Hey folks,

I would like some input from real Mini owners on the snow tires we use. Granted there are tons of reviews on TireRack, etc. However some of those reviews are based on all-wheel drive, rear wheel, or even SUV drivers. I'm interested in winter tire performance on the Mini.

Maybe use the format below:

Make:
Model:
Size:
RunFlat: (Yes or No)
Tread Wear: (1 bad - 10 good)
Road Climate: (Colorado, 10% heavy snow, 20% ice, 20% slush, 50% dry)
Review:

Thanks this will help me make a decision, and maybe help someone else.

 

On TireRack you can check the Survey of a specific tire and also specify that you want to look at MINI Survey Results only for that particular tire.

 

Supposedly they filter out the bad reviews, so you may want to take that in mind while browsing the reviews.

 

I do, I was just letting the OP know that that is a feature of the TireRack.com website.

 

I have been using Tirerack for well over 20 years, and I have posted reviews on every tire I have purchased since they went online. I have never known them to not post a review if it was negative.
That being said, Tires are a personal thing when you buy them, alot depends on your driving style, where you live and how much you drive, what you may deem sporty or agressive is tame to others. My heavy foot consists of driving 75 to 80 MPH as I travel off hours in almost no traffic, some may find that fast, and yet other will find that slow as they travel at greater speeds and are in different parts of the country.

Currently I have 3 sets of wheels and tires for my Mini, The runflats on the original wheels which just sit and I carry 1 for a spare, I have a set of S lites for the Summer with Summer only tires, and my Current winter tires is the General Artic Climate, 205 55 16, very good in the snow and climbing hills and a very steep driveway, excellant in the slush and rain, Not the Best I have had for ice, somewhat more noisy they my summer tires and do not as expected handle as good. The ride however is softer and during the winter months with the potholes that works for me just fine. This is my second season on them and my last as I will have over 20 K on them by March. I will use them in the spring and take them off by May so I can put my summer wheels and tires on for the Dragon

 

I use Blizzacks LM-25 in 205/50/16. I live out in the country on twisty, hilly roads. They have great grip in the snow. I have no issues getting around. They are also almost as quiet as my summer tires on dry roads, and are fairly quiet so they can be left on through the winter months.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=111

I wore out my 185/65/15 Winter Carving Edge Pirelli's,and need new snows. (They do have quite a bit of tread left but the good gooey rubber has been used up, I could sell them cheap if anybody wants some snow tires.) I'm thinking about these,Michelin X-Ice Xi2. But I was thinking about going one size bigger/taller , to 195/65R15, any inputs?

 

A Narrow tire is always better cutting through the deep snow, I guess it depnds on how much snow you get and how long it sticks around.
I went with a wider size 205 55 16 as we do get snow here but it is cleared pretty much in a day or so and I wanted something wider as most of the days here are dry. No Issues with the wider tire for me, I have not been stuck and the ride is real good, they are actually calling for some mixed weather here this weekend so I may actually have to put these things on a month early.

 

yea ,I think I'l stay with the 185's, I'm only going to gain a 1/2" taller tire anyways(and it would be wider) I really need a 185 or 195 70 15 ,but they don't make snow tires that size

 

I wanted to be able to put on cable "chains" if the highway patrol in California demands them, and sometimes they do. I really don't expect to need chains, but just in case.

Well, the 16" rims are not suitable for any chains. In particular, I wanted studded winter tires, and I could't find anything that would fit my rims (I have two sets of 16") and still have clearance for the chains. So, I bought some 15" rims (got a set of genuine Mini's for $105), and I bought 185/60 R15 Hankook iPike W409 studded tires. I have the Hankook iPikes on another car, and they are a good tire. Discount Tire in Reno carries Hankook (TireRack does not have the iPikes), and because they had a $100 rebate special, the whole mounted package only came to $326. Hard to believe, I know.

So there you have a real snow car --- studded snows and backup cable "chains".

 

I have Pirelli Winter p-210 Snowsports, 195-60r15 (H rating)mounted on a cheap set of 15" alloys (Primamax-Tuner).

This size fits fine with no clearance issues with my standard S Brakes (GEN1, 2005 S)

The size works well....within 1.5% of stock if I remember, and the 15" rims and tires saved a couple hundred bucks when I bought them . Also it makes the ride a bit softer (helps save the car and the driver) over those winter frost heaves and potholes!! This size is also pretty light and gives the car a playful/tossible feel if you will!!
There are better snow-tires out there (these are almost like a really agressive all-season in some ways), but the price was right, and in the rain or on dry road these tires still ride/handle pretty well for a snow tire and are quiet! Width wise...for an S these tires do pretty good IMO.

 

Only if TireRack sells that brand! I'm trying to find information on Nokian winter tires, which TireRack does not sell. Their 4x4 snow tires are extremely popular with the off-road crowd, and they are one of the most popular brands in Europe for snow tires. If anyone has experience with Nokians on a car (internet search only yields 4x4 owners' comments), please post here!

As for my current/previous snow tires, I ran Pirelli SnowSports for the last 2 seasons.

Make: Pirelli
Model: SnowSport
Size: 205/45 17
RunFlat: No
Tread Wear: 8
Road Climate: NYC-- mostly slush, grime, ice, and filth. Drove on fresh snow occasionally on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley.
Review: I have been very pleased with these tires. The grip is good, but more important is the feel. The grip is very linear as it approaches the breaking point, so there are no surprises. You can drive in 6 lanes of traffic during a blizzard and feel comfortable passing everyone because you know exactly where the limit of grip is. I even played around with some controlled drifting on the I-87 off-ramps. Of course, I also have the Quaife LSD installed

I was going to buy a new set this year, since 2 wheels were stolen in the spring and one tire got an irreparable puncture from a screw, leaving me with one tire which still had plenty of tread to go another season. But I really want to try out the Nokian tires this year. After all, Finnish people should know how to make a snow tire.

 

I used to run Nokians about 10 years ago...the last time I had a car. I'm facing the same situation now that I have a MINI. The model closest to what I ran then is the WR and they had outstanding performance. The Nokians were recommended to me at the time by the local ice racing crowd so I trusted their judgement and it paid off. The car in question at the time was a Mazda MX-6 turbo.

I want to put on a set of Hakkepeliitta's this year (either the 5's or the R's) but at $200+ per tire I'm not sure if the cost justifies the benefit over some of the other brands.