Hey guys-I have a Countryman on order (week 2 production date) and during this interminable waiting period I'm having a bit of configuration cold feet. Mostly I'm sweating over not getting the sports suspension option. My MA says it will unnecessarily make the ride harsher, esp. w/ the run flats, but I keep reading bits and pieces in various reviews that the stock suspension results in some swaying and squishiness in the handling. Most of this feedback, I assume, is driving the car when it's not in sport mode. What exactly does sport mode do? I'd really like to think that this car in sport mode won't make me regret not going with the sports suspension option. Generally, I feel like my current '05 MCS rides very hard, even on regular tires so I think the softer ride sans sports suspension is still the right choice for me. Any thoughts?

 

Well, let's get the big difference first - you can turn off Sport Mode. Beyond that - and don't quote me - suspension is mainly under the car stuff, mode adjusts several components - suspension, shift points, and maybe the throttle. I found it on a web site, made a decision, and promptly forgot the details.

P.S. - Sport Suspension not for me. Did you know that you cannot repair a RF tire? My BMW with sport suspension has "bubbled" two of them at about $400 apiece.

 

The sport button only has to do with acceleration and shift performance.
I think the sport suspension is probably not needed unless you are driving really hard and doing some fast cornering. Several reviews I have seen say the regular suspension is great. Compared to a MCS, yea, it is not going to measure up, but I think it is pretty close. The all4 I drove was very tight in the corners. If need be you can always do upgrades down the line.

 

You had to make me look it up, didn't ya?

 

Hmmmm, my bad, then I was lied to by my MA. He told me the sport button
did nothing to the suspension. You would think they would know what they are talking about!

 

Mine thought it was the cigarette lighter. Then mumbled something about suspension. That's why God gave us Google.

 

The Sport button has ZERO impact on the suspension. From the Owners manual:



Engine responds more spontaneously to movements of the accelerator.
Steering response is more direct.
Cooper S: the engine sounds more sporty in coasting mode.

With automatic transmission:
More rapid gear shifting in Sport program.

 

To futher clarify, the Countryman suspension is not adjustable whether standard or Sport. There are no modes. You either have the standard suspension or the Sport suspension and must live with its characteristics 100% of the time (barring mods of course). This is not an adjustable suspension like those found on BMWs or Porsches where a press of the button (usually labeled Sport) stiffens the suspension.

Personally, I would only order the sport suspension if I intended on tracking the car or really pushing it to its limits and are willing to sacrifice ride quality on a day-to-day basis. Nothing wrong with doing that and if I didn't have to consider my wife or kids, I would probably have ordered it because I like to drive hard.

 

The Sport button changes the engine mapping which produces the burble when your foot is lifted off the go pedal, also gives quicker throttle response, also tightens the steering feel and shifting is quicker on the slushbox equipped.
It does absolutely nothing to the suspension. The MINI is not equipped with electrically adjustable struts.

 

You concern is exactly why I am waiting to try and test drive one. Since I am getting 17s with all-seasons I am thinking Sport Suspension, but if it is anything like the 2008 clubman I had with Sport Suspension and 16s, I will stick with standard. The sport suspension was ridiculously harsh on rough roads.

Since this will be the new roadtrip car replacing the VolvoXC, standard suspension will probably be fine, but I have been reading the articles too!

 

I love tight suspension on my cars and am going to also get the Sport Suspension on mine. I would rather give up comfort for handling. I may go with the Sport Package to include 18's. I'm just tossing that back and forth...have to investigate tire prices. I know there are snows available in that profile so that is a plus. I currently run performance summers and snows on my '03 S.
My wife got the standard suspension on her Countryman, due to be delivered to the dealer by Friday. I'll be curious to see the handling differences.

 

FYI - for a sport "button" to tighten up suspension you need rheostatic, electrically actuated shocks. In plain english - expensive!! No way a $500 option would cover that.

 

And i think that "sport suspensions" should be called "sport springs", isn't it ?

 

It might have larger sway bars but yeah it is usually just springs or possibly re-valved shocks.

 

This was really helpful. Thanks. I'm at peace with not opting for the sports suspension. Now I can move onto obsessing over my decision to not go for the All4 model and choosing auto over manual. I hate second-guessing my configuration decisions!

 

Let us know on the differences please! ff I had to make a decision based on the Clubman's sport suspension and its down right abusive nature on roads that weren't perfect, it would be Standard. That being said, I love sport suspensions as well and my other two cars are Sport;-) But this Countryman is going to be an all-arounder for me! Maybe, that JCW Hardtop I am thinking of....now that will be "sported" out!!!

