I have an '03 Cooper with 2 sets of 15" rims (one for regulars, one for snows). On the non-winter rims, I've gone through 2 sets of the OEM Continentals in 130K miles (~40% of those miles were on the snows).

I don't go to the track, I don't race. I commute. I like a nice comfortable quiet ride, which is why I went with the 15" non-run-flats.

It's time for new tires. I go to Tirerack.com, and there's only a couple of choices for my tire size, and half of those choices are out of stock. The ones that are in stock have reviews that they're harsh, loud, or low tread life.

So here's my question. With a tire size of 175/65/15", what are my options for other tires? Am I stuck?

I know nothing about tire sizes - is 175/65 my only choice for my rims? I see SO many other choices for the 185/65 size. Is that an option for my rims?

I just want a relatively smooth and quiet ride, and decent tread life. Help!

 

185/65-15 will work ... 195/60-15 does too and offers more tire choice

 

Wow - thanks. Good to know!

So what does the 175/185/195 actually mean, and why wouldn't those sizes be offered on tirerack.com if they would fit my rims? (I realize you may not have the answer for the second part )

 

New question - I just looked at the sticker on the driver's door jamb, and they list the "recommended" tire sizes. All of the 15" sizes are 175/65.

What are the risks of going with 185/65 or 195/60 regarding handling, ABS, etc. (if any)?

 

IMO there would be zero risk in doing so. The only stipulation being that you have to have all 4 tires be the same size whether they are 175, 185 or 195.

 

175/185/195 is the tire width in millimeters. If you shop for 15" aftermarket wheels for a MINI on the Tire Rack, you'll see they recommend 195/60-15 tires.

 

175/185/195 is the width of the tread in mm. 65/60/55 is the aspect ratio 65% of the treadwidth as the sidewall height.

so 195/55-15 which is what I run on my Cooper has a tread width of 195mm and the sidewall height from rim to tread is 107.25mm.

On tirerack.com, if you select your car year and model, it will only return the OEM size tires. However you can search by size instead.

for your 15" rims, if they are stock MINI rims, they have a width of 5.5" The largest tire you can run on those rims is a 205, however it is a very tight fit, and the sidewall will tend to "rollover" when cornering and actually hurt performance.

I went with 195s which actually provide better performance than the wider 205s.

Changing sizes will affect your speedometer readout somewhat, but the MINI is not known for an accurate speedo anyway.

See this link for a tire size calculator.

Hope this helps,
Steve

 

Excellent info - thanks to all who schooled me.

I think I'm going with Michelin Harmonys in 185/65 - they've gotten great reviews for smoothness and quietness, as well as durability.

 

I tried that tire calculator and it said if I change tire sizes, it will make my speedometer slower by 2.1% (1.3 mph at 60mph). Since MINI speedos tend to run fast, these new tires will actually make the speedo more accurate than it was with stock tires.

Bonus!

 

See
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...6quot%3B+tires
Post #7

Many sizes that will work for you from 185/65-15 to 195/60-15 to 205/55-15.

Michelin Harmony is a Passenger All Season tire.
185/65-15 $94 each 740 treadwear 20 lbs T speed rated
It is backordered on tirerack.com, contact Alex to find out when they might come in.

A few words about tires for the MINI. Unless you drive only the speed limit and never really push your car through corners I have reservations about using any tire that is rated less than H-speed rated for any MINI. S and T are lower speed rated tires and not really up to the performance standard that MINIs are capable of. Doesn't mean you can't use these tires but they are better suited for other passenger cars like Toyota Echo or a minivan.

If I were choosing a great All Season tire for my MINI in 185/65-15 I would look at-
Michelin Primacy MXV4 (Grand Touring All Season)
$99 each 620 treadwear 20 lbs, H speed rated, backordered
Tirerack tests-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...l=Primacy+MXV4
$101 each, in stock for 195/60-15 H speed rated 22 lbs.
This is a much much better tire, almost same price, and in stock.

 

I replaced my 175/65/15's with Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS Pole Position in the 195/60/15 size. I'm very happy with them.

 

I replaced my oem Continentals tires after about 48,000 miles and went with Goodyear Assurance M+S P195/60R15. I am very happy with the ride and handling of the new tires. They are rated as an 80,000 mile tire.

 

I run 185/65-15 Nokian Hakka2 snow tires and speedometer error is no problem. In fact, as ScotterBoy pointed out they are actually more accurate than any of the stock wheel/tire combinations. This was verified by GPS.

 

Well I thought I knew what I wanted!

Minihune, you got me looking at the Primacy now.


Thanks again for all the info.

 

I have both 15" and 16" wheels and run Michelins on the 16's. For the 15's I run ContiProContacts in 185/65/15 from Tirerack and they are great H rated tires and an improvement over the OEM ContiTouring. They handle nice, have good wet traction and have a super smooth ride. At $45 (on special now) they are the best buy on the planet.