195/55R16 is the stock size I know, but I'm not seeing many options I like for tires in that size. Is there an alternative with more options?

I'm not interested in going super wide as absolute performance isn't the goal here. I need a relatively quiet 3-season (I run dedicated snows) tire with predictable handling limits*. Since it's a Justa I don't want to go super wide and hurt my fuel economy if I don't have to, but I will if I get a better tire out of it.

Thanks for any suggestions or pointers.

*My last car came with Goodyear Integrity tires. Low adhesion limit in the wet with scarily sudden breakaway characteristics. Horrible, frightening tire. Do not want a repeat.

 

205/55-16 is far more common, gives a bit better ride, and partly corrects the overly optimistic speedometer. 205/50-16 also works but doesn't help the ride or speedo.

Popular all-seasons:
Bridgestone Comp-2 A/S (new)
Bridgestone Driveguard (runflat)
Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
Michelin Premier A/S
Kumho Ecsta PA31

Check out their attributes, sizes, prices, tire tests, and customer surveys at TireRack.com (no affiliation).

 

We run 205-50-16 Kumho 4x tires on my wife's Cooper clubman. Very happy with those tires & will probably replace them with the same when the time comes. We have 40,000 miles on them & will likely get another summer out of them.

 

My suggestion....
With an "s" the slightly larger diameter is OK, but with a Cooper, go to the slightly shorter tire...
205 width on an "s" is a step up...but more grip, equals more rolling resistance.... So lower mpg...it can make a car feel less playful if it does not have the HP to back it up....that being said, some Cooper's owners do run 17 rims with 225's....

I ran 205 on my gen1....cheaper tires, and more options....
My first question is what do you want to accomplish....
Your ride WILL suffer, as will your MPG....but you gain handling and some say looks.....and you speedo and odometer will be off...
Stock sizes are not the only option....if you are on 175 width OEMs, you could play with the tire diameter calculateors, and find several options....just pay attention to the tires speed ratings and load limits.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
Here is a decent, but older tire diameter calculateor

 

Thanks, I checked 185/55R15 and there are some additional good options there. Tire selection was what was driving me towards the 16s to begin with. We'll see if the CL gods see fit to send anything good my way. Pickings are slim in my area, and CL sellers are ... well, they're CL sellers.

Are 16s really that bad on a Justa?

 

16's can be fine on a Cooper....heck I actually ran 185 wide 15 oem rims on my s as Winters (yes, it works on a gen1 but not a gen2 car)....very common size to save $$...new they were about $60 each after rebate for contental allseasons (including mounting and balancing, the rims were basicly free after I sold the Cooper tpms and old ....meet my needs for the cold months...175 tires...yes deals are around).
Just pay attention to rim weights.....you would be amazed at the difference a mini feels between a heavy set of rims and a lighter set.....so different I actually liked the light weight of the 15's in the winter even compared to OEM 16 rims.....don't even get me going on the 17 s-lights that are OEM rims on many years..they Litterly weight a ton...makes a mini handle like a truck.....
Since tires in the 15 size can be so cheap...You might consider new on you current rims....if you get different/new rims, you will need new tpms sensors, or need to move the old ones....kinda of a toss up since the batteries are only good for about 5 years, then fail....
I just give you the warnings about mpg and handling because many folks don't realize the trade-off till they loose about 1-2 mpg...175 width tires on a Cooper are pretty narrow, aimed more at efficiency than fun...if you don't mind the change, have fun!!

 

175/65R15 has 24" overall diameter and 866 rev/mi
185/55R15 has 23" overall dia and 903 rev/mi

Using 185/55/15 will make the speedo error worse and cause higher engine rpm for the same actual (GPS) vehicle speed.

I'm running 195/60R15 Kumho's on my Justa and am happy with handling/performance.

 

Double post....

 

Funny thing is the 195/55r16 and 185/65r15 are the same.......
Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference
195/55-16 4.2in 12.2in 24.4in 76.8in 825
And the
185/65-16Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference
185/65-15 4.7in 12.2in 24.5in 76.9in 824 0.0%

Are the same as the mini 16 size...

 

Then you mis-typed. Your earlier post says 185/55R15 not 185/65R15.

Just trying to help. Good luck with your search.

 

Cause if you go to THAT size, it is called a -1.actually a - 1/2....
You have to pick the right size....
195/55r16 and 185/65r15 is a near perfect match....

The 185/65r 15 is VERY common....many compact cars use them....even a few hybirds....

 

I'm aware of that. The OP listed 185/55R15 as something he was looking at and my post was directed at him.

 

Quite right, I was looking at an equivalent diameter 16" size by accident. Oops.

On a related side note, do people use Miata wheels on their R56? They appear to have the correct bolt spacing and offset, but I'm not sure about hub size or TPMS compatibility. I tried using an archive search but didn't find anything useful.

 

I don't see why Miata wheels wouldn't work. My '99 had a 4x100 bolt pattern - not sure of the offset. But with the plethora of MINI wheels available I don't know why you'd want to ... unless you happen to have an old set laying around.

 

The hug center is a different size....
A while back somebody bought some OEM gen 1 "Hollie" rims for a car...found he was getting vibration....story went on a bit...turned out, according to the thread, the prior owner that sold the rims was a mazda miata owner, and had machined the center to fit the bigger mazda... Used them on track days...those particular rims were renowned for being light, even by aftermarket standards....
So they SHOULD fit, just need to use the right hub centric rings/adaptor for them...about $4 each if I recall for plastic ones.

 

Thanks for that, I figured there had to be a reason it wasn't discussed more, though hub rings aren't exactly the end of the world. I'm familiar with them from my BMW experience. They're not my favorite things, kind of a pain to deal with. Not exactly a dealbreaker either though.

I'm not seeing many used options in 15" or 16" on my local CL. Even a broader area search hasn't helped much. Quite a few that are available are quite pricey for some reason. I could get a new set of Maxxim or Konig Helium wheels for what these people want for used. Broader search terms potentially means more choices, though I may just save my pennies for a brand new set of wheels if something doesn't come available.

 

Helium 15"s are pretty light. I did have the spoolers on my Justa, but as you, I wanted 16s. I picked up x-lites on CL for $200 for the whole set. Installed 205/50 Falken Ziex tires. I really like these. I do miss the zippiness the Spoolers felt but the change from run-flats makes up for it. so much nicer and quieter.