Has anyone put 185/55 R16 tires instead of 195/55R16 run-flats ???, looking for something more narrow, better ride, fuel mileage....

 

It would appear the minimum load/speed ratings for a gen2 Clubman are 84H for anything other than winter only tires. I only see 83 load ratings available in that tire size. You'll lower your car 0.2" but that is within differences of factory OEM tires. That may decrease mpg a bit and make your speedometer error worse.

A low rolling resistance (LLR) tire will give you best fuel mileage but it will only be a few miles per gallon. Be aware that LLR also means less grip.

Non-runflats improve the ride substantially. Some tires ride better than others. Taller sidewalls ride better than low profiles. Your instant response to steering input will slow down a bit with non-runflats and taller sidewalls. The height of the sidewall is the sector width times the profile ratio. For example: 185/55-16 would be 55/100 * 185mm. A small increase improves ride and decreases handling a bit. The effect is greater on ride than handling.

TireRack.com provides a lot of test results and customer feedback on various tires.

205/50-16 and 205/55-16 are more common alternate sizes.

 

When replacing runflats with conventional tires most people plus-size to 205/50-16.

 

I put 195/60-16 on my clubman for the same reason. Better ride and it completely fills the wheel well. 195/60/16 is the tire size mini recommends for snow tires . So I just put all season 195/60/16 on mine and am happy with them.

 

The Kumno Ecsta PA31 is highly rated and available in 195/60-16 for $78.