Hi there,
I need to urgently replace the 2 front runflats on my cooper S. Right now I have Continental ContiProContact SSR 195/55R16 87V all around.

I am not sure i can get two of these quickly but I think I can get my hands on two Pirelli Euforia runflats with the same ratings.

Are the pirellis an all season tire? That's what I want. And any thoughts on these vs. the ContiProContacts? Would I be OK with the Eufori's on the front and ContoProContacts on the back??

Appreciate any thoughts. I am in the west los angeles area.

Daniel.

 

Can't speak to what you mean by "all-weather" but I too am in California. We get our share of rain and fog and I tend not to brake until I absolutely have to. Needless to say, numerous years ago I had a set of Michelins on my BMW and I hated them. They were just awful in the rain and fog, much too slick. They were so bad that they would even slip on the white lines of the crosswalk when I would accelerate from a stop.

I have 17 inch Pirelli Euforia runflats on my MINI and just love them. Wet, dry or in-between they fit my driving style. It is a personal preference of course, so I can only relate my experience. I have a lead foot for gas and and as someone kindly pointed out, I religiously adhere to the school of "STOP"; Slightly Touch Other Pedal when it comes to braking.

 

Thanks Kikimowse - that is very helpful.

To clarify - I meant "all season" - menaing that they are good general purpose for summer/winter, wet/dry use. The contiprocontacts are rated as all season whereas on the Pirelli site the Euforis are listed as a summer tire.

Anyway - just want to make sure I can run these oK all year round - even if I visit somewhere very cold.

Daniel.

 

We generally do not freeze where I live but we can get to 28 degrees on occasional winter mornings. We have had black ice with the fog freezing on the overpasses going over the freeway but even I drive with caution on those mornings. MINI seems to handle it without issue. I have not driven in the snow ever, so I am not sure how they would handle under light new snow or sanded road conditions. Someone else will have to speak to that. Good luck on your hunt for the tyres (as the Brits say) that work for you.

 

Even performance tires are supposed to provide a good level of traction, at least in rain. As for snow and ice, any FWD vehicle will have an advantage over RWD, and the MINI does shine in this area. To me, it's more of driver awareness than tire grip in these conditions. If the roads are salted/sanded, that will certainly help. No tire is immune to black ice regardless of the type or tread pattern.

Beyond what the tire is rated as, common sense would dictate looking at the tire tread pattern can help in determining whether the tires will work in adverse road conditions. Pay attention to the gap width between the sections, as well as the direction in which the material would be pushed out of the way. Many performance tires pattern from the center of the tire to the edge, and this will help alot. Obviously, don't go putting Thornburgs on your MINI.