I went in to order my Mini yesterday with the intent of taking one final test drive (my 3rd) before I put down my deposit. The main focus of this last test drive was to check out the highway ride. Unfortunately all the manual MCS were spoken for and I didn't think to ask for an auto.

Anyway, What is the ride like on the highway in an R56? I searched and found some threads, but all for the R53. My main concern is highway/wind/tire noise, and stability. I can deal with a slightly bumpy ride. I did order one with sport suspension.

 

My '07 MC coupe is solid and steady on the highway. Doesn't get buffeted by wind. A lot of white noise from the highway is screened out. I have a sunroof, so I do hear a bit of a whoosh from the thing when going at speed, but tis easy enough to tune out.

Watch out for potholes, the MINI does take them hard, what with the tight suspension.

Hope this helps,

CROC 411

 

Wonderful!!

 

The tire noise can be very loud depending on the road condition...but that is more a product of the run flat tires.

As a highway cruiser, the car is smooth. Plus the seats are very comfortable. I've had more than one person say they love sitting in the sport seats.

There is some wind noise from the side windows...as this is a frameless design...but not unbearable. I'm one of those drivers who likes to hear the car and its noises. I get sick driving in a Lexus/Mercades. I feel like I'm driving in a tomb I swear if I drove a Lexus I would accidentally start it twice because I wouldn't know it was on.

 

Very steady, no wind affect, sport seats are very comfortable. The problem is that it's so smooth that 80 feels the same as 65.

 

Ride is good. With 16" tires I experience almost no tramlinig even on old freeways. But I wish the 6th gear was smaller to save more gas. At 70 mph in 6th gear the engine runs at 3000 rpm.

 

Excellent. My 07 has 12,500 miles, a lot of them over 3 long trips. The R56 is great on the road, but I detest the run-flat tires. I have aftermarket 16" and 205/50/16 Falken 912s mounted.

I'm going to put my 17" with RFs back on for the rest of the summer, I doubt I will last a month on the RFs before I'm over at Discount or doing a change via Edge or Tirerack online.

I'm not sure I would have enjoyed my two major trips with RFs. The MINI is stable and runs well at 75-85 depending on the prevailing speed limits.

Inside seating is very comfortable for long trips and you can pack a lot of gear into the R56 Coupe, I imagine you can pack a lot more into a Clubman.

I have the MCSa (automatic) and get 32-34 on my Highway trips. Currently getting 30-31 around in my daily driving.

If I'm running fast with MINI5280 in the mountains, I can see the mileage drop to 24-28, but it goes back to the average on the next fill-up.

 

Lets just say I was real apprehensive driving my '08 MCSa from South Florida to Minnesota and then back on the highway due to a painful herniated disc in my lower back.Turns out I was extremely comfortable that I drove the entire 4000+ miles round trip and 30 hours each way with only stops for gas and food.This was on the factory 17" runflat tires which are very firm to begin with.

So to answer your question the ride is firm yet comfortable and the car tracks straight and doesn't suffer from crosswinds.

 

I run the expressway every day, and usually at 80+. The ride is exceptionally smooth with or without the cruise control.

 

heh-heh ... so does 110.
(Did I just say that out loud?)

 

+1...same for me 3000rpm @ 70mph is right on the money! However the ride is excellent on the highway as I drive 55 miles each way 5 days a week. You can hear some wind but that is expected in this type of vehicle. Smooth ride and you really feel in control wheather it is raining or if there maybe something in the road.

Hope this helps!!!

 

It depends on the road, and the tires you use make a lot of difference. I commute over one of the worst bits of freeway I know (85 Cupertino to Mountain View), but I don't notice how rough it is, unless there's something which draws it to my attention (like a wife with a migraine). On a bad road it can really be pretty bad, but I don't mind. I just may be less sensitive to that sort of thing. I wouldn't say no to a better ride quality on bad roads though (if that didn't compromise the handling).

On a good road with good tires its great. I once had a couple of co-workers with me on a good bit of freeway (280 over the hills), and the one in the back commented how nice the ride was, this was while keeping up with the normal flow of traffic there (which seems to average somthing over 90).

 

A good firm ride on the hiway ... not as silk smooth as my E39 528i nor as sharp as the 03 Z4 that came before it ... that said, the MCS seems to ride about midway between the two with one-third better gas mileage than either ...

Have done several multi-hundred mile runs without undue discomfort ... really no more than in the 528i or Z4 ... would not hesitate to tackle 600 miles per day in the MINI ... including nominal rest stops for fuel, soft drink, and bite to eat now and then ...

 

I have driven R56 with non-sport suspension and R55 with sport suspension. Both cars had sunroofs. Wind noise is noticeable. Tire noise (runflats) is loud. As for stability, the R56 was the first car I felt comfortable driving at triple digit speed. The R55 is my current road trip car and even with a stiffer suspension is IMO a superior highway ride. The long wheelbase does wonders. In terms of handling there is a noticeable shift in COG upwards in the R55. Preferred the R56 on the exit/on ramp. Hope that helps.

 

we've had two different R53s and just added a R56. It is my experience in the R53's that it becomes real necessary to stop every 75 to 90 minutes to stop and get out and walk around. I was expecting similar things with our new 2008 R56. We just had 900 miles on the car when we went on vacation. We drove over 3700 miles in 9 days. I was very pleasantly surprised. Much easier ride in the R56. We were able to drive two and three hours between stops and even then it wasn't really because of need to get out and stretch. This car is an MCS with 16" runflats and the cloth seats and automatic.

 

+1000000!

 

Lotta road noise from the run flats, rattles and vibrations at some RPMs, ride with sport suspension can be nearly unlivable on some stretches of concrete in my area. Asphalt is smoother. Stable at speed, comfortable. seats