2015 CountrymanS All4 - 4000 miles to me at purchase. First Mini. Learned a lot about importance of tires on my 2008 Passat 2.0T Komfort wagon. Winter tires on 2nd set of wheels and swapped Fall and Spring. Did not want to do that with my CM, but OEM tires won't work in Michigan winters (why I got the All4). Came with a summer performance non flat - Bridgestone Dueller Sport 225/45/18
Needless to say, my level of confidence in sales went way down, and now deciding next investment in tires/rims? OEM tires seem to be awesome performance tires in warmer climates - will probably enjoy in summer, but they are not smooth on rough surface.

So, just swap these tires out for a great set of 18 all seasons that can handle big Michigan winters? or do the whole 2 sets of tires and swapping seasonally? In each case, recommendations?

 

i run 2 sets ... summer and winter

there really is no comparison of all-seasons to winters

both my sister and i have 2012 all4s, hers with all-seasons

we went out in a snow covered (4-6 inches) parking lot to compare her tires to my winters

the plan was to go 0-30-0 mph and compare distance

turns out i could do 0-30-0-30-0-30-0 in less time and distance than my sister could go 0-30-0

we swapped cars ( to take driver out of equation) with same result ... my all4 with winter tires had so much more traction

my sister now runs winter tires too

 

i bought 16 inch mini oem euro alloy wheels from ecstuning.com and run 205/70R16 dunlop grandtrek sj6 studless ice and snow AT tires i got from tirerack.com for $83 ... got to be the most underrated winter tire

 

Bmwr606 -

Doing the swapping is with 2 sets of rims. I have sweet 2 tone rims - it just wouldn't be right to put steel rims on...suggestions on great rims at a good price?

 

these are the mini oem euro 16 inch wheels i bought from ecstuning ... 16x6.5 et46

tirerack has inexpensive wheels but i am mot sure if they have 16s for the cm

 

+1 on running 2 sets. I do this even with an AWD car. I've run all seasons for several winters before and they just never really did as good as a set of really good winter tires. Tire rack as a good wheel and tire combo HERE for a full set of wheels and winter tires. OR, just get a set of winter tires and have them put on your wheels when it comes time for winter. This is what I do, but some people like having 2 separate sets.

 

My CM came with 18" summer performance tires. I am deciding whether to get a 2nd set of wheels, or just winter tires on current wheels. Should I stay with 18's for the winter tire, or go with 17's, or other? I am assuming if I choose other than 18, I will need new wheels/rims?

 

It just depends on how much you're wanting to spend on tires. 18" winter tires will be more expensive than 17's. Also, people typically go with a second set of winter wheels so that they aren't worried about their summer wheels getting damaged/scratched up. If you decide against the 18" tires, you'll need to get a set of wheels and tires. Tire rack does a pretty cool deal where you can buy a set of winter wheels and winter tires for a decent price. I have a friend that went this route and it worked out pretty well for him. Check it out HERE. I typically stick with 2 sets of tires and one set of wheels because I have another set of wheels that are my track wheels/tires. But my stock wheels are 17's and the price for a set of tires is much cheaper so this doesn't bother me with having to dismount and mount new tires when winter comes.

 

Countryman CooperS - came with sweet wheels - 18" alloy wheels, Twin Spoke Black Burnished. Looking for what in winter. Thanks for tip on Tirerack deals, Pelicanparts.

Now, what is difference between 16" and 17" performance (I know price is related to size)?

 

You're welcome. If you're looking for a winter tire, there really isn't a performance difference between the two. I'd maybe stick with 17" for the wheels as you will probably find a wider variety of tires available. 16's might also look a little funny on the Countryman. The larger the rim diameter and the wider the wheel, the more the tires will cost. A good winter tire that I recommend and have preferred over any other brand I've used in the snow is Bridgestone Blizzak. They sure do grip!

 

i went with 16 inch wheels and 205/70 winter tires specifically to get the tallest possible sidewall to protect the wheels from potholes

turns out 16 winter tires are very cheap compared to 17 or 18 ... i paid $83 ea

the 205/70R16 tires are 27.3 inch OD vs the oem 225/45R18 OD of 25.9 inch, or 1.4 inches taller or 0.7 inches more ground clearance

 

Have decided on 17 Winter - new rims & tires. And with all the warnings that came on yesterday with my OEM tires and 1 inch of snow, I am late to the party!! Now, between RF Pirelli Zotozero II or the new Zottozero III is the question. I guess I need to stick with the RF concept, as I just have no spare and don't want to rig one up. An

Any opinions on these as a performance winter tire - I want to extend the tire a bit past just winter, as we have a lot of dry road days in our winters in the Great Lakes. Blizzaks are great - have had 2 pair on VWs, but too noisy for this Mini I expect.