Hi all,

Had another test drive over at South Bay Mini. Salesman Paul Sapienza was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain everything. This time I drove a cooper(non-turbo) with a manual transmission. What a difference from the automatic! I loved it. I know the turbo is awesome, but I am looking at the cooper for great gas mileage. There seems to be a lot of buzz around getting the run flat tires. I would like to get the best ride I can. What would you all suggest, stay with the 15's or get the 16's(sport package)? For those who are leasing their Mini's, I wanted to know if there are any additional costs or is the estimator fairly close to what you pay monthly?

PS: Also saw the new spice orange color in the showroom. Very nice! May order one in that color.

Thanks. Happy driving.

 

175/65-15 tires provide the best ride and mileage.

 

I wouldn't worry about the S getting worse gas mileage. It's "estimated" that the S only gets 1 mpg less than the Cooper.

But yeah, 15s would get you the most comfortable ride.

 

175/65-15 = 38.2 mpg
205/50-16 = 34.7 mpg

Same car, same driver, same hilly terrain, same gas, same tire pressures. 2200 miles on each set. YMMV.

 

If #1 concerns are MPG, ride comfort, orange color and payments - than a base Clubman at $215 a month can't be beat. Just remember offers change every month, and you can't lock-in this months offers on an ordered vehicle.

Best mileage is a Justa.

Spice orange has been offered in years past, I like it too.

Financing to buy right now is 0.9% - much better deal in the end than a lease.

If you get an S, switching out the run-flats will make it ride better - we did - see my sig.

Best possible ride is a Justa Clubman with it's 15 inch standard tires with a spare onboard and longer wheel base and more weight.

The seats also play a role - S seats with high bolsters have less padding under your buttocks.

 

If you want the "best ride/mileage" I would avoid the run flats and the sport package - which you can do on the Cooper. I've had four BMWs before my MINI and I always thought the sports package was a must. However, with the roads deteriorating as they have been the last number of years the run-flat/sports package combo has definitely become less desirable, in my opinion. Not only is the ride rough but thinner run-flats are VERY prone to damage. That said - based on consultation with my tire guy (I've practically put his children through school) - I got my S with 16" run flats and no sports package. Even at that I'm really surprised at how stiff it feels, especially on the highway. Not a criticism, but it feels like every little bump is transmitted from the road - in a slightly harsher way than any BMW I've had with sports package.

Run flats are very stiff. They do their job, but I've replaced a bunch of them over the past few years for very minor impacts. (These were 18" and 19" runs, though.) Base MINI suspensions are stiff as it is. If you're not craving max handling performance I think you'd be in good shape with 15 or 16" non-RFTs and non-sports package. My 2 cents.

 

Best ride and economy would be from the narrowest 15's. I had an automatic base MINI loaner for several days and my average fuel economy was maybe .5-1 MPG higher than my manual S (30-31 MPG). This was just driving as I normally do, not trying to beat on the loaner or anything.

If you can resist putting your foot down, the S does offer great mileage and isn't too far behind a non-S. On the other hand, all my automatic S loaners have gotten mid-20s MPG.

 

215/45-17 = 33 mpg

 

Thank you all for your feedback. It is truly appreciated. I will go with the 15's minus the sports package on the regular cooper. The turbo is very nice, but I don't want to spend the extra money and it would just be a waste since I do a lot of stop and go driving along with short distances. Wonder if that will be a problem since the Mini appears to be more of a sports car. I know the turbo has gotten better over the years, but I prefer a less complicated engine. In addition, I am not a speedster. Believe it or not, I drive according to the posted speed limit. Guess that makes me a true rouge. LOL