17" 5 star Pace or 16" bridge spoke for my new S Clubman. I like the looks of the 5 star pace but would rather have a smooth ride overall.

 

IMO the 16s look a bit small on the new models.

 

How bad are your roads?

If you do have lots of potholes then 16" would make more sense.

If your priority is appearance then choose what you like- they are both runflat tires and a bit firm.

Biggest advantage comes when changing tires to non runflats-
Then you can use 205/50-16 non runflats and that is much smoother riding.

If you choose the 17" it's not that bad to use a 205/45-17 or 215/45-17 non runflat. If you want big performance, comfortable ride and don't mind faster treadwear then Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R come in both sizes. 180 treadwear.

 

I'm lovin' those new Clubman 17" wheels.... nice and simple.

 

Get whichever one has the best resale value because you KNOW you're going to get new wheels...

 

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I live in Los Angeles and where I live the streets are generally okay. Is it possible to get a smooth ride with 17" non runflats? This will be my first experience with a performance car in 28 years. I had a '79 Trans AM way back when. (now you know my age)

 

I went & checked out the clubman configurator & didn't care for the wheels offered. If it was me I would get whatever is cheapest & buy aftermarket wheels ASAP. I also think that the new body style needs a wheel no smaller than 17" but if I was gonna replace my wheels anyway I would get whichever size is the cheapest & go 17" min on replacement wheels

 

Let us know the Clubman color so we can match you up... the Pace is nice, but you can do better in the aftermarket. Know that Mini's make lots of brake dust (thanks, BMW :rolleyes so wheels with lots of crevices are hard to keep clean, and darker wheels look better longer. Being in SoCal you're not worried so much about that frozen stuff or potholes so you can get away with good tires year-round, and ditch the runflats right away. The R56 era Clubman has lots of room and, unless you're lowering the car, a one-size-larger tire is in order (215/45/17). This will preserve even more better ride characteristics AND improve your selection. While you've got TONS of good places to get wheels around you (including our own Marketplace), check also www.tirerack.com, talk to Alex he'll hook you up. A really nice combo would be Goodyear F1 or michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tires (great grip, great rain traction, and low noise characteristics) and a low-weight wheel. Tirerack's "Sport Edition wheels are actually really nice, fairly conservative, and inexpensive. Several I like:

$106, 20 lb, 17x7, 38mm offset (a GREAT fitment and easy to clean)



$109 in 17x7, 40mm offset, 21 lb:


19.6lb, $79, 16x6.5" but please don't:


NOW... the 16" vs 17" debate: I have both on my R53 and the 16's ride better. It's not the noise, but the tramlining. 16's in general are lighter, and the contact patch of the tire is longer. This means they "track" better - and don't give up ANY of the go-kart "feel". Stock 16" wheels are 6.5" wide (IIRC), aftermarket can be had economically at 7.5". This makes a moderate difference in handling and a big difference in appearance (tire looks wider, which matches the Clubman better).

Example: $82, 16x7.5, a little tougher to clean but only 19lb:


Check the "wheels and tires" thread, also check tirerack.com... and good luck!

 

Hi, and thanks again for all the great information. The color of the Clubman will be dark silver. I plan on waiting 'til the tires wear significantly before replacing them. If I pay extra for the wheels I'll hang on to them for awhile. I have not owned a car to be able to do this on so who knows.

 

New runflats go for big dollars on eBay, so consider their value before piling on the miles. I'm pretty certain you can part with the wheels/tires and get an aftermarket set for about even money if you're careful.

Good luck, those Clubmen are pretty cool. I hit up the Configurator not long ago, will probably get one of those once the kids are set up in school, by then the Odyssey will be able to be downsized!

 

Oh cool! I was not aware of the value of the run flats. Learning all the time.

 

Those 5 star Pace ones look very nice!

 

I ended up getting the 16" bridgespoke wheels. I had to cut costs so this was one place to do it. I like em too. (I also did not get the sport suspention).

 

You won't miss the sport suspension - I took a dealer loaner 2007 MC with stock everything, it was great even compared to my 2006 "S" on 17's. Gave up NOTHING in go-kart "feel", just was more subtle on the bumps - which is fine! You can always upgrade suspensions later once folks start putting coilovers on and selling their sport suspensions cheap (or put on coilovers yourself!) Bridgespokes are cool too - can't go wrong, really. Congrats in advance!

 

Thank-you DixonL2 and everyone. I appreciate the information. Those daisy wheels would look good on yellow VW.