Here's The One Change That Makes This Electric Mini Cooper SE (And Any EV) A Beast In The Snow!

[@lawnmowerdude]

There’s something strange is satisfying and intriguing watching that electric mini wiz and wur silently through the snow back-and-forth

[@JOHNJ0HN9111]

I see minis driving in snow ❄ all the time here.. my guess they are not to bad in it..

[@theycallmeabe]

“First tracks, first tracks,” I can identify with the excitement of that! Very satisfying indeed.

[@WW-wf8tu]

Yep, tires make a difference. FWD are not given enough credit these days I don't think for being adequate in the snow. (with the proper tires) I never noticed the driver side sun visor over the left shoulder before! Details like that would be fantastic to see in your reviews. 1 visor is expected, but I cannot tell you how many times 2 would have been greatly appreciated.

[@BecauseTesla]

The main downside to driving EVs in the winter is the loss of range due to cold batteries and non-factory tires, but also the EVs with strong regen braking can cause unintended sliding when you lift your foot off of the accelerator. If the roads are icy, I lower my regen brake settings to keep from sliding through intersections. I love Mini Coopers, and can't wait for them to release a newly designed from the ground up EV with more range.

[@culturedfrog7999]

Minnesota winters + my ‘03 Mini = snow plow! I don’t leave tire tracks, I leave a valley the width of the car!

[@itgoesfast2722]

I put those same tires on my Kona EV and they are amazing in the snow and especially in the wet. Huge difference between the stock and dangerous tires in the wet. My range went from 250 to 210 miles but worth the safety living in the Pacific Northwest

[@laloajuria4678]

you have snow?!

[@itgoesfast2722]

@@laloajuria4678 yes

[@ALMX5DP]

Dang 15% loss in range just from tires? I may be inclined to have two sets due to that, and allow potentially better warm weather operation and this or a dedicated set of true winter/snow tires.

[@Hooner77]

@@laloajuria4678 Why would you think the Pacific Northwest doesn't have snow? The world record for the most snow in one year is now held by Mount Baker (elevation: 10,775 feet / 3,285 meters) in Washington State, USA. The Mount Baker Ski Area reported 1,140 inches (95 feet) / 2,896 cm (29 meters) of snowfall for the 1998-99 season.

[@itgoesfast2722]

@@ALMX5DP yep, went from an average of 4.5 miles / KWh down to 3.8 miles / KWh there are other tires with better rolling resistance then these Michelin’s and better wet weather traction then the horrible factory tires, but these Michelin’s are really amazing in wet and snow. That directional tread design is the key to their performance and I would suspect the cause of their high rolling resistance….

[@yvs6663]

Electric cars aren't bad in the snow. The mix of relatively skinny tires on a heavy car with very controllable power works quite well. As for all weather tires, they r decent but also kinda expensive.

[@rossthompson4990]

Those Michelin Cross Climates are some of the best all weather tires in the business

[@cook-with-kim]

What about the Toyo Celsius? I don't know if I can get the Michelins....

[@scraps0233]

The Nokian g4 all weathers are great as well and cheaper to pick up. Some reviewers say they Handle the snow little better. I’ve had the g4s on my fwd car and they handle whatever I through at them.

[@CameronSWhitelaw]

I really want a mini as my first car they’re such nice vehicles

[@gbilton1]

I have a set of these on my 2018 MINI Countryman and they're amazing in snow and slush.

[@guntergallai9190]

Having used 2 sets of wheels/tires since 32 years here in Austria, I'll never understand this all season, all terrain thing in the US. It's like wearing the same shoes in deep snow and on the beach. And the heavier and more powerful the cars get, the worse seasonally wrong tires are. Even my 20 year old LHS is an absolute dream in deep snow on my Continental WinterContact TS850s.

[@lawnmowerdude]

Depends on where you live. Some places there is no need. I have all terrain on my truck and they do fine for 99% of my needs. Also storing a full set of tires and rim is a pain.

[@michaelbassett5105]

Austria doesn’t have a beach.

[@michaelbassett5105]

Winter tires are noisy and wear out quickly on pavement.

[@ALMX5DP]

@@michaelbassett5105 Blizzaks on our car run pretty silently (equal to all seasons, and 1 million times quieter than the Federal RS-RRs it sometimes wears), and they have lasted like 10k miles so far. Probably will replace nearer to 15k even if there's tread left just because they'd be near 7 years old by that time.

