Hey guys,

Just rolled 20k and my tires are looking due for replacement. I want to go the non runflat way and was curious what folks were running. I would like a size that leaves me with a square sidewall as the factory is a bit stretched looking for my tastes. So any recommendations?

 

Pilot super sports. Fantastic all around summer tires.

 

I run 17" Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's year round. I carry a VIAIR 12V compressor, Dynaplug kit, and a can of Slime. A toasted sensor is better than waiting for a rollback on some lonely, twisty backroad in Deliverance County! Smoother quieter ride, longer tire life, and better handling in inclement weather. Run them on my other toys as well. Great tire.

 

the AS3 would be good in areas where you need cold weather performance but down here in TX we can pretty much run summers year round

 

My trouble seems to be finding tires in brands that I've used before. I tend to sway towards Nitto due to usual local availability and previous good experiences. On my old 335i I ran Nitto Invo or NT05 and on my e30 use to run Nitto Neogens.

For the Mini I wanted something along the lines of performance tire, but I have to be wary of something with a super stiff sidewall. I need something with a little give for all the divots, holes, drops, and missing pavement that passes as a public road down here. The second requirement is a tire that isn't hard to source as I do travel a lot (see sig). The Pilot Sports I can't seem to source in the size I'm looking for (215/40/18).

 

That seems to be a really odd size. Tire Rack doesn't have anything in that size.

 

Whoops that's suppose to be 215/40/18!

 

see link:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

also, having used Invos myself, the MPSS is miles better in pretty much every way.

 

Here's all the Max Performance Summer tires in that size that Tire Rack has survey info on:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...=true&filter=y


The Michelin PSS is at the top of that heap.

 

What tires were you running originally (OEM)? My MINI came with the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT XL 205/45R17 88W and I agree that they look a little "rounded" and stretched to the rim - not a fan.

 

I have had various brands of 215/40-18 tires on my car. I currently have Michelin Pilot Super Sports. These have been the best so far.

 

What are everyone's thoughts on a 225/40/18? Would there be a danger of rubbing? There are lots of choices in that size as well.

 

225/40-18 would be pretty wide for a 7" wide wheel but OK for a 7.5" wheel. Are you running a stock 18x7 wheel? Rubbing would depend on the wheel width and offset. What do you have? Forexample my stock Gen1 GP wheel is 18x7 with 52 offset.

 

I'd be getting new wheels. I have 17s right now. Just planning.

 

Old thread, but in case it helps… I'll give a +1 on the Pilot Super Sports for their performance, but in terms of tire life I've got about 10k on my set and they're going to need replacing really soon.

I think of tires as consumables, but that's still pretty quick! Although I admit I did do one track day on them when they were new, which took them down some.

 

I run Pilot Super Sports as well. Love them. They do wear a little faster, but that's to be expected in a softer compound "stickier" tire. It also depends on your driving habits too of course. But they do have a 30,000 mile warranty, so if you are running them down at 10k, I'd be taking them in to get some new ones at a pro-rated price.

 

I like the Conti ExtremeContact DW. Excellent ride quality, low noise, great wet performance, light weight and priced right.

With all things, there are trade offs. Since I prefer a quieter and more compliant ride w/ good wet weather perf, I selected the Contis. May not match the Pilot's on the bleeding edge (the Conti's are no slouch at the edge), but I never drive at the bleeding edge. Also about $50 a tire cheaper.

If I were buying a tire for the track or competition, it would be the Pilots. I don't track or compete with my car, just spirited around town driving.

Watch the Tire Rack comparisons and select the tire that checks the most important boxes for you.

 

I have to agree with your choice of the Conti ExtremeContact DW for the exact same reasons. I tried the Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my 2013 JCW (factory sport suspension) and removed them after 2000 km. The PSS is an absolutely incredible tire (probably great for track use), but with the elevated road noise, the rougher ride, and the sharp slap/jolt over every expansion joint, the improved handling just wasn't worth the aggravation. I wish I could understand why my experience with the PSS was so different from that of other MINI drivers.

 

I run 225/40/18 on my F56S. No rubbing with NM springs. I have NM Rse10's in 18x8 with a 45 offset. I love the look! Super agressive and wide stance.

I use Toyo Tires Proxes T1 Sport, really great in the SoCal weather for me!

 

Did you use the run flat version? The Pilot Super Sport is available in conventional and run flat variants.

 

The PSS ZP (runflat) only comes in a few sizes, all of which are much larger than you could
use on a MINI (245/40/18 and larger). The regular PSS is a non-runflat tire.

 

They were the standard non-run flat version, not the ZP. Perhaps I didn't leave the tires on long enough to allow them to completely "break in", but by 2000 km they still had a long way to go for acceptable ride comfort, and even longer for reduced road noise. I've had a number of Michelin tires over the years and have generally been very happy with them.