I am very excited! I have traded in my SUV for a 2010 MCC. I'll be getting the MCC around Xmas. I have some of the normal concerns new MINI owners experience when going from a big car to a small car. Mostly, I am concerned about winter driving. Now I know that MANY owners here report decent driving in the winter with both the stock 15 inch all seasons and even better driving with dedicated winter tires.

My SUV was only a 2wd/automatic (barely an SUV really , Mazda Tribute) and I always used the stock all season tires and found them to be just fine for the type of driving (weekend/mostly after the plow has gone by) we do. Besides NYC doesn't really get but a few snow storms a year and mostly the snow melts and is plowed very quickly. Sometimes however we do venture out of the city on weekends to visit relatives in upstate NY a few times a year and have on occasion hit some snow and ice. Honestly we are just more likely not to go out if it is snowing badly. That said, the driveway where I park can get pretty icey for a few days at a stretch.

So that's our driving...Should I consider dedicated snow tires?

Some concerns for me include that I live in a small apartment so storing a full set of winter tires and summer tires is almost impossible. Budget is also a concern as it is with many of us.

If I get just the snow tires from say Tire Rack (not rims) and have a local place switch them for me every year what might that cost each time for the labor and do I need to be aware of any special MINI specific things? Can ANY place switch the tires for me or will some local tire place not realize that MINI's require "X" special treatment and mess it up? Know what I mean?

Any thoughts about the driving dif between an automatic SUV and a manual MINI in the winter in regards to handling?

Thanks again for your time! I know this question has been asked time and again but I still have some confusion/apprehension apparently.

How are these for my usage......??? http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Winter+190+Sn owcontrol&partnum=765TR5W190SC&i1_Qty=4&autoMake=M ini&autoModel=Cooper%20Clubman&autoYear=2010&autoM odClar=&vehicleSearch=true

Or should I just stick with the stock all seasons?

 

The thing about summer, or even "all season" tires is the rubber compound. It's generally a hard compound so the manufacturer doesn't take all kinds of flak about how their tires wear out after 10,000 miles. It's always a compromise with grip, of course, so 'high-performance' tires will be softer and wear out sooner.

When the temperature drops your tires get harder. And they have less grip on the road. The swing point is somewhere just above freezing. Below that temperature, *most* summer or all-season tires have noticeably less grip on dry roads than do *most* winter tires.

Now factor in roads that are not dry. There's snow and ice to consider.

An aggressive tread pattern can help with the snow part. (Which explains why some people like to switch to an "off-road" or mud-and-snow tires for winter.) Works not too badly in softer snow, but doesn't really help much in any other condition.

Many of the winter tire manufacturers spend considerable time and money working on ways to handle ice. Special tread pattern features, special compounds, even additives like walnut shell pieces are all included in a bid to help out grip on ice (or extremely hard-packed snow).

No summer or all-season tire is going to have the low temperature grip and the ability to handle icy conditions as well as a dedicated winter tire. Some *may* handle soft snow as well, but they'll lose out everywhere else.

It should be a no-brainer to switch to proper winter tires once the temperature gets down near freezing. Some jurisdictions have legislated a mandatory use of winter tires. I think this is a trend that will continue, and I think it is a good idea. (As opposed to some of the really ******* things legislators come up with!)

Some dealerships or tire stores will store your off-season tires (and rims) for you. I find the cost somewhat extreme, but I have the space to store ours. If you don't have the space, you may not have an option. Check around and see what's available in your area. Maybe you and some friends could share the cost of a storage locker?

I also change my own tires over every spring and fall. It's not an onerous task. But if you only have street parking in your neighbourhood, maybe not something you want to be doing. Like doing your own oil changes, I guess. As far as I know, the only detail to worry about is getting the torque settings on the wheel nuts right. I borrow a torque wrench from a friend to check mine. As long as they not too loose; not too tight; and all even (to prevent warping of the rim itself). I know people who simply do it by guesstimate and have never had a problem. (Not that I recommend this, mind.)

HTH,
--
Darryl

 

Thanks for your detailed response Darryl! That helped.

 

Remember....what rim/tire option did you order?
If you got the max-performance summer only tires, below 45 or so they are too dangerous to do anything but get it to the shop. If you got the rims with the all seasons, then the first year on them might be ok in the snow. I run winter tires....but for a weekend driver, I would probably run all seasons, and just stay home if it was too nasty on the weekend.
I will tell you, it is fun to drive a mini with sno tires, and I have seen 4x4 spin out and get stuck, while I kept on going. I guess it depends on how badly you want to play inthe snow, and which tire/rim combo you ordered. As a bit of a side note, not many 15's fit on gen2 cars due to break clearance issues, so be sure to test fit any rim you want to buy before you get them.

 

I ordered the stock alloy rims with the all season tires. I'm not much of a sporty driver even in the summer. We also generally wait until roads are plowed before venturing out but maybe once a year we get stuck driving in the snow if we visit relatives in upstate NY who always seem to have snow but again, we usually wait until the plow comes before we head out. Honestly we only put about 5-8000 miles a year on our cars, lol. The five year old car we are trading in for our MINI only has 39,000 miles if that gives you any idea.

All that said, I believe we will be doing more road tripping this summer in the new MINI!!! I think my interest in driving may increase...but I don't know why???