Hi all,

So I got a good deal on a used set of 16" MINI OEM wheels from a friendof mine. He said it came off a MINI. Now I just realized the tires onthem are 205/55-16. I believe oem is 195/55-16 so normally to go widerit should be 205/50-16. Right now my wheels are 'holie' 15" with175/65-15 on them, for comparison.

From the tire calculator:

205/55-16:
3.8% larger circumference than my current 175/65-15
1.75% larger circumference than OEM 195/55-16

Are the new set of tires OK? Or I really should sell the tires and get a proper 195/55-16's ?

Thanks for your advices.

 

that size should fit, especially if you have stock suspension

the trade-off is the taller sidewall (compared to a 205/50R16) will cut performance (effectively a taller final gear and more sidewall flex under load)
but if you aren't going for a new track record, i don't think it is a big deal, and it saves money, in fact the ride should be nicer (i recently went from 205/45R16 to 205/50R16) and might even improve your mpgs a tad

 

The taller tires will make your speedometer read lower for any given true speed, but the MINI speedometer is famous for reading too high from the factory, so your speedometer might actually end up being more accurate with the taller tires.

Your odometer will read slightly too low with the taller tires, though.

 

i run this size on my s . i went from 17 inch 205 45 's to 16 inch 205 55's . the size is actually a little smaller than stock 17 size . the wheels are 15 lbs . so performance for me increased . plus my teeth stay in now . you should be fine . if you got gps you can check your speedo .

 

Thanks for the replies. I think the tires ended up being less than 1/2" larger in diameter than my current ones. Will try them on this week and see how it handles. I don't see any issues w/ fitments. Plenty of clearance around the wheels.

 

Do give a report on how you like them, and good luck! It'd be nice to have an economical alternative... you may want to check some of the posts in the wheel & tire forum as well.