So I've partially resolved my initial ride quality gripes with my 2012 MCS by putting on non-runflats and playing with my tire pressures. The ride no longer bothers me as much when darting around the city or having fun on the back roads, but is still a bit too bumpy when just cruising on Canadian country roads.

Looking at the threads, Koni FSDs seem to be the next investment most people make to improve ride quality and handling. I only found threads reviewing the Koni's on R53s and older R56 models, and am curious if anyone with a later model MCS can chime in on the ride/handling improvements or lack there of when adding FSDs to a LCI car with 195-65-16 non-runflats on 16" wheels. Also, would you recommend swapping them out early in the car's life or wait till the OEM shocks are wearing out.

 

I think you are going to end up with a harsher ride if you start going with after-market shocks frequently chosen by NAM members. I find the 17" with non-run-flats and sports suspension to be decent. In fact I think I am the opposite to you - I think I would prefer the JCW Suspension just because the sports suspension seems to struggle a bit with on the JCW.

There should not be any ride/handling differences between LCI and pre-LCI models of the R56. MINI changed the interior and engine, etc., not the suspension setup.

 

If it were me, (and it was...lol) I'd get rid of the crappy stock shocks asap. They are horrible. Even the "sport suspension"...

Koni FSD will be a big improvement over stock. Just remember, you have to use the stock springs. you will damage the FSD's if you try to use them with a lowering spring. If you want to improve ride and handling, and looks, I would suggest the TSW springs and the Koni sport shocks/struts.

The 3/4" lowering from the spring will make the car look tons better, and the spring rate increase, and better shocks will make the ride better and handle better too.

 

Thanks for the advice gents. I went ahead and placed an order.

Walk0080: I think you are right about a lot of the shocks used for lowering or for track use but the prevailing thought here seems to be that the FSDs improve ride quality a LOT and handling a BIT, while the Koni Yellows improve handling a LOT.

RichardSperry: I went ahead and placed the order mostly because the cracks have started to plague canadian roads and I don't want the Mini to be a rattling into the summer of 2012!

 

Post an update later once installed so I know what you think of them.

 

Will do Walk. I kinda went with the FSDs after reading this comparison from tirerack:
http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/tests/koni_fsd.jsp

 

Ok so when I test drove my 2012 MCS, I thought the ride was fine, but I think in retrospect the MINI dealerships I went to all had great strips of road and mostly freeways surrounding them. The ride was also a lot better than R53s I had test driven but those were also mostly driven on crack laden inner city streets, so I think I perceived a much greater improvement in ride quality of the R56. After 1 month of driving my MINI, I hated the ride on Canadian city streets and back roads (Only freeway driving was acceptable albeit filled with road noise). Upon advice from NAM members, I put on non-runflat winter tires and noticed only a slight improvement (16" OEM dimension Pirelli Sottozero Winter 210s). Over the next 3 months I continued to dislike the ride and sometimes wished I had bought a GTI instead. The ride was sort of acceptable with 4 people and luggage in the car but that only happened once in a blue moon.

I installed Koni FSDs on OEM non-sport springs over the weekend and put 500 km on them on a variety of surfaces. I am not sure if these dampers have a break in period but so far they have been sublime. Body motions smooth, small imperfection laden roads are transformed into smooth tarmac, potholes are still felt but no more than in our Camry hybrid (rides like a boat), lowered manholes are felt but no longer intrusive (Fiance no longer winces), expansion joints are heard (sound is more muted than before) but not felt. All in all I am extremely happy with the upgrade, I actually love my car again, and it still handles like it's on rails. Road noise is decreased a little as less vibration is directly transmitted through struts and into the chassis. Once I dynamat the doors and wheel wells, I truly believe the MINI will make my 3-series obsessed father see that the MINI can be a no compromise value sports car.

Now on to MINI's use of the Delphi struts. They are garbage just like many of you already stated. I think they ruin the car, adding noise, rattles and squeaks to the plastic interior. The Abarth 500 which is arriving at our local Dodge dealership in a few weeks costs $5000 CAD less than my MINI and is equipped with FSDs and many more options from the factory. I know from driving the Fiat 500 that it is maybe 2/3rds the car a Cooper is, but I really think MINI should at least match the performance specs of the much cheaper Abarth. That being said I am O.K. with spending $1500 (tires, shocks, dynamat) to transform the MINI into the refined and taut sports car BMW should have built.