Good Evening Everyone,
My wife and I are looking at getting a Clubman this fall when our current lease ends.

However, I have a few questions that I hope someone is willing to answer/provide further insight on...

1. How does the Mini handle in the winter with a decent amount of snow? We live in western Wyoming.

2. I am assuming that the summer driving in the mountains is not an issue and is actually fun.

Thanks for your help,
Chris

 

Can't answer #1 since I'm from SoCal, but I can say that summer driving in the mountains in the Clubman is FUN!!!! I got a Clubman S for more power and fun.

 

Despite living in the northern parts of the country, I have not yet driven mine in the snow (got a 4x4 SUV for that task). However, I would expect that it would perform similarly (traction-wise) to any other front wheel drive vehicle. From what I've read, the Coopers (including the Clubman) perform very well in the snow; I just don't have any first-hand experience to offer. Probably the most important considerations for you are going to be ground clearance and tire selection. For a small car, MINI's have pretty good ground clearance -- but by the same token, they ain't an SUV... If you regularly get 6-8 inches of snow, and road plows are scarce out where you live, you might find yourself pushing a lot of snow with your front bumper... That aside, you may also want to consider either equipping your MINI with good all-weather (M+S) tires from the start; or investing in a spare set of rims and mounting a decent set of all-weather (or even dedicated snow) tires to them if you get any appreciable (and lingering) snow accumulations where you are. But in harsh-winter climates, that's probably just a prudent practice no matter what vehicle we're discussing.

Mountain driving in summer months in a MINI would be very enjoyable. I would echo "OctaneGuy's" recommendation to upgrade to the turbocharged Clubman S if you're planning to drive higher elevations (5,000 ft+), as the normally-aspirated engine in the base Clubman will probably get pretty anemic above (and if your "need for speed" is like mine, perhaps even somewhere below) that elevation.

 

Search for threads on winter tire selection. In the MINIs in General section, the is a subforum called Tires, Wheels & Brakes. I would start there.

 

Buy a good set of winter tires and you are set to go. My MINI made it through a horrible winter here in WI last year just fine. Be aware that if there is over 4" of snow on the road you will most likely plow due to the low ride height of the MINI.

 

The winter snow was one of my biggest concerns when I was looking at buying my Clubman last summer. I bought a set of Bridgestone Blizzak's, had them mounted on a second set of wheels and had NO problems this past winter in Minnesota. We had a pretty tough winter last year with lots of snow and very cold temps. It was a pleasure to drive. Blizzak's and heated seats......GREAT

 

Winter tires are a must for your climate.

I have to back into my driveway, so I don't scrape the front end. Last Winter I had trouble backing into my inclined driveway, due to the traction control kicking in. Even with I turned off, it was an annoyance.

By the way I have the stock 15'' Continental All Season Tires.

 

Alright, I am Spartan, I probably am the leading expert on Minis in the Mountains. I have a Mini (justa) 07 not a Clubman. First tires I have a dedicated 185/50/15 set of Nokian RSI's the best winter tire I have ever driven with. I live in Keystone, CO. I drive almost everyday to Winter Park, CO. where I have a retail store. I go over two mountain passes of 11,000 ft. each. in extreme conditions. I traded my FJ Cruiser for my mini and have never regretted it at all plus the great milage. Theres not alot of difference in size between the Clubman and Justa, so you should be fine. The car is really the best. Good Luck TIRES, TIRES, TIRES, thats the key.

 

I want to thank everyone for the information and insight - it is appreciated.

Chris

 

Chris, even straight roads are fun in a MINI

As far as winter driving, the MINI gets around as good as any FWD drive car as long as you have winter or snow-rated tires. Traction control, dynamic steering control, etc., also help. However, the ground clearence on the S or JCW is not too good, so you will be plowing snow over 6 inches or so. I drive an old beater if the snow gets deeper than 6 inches --8 inches max.

If this is going to be your only vehicle to drive year around, you might want to consider the new AWD Countryman S coming out soon.

 

I have a jcw with run flats. And if we are going to see snow anything like this year, I guess it would be better not to take it out :(

 

It is great with snow tires, up to 3-6 inches of snow is ok.



205/45/17 Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero Serie II XL

 

Snow tires are a must! I have a second set of wheels with Blizzack's (16) and they are great in the Chicago area (even on back roads). Just be prepare to plow your way around when you have around 6 inches of snow (good way to show your community spirit by helping SUV's get around town )

 

My Clubman drives like a dream this winter! I also bought the Bridgestone Blizzaks and had them mounted on a second set of wheels. It cost me $20 to have the local garage switch them for my runflats and now I'm like a little tank in the Wisconsin snow and ice.

2010 Mini Clubman S

 

let's just put it this way...when its snowing out in Des Moines, its just me and Jeeps out there. I took mine out last weekend and got stuck out on some rural farm road. Did some digging with my trusty shovel and let the Blizzaks do the rest and was back on the road. I think normal winter weather driving rules apply with it. The extra length over the Cooper does give it a slight edge.

 

My 02 MCS did great in the snow during Colorado winters--at least when I had my blizzaks on. Regular all seasons or summers--forget about it! With a proper set of snows it's actually quite fun.