Hi All - new to Mini and this forum. Recently purchased a '17 Cooper S Convertible and am annoyed with the Pirelli Run Flats it came with. I've read a bunch about the shortcomings of these tires and agree. The car does NOT handle like a go cart at all. Also, it is a manual, which I love, but I am getting lots of popping from the exhaust during decel. Just wanted to know if this was normal for this car. I don't think it has had any engine or exhaust work done to it. Thanks.

 

Ditching the run-flat tires is a pretty common "first mod". They're heavy, the ride is choppy at best, and handling suffers a bit, too (relative to non-run-flat tires). As for the burbles you're hearing, that's normal and one of the appeals of the MINI :-)

 

Great. Thanks.

 

plenty of owners will have 'burble envy'
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...m-farting.html
but I'll ask, are you using the sport mode?

If it burbles easily and not in SPORT I'd suspect the car has "a tune"

our 15 Roadster S never burbles .... probably cuz we NEVER engage SPORT ....... not our style . . .

 

"The car does NOT handle like a go cart at all..."

If your Mini does not handle like a "go cart at all"... then you have bigger issues than just the tires. Run flat tire technology has come a long way since 2001 and the 2017 Pirelli Run Flats are good tires. Changing them out for a different tire will not magically fix your Mini go cart problem.

 

I guess I will have to look into this a little more. Do you have any suggestions as to where to start? The car is pushing in the corners, and I have not had that experience with other front-wheel drive cars. I think one reason may be the light weight of the car, but it still does not seem right. Also, what pressure would you recommend for these tires? I am running 40 psi in them. Thanks - appreciate your input.

 

I’d lower the pressure some, and run higher on the front, this will increase front end grip. However, don’t worry about the comment regarding your car’s performance. They are right about one thing, run-flats have come a long way and they are almost as good as their equivalent regular tire. The problem is that the Pirelli’s aren’t really designed for performance driving, they are all-seasons designed with gas mileage in mind. I have them on my wife’s 2019 F57 Justa and even at that power level I can overwhelm them. Stepping up to Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ (Looks like AS3+ has been discontinued, pick up All Season 4 tires instead) or even better, Pilot Sport 4s, I have run both on my modded 2015 F56 S, will provide the grip you’re looking for in the front.

 

Thanks - I will try that.

 

Best handling mod was to remove the Pirellis on my 2017!!

 

what pressure would you recommend for these tires? I am running 40

and the recommended pressure (in the door jam) is .... what?????

 

there’s no reason to be judgy. The door jamb pressures are suggestions so that you get the best gas mileage, not the best turn in. Therefore, people need to ask what the best solution for reducing understeer*.

 

"there's no reason to be judgy."

There's one on every forum.

 

On the tire pressure topic, is there a reason to have a different pressure between the the run flats that came with the car versus non run flats or even new and improved run flats?


I recommend finding a similar MINI on a dealer lot and take a test drive to compare. My stock 06 pops on deceleration almost every time. (I would like it a little louder) It is part of the character of the MINI. As for the go cart handling, it is hard to say without comparing to other MINIs. It is too subjective to evaluate over the internet.

 

We can't judge the "handling" of your Mini. If you don't know anyone who's familiar with how they drive maybe go to a dealership and have a MA drive it and see what they think. I'd be hesitant to say that just getting non-RF tires is gonna make the difference, and it'll set you back $700 or so I bet (non-RFs are cheaper than RFs). When I switched from RFs to non-RFs on my 2007 MCS I thought it steered a tad better with the RFs although it definitely rode better with the non-RFs.