I just got my 05-MCSc a few weeks ago, and if I can't get the dealer to replace the tires, I'm going to need to replace them myself..... I'm looking for opinions on tires that are good in Dry as well as wet, being that the summers in south Florida are all rain.

I am looking at these itres, but am open to suggestions. (I'm ditching the run flats for sure though):

Yokohama AVID ENVigor http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e&autoModClar= S Convertible&autoModClar= Rated 8.2 @ Tire Rack

Continental Extreme Contact DWS http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e&autoModClar= S Convertible&autoModClar= Rated 8.5

Continental Extreme Contact DW http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....toModel=Cooper S Convertible&autoModClar= Rated 8.9

Or if on a budget:

Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110 http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e&autoModClar= Rated 8.4

I still have a few weeks/months before I have to replace but I'm looking for Mini reviews...read many non mini owners already.

Thanks!

D/W ? Thought you meant Dedicated Winter..... Oh DRY WET.......

I would say all-season are good, since you had some winter like weather there this year......... My choice was Michelin........ See my sig.......... Worth every penny and increased MPG to boot....

D/W = dry / wet traction.....

Thanks..I'm not inclined to michellin tires....

I've had the Hankooks for 1400+ miles now & really like them - especially coming from runflats. The Hankooks are quieter, and the ride is much better. I haven't done any drastic driving, e.g., AutoX or other track time, but around-town spirited handling & cornering is exceptional. You might notice the softer sidewall, but this doesn't necessarily equate to less grip.

Wet traction is great too - we had 2"+ of rain one day last weekend & I was motoring at my regular speed. Only slippage I felt was leaving stoplights when my tires hit painted x-walks.

I give the V12's a

I am going to be getting the DWS when it comes time for new rubber for me and I will switch to 17s.

Based on the reviews I most likely will end up getting the either of the Contis...the DW is about $100 more for all 4's....and ahs less thread rating...yet they are rated top of the class on tire rack.....

My 2¢:
I had Bridgestone RE960AS on my previous car – ’04 VW R32
I saw very little, if any, drop in performance in ‘around town’ or spirited driving use.
I came from Hankook 212(?) and Falken Rt615 tires, but since I was no longer autocrossing, changed to the Bridgestones.
Tire Rack rates the Contis a bit better than the Bridgestone, but it was categories that meant a bit less to me that swayed the overall rating.
The Bridgestones ranked better in cornering stability, dry traction, and steering response.
I had the Bridgestones for approximately 20K miles.
The performance was still very good and there was plenty of tread left.
Tires were a bit narrow so I’d upsize: 205/55-16 or 215/45-17.
Good luck.

DW will bring more dry grip, the 960's are rated within all season category, the DW's being max performance catergory. Bridgestone's Unity has alot to do whith why thier tires don't loose grip as they wear.

Alex

I also live in FL so I know what type of tires you are looking for.
I got a set of Michelin Pilot Exaltos.
Have them on now for 4 months.
I have not had a single problem with them in the wet.
Drove 20+ miles through a frog chokeing rain strom with no planeing at all.

I'd say 960's lend themselves to water, Conti's a bit more for agressive dry weather driving,

Alex

If you're anywhere near coral springs, my dad's shop does good, honest work... Only thing hes done on my MINI is change oil, but he says here gets them every now and then... When you finally do pick the tire you want, call them up and he'll order it for ya.... no need to get shipped via tire rack or anything.
drop me a msg if you want his info, he'll take care of ya.

IMHO and a friend that had them, Hankook's Ventus suck on wet roads.
The best tire I have found in the wet and dry is the very noisy BFG KDW's.
I just turn up the radio!

If you have stock 17x7 wheels then-

I think for dry and wet with minimal cold weather:

Continental ExtremeContact DW 340 treadwear
205/45-17 $129 each 19 lbs
215/45-17 $117 each 20 lbs

Good dry and wet test results
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=140

Not bad on the price or weight either.

For most owners the stock 205/45-17 is likely a good choice for tire size.
215/45-17 slightly wider, heavier, higher rolling resistance, taller tire diameter for slight Speedo error. For lowered MINI use 205/45-17 for more clearance.

The All Season tire options last longer but may not offer the same level of handling and response as the Max Summer tires. If you drive aggressively usually the Continental DW will be a better choice, just don't expect it to last as long.

I was under the impression that the slightly taller tire as quoted above would fix the speedo error from the factory. My 2010 JCW w/ 205/45/17 Dunlop RFT's reads about 2-3mph slow.

If you are truely 2-3 mph slower than actual speed then

215/45-17 vs OEM tire size

Will give you about 1.7% faster read on the speedometer or when speedometer reads 60 you are going 61 mph.

So a slight improvement but still a little off.

MINI wants you to be under true speed not over.

Hi all. This thread is great. I am also in Florida, South Florida, and will be needing new tires perhaps by summer. I am probably going to stick with my 15s in terms of size, but have been beginning to wonder if I should switch from the Continental brand. When I rotated my tires for the first time at 7500 miles, which was always fine for my previous cars, I was suprised to see how much tread had worn on the front tires compared to the back. I have read some reviews of Continental's ContiPremium Contact2 (which is what I have), and people said they only got 22,000 miles on their tires.

Other reviews I've read say that Continental's Extreme Contact DWS tire is good, and I think Tire Rack rates them as #1. So maybe the Continentals I have now, the ContiPremium Contact 2, are the tires that should be avoided.

The brand I used on my last car (Infiniti G35) was a Bridgestone high performance tire. Very expensive, but seemed to wear pretty well, and I never felt like I was slipping from the road in crazy rain.


Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

Water is certainly a factor, and it also seems that treadwear is an area for concern... What other things are you looking to priorotize for you tires?

I just got the DW's last week and like them so far. Havent had a chance to push them yet. I'm in NorCal but the car wont see the snow so didnt go with DWS's.

Alex@tirerack: In order of preference, I am primarily concerned with (1) water traction/heat; (2) good treadwear; (3) smooth ride; and, (4) road noise. I drive a combination of highway and side streets on a daily basis, if that makes any difference. Summers here (South Florida) are very hot and humid. I also drive my kids around in my Clubman, so I am not looking for any "high performance" tire. I just need a good, balanced all-season tire for daily driving in South Florida.

thanks!