The MINI Cooper in bad weather

August 9, 2004 9:07 AM

I'm thinking about buying a Mini Cooper. I test-drove one on a dry sunny day and loved it. But, I live in the Northeast, so I need to know: how do they handle in rain/snow/slush/ice?
posted by initapplette to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Best answer: I had the same question when I was looking at purchasing a MINI last winter in Missouri. Although I didn't have any big snow drifts to drive through, it handled great in slush and snowy roads. The consensus in the MINI communities seems to be that if you are in an area where snow is really a problem, then the appropriate tires make all the difference (Maybe a winter set and a summer set if you're so inclined). For more info, check out mini2.com

Overall, I highly recommend the MINI. Its tons o' fun to drive, has more space inside than you'd think, and gets very decent mileage. Be prepared to talk to lots of people about your car!
posted by shinynewnick at 9:44 AM on August 9, 2004

i house/dog sat last winter here in chicago for the sole reason that i had exclusive use of a brandnew mini during that time. we had a very mild winter last year, so i can't speak to blizzard conditions, but i found the handling to be extremely responsive in slush. i had no trouble with it.

i'll go to great lengths to avoid having to own a car or drive a car regularly ever again, but if i do, i'm getting a mini.
posted by crush-onastick at 10:29 AM on August 9, 2004

Hey, the Mini is from the UK. We *specialise* in snow and slus. Rain and ice is de rigeur.
posted by Pericles at 10:37 AM on August 9, 2004

IANAMO (I am not a Mini-owner) but I saw quit a few running around Minneapolis and St. Paul last winter. They seemed to be doing okay. However Minis seem to ride a lot closer to the ground than other cars in their class. I could easily see getting high centered on a hard pilowdrift with one of those things.
posted by nathan_teske at 2:55 PM on August 9, 2004

they were originally/still are rally cars also, seems like they could handle adverse conditions pretty well.
posted by rhyax at 10:19 PM on August 9, 2004