Hey everyone,

Just wondering what everyone thinks of the suspension on the paceman? My wife has a countryman and its pretty stiff, but not as stiff as the hardtop. Ive test driven the paceman twice and am currently awaiting delivery - but just curious about the suspension.

 

The Paceman isn't as stiff as the hardtop -- very similar to the Countryman, but I find it to feel a little bit more planted. Not sure if they did anything different with the suspension or if it's just a slightly lower center of gravity because of the lower roof line in the back. But the ride is definitely more compliant than the hardtop without sacrificing too much of the fun factor. I'm very happy with it after having two MCS's.

I also just installed a VIP strut bar, which surprisingly made a noticeable difference in steering responsiveness. It feels just a tad more 'flickable'. Word is that a thicker rear anti-sway bar (consensus seems to be to go with 22mm) also makes a big difference on the Countryman. But after tossing my Paceman around extra violently the last few days, I'm not sure it really needs it unless you're going to track it.

 

Thanks for the response, Im excited about the paceman.

Where did you get the VIP strut bar? Was it hard to install?

 

http://www.vipcustomparts.com/R60%20parts%20page.htm, about 2/3 of the way down the page.

Piece of cake to install. Better if you have a torque wrench, just to be sure to not re-tighten the strut bolts too much (26 lb-ft, for anyone who wants to know). Instructions come with it that are clear and simple. I think it took me all of about 15 minutes (and I'm no wrench by any stretch of the imagination), and a good part of that was remembering how to set my torque wrench 'cos I haven't used it in a couple of years. Really, it's one of the easiest mods you'll ever do.

 

That's great feedback...but you haven't specified which suspension you are on. Base or Sport....mine will have the Sport when it arrives. So would like to know which one you are referring to.

 

Base suspension. Would have wanted sport, but this car arrived at the dealer with just about everything else I wanted, so I snagged it. No complaints.

 

I thought the Paceman came standard with the sport suspension?

 

It did for 2013, but you could order without. The 2014 models it doesn't come with it, but is a no-cost option. It is still a $500 option for the Countryman.

I prefer the non-sport suspension for my driving. That with the 17" runflats I get a decent ride that still handles well in the twisties.

But to compare the CM to the PM, you have to know if you are talking standard or sport suspension, which isn't mentioned in the OP's post.

 

That is correct, I've also noticed that it seems most dealers only order the standard suspension. I have yet to see one on dealer lot with Sport suspension. I was unable to test drive one before ordering. I figured it can't ride any worse than what I am driving now, so I pulled the trigger. If you want to order one you have to specify Sport suspension or it will come in with the standard and you will be pissed.

 

That was a rumor, proven to be unfounded. The sport suspension has always been available as a free option on the Paceman, but it has never been standard.

 

Pretty sure the 2013 came standard with the sport suspension, but could be ordered at no charge with the standard.

Autotrader
Motortrend
Edmunds confirms in the model changes that the 2014 will get the comfort suspension and sport is a no-cost option. (No point in mentioning this unless it is a change from the brief 5-6 month run of the 2013 model)
Autoblog does the same by showing the Mini press release that the sport suspension is now a no-cost option

I briefly toyed with getting a Paceman (for about 30 seconds) and played with it in the configurator, and am 99.9% certain the sports suspension was there and you had to deselect it to get the comfort suspension.

I think the ride is just a bit too harsh to be standard, and apparently so did Mini. The average person doesn't need that and it can lead to negative reviews and comments about the car's harsh ride, something an enthusiast wouldn't do, but the average Joe would.

 

No...that may be what the Mags reported, but that's not true. When I started building mine they were still '13's and you had to opt for the Sport suspension, otherwise the default was the Standard suspension. Maybe Mini intended for the Sport to be the default, but it did not show up that way when you built one. You had to option it that way. I had read that the Sport was standard also, so I quickly learned while building one on MINI site that it was not that way.

 

It may have changed then mid-stream. I started playing with it back in early April (not sure when I actually toyed with the Paceman - April/May) and am pretty sure it was sport standard.

And again, if the mags got it wrong, why would they get it wrong again, including Mini's press release, that highlighted the 2014 changes?

 

Mini United States press release on the Paceman

 

There has been confusion on this from the beginning. In the US, the sport suspension has always been a no-cost option, with the regular suspension as the default for the Cooper S. I ordered my Paceman in January and it was like that then and is still that way according to the '14 configurator. Others have posted from the beginning that they noticed this difference from the press reports. However, the sport suspension MUST be selected if you opt for the $1750 19-inch wheels. Since most of the cars sent to the journalists for initial reviews had these wheels, that may be the source of the confusion. It's also possible that Euro versions have a different default.

 

Ok, so BMW, Mini, and I are wrong on this.

 

The only Paceman I know of that comes standard With the sport suspension is the JCW. To add to that, realOEM lists two suspension strut assemblies for the Paceman. Standard and sport.

 

I have the 2013 Paceman S - purchased in July - and I don't think it has the sport suspension - nothing on the window sticker or the build list. I have the standard 17" wheels and run-flats. It rides rather nicely - not at all like the sport suspension we had on a 2004 S. I think it is a fine compromise between ride and handling. The Paceman doesn't quite have that "go-kart" feel - but still handles very well. My only complaint has been road noise with the freeway grooving they do here in Las Vegas. Asphalt roads are very quiet.

David

 

I have a 2013 Paceman with 19" and sport, the ride is much better, I had a 2012 MCS with 17" wheels. I will change to non run flats later, but not in as much a rush as I was in the MCS.