Hi all,

I got my 2010 MINI Clubman last May and it came with 15 inch stock wheels. I have been reading about new tires and sizes, but I was wondering if someone could give a nutshell summary- how does changing wheels from 15s to 16s or 17s affect things like the smoothness of the ride, gas mileage, power, and maneuverability?

thanks so much for all your help

 

In general, for a normally aspirated Cooper, ride over pot holes and mileage are best with 15" wheels. Short diameter tires are best for power, and wide tires are best for handling. The tire you choose is as or more important for all of those. The most common reason for going with taller wheels is looks.

 

I bought and drove my Justa on 15s for a year and then got some 16s. Never driven my own car on 17s. Have now gone back to 15s for winter which reminds me of the differences.

The car is more sprightly on 15s and has less pickup on 16s. Loads more side grip on 16s (night and day), though I suspect a fair bit of that is because in the 15 sizes the tyre types available are economy-biased whereas the 16s are more sporty. Don't know about tyre wear between the two. I don't notice a difference in comfort -16s maybe are a bit harder but they also seem less 'crashy' on bumps - again down to the difference in tyre types, I think. I lost 1.5-2mpg when switching to 16s but about half that difference is explained by the change in wheel size, so it's not a real economy loss.

 

My fifteen inch OEM wheels and Conti summer tires have a 24.0" diameter. My aftermarket 16" Rota wheels and Dunlop Star Specs have a 24.1" diameter. The difference in indicated mpg is 0.158. The actual difference is 4.0 mpg due to increased weight, higher grip, and driving in sport mode with the 16" tires.

 

There are many threads on this subject of changing wheels for the MINI for different purposes.

If you don't mind your stock 15" wheels in terms of looks then to get better performance, or comfort, longer wearing or better mpg you can merely change tires.

Tire classes allow for different levels of performance and handling and different levels of comfort and wear. Some are good for dry or for wet or both and some good only in warm weather while others good for cold and a little snow.

You can also change size of tires using the stock 15" wheels but you should always try to keep it close to stock tire diameter of about 24.0-24.4" to reduce speedo and odometer error. Lower weight of wheels and tires also counts to help with ease of acceleration and braking.

Possible common sizes for stock 15x5.5" wheels
175/65-15
185/60-15
195/60-15
205/55-15

There are no runflats in these sizes

If you want to learn more about the various tires you can contact Alex@tirerack.com or read about the various tires using their technical information articles.

Moving to 16" wheels you can choose wider wheels and tire sizes that favor wider treads and lower profiles like-
205/50-16
205/55-16

This improves handling but increases rolling resistance and weight. The appearance is more aggressive and tire selection favors better performance although there is still good selection of All season tires. Ride comfort is OK but firmer due to lower profile sidewalls. 195/55-16 is the runflat size.

Moving to 17" is certainly possible for any MINI and will fit but this often increases weight of the wheel by a few lbs and sometimes more than a few.
While they can be a little as 13 lbs each they will cost more to be both light and strong (forged alloy construction). Usually 17x7 is a good size that will fit and work with 205/45-17 tires (comes runflat or non runflat) or 215/45-17.

The larger diameter wheel requires lower profile tires such as 45 or 40 series which tends to make ride quality stiff unless you get tires that are softer sidewall construction. This is a more aggressive look which is popular in performance cars. If you have poor roads this is risky for daily driving as pothole damage can affect the tire, wheel and suspension parts or even the shock tower plates which has been known to "mushroom" from impact. If you have really smooth roads you will be fine.

Moving to 18" or larger diameter wheels is not really practical for most owners and is popular for enthusiasts. More of an exagerated look and uses 35 or 40 series sidewalls. It is common for JCW MCS MINIs to run 18" wheels and runflats but it's firm riding. Non runflats come in sizes to fit but weight tends to be a factor not to mention cost. Don't expect good mpg running heavy wheels. The MCS has more power than the MC so large and heavy wheels are not so bad plus the MCS runs JCW brakes which require more wheel diameter clearance.

In any event search for more info, it's all there.