well...i have to make a decision this week ...and i am not sure which way to go.

The car i am buying, a 2009 MCS comes with 17" all season tires on crown spoke wheels...and $750 is built into the cost. I am not ordering this car, it already exsists. I asked the dealer if they would switch to 16" wheels and they will if i want, but i will not get the $750 credit.

I want 16" wheels because i think they will ride smoother on my crappy (but fun) vermont roads...and i think 16" snow tires will be better also.

Should i just keep the 17"'s and then buy a complete set of 16" winter tires and wheels? Crown spokes are not my favorite look...but the 16's would just be the stock bridge spokes, so thats not enough to help me make my decision.

I have read everything i can find...and if i ordered the car i would have ordered 16"....mostly becaue i think i will bend the 17" rims in the first month

 

If you're not getting the credit, I'd buy another set and use one for winter. The tires and wheels will last longer if you only use them for a season or two at a time.

 

My 2007 came with 17" Crown Spokes (part of a package) and I wanted lighter weight wheels, and non-runflat tires. I sold the wheels and tires on the NAM marketplace forum. The tires had about 2,000 miles on them, but I got a fairly decent price anyway.

Here is my recommendation: Order a set of 16" wheels, such as the Rota Slipstream 16x7, right away and have tires mounted on them. Take the car with the 17" Crown Spokes. ASAP, change the wheels. Sell the Crown Spokes and tires on NAM. With few miles on them, you should get a good price.

You can search the forum to see if you can find what new Crown Spokes with OEM tires are going for.

 

+1 on both suggestions. I guess it comes down to how much you can use the dough...

a pre-congrats on the MINI

edit: the tires on the 17s are probably run-flats too, which means they cost more than the the tires you would be replacing them with. (and presumably will sell for more).

 

Its not really about the money...

a) I am not digging either having 17" wheels or the look of the crown spokes..
b) I would take the $750 hit if i could get the 16" blaster wheels, but i have not heard back from the dealer.
c) Maybe the crown spokes look fine in person but the pics make them look oversized and clunky...and i should just live with them and buy a winter set up and switch them myself and save $100 a year and a day in the shop.

thanks for the pre-congrats...a few more days and it should be in the driveway,

 

Just a quick comment on the above. Heavier wheels like the crown spokes seem to be less susceptible to being bent, if only for the reason that they are heavier. I've had them for over a year now and have been through my share of potholes and they're holding up so far *touch wood*.

If you do happen to keep the CSes and decide to sell them down the line I'm sure you'll find some interest, myself possibly included.

BTW are they black or silver?

Congratulations and welcome to the madness

 

Don't you only get the 17" wheels if you order the sports package? I didn't get the sports package because I didn't want 17" wheels.

Edit: I didn't see the bit where you said you hadn't ordered it.

 

you can get 17" wheels on the S without ordering the sports kit.

 

I would suggest to get the car with the Crown Spokes and use them as summer tires. Look at the wheel/tire section in the marketplace here on NAM, there are many opportunities to pick up some 16-inch wheels that you can get your winter tires mounted on. I've got 3 sets of wheels and it's kind of nice to change them with season etc. I change wheels with each 5K mile oil change, gives the car a new look and with proper rotation I won't be buying tires for a while.

 

I think you will find that the Crown Spokes look as clunky as they do in the photos. They are also very heavy which gives you slower acceleration, longer braking, lower economy, and a rougher ride. The ride will be significantly better with 16" wheels. I have a set of 17" and 16" wheels that I swap frequently. There is a big difference when I drive the rough roads around here.

Why suffer? Get the wheels you want.

 

Just came back from breakfast and in the parking lot out of the corner of my eye i spotted an 09 MCS with the aforementioned crown spokes....the car was sparkling silver but the effect was close enough to imagine how they will look on mine.

I can live with them as summer wheels...not nearly as clunky or as overly tall looking as it seems in pictures.

On a side note i am glad i picked dark silver over sparkling silver.

 

I took off my 17" Crown spoke wheels and replaced them with BBS RGR 16" because the ride is a bit softer and the handling seems to be the same. The CS's with tires are sitting in my garage and I can't decide whether to sell them or keep them.

 

That. I've used both the 17" crown spoke Mini wheels with factory runflat tires, and a nice light set of 17" SSR wheels with non-runflat tires. There's about a 20 lb weight difference (per wheel&tire), and that turns out to have subtly but noticeably slower turn-in, acceleration and braking, as Robin describes.

I think the advice to get the wheels and re-sell them since your Mini dealer won't credit you for them is sound. Or keep 'em and put winter tires on them, use them in the off season.

 

If I was in your shoes I'd probably go for the 17" wheels and then buy a set of 16" takeoff that can be readily found on the NAM marketplace. Then you could either sell the 17's yourself or keep them for summer use that way you don't "give away" the $750.

 

I'll have some brand new 16" s-winders and stock runflats for sale for $800 in about a week if you want them. I'm in Northern California.

Jeff

 

Keep the 17's for now and see how you like them. If you don't like them, buy the 16's you want on the marketplace and sell the 17's.

 

I think thats is what i will do...because also when i go to trade it back in i would think the 17's would net me a few bucks more than 16's. Especially if i take them off and store them for a few years.

 

Just a comment about winter tires/wheels - - -

I didn't want the larger 17" Crown Spokes either; I have 16" wheels + Continental runflats on my JustaCooper (very happy with them so far, BTW). When it got cold here (Eastern Ontario Canada) I bought a set of 15" "steelies" and some decent winter/snow tires in the appropriate size. Had them mounted and balanced and switched them myself. Very happy with the winter performance of the 15's. Taller sidewalls and slightly skinnier tread = great winter traction - all the MINI's electronic traction goodies help too.

Just something to consider when you're thinking of winter driving. I live about 3 hours from Stowe and have spent quite a bit of time in and around there (winter and summer), a good set of winter wheels/tires are a must!



__________________________________________________

 

I used to run the 15" steelies on my saab 9-3 years ago, and if can find them for the mini will...but i am not sure i can makethat work on the MCS...but i will check.

I drive to 40 miles Okemo Mountain everyday...up and over "Terrible Mountain"...so no need to tell me about snow

So for about 300 days out of the year i will LOVE driving this car...there will be a few where i just call in and let them know i will be working from home today.

 

15" wheels wont fit over the brakes on an MCS.

 

I ordered my 07 MCS with 17" crown spokes. Several months later, after i could no longer stand the ride and got tired of grimmacing every time I saw a pot hole, I bought a set of 16" wheels and mounted Michelin Pilot Exalto's PE2 205 50 16 summer rubber -- and love them. Then, I bought a set of Blizzak winter tires and mounted them on my 17" crown spokes.

Here in Chicago, the roads are not in good shape: many pot holes, ruts, etc. Also, we have bad winters with lots of snow and cold.

If I had been smarter, I would never have ordered the 17" crown spokes -- heavy, hard riding, and NO curb/wheel rash protection (there's not enough bulge in 17" tire side walls -- another lesson learned the hard way).

My advice: Take the credit, get 2 sets of 16" wheels and tires: summers and snows (whatever you do, don't buy run-flats). Unless you autocross, I doubt that you will miss the 17" at all. The ride will be much better, the go cart handling will still exist, and you will enjoy your car a lot more.