After nearly 30k miles, my oem Dunlap 16" runflats (x-lite wheel) bit the dust. Sadly, our MINI is sitting in the front of our house with a flat tire waiting for new shoes...hence the post.

Since most of our driving is in-city with the regular 200 mile weekend trip, I'd like to switch to non-runflats for the better ride.

The question is: should I just replace the 16" tires for my current x-lite/vspoke wheels or is it worth making the shift to a new 17" wheel/tire setup.

In either case, is there a clear winner in the non-runflat category for maximum comfort and performance (understanding there will be some sacrifice here). I don't mind spending a few extra bucks for the right setup.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Miles

 

If you want better ride, stick with 16", but you could get a lighter wheel. That would improve the ride, braking, handling, and acceleration. How noticeable the change would be, I can't say. I changed too many things at once to be able to evaluate.

For about the price of a set of tires, you can get wheels from Rota. I have their RB that go for $575 shipped (online). They only weigh 14 lbs. ea.

Just changing from runflat to non-runflat will soften the ride. The tires you choose would depend on what compromise you want to make between handling, tire life, and road noise.

 

Based on your comment and others from the forum, I think I'll stick with the 16" but change to 205/50.

Looking at reviews on Tirerack and other's comments, I've narrowed down my selection to:
- Bridgetstone Potenza G 009
- General Exclaim UHP
- Kumho Ecsta

Does anyone have any experience with any of these options or recommendations?

Thank You!
Miles

 

Given you are in Seattle and I understand it rains quite a bit there, you may want to research the Toyo T1R. Excellent wet weather tire at $93 each
http://www.edgeracing.com/tire/1751/
you can also try finding a local dealer

The X lite wheels are very light for their size. I was in the same boat 3 weeks ago and wound up just keeping my wheels. I couldn't find anything that I liked enough to justify the expense and I'm satisfied with the performance of 16" rims.

I bought the Kumho SPTs from Tire Rack on close out fwiw. I use the Kumho MX on my RX7 b/c I track it often. Also a really good tire that is comparable to the Toyo for wet weather driving.

minihune has many posts on tire recommendations so you may want to search this section for other threads.

 

You have stock 16x6.5 rims and looking for 205/50-16 tires.

In Ultra High Performance All Season tires-
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S $105 each 400 treadwear 22 lbs
Kumho Ecsta ASX $75 each 420 treadwear 20 lbs
BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S $103 each 400 treadwear 23 lbs

In Ultra High Performance summer tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...er=16&type=UHP
Very large selection in that size with range of prices.
For comfort/value the General Exclaim UHP ($66 each, 380 treadwear) is popular.
Kumho Ecsta SPT has good value ($87 each 320 treadwear).

Bridgestone Potenza G 009 is a High Performance All Season tire. Not quite as good handling as the Ultra High Performance All Season or Summer tires listed here.

Falken Ze-912 in 205/50-16 is $76 each 360 treadwear 21.6 lbs
Ultra High Performance All Season tire. Good street tire with comfort and value. (not at tirerack, see edgeracing.com)

 

imho, it's time for refresh.

get some new wheels and tires, lower your ride as well.

 

Thanks Minihune for your thoughtfull comments and always helpful advice.

I think I'm going to go with the G-force Super Sport A/S which seem to be getting pretty high marks and a good fit for my occasionally soggy streets of Seattle.

I'll post a brief write up on how they perform in a few weeks once I've had a chance to get a few miles on them.

Thanks again!
Chris

 

If you plan on getting wheels later down the road now is a good a time as any...