So after a bunch of research, I finally chose a tire I thought would be perfect for me. I went with Nitto Neo Gen 215/45-17. Tires installed, I drove away from the tire store on my way home and drove over rough roads in a straight line and couldn't believe how much better the ride was.

Then it happened.....the first chance I got to take a turn quickly, I dove off into it and almost lost the car. The car had suddenly become a wobbly, weaving, POS, that felt like a bus with bad suspension. WTF!!!!

I proceded to "test" my new tires a couple more times and realized I had made a mistake. Thinking that I'll just have to "get used to" the handling of the new setup, I drove home. That was last night.

Today, I had to work in another city about 80 miles away down the interstate. My Clubman S @ 75mph has turned into a car that not only is no fun to drive, but downright scary even trying to switch lanes. There was what felt like a half second delay between the steering input and the car turning and the same when straightening back out after the lane change. I couldn't ever tell what the car was going to do when I moved the wheel. Trying to track straight down the interstate required 2 hands and a lot of concentration. What had I DONE???

I returned to the tire store today and went with the same tire but the 205/40-17. The store refunded me the price of the tires but I had to pay mount and balance and taxes all over again but it has made all the difference in the world! I am very satisfied so far with these tires. They are quiet, stick like glue, and the ride is MUCH better than the stock Conti's.

While it cost me $150 to correct my mistake, I thought I would pass this info on to others wanting to go up a size on their car. I have read here that many people have gone to that size with no problems and frankly, I just don't know how that is possible. I'm not saying anyone is telling a lie, but I am saying, in MY instance, going up ONE size to the 215/45-17 was a DISASTER and I literally pissed away $150!

I just wanted to pass this info on to any newbs like me that are researching new tires...

 

Are you sure about that size? The stock tire is a 205/45R17, not a 40. The 205/40R17 tire would be 3.3% smaller than stock. And while it might give you a shorter, stiffer sidewall, it'll also make your speedometer read 3.3% too fast...

--Dan
Mach V

 

My winter tires are 215/45 R17 and they ride just fine. They do feel a tad bit sloppy when comparted to the stock run-flats, but they seem to handle quick turns and highway driving (70+ mph) pretty good.

I recently replaced my Dunlop run-flat's with the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport's in 205/45 R17 (stock size) and it's made a world of difference in the ride comfort. Another plus is that they have way more grip on the road...

 

Yeah, I'm sure of the 40. They don't make a 205/45 in the nitto neo gen. They are small but actually ride SLIGHTLY softer than the run flats.

I drive 35k a year so I figure I'll be replacing them next year anyway...I gave them a shot. I like them but do have to be careful of my wheels.

 

I have run and wore down at least six sets of 215/45 17 tires so far on my Mini MCS and I can say that what you described as poor is not what I have experienced. and I also run track with that size tire as well. I am not sure of the cause of what you describe but can say that it is unusual.

 

It very well could have been just these specific tires. I was sure to point out this was MY experience and it was awful. I would love to have a bigger tire but I'm scared to touch anything on this car. It drives so well, I get REALLY upset when it was "off"

 

there is certainly something to be said for paying attention to the ratio between rim width and tire width... some brands don't mind being cantilevered a bit, but others do.

I pissed away a fair bit more than that trying R1R 225s on 15x7 rims. They didn't scare me on the street, but they also didn't work very well in the dry.

Variations in sidewall construction perhaps?

 

We can only speculate on why it handled poorly and is scrary in turns (read oversteer?) but my read is perhaps front/rear tire pressure differentials. some shops are not too good at setting accurate tire pressures.

 

I rotated the tires and increased the tire pressure all around as well and no change. Like I said, I've never experienced anything like that before.

 

Wasn't sure how many miles you finally "pushed" the car in the corners, but if you did this less than 100 + miles on new tires you haven't worn off the molding residue on the treads which definitely make it slick. I have 215 45 17 Hankooks on a 17 x 7 rim and never had that problem. They were great in the rain. Keep in mind that the Mini Challenge cars use this size on a Borbet rim.

 

I have (2) 2002 R53's and have changed tires many, many times. What happened to you, happened to me - ONCE. Your particular tires were soaked with mold release agent from the manufacturer. If you put those tires on the rear of your car, the handling will be - in your words " The car had suddenly become a wobbly, weaving, POS, that felt like a bus with bad suspension. WTF!!!!"

It may take 200-300 miles to wear off the excess mold release. My normally great handling car had become dangerous to drive because any time it changed direction, it just kept going - massive oversteer. No traction on the rear - like running on ice without the right tires. So I found some older pretty worn out tires and put them on the rear - problem instantly solved.

