This Comment was made on a Bimmer forum in response to my post indicating my interest in the mini roadster. I presently drive the 135 i...
The respondent has a mini convertible, a Bimmer , and another car . He says that the mini's ride is the roughest he has ever had in a sports car
... Cringes when he sees a bump... And since it will be my only car, he suggests that I give it much thought before buying the mini roadster. Can any of you comment about this? Any experience with Bimmers to make comparisons ?

 

Does it ride like my parents 330ci, no, but I don't consider that a sports car even with the top that drops. Does it drive like a sports car? Yes...if you have sports suspension on that sports car. Does it feel like the suspension on an M3? not the ones I've ridden in, but then again those cars cost twice as much...thus you pay for more premium suspension parts.

Honestly, I don't think it's bad at all, I've ridden in much worse. It IS stiff, but any good handling car should be. If you're worried, don't get the sports suspension....it's not much stiffer, but enough to notice. The only other component is that it's lightweight....thus it will be affected more from bumps than a heavy car. But if you want rough, drive around in a Jeep Wrangler....LOL

IMO, the person is just a complainer. If I wanted just ride quality, I'd get a Jag or a Rolls........or an old 70's Lincoln! LOL

 

Comparing a MINI to a BMW is just plain silly, like comparing a room at the Waldorf Astoria to a room at the holiday Inn. Both have a bed and a bathroom. But one cost a whole lot more. If you want a smooth riding 2 seater you're going to spend a whole lot of money and it won't be nearly as much fun to drive. The MINI without the sport suspension is a smoother ride than a Fiat 500 Sport. I have no issue yet. Of course going over a pothole filled road is rough, but it's rough in almost any car. On a typical county road the MINI is a blast. Read the Balck Toffee thread, you'll get another point of view.

 

If ride quality is that important to you, ditch the run flat tires immediately.. simple fix!

 

I don't know about the new MINI roadster (or his convertible), but the MINI's ride is indeed somewhat firm, particularly with the sports suspension, over bumps, and with the OEM run-flat tires. Yet some don't seem to mind that. For those that do mind, there are several ways to soften the ride; switch to non-run-flats, other tire choices (e.g., going to Grand Touring tires, or to one size taller tires for more sidewall flex), and changing the not-so-great OEM shocks. The shorter the MINI's wheelbase (Roadster versus Clubman, for example), and the larger the wheel diameter (15, 16, 17, and 18" wheels have increasingly shorter tire sidewalls), the firmer the ride.

I have a BMW M3, and consider the ride of our '06 Cooper to be in the same ballpark, except for the jounces that are mostly due to the Cooper's shorter wheelbase and lighter weight. Our Cooper has OEM size 195/55/16 non-run-flat high performance A/S tires. But I might have ride complaints if we went to 17" wheels with extreme performance summer tires like the Dunlop Star Specs.

 

my .02 worth. I have owned a 7, 5 and two 3 series BMW's....The 7 was my all-time favorite ride. I also owned an 04 Cooper S until we bought the Roadster last week. The Roadster is a JCW with sports suspension and currently has the run flats. I am delighted with the ride, but maybe a lesser-than-smooth ride is what I have enjoyed most all of my life. Sure the 7 was like floating on a cloud and damned fast too, but the Roadster is as pleasing to me as was the 7 or any other BMW for that matter. I often have wondered about people who complain about a harsh ride in the Mini. I don't consider it "harsh" but rather a fun ride. The person on the BMW forum that said he cringed at a sighing of a bump....wow....in my world, 99% of the roads I travel are "bumpless" and the last 1% keeps my driving skills in check when I see a "bump". Steer around it, and enjoy doing that. Make it more fun by adding a bit more speed and then steer around the bump. Geez.....isn't this what these cars are all about? I'd enjoy taking that guy for a ride on my Side by Side ATV doing 30+ mph over basketball size rocks...now THAT is a bumpy ride.

 

I'll add my take on this, echoing what many of the others have said. I traded an 06' 330i e90 for my JCW Roadster. The Roadster doesn't ride bad per sey, it's taunt, and the short wheelbase gives you more up/down motion. I've also owned an 05' mini cabrio, the ride difference between that and the Roadster is pretty significant. I attribute that to the "new" runflats being quite a bit better. Having said that, I will eventually change them out for better rubber, better ride. I use my Roadster as my DD, love being in it. One thing you might find, driving the Mini is such an engaging experience, that I left the BMW for it. I would suggest booking a long test drive with a dealer, and see for yourself. Good luck with the decision.


-Steven

 

Echo all of the above. I got nervous about this before pulling the trigger because some of the reviews really mention this as a problem. After driving my roadster for a month now I don't see it as a problem. You do feel the road in a car like this - but that is part of the fun and the driving experience. I will probably seek out different tires when I wear out the run flats but I can live with their ride right now.

 

There's driving...then there's motoring. If you want to sit in a steel box and arrive at your destination totally uninspired then... If you want to arrive with a 'lets do that again daddy' grin then go with the roadster. But first of all, ditch the RFs (not Rat Fink, might just take him along) and pack a repair kit with compressor then go find some crooked roads. This URL will help with that. http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html

 

Everyaftnoon I drive to NYC for work have to park in the middle of an active road expansion site and cross 6 speed bumps to enter parking area.
( kept run flats because nails and debris in causing flats is a weekly occurrence for my co- workers happened to me twice in grand prix waiting for mini to arrive)
Two nights ago a coworker needed to move my car out of the way of a crane.
First thing he said is Wow the suspension is great .

 

It's not the ride, it's the DRIVE...