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      09-17-2015, 03:00 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
If it snows I probably won't take any car out as I don't need it for work and having driven in snow it's not something I would want to do until it clears.

What if it's just heavy rain, lashing down? As long as I drive sensibly would I notice any difference driving the BMW with RWD to a Mini with FWD? Would it handle any differently, especially round corners or roundabouts (again, assuming I'm not driving too fast)?
To my experience so far, it depends on the tires a lot.

If you have good tires (I use Pzero 225 front 245 rear non-rft) it is solid (can corner faster than 90%). If it is cheap RFT (my friends 3 series luxury line 2014 prod with 205) he is all over the place, if it is good RFT (my 3 series 18" Bridgestone 225 front 255 rear) than you are solid again. Tho i always miss the Pzero's.

Last edited by Slyly; 09-17-2015 at 03:16 AM.. Reason: Learnt that it is luxury line not modern
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      09-17-2015, 03:14 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
If it snows I probably won't take any car out as I don't need it for work and having driven in snow it's not something I would want to do until it clears.

What if it's just heavy rain, lashing down? As long as I drive sensibly would I notice any difference driving the BMW with RWD to a Mini with FWD? Would it handle any differently, especially round corners or roundabouts (again, assuming I'm not driving too fast)?
No, you will not notice any difference, unless you go fast enough to start sliding. If you are not comfortable with sliding, I recommend leaving the stability control enabled, and the car will prevent you from doing anything wrong.
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      09-17-2015, 03:55 AM   #25
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Ok thanks Slyly & Ovekvam.

Slyly - I don't really know here in the UK which are good RFT and which are not. My Cooper S has them, and I don't notice any problems apart from the fact that the general ride is harsh and hitting potholes or uneven ground results in the car sometimes 'jumping' to the side as a result. I've learned to compensate for this but I cannot really relax as such.

I don't know which RFT the Mini takes but I'll probably be replacing them in the next 2 months as the MOT garage who passed the car advised me that they would need replacing as the tread was just about ok when the MOT was done earlier this year.

Is there a common consensus as to what are 'good' RFT for BMW and Mini?

Ovekvam - I don't know how to slide! I'll have the traction control on. Do you think it's a good idea to do an advanced driver's day to learn how to control a RWD car in the wet/ice?
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      09-17-2015, 04:06 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
Ovekvam - I don't know how to slide! I'll have the traction control on. Do you think it's a good idea to do an advanced driver's day to learn how to control a RWD car in the wet/ice?
There is no need to do this in a modern car, but on the other hand it is great fun. I really enjoy that kind of driving, and go every winter to spend at least one weekend on a frozen lake with dedicated ice racing tracks for playing with the car.

What you can do yourself, is to brake very hard on a rainy day just to get familiar with the feel of the ABS kicking in. Some people get scared by the pedal vibration and strange noises, and let go of the brake pedal. The correct action in a panic situation is to just keep braking and steering, and let the car take care of the rest.

If you go to hard on the throttle, the car will simply ignore it.
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      09-17-2015, 04:12 AM   #27
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Thank you! I'll remember what you said about carrying on braking and steering if I lose control. I remember driving my Mini one night in a bit of ice and finding the car was skidding when I came to a set of traffic lights. I wasn't going fast at all and it just managed to stop in front of the 3 series in front. That time I took my foot off the brake when it was skidding.

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Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
There is no need to do this in a modern car, but on the other hand it is great fun. I really enjoy that kind of driving, and go every winter to spend at least one weekend on a frozen lake with dedicated ice racing tracks for playing with the car.

What you can do yourself, is to brake very hard on a rainy day just to get familiar with the feel of the ABS kicking in. Some people get scared by the pedal vibration and strange noises, and let go of the brake pedal. The correct action in a panic situation is to just keep braking and steering, and let the car take care of the rest.

If you go to hard on the throttle, the car will simply ignore it.
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      09-17-2015, 04:24 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
Ok thanks Slyly & Ovekvam.

Slyly - I don't really know here in the UK which are good RFT and which are not. My Cooper S has them, and I don't notice any problems apart from the fact that the general ride is harsh and hitting potholes or uneven ground results in the car sometimes 'jumping' to the side as a result. I've learned to compensate for this but I cannot really relax as such.

