Pardon the pun, but I'm needing a little help with choosing some tires. I currently have the OEMs (Eagle NCT 5 195 55R16 87H) which are EXPENSIVE tires. I think I've realized that they're expensive 1) because they're german and 2) they're a weird size. I've got myself a normal Mini Cooper and haven't done any moding to suspension and or body. I'm curious if I can get a more common size, thereby having a much nicer pricetag. I've recently seen the 215/45HR17 Kuhmo Ecsta AST (KU25) tires but I've heard that they don't last very long - but they're only $75.00 Then I saw some 205/45ZR16 BF Goodrich g-Force Sport Tire's for $80.00 which is much better than what I'd been looking at on other tires.

I'm also not sure if I shoudl go from Run Flat to regular tires. All I know is I have had a total of four nails in my car in the past year and I think thats more than a little crazy! Are the run flats more prone to punctures? Can I stray at all from the size that I have on there now? I'm lost so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The thought of spending 600 clams on new tires for my car is NOT something I'm actively considering. Essh!!!

Oh and I should note that I'm told I'm a spirited driver. (That was my kind way of putting it). Others have called it aggressive (or much worse).

Suggestions, comments, ideas, criticisms... I'm open for all of it.

xoxo Kimmie

 

sumitomo HTR+ should do the trick for you. cheap and available locally at
Sears and most tire stores. 205/50/16's.

 

Thanks so much for the tip! Can I beg you for a little more information though? Because I'm the curious type... Are they bigger tires? Wider tires? I guess what I'm getting at is what's the 205/50 part versus my 195/55? Thanks so much!

 

205 is width in mm
50 is the % of the width (205 x 0.50)
16" is the diameter in inches

 

The OE tires are also expensive because they are runflats. As you can see from looking at numerous threads here, conventional (ie non-runflat) tires have benefits of improved ride, handling, reduced noise, etc. You need to offset the lack of a spare by various means (AAA m-ship, cellphone, fix-a-flat kit in boot, etc.) if you go that route. The size Kenchan stated, 205/50/16 is available in many good tires. Reduced sidwall 50 profile should give you slightly better turn-in response, etc. Usually a lower profile would also mean slight deterioration in ride quality, but the shift away from hard-riding runflats would more than compensate. Only conventional tire I know of in pure "stock" size of 195/55/16 is the Toyo T1R

 

My concern is this - 195 being the width (I think I got that much) seems pretty wide on my car. 205 being wider (I think I'm not crazy to assume that) I'm afraid there will be "rubbing". The clearance inside the wheel well (I'm one of those freaky folks that actually scrub out the wheel wells when washing the car ) seems pretty limited. I guess that was what I was afraid of. Buying wider tires and then finding out they're too big and they wind up rubbing.

And why does my car actually have a spare tire? It's under the boot, under the car? So I woudln't need the fix a flat, so that much is good! My baby is an '03.

Finally (Okay so it was more than one question) what does this do to the alert system - the little yellow light that I've become such good friends with over the past year and a half? I know how to reset it, but will it now function if say I get a nail in the tire that I'm not aware of and have a slow leak or is this only something that funtions with the runflats? I've heard that some of these systems are based on tire rotation and some actually have a sensor in the stem of the tires.

Okay that's it for the really stupid questions (Actually it's not that I'm stupid, just ignorant about tires and too lazy to do the research when we have a wealth of knoweldgeable folks right here in this forum! Woot Woot for us!)

Thanks again!
xoxo Kimmie

 

You'll have no worries about rubbing going with the 205/50R16 size - it's probably the most common fitment for new tires on the S.
My understanding is that all U.S. Coopers came with a spare, so no worries about using non-runflats. (unlike here in Canada where a spare on the Cooper is an option)
The non-runflats in whichever size chosen will work fine with the tire pressure warning system - it may need to be re-initialized, but after that, again, no worries.