I have a 2010 MCSa with the JCW software and exhaust. Car has cloth interior and minimal options other than xenons, cloth seat lumbar support DIY upgrade, and 17" webspokes with Michelin A/S tires.

My wife wants me to get rid of the car and get something larger. I've got a 30 min country road commute that has some easy bends in it. I don't want to get rid of the car, especially since it's got only 6k mi on it (long story - I had it in my vacation home and rarely drove it).

I love the rorty exhaust, the directness of the car, and the point and shoot ability. I HATE the torque steer and how the suspension crashes over bumps. Impact harshness on this thing is ridiculous - so much so that I won't drive it to San Francisco where the roads are crap full of potholes and patches.

I did have a MCa loaner once with 16" tires and it rode a TON better. So I'm thinking maybe I should explore downsizing the wheels/tires to 16"?

I don't mind lowering the car a TAD - nothing drastic because I'm not into the slammed look. Preferably it would be no more than a half inch to one inch. I want to preserve or improve the handling, minimize the torque steer, and get rid of as much of the impact harshness as I can. I do like the fat tire look on these cars.

So if you folks have any suggestions, I'm open to ideas. 16" wheels with the PSS shocks? Rear bar?

Please suggest away. Thanks.

 

2013 mcs 17 rims yellow koni full soft adjusted and h&r progressive lowering springs good combination.

 

16" wheels should give a softer ride than 17".
I don't have any experience with lowering springs, but the wrong choice of springs will not help much with the ride quality.
The MINI rides on the bump stops in hard cornering. A progressive bump stop can ease you into that state rather than slamming you into it. I have Fat Cat Motorsport white bump stops and love the control they give.
I have read good reviews of the KONI FSD struts for street ride quality.

 

New rims and tires if they fit over your brakes are a great start....you might need to research it...
They may not fit...many gen2 "s" cars REQUIRE a 17+ wheel due to larger brake calipers....
Kioni FSD'S are loved by many...very "wife/girlfriend friendly", and still pretty good on a twisty road....but again...if the car is lowered (aftermarket or OEM) they will be destroyed in miles...so again..check your car (bad ride is often a RESULT OF LOWERING)....The fsd struts ONLY work with stock height springs, not JCW or ANY lowering springs...and are kinda $$$ compared to other struts...
One thought...
Still on runflats? If so dumping them might make a huge change...

 

Post your VIN, it would be interesting to look at the build sheet. Why the JCW software? Why is that of value on a non-JCW car?

I have the same complaint on my 2007 MCSa.

What I plan to do:
1) Ditch the RFTs
2) Get the Koni FSDs
3) May get the JCW RED springs (yes, they do work with FSDs)

If it is within budget, get the lightest tires and rims that are suitable and affordable (light rims are $$$!). Light rims and tires reduce the effect of a bump on the car's body (they are less harsh because they reduce the un-sprung weight). SSR type-Cs are less than 12 Lbs per rim and there was a set for sale here a few days ago.........

Call the tire rack and get a free consult. 16" rims should not be a problem unless you have the JCW brakes.

 

I'd definitely consider getting lighter and smaller wheels. Reducing wheel weight improves every aspect of the car to some extent - braking, handling, acceleration, and even mpg if you drop some considerable weight.

I have koni yellows and h&r sport springs with a tsw 19mm rsb. I also put on some lightweight (~13 or 14lbs/rim) 16" wheels. Handling is amazing and the ride quality is certainly tolerable.

Bang for your buck, a rear sway bar will definitely give you the biggest handling improvement but some quality shocks and lighter wheels will be what addresses your harshness issue.

 

Which Michelin A/S tires do you currently have?

 

I am considering the Koni FSD shocks. I'm not really into lowering the car but I wouldn't mind a tiny bit of lowering to get rid of some of the wheel gap.

The progressive bump stop sounds like a good idea.

I was thinking of getting some 16" Enkei RPF1's or Rota RB's with a bit of a fattie tire.

Rear bar is something I've wanted for a while now. I don't suppose the front bar needs changing?

I don't have the run flats. Got rid of them as soon as I got the car. I'm running Michelin PilotSport A/S Gen II's in 17".

The JCW software came as a kit for the car with a catback exhaust. The software reprograms the car so that acceleration comes on much stronger. IMO it's an ideal match with an automatic transmission. This thing rockets off the line and into small gaps in traffic.

 

I use the RPF1s for autocross. Good fairly light wheel. There is also a nice Kosei wheel that is comparable.
Putting on a heavier front bar is a pretty involved process and can actually increase your understeer.

 

I'm running koni yellows with TSW springs and WMW bump stops. The car is much more controlled over stock shocks. I agree with the bump stop comments, they make a difference. Before I put the yellows on, I switched from sport shocks to 'standard S' factory shocks, and there was little difference. When I put the smaller bump stops in place, it made a huge difference, especially in the rear. If I knew about the fat cat bump stops, I would have went with them.

have fun,
Mike

 

My 2010 MCS has 16 in. factory wheels, non-runflat tires, Koni FSD, stock springs (non-sport suspension) and a Hotchkis rear sway bar. The ride comfort is greatly improved and handling is better in most respects vs. stock.

Perhaps as important, wife hated the car before but now she's fine with it.

 

Did you drive the car before the JCW kit? I have heard from many forum guru's they their favorite shock and springs setup was the Koni FSD's.

 

Sensing a trend? In your case I'd try the KONI FSD's. I hear they have excellent ride quality with "almost" KONI Yellow handling characteristics. FSD's supposedly get a tad floaty during high-speed/low frequency bumps (large dips/troughs?).

I strongly considered the FSD's last spring but ultimately went with the H&R Touring Cup suspension setup (specially valved KONI Yellows with H&R springs). The reason being 1.) they(FSD) won't last terribly long with lowering springs and 2.) they're more "touring" oriented as opposed to "full sport".

My R56 S rides infinitely better with the lowered suspension, crazy thought I know. Rides smoother and handles great. Plus you can adjust rebound dampening if you wish.

That said, I live in an urban area with many many potholes and the ride can be stiff at times but still much better than OEM over ALL bumps. I wish I could have the FSD's for city driving while having KONI Yellows on the highway/ country roads. Short of magnetorheological shock's that's never gonna happen!

 

FYI- Stiffer sway bars will also make your car ride rougher. I run 16" tires, JCW springs, and FSD shocks and uneven roads cause my car to hop around a bit after installing larger sway bars (even on the softest settings). The car handles better so for me it's an acceptable trade-off.