Hey guys,
I need some help as the lack of good options is driving me mad. I would like to get a ultra high/max/high performance summer tire for the non S mini that we have and not change the rims.

Right now we have OEM 175/65/15 and I've searched all over the place (including this site) and the most recommended sizes are

185/65/15
195/60/15
205/55/15

Well, the last one is simply too big and each tire would be about 5lbs over the current set. Having 10lbs of extra weight on front/driving wheels is going to be noticeable on MPG, acceleration and steering.

So i would like to stay with the two smaller sizes, but i can't find a performance summer tire that isn't bad.

In 195/60/15 Yokohama AVS ES100 doesn't get glowing reviews since it gets very noisy and having a convertible which is not all that quite already would make it too much.

In 185/65/15 there no summer performance tires that i could find.

Is it really that bad for us 15" wheel Mini owners?

Anyone knows of a performance tire in those sizes?

 

195/55-15 is only 1/2" smaller in diameter than 175/65-15. A worn tire 175/65 accounts for that much difference. And you get a bit better gearing out of the deal to help with the increased weight and rolling resistance.

In any event, I think you will eventually have to stop nitpicking the imperfection of various summer tires or pay for Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2's. Look up the complaints about your current tire and see if you think the reviews are reasonable.

 

I have 205/50/15 Bridgestone Potenza RE-11s and really like them -- the smaller diameter gives the "just a cooper" a nice "gear" boost and lots a "grip".

 

We are using Goodyear Assurance 195/60R15 tires on ours and they still look and handle great on the road. So far we only have about 38,000 miles on them but they still have a lot of tread life left in them.

 

I highly recommend Nokian V tires. They are the best tire you can get in 195/60/15. I'll never buy any other brand tire again for my 15"s.

You can read about them here.

http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=1...&name=Nokian+V

Steering response and dry traction are excellent. They are quiet, low rolling resistance, and they hold the road well if you know how to build grip in them. They can take Autocross, and cross country trips. Mine even took 8+ full bore runs of the Dragon. These tires really come into their own with about 5mm of tread left, when all the extra cuts in the tread wear out - essentially making them Nokian Zs.

 

Along with the RE-11s you could also look at Yokohama AD08 and Dunlop Dirrezza's, both come in 205/50/15s. There are lots of good 15" tire choices.

 

Dunlop Direzzas are not in that category unless they have the Star Spec compound.

 

Dunlop Direzza Star Spec 195/55-15

highly recommended for spirited driving

i earned a regional championship jacket with them in STX, and still got 20k road miles as well

i am now running the 205/50-15 ...

either the re-11 or the dunlop is the choice for stick on 15s

cheers,

charlie

 

I run Falken Azenis 615 205/50/15 that stick a like glue, have yet to hear a squeal no matter how hard I push it in a curve.

 

Im using Kumho KU31 205/55/15. They grip the road and quiet as well. I don't know what's the name in North America though.

 

We are running Cooper 185/60R15 on our MC. Like the ride,handling & they are quiet

 

I had the Kumho ASX in 195/55/15 and it gripped well and I had complaints about the tire, even in light snow or freezing cold temperatures.

 

I don't get why two tire shops (including TireRack) tell me not to put 195/55/15 if people have no issues with that tire size.

 

Because there are people who forget or ignore the warning to put the same diameter tires on all four wheels. So they play it safe by recommending only the diameters used by the manufacturer. Mixing significantly different diameters can defeat abs and traction control, leading to big law suits, warranted or not.

Did TireRack really tell you to not put a set of 4 195/55-15's on a Cooper, or did they simply not suggest it as an option?

 

I purchased my 205/50/15s from Alex at Tire Rack -- this is even a more radical change than 195/55/15 --

 

They said the tire was "too small" for mini cooper, but didn't go into how that would manifest itself. So it seemed more like a caution and not a definite "don't"

 

Call and talk to Alex -- very knowledgeable and can explain the pros and cons of each size.

 

Good advice. Alex knows his stuff and is a straight shooter.

 

195/55-15 for oem wheels.