Hello everyone.

I have just ordered some Rota RB 17 x 7.5 +45et wheels in silver from fastmini.net.

I will be ordering tires from discount tire direct because of the great online
discount currently offered (until October 20th) and, as such, am limited to
what they offer in terms of tire brands and sizes. I have selected the
following tires based on comfort, handling and wet weather/snow traction.

Kumho Ecsta ASX 215/45R-17 91W (215/40R-17 87W) $98.00

Falken Ziex ZE-912 215/45R-17 91W (215/40R-17 87W) $76.00

Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S P215/45ZR-17 87W (P215/40ZR-17 83W) $145.00

I am on the fence right now about which size to pick...
45 series - heavier, more comfortable, fills wheel well better @ 24.62" ( + )
40 series - lighter, better handling, aesthetically slimmer @ 23.77" ( - )

Anyway, I would appreciate your opinions and experiences with any of these tires on your MINIs.

 

Stock size for 17s is 24.62" RD, which comes from 205/45.

I just ordered a +0 for the Goodyear F1 GS-D3s at 215/45, which comes in at 24.62", or a speedo/odo error of 1.5% low.

If I got the same tires at 215/40, the RD comes in at 23.77 or speedo/odo error 2% high.

The 40 series tire was .1" wider at the contact patch and the shoulder. The 40 also 'wanted' to be on a 7.5" rim, but would fit on a 7".


If I were you and you have space, I'd mount summers on you nice shiny new rims, and mount winters on your stock rims... since it does get cold in the high desert. As far as all-seasons go, I find the compromise never worth it... Dedicated summer/winter/track tires take up space for each vehicle in the garage... one spare set for each running (or nearly running) toy...

HTH

 

According to mini2.com, a 205/45-R17 tire is 24.26" in OD, which is pretty much splitting the difference between the 23.77" 215/40 and the 24.62" 215/45; both of which are acceptable tire sizes on their chart. All of this is based on their assumption that 24.00" is BMW/MINIs baseline wheel/tire diameter (is this assumption correct?)... I am currently running 195/55-R16 Dunlops on 16" S-Winders which measure about 24.44" in diameter, so from my point of departure, the 215/45s are closer in OD than the 215/40s. I guess I am just looking for a nudge, one way or the other.

Buying summer tires and winter tires won't work for me - I live in a small condo and have no space for a spare set of wheels/tires. Otherwise, I would definitely take your recommendation.

 

taller sidewall decreases your chance of bending/cracking a rim.

I cruised tires.com to find a deal myself but, I was really disappointed in the brand/size selection. Plus, the prices are a little inflated so, the $100 discount isn't much of a discount at all. I'd stick with TireRack (no I don't work for them) and get more brand/size options.

 

For the value minded-
Falken Ziex ZE-912 215/45R-17 91W $76.00


Prices are usually higher for the 215/40-17 sizes.

If your roads are anything but very smooth the 215/40-17 size may not be a good choice for daily street driving due to stiff sidewalls.

 

Well... I ordered the Kumho Ecsta ASX all-seasons in 215/45-R17. Reviews seem pretty positive overall and they are a little lighter than the Falkens and should provide a decent ride on the rather rough roads up here in northern NM. Thanks for the comments.

I will post pics as soon as I receive and install everything.

Cheers.

 

Kumho Ecsta ASX is a solid Ultra High Performance All Season tire with good prices. Should work fine. Let us know how they work out for you.



Is there a significance to "No. 1,257,354..."?????

 

No significance... it just seemed that the "which one should I choose" question had been asked soooooooo many times, that my query was likely the 1,257,354th about all-season tire choices... a little vague "humor"?

I will definitely post my first impressions after I get them. I am pretty excited - probably about the wheels more so than the tires. I can't wait!

Thanks again.