In these times this is an important question.
I have the basic (I think) tire size for the basic Mini. 175/65 R15.
I've discovered however that it's considered an odd size and not everybody carries it.

I'm getting ready to shell out some serious cash on a couple new tires and I'm just wondering if I should go to another size?

Also I'd probably be able to find more deals on a a more common size.

 

Here is a link that answers many MINI tire and wheel questions.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?f...wheel_fitments

 

Wow what a great resource!

Thanks for sharing.

Charlie

 

I'd be less concerned about the actual tire size and more concerned about keeping the proper presure in it. It's been estimated that 75 to 80 percent of cars out on the road have under inflated tires. And that's based on the car manufacturer's recommendations which are usually a bit low to begin with.

You might shop for some of those newer low rolling resistance tires. That might help a bit. But really, keeping the proper amount of air in them is best.

And don't bother with nitrogen. It's a waste of time and money and effort.

 

Yes thanks , lot's of good info.

a quick Google http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_rim_o...change_mileage
A larger tire would make a vehicle a bit harder to get moving. But, the trade off means the vehicle would take less energy to keep it moving with larger tires. Therefore, if a car is used primarily for highway driving, overall MPG may improve with larger tires. For city driving, with lots of starts from dead stops, MPG may get worse with a larger tire. This has a lot to do with transmission design, where vehicle manufacturers gear the cars for a good blend of city/highway fuel economy, also based upon the power sweet spot of the engine (and tire size!). However, for cars used for a lot of highway driving, significantly better MPG may be achieved by gearing the transmission to use lower engine rpm's at highway speeds. (Especially with diesels). But regearing, if even possible, costs a lot of money. Increasing tire size is a cheap way of doing the same thing. A bigger tire will go farther distance during one revolution, meaning you need less engine rpm's to turn it.



I drive exclusively highway so I may save a bit the question is how much?

 

I think old school mileage champs used very narrow wheels and hard tires, with the tires greatly over-inflated. They also drove in ways that most of us probably wouldn't find at all enjoyable; very gradual acceleration, very early up-shifts, and coasting at every opportunity. They also avoided higher speeds because overcoming air resistance burned extra fuel.

We can all probably increase fuel mileage by doing a bit of what they did, but not necessarily to their extremes. You've already got narrow OE wheels and tire size, so martinb's low rolling resistance tires (or hard, low wear tires) and tire pressure advice should help some, along with as much of their boring driving style as you can stand. Maybe you can diet like that during the week, and go on driving binges on weekends.

 

Remember that there is always some compromise. For instance, inflate the tires too much (never, ever exceed the pressure max on the side wall!) can sacrifice traction you might need in an emergency maneuver. The same can be said for running harder, less sticky tires. You may be fine in every day driving, but if you need to make that emergency stop or quick emergency evasive maneuver and the tires lose their grip and you crash, what have you gained?

If you really want better mileage, get a scooter.

 

175/65/15; 195/60/15; 205/55/15 all fit well and are almost identical in size. I had the 175/65/15 and went to 205/55/15 and found no difference in MPG. In fact driving 75 mph yesterday over 26 miles I averaged 43 mpg according to my car's computer.