[@michaelbassett5105]

@@ALMX5DP ok so snow tires either wear out quickly or are noisy. Some actually do both.

[@carlostavaresjr958]

tires, tires, tires are the name of the game with any car. 2wd or awd or 4x4, it doesn't matter. You need tires. I prefer awd traction with the proper tire for the wather the car is going to be in. Invest in some snow tires for the winter and keep your all seasons for everything else.

[@ouch1011]

I put a set of Blizzak WS90s on my Bolt (205 width vs 215 stock) and did back to back testing on the efficiency, same route, same day. It was exactly the same with the stock eco tires and the aggressive winter tires, which I thought was impressive. The WS90s make the Bolt incredibly confident in the snow, but they don’t make up for a lack of ground clearance. If the car becomes a plow, it’s still not going to do well, but it makes the car quite safe on plowed snow, compacted snow and ice. AWD only helps you get going from a stop, it doesn’t help you turn or stop in bad weather, which is much more important.

[@Stuka87]

I put these tires on my Wife's Focus, and its done very well so far.

[@Moggster23]

I genuinely didn't know the Mini electric is based on the BMW i3 but it makes sense.

[@ALMX5DP]

I dont think the chassis is, but maybe some of the electrics or battery are shared. Edit - just got to 5:34

[@michaelbassett5105]

Get to know a good mechanic your gonna need one for either brand.

[@pantloaded]

@@michaelbassett5105 only for their combustion engines

[@michaelbassett5105]

@@pantloaded yeah true those you can actually fix. When electric stops working you just recycle.

[@erikstephens34]

I live in the snow belt in Ontario, Canada. We have dedicated winter tires for both our Volt (Yokohama IG52C tires [205/60R16]) and Bolt EV (Michelin X-Ice3 [205/60R16]). Both are absolute tanks in the snow. I've been down roads with my Volt on Winter tires that 4X4 trucks with all seasons couldn't manage.

[@michaelbassett5105]

Yeah as low as your cars are to the road you can actually drive under the snow drifts

[@erikstephens34]

@@michaelbassett5105 Pretty much. I've basically plowed through snow a foot deep. It's why I run the narrower 205 wide tires. They cut through the snow quite well.

[@tarfeef101]

If I still lived on the east coast, I'd probably keep winter+summers separate, but now that I'm on the west coast, and testing out these tires myself, I'm sticking with these. makes so much sense for ppl who definitely will get into snowy conditions, but in the same will are probably spending even more time in 10 (celsius) plus degree weather

[@Vivra_Verra____]

Had these Michelin cross climates 2 on my eGolf in upstate NY this last Winter. I was going through 8 inches of fresh powder no problem. Amazing tires especially when combined with high torque EV motors

[@garybell6098]

Up here (Canada) we run dedicated snows 🙂

[@montyzumazoom1337]

Thats awesome! Lovely fresh snow! Great vid. I'm getting my electric Mini in 2 days time and looking forward to it. This vid was an interesting find, thanks for posting this🙂

[@raymundo670]

What size tires did this car have?

[@MrMannyhw]

How bad is the range in a snow storm and parking outside in the freezing cold? Will it get stuck in super deep snow?

[@jamesv.791]

Sorry for the belated comment on this, but I just got a 2023 Mini Cooper SE last week! I'm just next door to y'all over here outside of Salt Lake City and I would love to know if you had a chance to test out the Mini with the CrossClimates on snowy mountain roads--how do they handle driving uphill / downhill in the snow? I live in a mountain neighborhood and would really like to avoid having to switch out summer / winter tires. Are the CrossClimates the tires for me? Thanks!

[@lauconsulting]

I'd love to know what tires they are using? The Mini Cooper SE has either 16" P195/55R16 or 17" P205/45R17 tires. Michelin doesn't make the Cross Country 2 in either of those sizes.

[@bgielink]

It’s the “Cross Climate 2” and you can definitely get them in P205/45R17, at least here in Europe

[@lauconsulting]

@@bgielink not here and this video was taken in Colorado. The 17” 205s start at 50 and only go up.

[@dirkheinz7284]

I stopped the video and they are 205 55 R 16....any of the US tire dealer sites I have looked at say "Load Range/Index does not meet requirements for a 2022 Mini Cooper SE". Not sure why, since the weight rating is higher than the tires they are recommending on those same sites.

[@tokslut]

The torque kills grip! But I don't get it, you are in snow country so put on winter tires...

