Greetings Mini Owners,

I'm 90% sure that once the 2008 models come around that I'll be purchasing a MINI Cooper or MINI Cooper S. After searching these forums, the only remaining questions that I have are:

1 - Do many MINI owners use theirs as their primary vehicle in Denver, CO?
2 - How does your MINI perform in the winter? Do I really need snow tires?
3 - How does your MINI perform in the pot-hole ridden streets of the Denver Metro Area.
4 - What experiences people have with their dogs riding in their MINIs? (I have a 75 lb beast!).

I'm really most concerned with questions 1 and 2 (ok, 2.5), so if anyone could help me with these questions I can solidify my decision as to purchasing a MINI!

Thanks in advance!

 

I have found that there are really 3 types of MINI and Mini owners out there:

• Those that have the cars for Sport (that is me)
• Those that have the cars for Show (not me)
• Those that have the cars for Transportation (most everyone)

I really cannot recall in the last 4+ years of very many occasions of someone saying they could not drive the MINI due to weather, or that they got stuck. There are plenty of local folks who use a 2nd set of wheels / tyres for traction in the winter but I can only name one, off the top.

Mine is not a daily driver, it is a garage queen, sort of. But frankly, there is not enough feedback out there to dissuade me from driving it daily in the winter if that were the need.

Welcome to MINI-dom, if you make that decision. And my dogs love the MINI, esp with the windows down.

JPS

 

Have moded 04 S that is a daily driver with 52,000 miles . Drive approx. 100 miles / day all 4 Season's . Tires - P. Zero Niro M+S. No problem's ! Expect windshield or 2. Will have my first replaced shortly due to pit's , not crack's. Handles grt in snow as long as you are sensible. Definetly clear bra needed! Car look's good - paint etc.

JGF

 

And then there are those of use that show them and drive them daily.

I have had only two occasions during this past winter when I wished I was driving something else. During our blizzard aftermath with 6" ice ruts in our neighborhood I was wondering how I could put a lift kit on a MINI. Also I foolishly dove my MINI from Vernal, UT to Riverton, WY this past March though Flaming Gorge. This was two weeks after I removed my Blizzak snow tires (March in the Rockies - surely there can't be more snow). I pushed snow 6" deep coming up out of Vernal and had to take the MINI out of DSC to to move. But hey, I'm here and I made it so I guess I didn't need the Expedition.
Potholes can be easily avoided with the MINI unless one sneaks up on you. So nimble and quick that I can miss most holes, boards, dead bunnies and vagrants.

Oh and my dog is not even allowed to look at the MINI!

 

My brother lives in Westminster and says the car does really well in the snow (04 MC40). He used his standard runflats in winter.

 

I think jonathan left out the hybrid type drivers. I'm one of the transportation AND sport kinds.

As such I love the MINI as a daily driver. As MiniMaybee said they're generally agile enough to dodge most trouble, unless you're going too fast and they sneak up on you, that's happened to me many a time.

Dogs? I don't have them, but if I did I'm sure I'd let them ride with me, I might reconsider if I had cloth seats though. Cloth and dog hair are really good friends. Bad for clean minis.

Tires. I use all season tires, kuhmos I believe, and they have treated me well in the winter. You do still have to worry about deep snow though, if you high-center, there's naught you can do but dig out and hope for the best. During the bad snows we had this past winter I only got 'stuck' once, and that was pulling out of a parking lot that had about eight inches of slush where I stopped. At that point it was tough to get the MINI moving forward again. With a teensy bit of push from a co-worker I was on my way again.

I'm all for MINIs as daily drivers in our fair state. Besides, if you're spending much time downtown you'll come to appreciate their small size and maneuverability when choosing parking spots.

 

YOU WILL BE FINE!

I had a 2003 MC and only used the all season runflats it came with and I was FINE.

Today I have a GP but I had to get snows for this past winter and I was again FINE.

Both were/are my daily driver.

Do it and motor on!