Hello, I have a 2010 Cooper S with 204/45/r17 Dunlop Run flats. I love the car but hate the ride. It is time to buy new tires and I want to soften the ride up a bit but keep the original look. I was considering buying regular "non run flat" tires in hopes that it will make the ride better. Has anyone tried this? If so, was there a significance change in ride? I realize that I will have to keep a can of fix a flat in the car just in case I do get a leak, but the ride is so stiff now and I get so much road noise. I don't really use the car for racing so I don't really need race tires. My current tires only lasted 20K miles. I would like to get a bit more life out of the tires too if possible but ride quality is my number one choice.

Any suggestion or input?

 

Many have already done exactly what you're considering, and it does improve the ride, as well as save money and tire weight.

In case of a puncture, some carry both a tire sealer/inflator and a tire plug kit.

 

There are about 10000 threads on this. But yes, many people have tried it, including myself. Get a nice set of non-run flats and the ride will improve greatly.

My favorite choice - Hankook Ventus Evo v112. Cheap, good in rain, and sticky enough to have some fun.

 

Yeah, lots of people have already done this. There are a lot of threads about what tires to get. A few basic questions to help out w/ recommendations:

1. Are you looking for an all-season tire?
2. Will your Mini see much snow?
3. Will your Mini see much rain?

This should help narrow down the search a bit since it'll hone in on what tire characteristics you need/want.

Personally, I just put on a set of Kuhmo Ecsta 4X's and have been quite happy so far. However, I'll be putting on dedicated snow tires come winter so I care not how they perform in the snow. These are some well priced tires with pretty decent feedback (so far).

 

I just changed mine 2 days ago and I will advice you give Alex @ Tirerack a call (1-888-541-1777 ext. 294) for choices. Here is what I got now and a lot smoother ride : www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Primacy+MXM4 &partnum=145VR7MXM4P&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompa re1=yes&affiliate=EG9
I also got a 15 inch donut Kumho T115/70D15 ($63) from Tirerack with a MINI temporary spare rim ( part number 36-11-1-509-164 for $39 ) from Mini Classic (1-800-388-1098) . the donut fit perfectly in my trunk & behind my seat ,well concealed as well.
Avoid sealant or slime pressure pump into your tires as flat temporary fix, it will clog your TPMS and malfunction with time.

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. This gives me a starting point. I live in South Florida so snow is not a problem, but rain can be.

I am new to this forum "first post" and to Mini so please excuse my ignorance. I thought this was kind of a unique issue and didn't think to search the forums for similar questions. I will do a search for some additional info.

With that said, if anyone else has specific tires recommendations that they are happy with please feel free to chime in.

Thanks everyone!

 

We have many and varied tire recommendations, but you should decide which tire is best for your own preferred compromises among grip, ride, tread wear, cost, etc.

If you're not already familiar with www.tirerack.com, that's a good place to learn about all the options. You can plug in your car's data and see what the best sellers are for your car, or see all the tires available in your tire size. You'll need to decide whether you want/need a summer tire, an all season tire, or a grand touring tire; and also just how much high performance you want/need.

 

I love my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus. Quiet, smooth, good ride, great grip wet or dry and 45k mile tread life warranty.