Hi All, I am going to pick up my mini on saturday and I was just wondering how does the Mini handle in the snow? I'm in CT and didn't know its results in heavy wheather.

Brian.

 

Depends on what you're used to.
I'm coming from a 4WD/AWD Subaru. Compared to that, the mini handles like a drunk college student on a lenolium floor slicked with laundry detergent.
If you're coming from other FWD cars, it apparently does pretty well.

Edited to add: this thread has been posted scads of times, use the search box for other opinions.

 

there's a few threads on this, and survey says use snow tires, take your time , and you'll be all set! I'm in Boston and have had great luck so far in all this crappy weather.

 

Wish I could help you , but I am in South Florida.

 

I've been driving a Dodge Neon 00', and it was ok without snow tires. So I guess it would be as good or better than that car. I'm new to message boards so I didn't know where to post this.

 

I'm in CT also and put snows on my MCS (Dunlop wintersport M3). I had zero problems in the snow last week. Felt pretty good driving by all the cars stuck on the road!

 

there are many, many threads on this. Please search as there is some great info out there, including info as to snows, DSC, LSD, how to drive in the snow, etc.

Bottom line, use DSC, LSD if you have it, get snows for 16 in tires -- lots of posts on that. Blizzaks, etc.

I haven't driven one myself in the snow yet -- but many others have!!

TK

 

I am in CT also, welcome to the club!

I have all season run-flats and I haven't had a problem yet this winter. My father has one (an '06) with snow tires and hasn't had any problems either, and that includes occasional jaunts up to New Hampshire.

 

I'm out here in Utah. I have to say the runflats just plain suck. I am used to FWD and 4WD and out of anything next to my Jeep Wrangler in RWD with mudders on it, the mini doesn't like the snow......with the runflats. But with all of my other FWD I have had snow tires, and it is flat out amazing what a difference they make. Snow tires are a must in the deep stuff. My 2 cents!

 

As fate would have it, just had to drive home from work last night over a mountain in a miserable storm. Small storm, but the mountain always turns them into near blizzard like conditions. Anyway, I had trouble with the other idiot drivers out there (three cars decided it would be great to just stop and give up in the middle of a bend, thus causing everyone else to have to lane shift on a completely snow covered road), but not much with the MINI. Reduced to going to 5 MPH uphill in a line of cars, the traction control came on and did it's job perfectly. I'm riding on 17 crown spokes with the all-season run flats. I imagine a serious set of snow tires would be even more capable. I've driven in snowy conditions about 5 times now, all of different degrees of seriousness, and haven't had any trouble.

 

Did you order DSC? Apparantly, that helps quite a bit.

 

A side note: My friggin' gas door (on an S) froze shut in this last storm. Good thing I don't need gas.

 

Switch OT "on:"

"Gas" should still be ok. Sounds like its just "friggin' gas" that won't work. We don't have that type of gas in these here parts.

But come to think about it, we do have some "friggin' high gas" prices. So, we must have something like it! Maybe its premium friggin high-priced gas.

Switch OT "off."

 

I didn't see a 'friggin' gas door' on the configurator. Can this be retro fitted?




Sorry, the "Where does this go" thread seems to have got to me

 

Nope. Have to buy the whole "friggin' package."

 

which btw went up $400 for the '08, but now it includes friggin' xenons...

 

So if it goes wrong do we ask for 'friggin' customer service?

 

This thread is frigged up.

 

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread ....

 

Last Sunday on Michelin Alpin (winter tires); Cherohala Skyway near the TN/NC line. Lots of virgin snow; don't stop on a 20% uphill grade though; it's hard to get rolling again...

 

I am in CT too and with 4 Blizzaks on my car it does better than my wife's old Subaru did with all season tires. Its really quite amazing.

 

I had 4 Blizzaks on my PT Cruiser, which would get derailed in flurries on regular all-seasons. I thought the tire dealer was feeding me a line when he told me what a difference they'd make ... but they're everything he said the were and then some. Too bad I can't use 15's on the Mini ...

 

Why not use 15's? I did.

I stored my 17's for the winter and ordered up a wheel/tire package from tirerack for about $650. They ain't pretty, but I can go anywhere in the snow.



dean.

 

15's don't fit over the brakes on the R56 S for the most part. One guy got some aftermarket 15's on his but it was REALLY tight.

 

Oh ...I'll get back over to the other board now. I'm like a fish out of water over here.

dean.