Oost, have you driven a mini using all-season tires? We're supposed to get a very bad winter here in the GTA so I'm a bit concerned if I should have went with winter/summer tire package instead... Granted I actually don't drive to and from work as I work at home, so that may not be an issue.
This is me talking after giving up a 4x4 SUV that was fantastic in the winter.. but I do remember driving a tiny hyundai accent hatch in winter and the thing did fantastic on all seasons... I guess I will find out.
Hey Thunder,
I wish I could go with "all" seasons but my experience is that they are only for every season if you live in New Mexico. They don't handle the cold, or snow or ice very well at all. If you don't drive much in the winter, you might be ok. But if you have to drive in any weather, I highly recommend WINTER tires. As for experience, I drove my previous MINI (R55s) through 4 Toronto winters including last year's ice storm. I did that with winter tires. Early in the season, when I hadn't changed tires yet I got caught in a light snow storm and could barely keep the wheels from spinning. The performance tires that come with your MINI don't have the flexibility at cold temperatures nor do they release snow and ice from the threads like winter tires do. Braking distance is greatly improved with winter tires in winter conditions. Even with winter tires, you can get stuck, but your chances are greatly diMINIshed.
If you decide to opt out of winter tires, you need to rethink your driving style. Allow more room to stop, ease the throttle when starting off (use the green mode too), drive much slower and take corners with a lot of care. Assess a hill BEFORE trying to climb it, especially on Toronto's often under-cleared side streets. Keep the number of CAA handy and don't be afraid to leave the car at home when it snows.
I would highly recommend winter tires, they will greatly enhance your driving experience as well as extend the life of your regular tires. The cost of them can be spread over 3 or 4 seasons. Downsides; they aren't cheap, especially run flats on their own rims, and that you may have storage issues. But I do feel that for safety's sake they are well worth it. If you go with them, make sure you buy a brand that works at higher speeds and is designed to compliment the performance aspects your MINI.
Just my opinion,
Oost
For your consideration;
http://www.apa.ca/WinterTires2011-Performance.asp