since i bought my first mini, i keep using continental tires but it sucks!!!
please let me know what your recommendation is..

 

I just got my MINI 6 months ago. So still have the original tires. My 07 Accent my daugther drives has Michelin Destiny's on it. I went a little wider then the stock tires and it handles snow really well. I have had Michelin Destiny's on two cars and I like them. They do wear out fast, but grip well.

So when my Continental's wear out I will go with Michelin Destiny P195/60R-15 87T (Presuming they will fit) for more width.

Hope you find something that works for you.

 

The OE 175/65/15 size is somewhat restrictive in terms of the number of available good tires, but you can search at www.tirerack.com. The General Altimax HP (a GT A/S tire) looks good in that size, for example.

You can get a wider selection of tires by going to the 195/60/15 size Tank mentioned above. That size will fit on the 5.5" rim okay, but the tire is actually molded to fit (and work optimally) on a 6" rim. Their 24.2" diameter is only .2" greater than the OE size. The General Altimax HP comes in that size too, but going up to that size also brings in several other attractive tires, including the Bridgestone RE960 AS (a UHP A/S), and the Michelin Primacy MXV4 (a GT A/S), which Tank may have been thinking of instead of the Michelin "Destiny" he mentioned.

You could also consider moving to the 185/65/15 size. That size tire is molded to fit your 5.5" rim perfectly, and the tire diameter is .4" greater than the OE size.

If you need professional help, contact Tire Rack Alex, who monitors and helps here.

 

Remember that all tires are a set of compromises in the shape of a donut.

Tires that grip better will usually not last as long. Tires that have low rolling resistance (for better fuel economy) will often not grip as well, or won't last as long, or both. Noise and ride quality also get traded off for wet or dry grip, rolling resistance, durability, and so on.

If you're a hardcore racer, for instance, you probably want track tires. If you're just commuting every day on the superslab, you probably want long-lasting tires with low rolling resistance. And so on.

I've had good luck in the past with Yokohama and Dunlop tires. Not as good luck with Pirelli, the Michelins were hit and miss. Kumhos and Hankook tires have both been fairly reasonable, and the price was good. The Falken Azenis tires I had on my zippy little car were awesome, except when any water thought about getting near the pavement. And they didn't last for squat.

 

How do ou find out what rim size the tire is molded for? Didn't know about that.

Oh, no mix up on Destiny/Primacy. Haven't tried Primacy's. Are they better?

 

Look the tire up on the Tire Rack website. Or on the manufacturer's website.

 

I am not going to lie but that size tire is not much bigger then a bicycle tire. get something wider with shorter sidewalls.

 

Tank: "What the tire is molded for" is my phrase for what Tire Rack calls "Meas. Rim Width" under the "Tire Specs." The other tire fit consideration is "Rim Width Range." For example (one that I happen to remember), tire size 205/50/16 has a "Rim Width Range" of 5.5 to 7.5", and a "Meas. Rim Width" of 6.5".

I just didn't see the Destiny when I looked, and didn't recall such a tire, but I already knew about the Primacy. I'll look again for the Destiny.

Okay, I looked, and didn't see the Destiny at Tire Rack. Found them at the Michelin website, but didn't learn much. They are a passenger car/Minivan all-season tire with an 80k mile warranty; supposed to be quiet and comfortable (No wonder I hadn't heard of them). Michelin also said they were exclusive to Discount Tire, so I went to their website and clicked on "Destiny." Their response was that they're not currently in stock. They don't sound much like a tire I'd want to have on my MINI. Your preferences may vary.

 

Jim thanks for info.

Tire Rack has good info. I am in Denver area. Discount tire has the Destiny here. All my cars (Only 4) have tires from there. Discount Tire is just down the road from my house. The Primacy and Destiny tires are the same price. Two of my cars have had Destiny's and they were great in the snow and handle wet or dry well. BUt it wouldn't hurt to try the Primacy's. Anyone use them in snow or ice (A concern in Denver)?

Tire Rack price for Primacy is $122 and Discount Tire is $121. Tire Rack is cheaper for the replacement warrenty, but the tires have to be shipped (Which adds to the cost). So Discount Tire works better for me.

Also, since I get my tires from Discount Tire they fix my flats for free. Even on my MINI which has the OE tires.