Drats, will need new tires soon already .... I've got the stock run flats on my '09 MCS now. Anyone got any recommendations on what tires to get and from where? Really looking for something that will last and not cost a fortune!

Thanks - and Happy New Year!

 

There are a lot of tire categories to choose from (see www.tirerack.com), so it might help to narrow your preferences down some. Summer versus all season; high performance versus grand touring; etc. A lot of the decision might rest on how much handling and grip you want versus ride comfort and long wear.

Alex at Tire Rack is our guy here, but you should try to figure out what general tire category would best suit your needs first.

 

[FONT=Century]A JCW performance upgrade along with Potenza’s RE050A Summer RFTs created the noise equivalent of a 55 gallon drum in my ’10 Cabrio. Before jumping to non-RFs I read an article on Potenza’s RE960A AS/PP RFTs in issue 32 of M2C and bought a set on 07 Dec. I first tried to buy the tires at Hendrick MINI but to no avail. I finally got them at the Concord Mills Firestone store. They’re expensive but a major difference in harshness plus a satisfactory difference in noise suggest the $’s were well spent. Handling seems better than the O.E.T’s plus they are all-season. I should note the car has a tower bar, a Hotchkis 19mm Sway Bar and a TSW Chassis X Brace.[/FONT]

 

Hey Jill,

I buy all of my tires from Discount Tire, and I buy a lot of tires...very rarely has anyone been cheaper. I know the guys at the Gastonia store and the Charlotte store at 485 and Tryon and they always take care of me. I used to have the Falken 912 on both of my cars and have recommended that tire to several other of our members who seem to like it. It's a great all around tire, good performance but will still last you a while (it has a 40k mile tread rating), and a decent price. The only reason I don't have them now is that I'm running a higher performance tire for autocross. I have the Continental Extreme Contact DWS on my Clubman now and like them so far, they are a little more expensive but rated for 50k miles. You might want to look at getting a 215/45/17 tire instead of the stock 205/45/17, the only difference is that the 215 is 10mm wider which will give you a tiny bit more traction but the bonus is that they are slightly cheaper than the 205's.

Some other tires I would consider for good performance and mileage would be:
Hankook Ventus V2 Concept H437
Yokohama AVID ENVigor
Nitto Motivo
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

Check for rebates/specials when you are pricing as well, you might be able to get a better tire for less with a rebate. Let me know if you have any more questions.

If anybody else has opinions on any of these please chime in!

Mark

 

Thanks all - lots of good places to start the hunt. I appreciate the specific recommendations. My bf from TX suggested Discount Tire so glad that's been a success here.

 

I've purchased all of my tires from Discount Tire on Albemare. They treat me well and the manager drives a MINI. I've also used the Rock Hill store and Greenville stores for rotate and balance. Never had an issue.

I usually run continential procontact ssr and usually have gotten 35-40,000 miles. I drive quite a bit and feel more comfortable continuing to use the run flat. I'd hate to be that chick on the side of the road.

Happy Motoring in 2012!
Cindy

 

Thanks for the input Cindy! Been alittle on the fence with the run-flats / no run-flats decision myself. Sitting on the side of the road doesnt sound fun...

Happy New Year to you!

Jill

 

Just take a tiny portion of the hundreds and hundreds of dollars that you save buying non-runflats to get a AAA membership. Get a flat and have them tow you to the nearest Discount Tire, you end up having to go there anyway.

Mark

 

I too will be needing tires soon. I switched to the Falken 912's that mark mentioned above but I am now going with the Continental Extreme Contact DWS. They are rated @ 50,000 miles and have a fairly high tread rating. Non run flats are the way to go... the ride is smoother and you generally get better handling. I like Mark's idea of the AAA membership, but I have 2 cans of Fix a Flat in my boot. I also buy my tires from Discount Tire. I use the Concord Mills location as that is close to my work. Good luck.