Not correct. Sport tires are just that. Sport specific summer tires. A good example that a lot of us use would be the Michelin Pilot super sport (extreme performance summer tires). These are super sticky, glued to the road kind-of-tires. These are not something to drive on snow. Hope this helps.

 

all the original post says is that he has a new f56.
Is it not fair to ask what specific model tire ?

 

Third sentence of original post:
"I'm considering getting some all weather tires specifically for the trip to make it a bit safer, but before I do I wondered if anyone has any feedback about the performance/summer tires in the snow..."

You can ask but I was responding to your second post.

 

Look into the Nokian WR series tires. They are the only all season tire that is legally considered a winter tire in Quebec (where winter tires are mandatory). I believe they have a 50k miles warranty and they are 80% as good in winter as a dedicated Nokian winter tire (which are simply the best winter tire on the market).

 

I live in Utica, NY, which is on the way to Rochester. I use Blizzaks on my F56 during the winter, and the stock tires up until mid-November or whenever I remember to have them changed over. This is my third MINI, and none of them has been very drivable in heavy snow without dedicated winter tires. The F56 is probably the best of the lot, but why worry?

 

I completely agree. It seems like a huge financial hit buying a dedicated set of rims and tires but it is a way to give the car another "look". Also you can sell them on Kijiji or the forum at a later date and recoup some of you money.

 

Summer tires are about as good on ice and snow as hockey pucks. Don't do it, it's an accident waiting to happen.

I picked up a set of Cooper Weathermasters for this winter for just about $300 - I'm just going to mount them on the stock wheels. It should only cost you $40-50 to dismount and keep your old tires, mount and balance snow tires onto your existing wheels, which is in the short term, much cheaper than spending another $500+ for a full set of aftermarket wheels and TPMS sensors.

Another thrifty option is to go for steel wheels and no TPMS for your winter set, if you don't mind the look and TPMS warning on your dash every day. You can probably pick up a set of steel wheels for less than $200, so it'll pay for its self in two seasons compared to swapping tires on your stock rims twice a year.

Concerning the tires themselves - Any reputable brand is generally fine, especially on FWD cars, but in my experience, Nokian and Blizzaks are the gold standard.

 

Hey gjxj,

Sorry I forgot to repsond to your post - gregoryk was right, when I purchased the car I got the sport specific summer tires, not the all season tires. In hindsight, maybe I should have gotten the all season tires, but judging by what I'm reading here, getting the set of winter tires was probably a good choice. They will be coming in this week (Pirelli Sottozero S3). It's a lot of money but I'd rather be safe.

 

One follow-up question for everyone related to the TPMS sensors. I guess it's a two-part question:
I ended up getting a whole set of tires and rims but have not taken delivery yet.
1) My local Discount Tire store is going to either charge me $60 per new sensor or $8 per tire for some kind of 'kit' that allows them to move the current sensors to a new tire. Ideally I'd love to have sensors on both sets of wheels so i could just change them myself and have sensors active on either set of wheels. What's the best option, has anyone gone the route of getting new sensors?
2) If going the new sensor route, is there a generic sensor that will work for these tires or is it MINI specific? I'm wondering about maybe getting something online that they will price-match so I don't drop $60/tire
3) Is it even necessary to move the sensors if i'll only have the tires on for a few months? Can I just disable the TPMS system during that time?

Thanks everyone.

 

The sensors are not needed if your winter tires are not runflats. My OEM wheels and tires have been in a trailer for two years. I run two other sets, neither of which have sensors. The TPMS light stays on but I ignore it.

 

This is a great article from Road and Track I found on winter tires. Basically it says get dedicated summer tires and winter tires for below 50degrees. Don't bother with all-season.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars...-track-tested/

 

What a horribly biased, over-written article that is. I've been an SCCA autocrosser for over twenty years and have never, ever once heard this:

"Hang out with SCCA autocrossers or road racers long enough and you'll hear the phrase "no-season tires" pop up."

It doesn't snow here and driving my autocross extreme summer tires on the street is a waste of money. Getting the most out of a Porsche on public byways is psychotic.

 

Most winter tires (Snows) are meant to be driven in sub 7 degree Celsius temperatures. I figure that's about 44 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't plan on driving in that kind of temperature consistently, you will burn off the tread in no time at all. If it's just one trip your making, why not rent a car 4x4 for the week...? Just a thought.