I am looking to replace some Avon All-seasons on my wifes Mini Cooper S since they have become unbearably loud after 20K miles. I am looking for the QUIETEST and smoothest riding tires I can get. I'd like to try to get rid of the choppy ride of the car. I have 215-45-17 on the car currently and want to go back to the 205's since the offset of my wheels makes them rub slightly when the car is fully loaded or I got over big bumps.

I looked at the Falken Ziex Ze 912 and I think they are the ones that I am going to get, but am still looking for some other choices. Of course, not many come in the correct size and i'll like to keep a little performance in the tires (though smooth and quiet are the priority). Thanks in advance for all the help!!
Dennis

 

912's arent the quietest. sumitomo HTR+'s are very quiet and very comfy.

 

Yeah, i looked at those as well as I can get them cheaply through a friend, but they don't come in 205-45-17!! :( :( I could do 215-40-17 but they are even smaller than stock at 23.9" as opposed to 24.2". I have already cut out my wheel well liners a little it and the 215-45-17 still rub so I am going to stay away from them.

 

When I asked about quite 16" tires, Alex recommended:
205/55/16 Bridgestone Turanza Serenity
Or
205/50/16 Dunlop Signature

However, they don't seem to be available in 205/45-17. I ended up with Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S 205/55-16 as a compromise between noise and grip, but only have a few thousand miles on them. So, don't know how they do at the end of their life. They are less noisy than Michelin PE2s I have on other wheels, but they aren't super quiet.

 

yah, i run those sumi's in 215/45/17 on 40mm offset 17x7.5 wheels.
slight rubbing on the rear. if your wheels are 17x7 and 42mm or higher
it probably wont rub.

 

Mine are super quiet. I like everything about them.

 

really? hummmm... i dont like mine (912's) that much.

 

Well, clearly, one of us is nuts. Lucky for you that's usually me.

I don't have a lot of experience with tires on my MINI, just the Goodyear runcraps and the 912s. Maybe its because the runcraps set the bar so low that I am so pleased.

Dean.

 

Yeah, i think i have +38 offset, though it might be +40...but even with it cut out it rubs. If it were my car, i'd no worry about it, but my wife hates it

 

runcraps.

well, the 912's aren't the worst ive experienced (worst were RE92's).

so far Avid's and the HTR+'s have been my favorites. Avids are slightly
noiser than the 912's but grips much better. HTR+'s are super comfy,
quiet, and grips about as well as the Avids.



yah, +38 would definitely rub. yep, my wife's the same way.

 

+1

sure they are not a sticky summer tire but so far they are good. Winter performance sucks though

 

which defeats the purpose of getting these ALL SEASON tires.

 

I thought about getting a pure summer tire ...but living in the East that would mean changing over to my Blizzaks early and leaving them on late.

I figure with the 912s I won't be totaled screwed if I get caught in some snow and can put my Blizzaks on later and take them off earlier. Just as with the noise comments, opinions on the snow capability of the 912s vary greatly. I've read raves here on NAM on how well the 912 does in snow ...such as this quote from member old81 "...I have driven on my 912s on 16 inch wheels on the Peak to Peak Hwy in 2 to 3 inches of snow without any problems."

About the noise, I guess its a subjective thing ...but with the windows up, the sunroof closed and the radio off I can hardly hear them and I am really picky when it comes to tire noise.

As for performance, they are all I need ...but I admit to not driving really hard all that much. But, I am impressed when I do. I think my lack of true driving skill and the fact that the MINI is the best handling car I've ever driven may contribute to my impressions.

I'm just an average Joe ...never driven any supercars, been on a track or taken driving lessons or anything like that.

One other neat thing about the 912 ...I sold my runflats (with 8K miles on them) for more than enough to cover 4 new 912s. How cool is that!

Dean.

 

I didn't want to start a new thread, but I wanted to ask this here in case some of the previous posters are subscribed. I was considering getting a different size tire than the 205-45-17. I was looking at a 205-50-17....>????

The reason I originally went with the 215-45-17 was for the slightly larger sidewall (and at this size, my speedo is EXACT speed via GPS!!). Do you think that the 205-50-17 will rub? It is about .5" taller than stock but the width of it should make sure it doesn't rub on the outside where it is now (it rubs on the outer shoulder of the tire, the furthest point out). I think that with that size, the ride will be even smoother and more comfortable. Keep in mind that I have wheels with a +40 offset.

Am i crazy and should I just stick with the stock size to guarantee that they wont rub. I figure i'll get the Kumho ASX's. I had very good luck with them on my previous G35 coupe...though they were a little 'squishy'.....my wife will like the ride with them. Unfortunately, the HTR+ doesn't come in that size either!!!!!!!!!!! :( :(



Another edit, i checked and my wheels are +40 offset, not +38 like stated above.

 

Just a quick update. I purchased the 912's and put them on 2 weeks ago. The difference between the Avons and these tires is night and day. They are SOOOO much quieter than the Avons and the ride is so much smoother. When i went from the runflats to the avons, I didn't notice much of a difference in ride quality, so this change is dramatic.

Lets hope they continue to impress me as the miles pile on the car!!

 

nice. the 912's been gripping fairly well for a pos tire on my dd
the last several weeks. temps have been 45F+ so it helps.

they last like hell so not sure if that's a good thing.

 

In regards to the 912's and snow. I have read people say they think the snow performance is good. But everytime I read that they are for 16" sizes. I am pretty sure the 912's have different mileage warranties for different sizes. Possibly the different sizes are different compounds? Doubt it but I don't know much about tires so...

I had conti extreme contacts and they did well in the snow with the exception that they were 215/45 and got on top of the snow quickly making the rear end feel lose even while moving straight. But traction wise they were a winter tire compared to my 912's.

 

So, did you buy something?

I'm running Kumho ECsta ASX, they are by far the quietest, smoothest tire I've driven; last year in the snow they did fine. I paid about $83 ea from Tire Rack last year.........

Oops, sorry I missed your post, hope you're happy with the new boots!

 

For those of you who like your RFT an would like a much smoother ride. I highly suggest considering Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position Ultra High Performance...the tire runs about $141 ea and is very very close to a non run flat ride and still is a RFT.

 

for the Pole Position RFTs, did you switch from the stock RFT's and then notice a dramatic improvement in ride quality?

 

No Joe I havent yet. Im currently riding on the continentals,but have done extensive research on the RFT and im going to change as soon as I have the money.The potenza had the highest smooth ride rating of all RFT so much that it was just slightl lower rated than their best non run flat. I am not nieve enough to believe this will be the total answer but these tires along with upgraded softer feel shocks like the Koni is probably gonna put me where I want to be. In the mean time im running my continentals on 36lbs of air and that has made the ride lil smoother.

 

dont want to throw a wrench in but I am running the 912 car tire on my honda goldwing bike and liked the tire so much that I was thinking of trying them on my mini. J V

 

Continental DWS ! very quite & great grip !!

 

DWS's all the way. They are quiet and IMO are a great all around tire. Check TireRacks review on them.

 

I love my DWSs. I haven't driven in anything that has managed to flummox them yet, even 2-3 inches of snow. I did go with a 205/50-17, though. This is my daily driving set, and the extra sidewall makes them much more comfortable than the Hankook V12 Evos in a 205/45 size I had on the stock S-Lites before.

Not nearly as grippy as my Kumho XSs in the dry, but the Kumhos are HORRIBLE in anything but bone dry, clean, and smooth tarmac/concrete.