[@wneubert2]

Yes, that's probably why they got a bad rep, torque will break the wheels free, even on dry pavement.

[@tomscala7672]

Today, March 6, 2022, The ship with our Mini Cooper SE is scheduled to dock in Georgia. AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! Thanks now in just days, I get to give my older brother a test drive and convince him to replace his 2005 Cooper S he bought new. It's going to be a good year as our Rivian R1T should arrive late summer. Range test: R1T pulls mini on a trailer until it dies and then unload the mini and see how far you go. do it here in Florida with our vehicles you bring the trailer. I can tell my wife I'm just getting them fitted for a trailer ,she'll never know!

[@johnv9854]

How long does it take for the heat to warm up without preconditioning the batteries?

[@be-golf8374]

Long time viewer first time commenter. I've had these Cross Climate 2's on my 2019 e-Golf here in Colorado since last winter and I just had to share my experience. When these tires were new, they were pretty good (coming from someone who ALWAYS runs winter tires in the winter). I would gauge them at 80-90% of the performance of a true winter tire. However, after leaving them on all year (isn't that the point of these?) and putting about 10,000 miles on them, they are horrible this winter. I mean DANGEROUSLY bad in the snow and especially ice. The tread doesn't appear to be excessively worn either. So if you happen to ever get the opportunity please test these tires after some moderate wear (You can borrow my car if you want, seriously). I can tell you this set will be my last set of these tires.

[@ALMX5DP]

Good point, some tires have dual compounds depending on tread depth. These CC2's look to have 10/32nds of tread new, but i wonder how performance would be when down to under 7-8/32nds or less.

[@michaelbassett5105]

Snow tires are like snow skis they have no use without snow.

[@ALMX5DP]

@@michaelbassett5105 they'll run fine in other conditions but at the cost of increased wear. My old job ran their fleet on winter tires all year round just to avoid having to change out due to varying conditions in Spring of Fall. They were fine to drive on (albeit a bit mushy) even in the Summer.

[@michaelbassett5105]

@@ALMX5DP were not talking about UPS drivers trucks this is everyday driving on passenger cars and trucks.

[@ALMX5DP]

@@michaelbassett5105 my old job ran Ford Fusions mostly, couple of Priuses and Dodge caravans as well.

[@wade7959]

Micheline makes great tires. There are certainly other good tires out there, but I've bought many Michelines and never been disappointed.

[@michaelbassett5105]

You speak truth Johnny!

[@lucallain5]

Not every all weather tire is the same. I had Nokian WRG4's on a Corolla and they were amazing handled the same as pure winters. This winter I tried a set of Khumo Solus 4S HA32 on my wife's Yaris and they were pure garbage below freezing. Great in the snow but literally undrivable on ice. Worst than the stock all seasons. 2 weeks later I put on a set of Pirelli Ice Zero FR pure winters and it is trully a night and day difference.

[@gregs6122]

I just blew a power steering hose doing reverse doughnuts in my 2010 Chrysler Town and Country in the snow at the hockey rink. Can’t wait to order my Ioniq 5 to see what it’s got with the rear wheel drive ;)

[@dollarzUS]

I'm thinking about getting one

[@michaelbassett5105]

Oh god that’s sarcasm right?!?!

[@ShippyJack]

You'll need four.

[@rodriguezahr]

Cool video. The CrossClimate is an excellent tire. I got a question regarding traction control, do you guys turn it completely off "pressing the bottom for more than 5 sec" or just the first stage of des a king it?

[@cook-with-kim]

Yes, I would like to know that too! I have this same car....

[@rodriguezahr]

@@cook-with-kim I e been doing some tests in snow and yes, the car becomes more aggressive on snow when traction control is completely off.

[@jamesv.791]

Great channel! Came across this video as I’m considering a Mini Cooper SE and live on a mountain just outside of Salt Lake City. Did you have a chance to drive the Mini with the CrossClimate tires on any snowy inclines / declines? How did they perform? Thanks!

[@chunkychuck]

Would love to see these tires compared to X-Ice Snows!

