Monty is a 2013 Clubman S with only 5,200 miles on his odometer, but I really hate the runflats. I live in southern Florida, and I would appreciate suggestions regarding summer tires, 195/55/16.
Thanks

 

I'm not sure what you have on there now, but I dumped my old Continental runflats for Bridgestone DriveGuards. They're still runflats, but they feel like regular tires. They grip and handle just as well as the Continentals, but without feeling like you're driving on solid-core tires.

 

205/50-16 and 205/55-16 will also work for you and provide you with many more choices. Try TireRack.com for information, tests, and consumer surveys. We can't recommend a suitable tire if we don't know your preferences in handling, ride, wear, cost, etc.

I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 because they are great in the wet, very good in the dry, have a 45k treadwear warranty, and don't get hard when the weather turns cold in the fall.

 

What are your preferences regarding comfort, dry&wet performance, treadwear, cornering response, etc.?

 

Thanks for the input (s). I guess my main preference is handling and stopping in wet conditions.

 

Then the Continental ExtremeContact DW is an excellent summer tire choice.
It's available in 205/55/16. I have them on my MINI in 205/50/16, but that
size is no longer available.

The DW is comfortable and quiet and does very well in the dry and very, very well
in the wet. It's a relatively light tire for its size and sidewalls are a little on the soft
side for a max performance tire, so cornering response is a little less crisp than some
of the other choices, but that's the only real downside. This is also what makes it
less harsh and more comfortable than its peers, and certainly a huge improvement
from runflat harshness. Treadwear rating is 340 so it'll last ok for this type of tire.

Note - don't confuse this with the DWS, which is an all season tire.

 

What would be the advantages/disadvantages of going from the original
195/55 16 to 205/50 16 or 205/55 16 ?

 

195/55/16 - selection of good summer tires sucks

205/50/16 is just about same diameter (slightly less) with slightly wider tread and
slightly shorter sidewall than stock - improves handling and cornering response at expense of
ride comfort - but, this is a pretty small change. There used to be a good selection of
max performance tires in this size, but selection has dried up a bit over the last couple years.
Choices in summer tires are still much better here than in 195/55/16.

205/55/16 is a little taller and slightly wider than stock and there is a very good selection of summer tires in this size.
Speedometer will actually be more accurate with this size as the stock size underreads it by several mph.

 

Cristo is spot on.

 

Currently running 195/55/16 Kumho Ecsta 4x and have been happy with them.

 

I just recently bought tires for my 2009 Clubman and went through the same process. You can read the thread here.

I ended up going with the Nitto NeoGens and I really, really like them.

Also, I bought the Spare Tire Kit from DetroitTuned. It's pricey but it fit perfectly and had everything I needed to replace the standard foam tray.

Hope that helps!

 

I went with Michilne Pilots, 205/55 16's, and you certainly were spot on about the speedometer being more accurate. It's like a new car, better handling, better control in heavy rain, quieter, a bit softer ride, which is OK, I like to feel the road, and besides we really don't have potholes in Southern FL.

205/55/16 is a little taller and slightly wider than stock and there is a very good selection of summer tires in this size.
Speedometer will actually be more accurate with this size as the stock size underreads it by several mph.[/QUOTE]

 

On my R55 I switched to 205/50R-16 Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport SL's I'd been running on an R56 I traded in late in 2012. ONLY for use when it's above 50°F (I lived northwest of Chicago until late in 2014, now southwestern Wisconsin) so they ought to be suitable for Florida year-round.

Superb when it's wet, quite stable when it's not, decent wear considering their grippiness. If you've only driven 5,200 miles in 2 years (I just passed 38,000) their longevity shouldn't be an issue. I'd expect maybe 20 - 25,000 miles on a set as long as you pay attention to tire pressure & rotate them every 5 - 6,000 miles. Your Michelins ought to last even longer.