who have track experience in various cars) say there is none. That makes me think that people are really talking about how the car handles under throttle in turns, which isn't really TS at all. Tires, skill, surface details, they all play a role.

 

Christo is right, this getting off axis (for lack of a better term) on rutted or cambered roads is more a function of the stiffness of the suspension and the car's short wheelbase. A car with a stiff suspension will hop around and get offline because the tires are losing contact with the road and it is pulled back and forth as the tires re-connect with the road.

Some have complained that the Mini is too rough riding with the runflat tires. Frankly, I find that mine is reasonably supple and I do not feel that the tires are too stiff or un-forgiving. All in all, I think the BMW engineers did a heck of a job in the design and implementation of the Mini's suspension. This is the best-handling car I've ever owned, by far...

 

on the lack of torque steer on the Clubman S.
A 6-speed acura TL, now that's torque steer.

 

I had been driving AWD cars/trucks/vans since '98 (Volvo XC, Subaru Forester, Honda Element, Toyota Sienna). With all sorts of electronic systems kicking in, there was not much action for the driver with respect to handling. That said, going back to a FWD car after 10 years, the TS was quite evident. However, after driving for a few months, no longer notice it. Perhaps your driving muscles/mind eventually adjusts/anticipates how the power is going to be delivered and keeps the car in check regardless of the TS.

 

I honestly don't think I'm anticipating and correcting, I just don't feel much of a pull when I get on it. I'm not saying it doesn't have any torque steer, but I am saying it is much less than I had been led to believe.

The other night when I was testing it, the 1st test had me quite surprised, I felt almost nothing. So, the next time I really jumped on it and I did feel a smidge of torque steer. But it was easy to drive right thru it without much worry. Much less torque steer than my Taurus SHO - that bad boy was a handful. The Mini is a pussycat in comparison...

 

add a little hp (like I have) and you will get it! I deal with it all the time when getting into it from a stand still, especially if the road has any irregularities.

 

You wanna talk about torque steer??? I had an Acura TL several years ago; the wheel would pop out of your hands taking off from a red light! It was absolutely rediculous!

 

My 07 MCS manual with LSD had some fierce torque steer but in my current 08 MCS automatic you can't feel it at all. If you have an automatic, you don't have LSD, it only comes as an option on the manual trans....

 

I agree. My wife's MCS drives very nice. I finally got to drive it the other day. Took it down to the dealer for an oil change. It seemed perfect to me. She does not have LSD but her's is also an automatic. I felt virtually zero TS. When mine is delivered I will be able to check the 6 speed and see how it differs from the auto.

Pat

 

I test drove a 6-speed Clubman S with LSD, and I have to say that I was shocked at the amount of torque steer the car generated. I'm sure I could get accustomed to it, but for me it diminishes the driving experience.

 

>>...but in my current 08 MCS automatic you can't feel it at all.<<

>>...her's is also an automatic. I felt virtually zero TS.<<

I, too, have the automatic. And I, too, feel virtually NO torque steer. Hallelujah!

 

So, I wonder if it is the manual transmission or the LSD that is causing the torque steer...

 

I'll have my answer soon. My car should be delivered in the first week of March. Since it is a manual I will get a direct comparison between my car and then my wifes. That will tell the story.

I have a tendency to think it will not have much torque steer. But in a few short weeks I will be able to make my own conclusion.

Pat

 

I have both. Rough roads, smooth roads, doesn't matter. Torque steer is not an issue. Not completely absent, bot not worth mentioning. Now, compared to most FWD vehicles with any power to speak of, the MINI torque steer doesn't even exist, IMHO.

 

...Ditto.

 

I drove an '09 manual S, and if you kick it hard from a stop it will definitely pull; when I drove an automatic Clubman S prior to ordering mine, I could find virtually none of it..............even tho I felt the automatic gave up very little if anything in performance to the manual. At any rate, any good performing front wheel drive car is gonna have some torque steer, but I don't think the MINI "suffers" from it. It does make the car more lively tho, and you have to pay attention if you're gonna drive like a hooligan!

 

'09 mccs manual, no lsd...definite torque steer when flooring it from a standstill or from lower mph on a straight run. wheel does more than wiggle, wheel definitely pulls. 2nd and 4th gear are the most common ts points for me, 2nd from a standstill and 4th from lower mph. never had it on a curve or a turn, only on a straight run. 1st couple times scared the crap out of me. once you get used to how it will react, it's not a big deal, but you do have to pay attention and anticipate it or you may wind up somewhere you don't intend to be very quickly.

never had even a hint of ts on my mx-6 ls, but i think my mccs would blow the mx-6 off the line w/o even blinking. the mccs has way more torque and punch than the mx-6.