[@tarfeef101]

I can compare to a similarly-regarded tire (blizzaks), having had both on my 2013 lancer (2L, FWD): - both handle city-speed in-the-snow driving without much trouble - ofc you can use crossclimates in the summer, did a road trip from BC to California (so up to summer temps) a little while ago in the crossclimates, and they did great. don't wanna do that on snows - starting from a dead stop in the crossclimates I found to be a bit harder (in snow). with a hard-pack beneath me and fresh stuff on top, i had to steer+accelerate a lot to back out of my parking up at the ski hill, and more so than i'd expect from my blizzaks. in those, if the ground is flat (you didn't park in a rut), they're basically fine. haven't done in-depth testing of braking or anything, as where I'm living right now, not too much winter driving to be had (and I only got the michelins a month or two ago, partway through winter). also haven't done high-speed snow driving, up to maybe 80km/h at most, and not much snow on the ground at that point. but that's what I've noticed thus far, hope it helps

[@bfvader]

How are the RWD EVs in the snow, is there enough weight to provide decent traction? I'm trying to decide between the EV6 LR RWD and the EV6 LR AWD in Canada. Our climate is pretty mild for the most part - wondering if it's worth losing 60KM of range to go w/ the AWD

[@BadgerStoatDragon]

I think these are the only type of tires I'll ever buy.... I think Michelin outdid themselves

[@mccleaf724]

For me, it's about the weight. I've always believed that the heavier the vehicle. the more it will sink into the snow. It is a good test for you folks to explore.

[@miguelbaeza65]

Not really. I have a 2006 Accord with the same tires and the amount of grip was insane. My area got hit with the same amount of snowfall and it was a breeze going through the snow without any issues.

[@athollmcnicoll1028]

I drive my ICE Fiesta on all weather tyres all year round and they have proven invaluable so don't knock them, if want overall performance.

[@MasterChief37]

I find it amazing that you live in this environment and use junk tires, for snow like this you should have proper winter tires. I live in Norway, all season tires are allowed, we have to use winter tires.

[@shawncell1247]

i can't believe this thing actually goes in the snow , i was betting it was going to fail, all the battery's are in the back ant they wound like to see it go in much deeper snow or just up hill in snow

[@chrismadson9479]

I know this is an old video but I am thinking of buying one of these second hand. I used to have an 04 cooper S. Besides getting it going, I have never owned a better car for driving in slush ice and snow on the highway than that car. Had all season DWS continental. Worst vehicle was the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited- that thing was awful! I'm in MN BTW and would use it for a 2 mile computer. Thanks for the old vid

[@EM.1.]

Sadly the next MINI 2 door EV will be more of a Great Wall model than a BMW model as it will have most of its components made in China and built in China. There will be two(2) battery sizes and motor sizes. The exterior will be smaller with a larger interior. Hopefully, it will get AWD...

[@mchl8]

Well you did say it the cold effects the performance and longevity of any battery. OK so how would construction equipment snow plow trucks small and big function on batteries. I say electric could fit in certain applications but not all. That would decrease the footprint if you know wat I'm referring to.

[@dearbulls]

Glad yal stop doing the short vids and making this an EV channel. Looking forward to more content.

[@mistermister2085]

Why would a heavy car be bad in the snow. I'd think and ev would be great with low center of gravity beefy battery pack. Just use all seasons like everyone else in the snowbelt. Most people up here in the upper midwest don't have a dedicated set of snow tires. We do just fine. That is why we have snow plows and salt trucks.

[@ALMX5DP]

I think heavy cars just have that bit more interia and momentum which can be detrimental. They do have the benefit of possibly putting more pressure on the ground but when there isnt much friction I think the other aspects make it not as desirable.

[@michaelbassett5105]

Physics...heavier object take more effort to stop. Which is why you see 18 wheeler killing whole family because they overloaded.

[@9bar7and9bar8]

Have these tyres on my wife's Merc. Superb tyre. We won't ever put anything else on. Who cares about range loss in the snow ! Who the hell is going to drive approx 100miles in the snow.

[@mikecee3058]

Thank goodness I don't live where it snows and I don't drive a tiny battery operated car.

[@dragonlair9469]

snow and ice traction/performance is all about the tires. Front wheel drive is better than rear wheel and all wheel drive is better than both. These are indisputable. And none of these matters if you drive like an idiot.

[@10cpaul]

I hate traction mode!

[@balloon7952]

Hello

[@JohnTaylor-hr8vy]

How can it be a copper s ? With out a turbo .let alone NO engine. When mini gos all electric . Lol mini dies

[@pantloaded]

When mini goes all electric the brand will be huge

[@markday5797]

You guys are having way too much fun. LOL NOT.

[@shawncell1247]

traction control suck's !!!

[@michaelbassett5105]

They need to give this shitbox to whistlindiesel for “testing purposes” at least it would be good for something.

[@jayrichards3672]

good one😂