Brakes Wheels 2nd Gen Tires Most liked posts in thread: Recommended Tires - 2007 R56 Mini Cooper S

I use Pilot Super Sports-215/45 17's. They're a great tire, but like most high performance summer tires you're lucky to get 2 years out of them if you daily your car. I've also heard good things about StarSpecs as a good summer performance tyre and Conti's for all season tires. Anything is better than run rocks. I keep a little compressor in the boot in case of a flat and a can of fix-a-flat (they make a type that's safe for tpms sensors) and my tire shop guys say they have no issue cleaning it out if I use it, your plan will work as well.

 

Try www.tirerack.com They have quite a selection from which to choose, as well as customer ratings and their own tests with other similar tires and driving conditions..

 

I would also suggest steering away from all-seasons.
And check with your car insurance, for us it's less than $5/month to have towing assistance. But you also don't need a Michelin to have fun in these cars. How's the climate by you?
That could help narrow down choices too.

 

For my S, I run Nitto Neo Gens. They are an excellent rain tire and are listed as all seasons, but have a tread wear rating of 280, so a lot of sites list them as summer tires. I run them everyday, on the track and on twisties, as well. They stick like glue in all conditions, at least for me and I do not run them in snowy conditions although I guess they would be okay in a pinch. They have been a great late Spring, Summer and early Fall tire and I plan to get another set this year.

Try this addy: www.discounttiredirect.com if you may be interested in these tires. The pricing and selections are good, and they ship for free.

 

Meant to say steer away from run-flats (worst typo ever)... I've also heard several people say they don't ride nice. If I lived in a climate where I could use summer tires year round, I would. But a high performance all-season is likely going to last longer.

 

If you drive in a lot of heavy rain all-seasons will work better than summer performance tires.

If you want ultimate grip the summer tire would be the choice.

If you want an all rounder all-seasons would be better. Note that all-season tires suck in the snow so at best they are 3 season tires.

I'd go 205-50-16 in what ever tire you choose.

Welcome to M/A

 

205/50/16's will give you a nice soft ride and be quite. Less tire and road noise.

 

It can be confusing. Tire threads are like oil threads everyone seems to have a different want & like.

I recommend 205-50-16 because there are many more choices in tires of that size over the oem size of 195-50-16. I ran 205-50-16 on my R53 & now run them on my wife's clubster. For me that size just works. As they say your wants needs & MPG may not be the same.:wink:

My thought is since your car is a daily driver & not something you track all-season tires will work perfectly for you.

 

But a set of Conti ExtremeContact DW or Conti Extremecontact Sport will blow most all season
tires out of the water in heavy rain.

 

I have no experience with those so can't give my opinion.

 

Make sure to keep up on the rotations. That's one reason tires get loud. Enjoy the quiet solitude.

 

We DO try to be helpful....:ihih:

 

I have a 2007 MCS, too.

I have a set of Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 all-season tires that were rated second to some Michelins on TireRack.com. I live in Dallas, but the rest of my family lives in Houston, and I lived in Port Arthur for 8-years. These tires are excellent in the rain. That was my main reason for choosing them. Plus, they were half the price of the Michelins.

Mine are 215/45ZR17 in size.

I have a tire plug kit that I keep in the car. If I have a blowout, or a sidewall puncture, I'll call a tow truck. The extra price of run-flats is much more than the cost of a tow truck.

CD