Hi,

I simply love my '08 manual Chili-Red/Black MCS. Sadly, I can't seem to find enough time to drive it. When I do drive it, I seem to want to just race around the traffic I find myself in.

Consequently I'm finding my NYC mileage, thus far, to be around 18mpg.
Can I expect this to get better as I move past my break-in period? I only have about 120 miles so far.

Further, I'm finding the 16" run flats to be rather challenging to get used to....they feel pretty harsh. Of course, I'm coming from an SUV so I'm not sure how much I can expect. Is it simply the run-flats, or the tougher suspension of the Cooper-S? So although I got a 3 year warranty...I wonder how long it will take for me to either get used to them, or bite the bullet for regular tires.

Lastly, I'm going to be swapping out my basic 16" wheels. I'm considering the "OZ Superturismo GT-16"" from TireRack.

Any thoughts on these wheels from Mini owners for use with run-flats or regular tires? From what I understand from Tirerack they are compatible
with the the tire monitoring system.

Will appreciate any replies.

 

run flats are hard. get normal 17"s

 

I agree. When I had run flats on my MCS, I felt like I was driving on marbles going around the corners. I switched out the 16's that came on the car for 17's with non run flats...couldn't be happier.

 

Even staying with the 17's, and getting normal tires is a huge improvement. Just go to Target (or someplace similar) and get a small Slime/Compressor kit to toss in the boot.

 

Hearing other's mpg boasts can be misleading. Don't expect great mileage in the city. I get at best 25mpg overall only if I average in weekend trips out of the city in my MC. I don't really care because I'm having so much fun driving.

 

I drive about 90 miles round trip to and from work each day, and so far I've been getting pretty close to 30mpg. Most of that is on the highway though, but I would think once you settle in to not being a race car driver in the city, your mpg should get a bit higher.

Not racing around is easier said than done though. It's like your mini is saying "Come on, I know we can go faster than that guy!" They are very persuasive little buggers.

 

I just don't understand how come folks even with an MCS get 35-37mpgs. I know one guy on here who says he gets 40mpg city on his MC. I try to drive normally (not aggressively) and I can't even break 30mpg on my MCS. I for one hope that mileage goes up after break-in.

 

Not racing around is easier said than done though. It's like your mini is saying "Come on, I know we can go faster than that guy!" They are very persuasive little buggers.

It's true!!

 

I'm one of those guys and yes, it's true, and it is city. Now, I will say that I my car is well past break-in...and am purposely exploring what the Cooper will do mpg-wise...and the numbers are all OBC-based. Still it's pretty easy to wind up with 38 mpg...several manual R56 Cooper owners are finding this to be so. In the negative column for me is that on my normal jaunts the car only warms up about half way through the drive, and mpgs aren't so hot 'til the engine is. I took a longer route the other day, with more time driving when the engine was good and warmed up and this little beast was approaching 41 MPG!!! Frankly, this has surprised me as my '03 Cooper was getting in the low to mid 30s!!!

 

Thanks folks for the replies. How many of you who drive in the pot holed terrain of NYC still have run-flats...? I'm terribly tempted to get regular tires with my replacement wheels...but part of me wonders if my reaction to the MCS is due to the stiffer suspension.

Also does anyone have any thoughts on this wheel? I'm looking for something sturdy, with a bit of a lip...but with not an over the top bling factor or price tag.