Not sure if this is the right place to post this... I am looking for some input on what other people have used. I am looking for an awesome summer only set of tires. I want them to have decent tread life and awesome wet traction and of course superior dry traction. The mini is just a fun car for me, may see some track time.( I will run different tires on the track) But always spirited driving! Ive had Continental DSW on my Audi and hated them. Put Pirelli Cinturato P7 on and the difference was insane! So far I am leaning towards Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Let me know what you guys have tried and liked!
Yes on the Michelins. Others may be of a different opinion on them, but these will be my MINI's birthday present in the Spring of 15.
Dunlap Star Spec or Hankook V12's best values for the money. Michelin is overpriced IMHO for the cost.
You compared the all season to a summer tire (DSW all season P7 summer) So of course the difference will be there. The P7 only last half the time too. I know a number of MINI drives run the DW and like them. I'll be watching for the feedback as well.
I really like my Nitto Neo Gens. I've seen them listed as all seasons AND summer tires. They have gone Dragon-slaying and to Mid Ohio for track days. I put them on in April just before leaving for MOTD and they come off in late October, right after the last BMW CCA hpde at Mid Ohio. The car is my daily driver. The tires are fantastic in the rain as well as in dry weather...rated W. When they ever do wear out, I'll be getting another set.
I have these currently... Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position. Have run the Pilot Super S#!+$ in the past... totally not worth the money. Have also run the Continental ExtremeContact DW... I'd take the Bridgestone or the DW over the Michelins. Those michelins broke loose in the corners more then either of the other two. All three are fantastic in the rain. But will scare the fecal matter into your pants once you get close to the wear bars.
I had Conti DW's on my GTI, and loved them for the most part, but the sidewalls were a little soft for such a heavy car like the GTI. On a lighter car like the Mini, they'd probably be great. I currently have a set of Yokohama Advan AD08Rs, and they're fantastic... but also only 180 treadwear.
First you need to decide on what tire wear you want and what size tire. There are some great tires in the 180 to 200 tire wear rating category (such as BFG Rival or Dunlop ZII Star Spec) but these will wear faster and are not always great in the rain. Many people jump up to the 300 tire wear range for daily drivers to get a little better wear out of the tires. I just went from Hankook V12 to Michelin Pilot Super Sport (PSS). Both were size 215/40-18 size. I like the Michelin PSS much better. The Hankook's had very soft sidewalls that rolled over during Auto-X even with a lot of air pressure. I have not Auto-Xed the Michelin PSS yet but so far they feel better on spirited driving on dry roads. The Michelin's also fell better on wet roads.
Running the michelins on two cars. I love those tires. Very sticky on a perfect day, and versatile enough the rest of the year (except winter temp! below 40-45°F). So far they wear evenly (maybe 6-7k miles on them). Probably the best tires I have drove on. I can't comment on the Conti or the Bridgestone though in comparison. Michelins are really smooth too and run true... a huge improvement over the run flats that came with the car. They love smooth pavement . . . which in western PA isn't a frequent event around these parts of the world :frown2:
Michelins are over rated even the Super Sports (whatever version they are on now) If you want your car to ride like your grandfather old Buick get Michelins. If you want the best in grip, hands down this best Summer tire: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Direzza+ZII+Star+Spec&partnum=145WR7Z2SS&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes
My 2¢ Had the Conti DW and while they weren’t bad, I wasn’t overly impressed as they felt like they had more squirm compared to other brands I’d tried in the past: Hankook, Falken RT615T, etc. on my GTIs and R32 before getting the MINI. Am guessing that the sidewalls weren’t as stiff. The DW also wore fairly rapidly too. Am on my third set of Pilot Super Sports and am pleased. Tread life is not great, but the 30K mile warranty helps offset the cost. Head to head, I prefer the Michelins over the Contis for my car and how I drive it. I’ve run each set to the treadwear bars and didn’t notice a degradation in performance in the dry. When worn this much, they aren’t great in the monsoons we get here from time to time. I’ve no personal experience, but have heard others rave about Dunlop Direzza ZII. Michelins look to be lighter than all but the Conti DW. IMHO: Many of us aren’t of the caliber of driver to be able to squeeze out the last bit of performance from any of the tires mentioned. It comes down to a preference in how a tire feels and how well you can rationalize the big a hole they make in your wallet.
I have a set of the Conti DW on after the factory Dunlop rf were toast after 20k. For the price they seem worth it. I'm sure there are other tires out there with better habits but I will buy another set when these wear out.
Just put a set of Conti Extreme Contact DWS on the Helmet. I absolutely hate them and can't wait to replace them in the spring. Squirmy, soft sidewall and now the coupe tramlines constantly.