I don't know which RFT the Mini takes but I'll probably be replacing them in the next 2 months as the MOT garage who passed the car advised me that they would need replacing as the tread was just about ok when the MOT was done earlier this year.

Is there a common consensus as to what are 'good' RFT for BMW and Mini?
Basically what i was referring to as a "good" rft was the base-width of the tire.

The luxury line 3 series has 205 base-width on all 4 while M line 3 has 225 front and 255 rear. Bigger base-width means better handling (it also means less power since more width will mean more traction of the tires meaning more power needed to get on moving but that is whole another topic).

I usually read reviews online regarding the tires and buy my set accordingly.

Forexample, for non-rft's, i have read that the Michelin Pilot Super Sports have been chosen as the best and Pirelli P-Zero as second for performance summer tires. For winter tires it is Nokian for sure (i use them on my BMW as well).

So, what i am trying to say is, a bit of online research will reveal you the strengths and weaknesses of tires and you can choose accordingly (for example a tire that can grip like hell but that skids on wet will not help you except track days).
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      09-17-2015, 05:06 AM   #29
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Well, there's not a lot of specific advice for the Cooper S - most threads show people who have completely ditched runflats for non RFT. I'm ok sticking with them, but still not sure which ones would be best. Bridgestones seem to have good feedback.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slyly View Post
Basically what i was referring to as a "good" rft was the base-width of the tire.

The luxury line 3 series has 205 base-width on all 4 while M line 3 has 225 front and 255 rear. Bigger base-width means better handling (it also means less power since more width will mean more traction of the tires meaning more power needed to get on moving but that is whole another topic).

I usually read reviews online regarding the tires and buy my set accordingly.

Forexample, for non-rft's, i have read that the Michelin Pilot Super Sports have been chosen as the best and Pirelli P-Zero as second for performance summer tires. For winter tires it is Nokian for sure (i use them on my BMW as well).

So, what i am trying to say is, a bit of online research will reveal you the strengths and weaknesses of tires and you can choose accordingly (for example a tire that can grip like hell but that skids on wet will not help you except track days).
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      09-17-2015, 05:28 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slyly View Post
Forexample, for non-rft's, i have read that the Michelin Pilot Super Sports have been chosen as the best and Pirelli P-Zero as second for performance summer tires. For winter tires it is Nokian for sure (i use them on my BMW as well).
Having tested winter tyres from Dunlop, Continental, Michelin, Nokian, Pirelli, Gislaved and Bridgestone, my favourite is the Michelin Xi3. I like the way the sipes lock together under load, and makes the tread more stable. The Nokian tyres have a softer tread that hurts steering response, and the stability system kicks in too early.
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      09-17-2015, 05:43 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
Having tested winter tyres from Dunlop, Continental, Michelin, Nokian, Pirelli, Gislaved and Bridgestone, my favourite is the Michelin Xi3. I like the way the sipes lock together under load, and makes the tread more stable. The Nokian tyres have a softer tread that hurts steering response, and the stability system kicks in too early.
I have used bridgestone on my 3 and nokian on my 1. Nokian was WR D3 with 205 width. They were better than Bridgestones for me on snow. But that is my personal preference
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      09-17-2015, 06:04 AM   #32
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There are several categories of winter tyres. The Nokian WR is a high speed tyre made for Autobahn use. The winter tyres I use are softer tyres made for more extreme conditions in Scandinavia, so for me, the relevant Nokian tyre would be the R2. The high speed tyres are simply not grippy enough on ice.
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      09-17-2015, 09:05 AM   #33
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I've read that BMW Adaptive Suspension really helps with ride quality - was this an option with all F20 series cars?
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      09-17-2015, 09:23 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy View Post
I had plenty of time to look at the turning rear wheels of the BMW in front of me.
Provided no extreme conditions (hard ice, snow, slope), it must have been summer tyres combined with the driver's poor skills. Just this simple.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy View Post
I could see the traction control kicking in, basically stopping any power going to the rear wheels. Then after some time, traction control would ease off, the rear wheels would begin to slip, the rear end of the car would marginally begin to slip away due to the camber of the road, then traction control cuts back in.
The manual suggests DTC for slippery conditions. I always drive in Sport+ (it implies DTC). When breaking out of a snow trap I use "DSC Off".

Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy View Post
Why mate?
It looks ridiculously exaggerated. Especially on the first picture that literally illustrates the TG quote. You haven't nearly justified the truck's extreme off-road capabilities either with the pictures or text. It looks like a manifest of your ego being "higher than the highest mountain" (as much above average as the truck is above the car in the first picture). No offence.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy View Post
Well, to make it may be clear: I don't mean any magic, of course. It's not an off-road car.

Yet, my worries about winter driving proved quite void. I'd even thought of snowchains/bracelets but had no need for those yet. In two winters already I haven't had much trouble getting the car out of the snow up to or even higher than the vehicle bottom line (parked in the street, some snowfall): not too much of a shovel work compared to my previous FWDs. And yes, on a motorway, I sometimes feel the speed is risky when it comes to turning or braking, although comfortable otherwise.

Last edited by No one; 09-17-2015 at 10:27 AM..
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      09-17-2015, 09:39 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
I've read that BMW Adaptive Suspension really helps with ride quality - was this an option with all F20 series cars?
Yes. But it is a matter of personal preference if it actually helps with the ride quality. I personally don't like the adaptive comfort mode, as the shocks feel too soft for the springs. Makes the car very bouncy.
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      09-17-2015, 11:32 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine
I've read that BMW Adaptive Suspension really helps with ride quality - was this an option with all F20 series cars?
As far as I know, it is an option for all F20s in most markets. I think it is a worthwhile option; it's a relatively low cost means of giving you ride flexibility, and I find the comfort setting great for low speed running around on poorly maintained urban streets.
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      09-17-2015, 10:10 PM   #37
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Comfort means different things to different people. Comfort mode on the adaptive suspension doesn't seem as well-matched to the springs at low speeds over larger bumps, however it does reduce the shock and jiggle over small bumps in town so I think most people would sense it as more ''comfortable''.

I have a couple of car enthusiast passengers who switch my car into Sport as soon as they sit down as they dislike the float and extra rebound phase the car has over speed humps etc.

I do find though that at speed the match is better so sometimes use Comfort on very badly surfaced country roads or Motorways but almost always use Sport in town and on any reasonably smooth road.

Having non RFTs does assist with small bump compliance with my car and I should add that fitting Continental CSC5 non-RFTs to my wife's car (320d E91 replacing CSC2 RFTs) has made a big difference to the ride and grip levels, improved steering feel and made the breakaway much much more progressive.
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      09-18-2015, 02:57 AM   #38
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I think anything would be more comfortable after driving a Mini

I'll ask the tyre company that I use which brand of RFT they recommend - this would be for year round use in all types of 'normal' weather. Hoping we don't get much snow or ice this winter.
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      09-22-2015, 11:23 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
If it snows I probably won't take any car out as I don't need it for work and having driven in snow it's not something I would want to do until it clears.

What if it's just heavy rain, lashing down? As long as I drive sensibly would I notice any difference driving the BMW with RWD to a Mini with FWD? Would it handle any differently, especially round corners or roundabouts (again, assuming I'm not driving too fast)?
No difference in driving slow. Driving really fast the FWD understeers and you can drive off the road. No problem with RWD with stability control on.
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      09-22-2015, 11:26 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
I've read that BMW Adaptive Suspension really helps with ride quality - was this an option with all F20 series cars?
That's perfect for occasional bad roads.
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      09-22-2015, 11:37 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
I think anything would be more comfortable after driving a Mini

I'll ask the tyre company that I use which brand of RFT they recommend - this would be for year round use in all types of 'normal' weather. Hoping we don't get much snow or ice this winter.
That's an option if you don't need to drive.

Tires are the most important factor and I have three sets of tires; summer, winter and mild winter/fall.
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      09-22-2015, 11:41 PM   #42
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Bmw with proper winter tires drives circles around a truck in the snow. I've yet to drive a truck that drives well. If you appreciate agility, speed and nice handling in the snow, get a RWD Bmw.
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      12-26-2015, 12:02 PM   #43
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I have a 120i m sport ... sport suspenssion .. 17" run flats .. and i live in a place filled with bumps and holes in the road ... I think the ride with those specs is pretty good and comfortable ...
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      12-28-2015, 04:49 AM   #44
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I drive a M135i in China (non-adaptive) - so take my word for it when I say the suspension is superb!
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