Juat as the title states. What are the pros and cons to running these tires on my 2008 all stock mini? Mpg's, handling, comfort, speedo changes. Need all the info you have. Pics of your setup with these tires would be awesome as well. Thanks

 

Perfect question since I'm trying to decide on new 17" tires also. Let's hope this topic gets some responses.

 

well, 215 width tires would really only be good for wheels that are 7.5" wide. I have 215/45/17's on my 17x7.5" NM RSe05's. The biggest benefit for me is that this size brought my speedometer much closer to accurate readings. As opposed to being 5mph fast with the stock 15" wheels, the speedo is now only 1-2mph fast.

205/50-17 seems much to big for a MINI. I don't think I've ever seen that size run on one, at least not 1st or 2nd gen.

215/40-17 is also a common size I believe... It would look a bit more aggressive than the 45s but of course, the ride would be much stiffer and you'd have more wheel gap.

 

design rim width for 215/45/17 tires is listed as 7-8" on TireRack, with measurements
listed for 7" wheels. Most people use 205/45/17, but many use 215/45/17.
Agree that 205/50/17 is too tall.

 

I'm currently running 205/50/17 Bridgstone Blizzaks on 17x7 Ultraleggera's. While this size fits, I'll confirm that this size is a tad too large. Keep in mind O.Z. wheels have an offset of et37 (~11mm closer to fender than oem 48's) and I'm running H&R Touring Cup suspension. On tight corners or large dips the tires rub for a quick second on the wheel wells, nothing drastic but should be noted.

Only reason I'm running 205/50 is because Blizzaks WS80's don't come in 205/45's.

Moral of the story I see no reason to go with 205/50/17's. I've noticed that Michelin Pilot Super Sports are less expensive in the 215/45/17.

 

215/45/17 is a very common tire size, the MPG difference between that and a 205 will not be affected by anything that nature wouldn't be able to change, air temp, wind speed.


215/45/17 will have the most options and selection, whereas the 205/45/17 is a specific MINI size


im not as familular with the 205/50 size, but the aspect ratio is not terribly far off only 2% difference from the 215/45/17

 

In general, for a 2008 Base Cooper that has OEM suspension-

Use the OEM tire size if you can find the tire of your choice. If you want a larger selection of tires then you can also consider 215/45-17 which many owners opt for.

You did not list it but there are even more tire sizes that will fit OEM 17x7" rims but have certain considerations-
205/40-17 lower sidewall, firmer ride, very small tire diameter of 23.5" increases wheel gap and speedo error, load rating 84 OK, selection of All Season and summer tires
215/40-17 lower sidewall, firmer ride, small tire diameter of 23.9" increases wheel gap and speedo error, load rating 87 OK, small selection of racing and summer tires
225/45-17 tall sidewall, large tire diameter of 25" risks rubbing, some speedo error, load rating 90 OK, very large selection of All Season and summer tires

This size is too tall to recommend for the MINI.
205/50-17 tall sidewall, tall tire diameter of 25.1" decreases wheel gap, risks rubbing, some speedo error, load rating 89 OK, large selection of All Season and summer tires

Mpg difference-
The more narrow the tire the less rolling resistance it may have. Tire rubber compound and tread design can also affect mpg, read about the tire before you buy it. The higher the tire pressure you use the less the rolling resistance.

Handling/Performance-
The lower the sidewall the less flex it will have given the same tire, this can result in more crisp handling but it may depend on the tire construction design and materials used along with which tire class you are looking at. In general, Max Summer tires will handle better than any All Season tire. Even within a given tire class some tires are designed for comfort as a priority while others for more performance.

Comfort-
In general the taller the sidewall the more flex the sidewall has which can result in more ride comfort. However some tires in 215/45-17 will have an XL load rating which means the sidewall is constructed with stiffer material which increases the load rating a little over the standard load rating for a given tire size. Some tires of a given class will be better for lower noise and better ride comfort, in general All Season tires are more comfortable than Summer tires.

speedo error at 60 mph(compared to OEM 205/45-17)
215/40-17 2.07% or 61.24 mph @60
205/40-17 3.44% or 62.06 mph
215/45-17 -1.44% or 59.14 mph
205/50-17 -3.22% or 58.07 mph
225/45-17 -2.84% or 58.3 mph