Hello,

I have a 2012 Mini Cooper Hardtop with 16" rims and 195/55 tires on it.

I've heard the Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 Tires are a great all season tire and I would really like to get them.

Unfortunately they don't come in a 195/55/16

So I'm wondering if the following might fit the car and if anyone has any experience with them

205/55/16

205/50/16

Thanks Very Much!

 

I just put the same tire on my Mini in 17".

Go to this site to see which tire size will work for you"

https://tiresize.com

 

I just checked the site and I like the 205x50x16; but its your Mini so you choose.

 

Make sure you understand what the tire sizes mean then do the math to compute what difference in circumference will be.

I am running 215/45-17s vs. stock 205/45-17, plus I am lowered a bit so a 205/55/16 should fit no problem.

If I did the math correctly (no guarantees as I have had a few), 205/55-16 is 1.77% greater circumference, 205/50-16 is -1.53% difference. In other words, negligible either way.

I have no experience with the Continental DWS tires on the Mini, though I do have them on the other car (Subaru) and have been impressed. Where you live and the weather conditions you anticipate having to deal with are important in tire choice.

 

Either 205/50/16 or 205/55/16 will fit without problems.
205/50/16 is a little closer to stock diameter (slightly shorter),
and 205/55/16 is a bit taller, but not tall enough to rub.

 

Check the price you can get, at tirerack, 205/50 is about $112 while 205/50-16 is $106 each.

If budget is a concern then the cheaper one will work fine.

If you want better handling and performance then 205/50-16 will work for shorter sidewall (less flex) and lower weight (19 lbs). The DWS 06 is already a comfortable tire so ride quality will be about the same.

 

I've worked with Tires since I was 8 years old and am the manager at my family tire store so I've seen and changed a tire or 2. Go with a 205 50r16, it'll fit the vehicle better and speedo closer if factory is a 195 55. 205 55r16 will give you more of a variety of different tires since it's more popular of a size. But however you want to do it, either will work.

But that continental is a good tire, I've maybe only seen 2 of them separate in the last 2 years and the 2 I've seen were nearly wore out anyway. And they have a cool "D" and "W" grooved in the tread to help let you know when they get to wore out to drive when it's "WET" the "W" will wear out first but nobody looks at it lol

 

Would a 225/55/16 still fit without rubbing? Seems you'd get alot more tire/tread on the road & help correct the speedo.

 

You can usually go up one size without issue. Without doing the math, I would guess that 3 sizes is too much. Some tires are wider than others, so you may want to check those specs. There are websites that show the difference in the tire diameter, you would need about 3-4% to correct the speedo error. Try this website:


http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html




You also have to consider the width of the wheel. You can have too wide a tire for a given wheel width. And the bigger the tire, generally the heavier the weight. As unsprung weight, you want to keep it relatively light.


I just put 215/45-17's on my car. Stock 7 inch rim, stock size 205. Older Mich AS3 (not 3+) and lower load rating of 87 vs. 91 because I have a stiff JCW suspension on my R52 and wanted a little more compliance in my ride. Very pleased. For a hardtop, I would have gone As 3+ for all weather or Mich SS (which is being replaced I think they are calling it Pilot Sport 4 or similar). The Conti noted above is also a very popular tire.

Regards,
Jerry

 

OP: I'm wondering why you are so interested to try the Conti's?

I'm in the same boat (2012 MCS) as you with ~55k on the clock. The MPSS that are on it now are just about finished. While I like the MPSS (and use the same tire on my 2010 C4S), this vehicle is mostly driven by my daughter and wife and they don't need a sport tread.

So I've decided to consider the following tires (in 205/55R-16, although this thread has now inspired me to also consider 205/50R-16):

1/ Kumho Solus TA71
2/ General AltiMAX RT43
3/ Yokahama AVID Ascend

The General's got the best reviews although I've never used that brand. I want to keep the set less than $400. I'm open to any/all suggestions.

I have a friend that uses the Conti's on his 1994 964 and he can't say enough good things about them, so I understand the love (although for P-cars used off-track, I believe that the MPSS tread is as good as it gets). However I also have heard that the Conti's do not have a long life. (FWIW, I've gotten nearly 30k out of the MPSS.)

I live in the SF Bay Area so wet and dry performance is a pre-requisite.

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

 

The shorter tire compared to the factory oem tire size will show a faster rate of speed on the speedometer and will show higher rpm on the tachometer. Due to higher rpm to keep the same speed
If both cars are driving at 55mph official speed
if the tire is taller it will show less mph and less rpm
because taller tire spin less than a short tire given that both will travel same amount of distance the same official speed of 55mph.

 

The shorter tire compared to the factory oem tire size will show a faster rate of speed on the speedometer and will show higher rpm on the tachometer. Due to higher rpm to keep the same speed
If both cars are driving at 55mph official speed
if the tire is taller it will show less mph and less rpm
because taller tire spin less than a short tire given that both will travel same amount of distance the same official speed of 55mph.