 

You are going to have a long long couple of months! Have you driven both?
I have never tested the Steptronic. I currently have 2 cars with Dual Clutch Gearboxes and with 3 cars in my garage, all are conventional non-manuals. After always having a sporty little shifter in my garage, I can now say, I miss very much the interaction/participation of a Manual.

My 2 cents.

 

I do alot of MINI events...sport suspension, 17" Wheels, and ALL4 is a great combo

 

Thanks, I will make sure I drive that combo before I order or buy one!

 

We test drove an All4 yesterday and it didn't have sport suspension. I'm in a hurry and haven't read the entire thread but if you haven't already, download the owner's manual from the MINIUSA.com Owner's Lounge or I can send it to you if you aren't on there. In there, it tells you what the sport button does. Also, if we get a Countryman, it will be mainly for my wife and we won't get the sport suspension. It handled and road exactly how she liked it. Also, I'm on my 4th MINI and this is the only one without a sport suspension and I don't miss it. It still handles the same but a nicer ride. Oh, the sport button is the only way to motor around in the Countryman.

 

I drove all4 with automatic and definitely feel it was too cushy and not responsiveness enough. A great ride, but not something I could replace my 2002 MCS with sport suspension. Definitely need to try sport suspension on all4 to see how it feels.

 

How do you think 18's would change that ride? I'm in the same decision making mode prior to ordering...had thought I wanted 18's with sport suspension because of all the online reviews, but drove a non-sport suspension with 17's and I thought it rode well. On a back road (that was covered in snow and ice) I did large back and forth steering jerks to get the car to slide a bit and it really didn't...it kind of leaned and the tires didn't grab at all (all-seasons I think).

Would you say the ride is harsher or just more responsive?

 

My personal opinion...if I lived in the south (I'm from South Carolina...I would get 18's, sport suspension, and no ALL4...looks good, flat land, lots of curves, and no bad weather.

I live in NYC...Potholes, uneven pavement, bad drivers, bad weather...so I need to turn quick w/o flinching, speed, get over potholes w/o bending my rims, and make sure all the wheels are always on the ground.

The 17's have more cushion on the all season RFs...I will change to Non-RFs, once the RFs run out...I don't have that kind of money to keep changing bent rims like I did on my R52 (I went through 3 sets in a 6 month period) until I settled on 16's for it.

 

I went to http://www.tirerack.com to see the choices they offered for the Countryman S ALL4.

It is there - and you can select S, and either ALL4 or FWD. I chose S/ALL4. The site then shows that there are two standard sizes, 205/55-17 and 225/45-18. So far, so good.

If you ask to show the Original Equipment for the 18 inch spec, it shows the Goodyear Efficient Grip RunOnFlat (Grand Touring Summer) at $205 EACH! YOW.

But let's assume you want to find some traditional tires - you can select "View all tires this size" for the 17 inch size, and then for the 18 inch.

HOWEVER, when you do this for the 17 inch size, it comes back with no tire choices in the all-season category. Actually, there are very few options overall in this size - 2 options for "Winter/snow" and 8 choices categorized as "Summer". That's all. Perhaps other sizes will work, but this is what TireRack says.

Do the same for the 18's (view all tires this size), however, and you have many more options. 55, to be exact. 33 summer, 17 all-season, and 5 snow.

The highest score from readers in the all-season category, an 8.6 out of 10, goes to Continental ExtremeContact DWS for $142 each. DWS is for "Dry, Wet, and Snow." I have no experience with them, but the reviews are interesting reading. Dunlop SP Sport Signatures are next, 7.6, for $134 each.

I'm obviously not a tire expert, but I am a tire consumer in Nashville. I won't buy separate sets of performance and snow tires for our relatively mild winters, yet I love having tires that will respond well on the occasional rainy day, scattered snow flurries, or slick roads. Stability, god forbid, even when we get the rare few inches of real snow!

The reduced selection will likely push me toward the 18's. Just don't like so few options.

FYI!

 

Just wanted to report that I had the oportunity to drive the Countryman today. One with normal suspension and 17s and sport suspension with 18s. The sport suspension was perfect! I liked it with the 18s RFs, would be perfect with 18s and normal tires or 17sRFs would be great. Didn't like the normal suspension as it was too soft! Sport suspension was not as harsh as I remember it being in the 08 Clubman I owned.

What a blast! Open snow covered parking lot with Performance tires and DSC OFF!!! You can powerslide this car! Fun Fun Fun.

This may not be a so called MINI relative to its brothers, but it is a MINI relative to other frompy cars out there!!! Fun! Fun Fun!