Hello - I am in the process of purchasing an 05 MCS and I think I have most of the process sorted out. The main stumbling block I have is tires. I live in the suburbs of Chicago (Joliet). Are the 17" all season with the S lites going to knock my teeth out in normal everyday driving?
Thank you for your input.

 

Shouldn't be a problem. Folks who have complained about them might be accustomed to sedans, but the ride should not be much worse than any performance car and better than the stiffly sprung trucks. You might want to look up past threads in the archives for tires and wheels where you should find hundreds of opinions. Or you might try starting a thread under the topic of Chicagoland MINIs (look up the general geographic notation).

 

Frankly, I don't see what all of the fuss is about. I opted for the summer tires (which are presumably more aggressive), and I just don't get the complaints about a harsh ride. I also have the JCW suspension, so I don't know. I would just drive one with 16" and one with 17" and see what you think . . .