Having these slick tires on the front is not a big issue, on the rear - deadly. Thats why you always want the best tires on the rear. Your 2nd set of tires did not have this excess mold release issue - they worked OK. Its got nothing to do with sizes or ratios of width to height or differentials in tire pressures, although that can have a definite affect on handling.

Nitto Neo Gens are a great tire for the price. Not a track tire, but for twisties and daily drving, they are just fine. I have them in 215-40-17 on one car and 215-45-17 on the other.

 

I have P215/47R17 Firestone Indy 500s and no issues, worlds better than the junk "lack-of-Contact" Conti run-flats the car was cursed with to begin with. Yes, you do need to scuff them in first and some tires have sloppy sidewalls, air pressure will help w/ that some but read the reviews first, especially Tire Rack, I ixnayed my first choice because of TR reviews and Im so glad I did. The Nittos may be cheap but tires and/or brakes are not the place to save $$$$$ on a performance car. Step up and then "Motor On".

 

I have the same tire on my 09 JCW with JCW suspension. I love them. They are great tires and inexpensive as well. I did not experience anything like what happened to the OP. As others have stated there must have been something wrong with the tire or that it needed to be broken in.

 

Common issue with many new tires. Its especially an issue with some motorcycle tires. You NEVER lean a new motorcycle tire into a turn until its been scrubbed a bit. The mold release lubricant will get you if you do.

 

I guess that is possible but I put right at 300 miles on them and there was no difference. It wasn't like a release agent feeling but I guess it could be. There was a huge amount of body roll and just a quick left/right jerk on the wheel while traveling slowly in a straight line demonstrated the problem perfectly.

I've ridden and raced motorcycles for over 20 years and you can imagine the amount of tires I've been through. I've seen dozens of riders crash their bikes on brand new tires never taking my advice to scrub them in gently before opening the throttle.

I never have experienced this before and the problem went away INSTANTLY when I went back with the new size tires.

Anyway, I just want to give a heads up on my experience with my clubman. The money is spent, the tires are changed, and I am much more comfortable in my car again.

 

Op, just curious, how many miles did you have on the tire when you pushed it.

 

I put close to 300 miles on the tires and they never got better. The first "push" I fully expected to be greasy. What I experienced was like nothing I have before, and I've had several "semi-performance" cars in my life. It was almost like they had a passenger tire sidewall.

 

Silly question, but did they actually balance the tires?

 

Yes. It was a national chain store but I always make sure to watch them work on my stuff. Everything should have been great.

 

I too went up one size on the Hankook Evos.214/45/17. Love them. So much better than run flats. Ready buy another set for the Cabrio. I got the spare from Detroit Tuned.

 

All I can say is that your hypothesis that the size of the tire causing the issue is likely incorrect. You seemed to have ruled out other causes so I guess it can remain somewhat of a mystery.

 

I had that issue of floating or sloppiness on the way home from getting new tires. After about a week of driving I believe it was the moulding agent that was still on the tires cuz now they are fine.

 

The Nitto website lists a 205/45/17 in the NeoGen, molded for a 7.0" rim. Maybe the tire store you went to didn't have that size in stock.

The 215/45/17s you tried were 1.2" larger in diameter than the 205/40/17s you now have. The taller tire should provide more sidewall flex, but it shouldn't cause what you described.

The mileage you put on the first set should have scrubbed off all the mold release agent, and even brand new tires don't usually act as you described.

The important thing is that you're happy with the tires you have, but I'd still like to know why the first set "acted out" so badly.

 

I'm running 215/40-18's on my cabriolet (Ventus V12's) and they work great. However, when first installed, they do feel a bit squirrly compared to after they've had a chance to wear in. Not only do you need to scuff them up (and sometimes it takes more miles than you might think), but they need to wear into their positions at each corner of the car. Certainly, the taller sidewall will mean more flex and a less direct steering feel when compared to any runflat. I noticed that right away with the Hankooks when I switched from the runflats. But after a short bit, I got used to them and now I think they are a fantastic, highly predictable tire. And they work absolutely great in the rain as well.

Also, the OP's first set of tires might have had a bad tire in the bunch. It happens.

 

I have the 225/50/16 Hankook R-S3 and I certainly have no issues at all... in wet conditions they are also quite good with my wet autocross times only about 2 seconds slower even though on the road in torrential rain they do tend to hydroplane quicker than other tires. I second your thought about not running them enough to break in... I cannot imagine that big a handling change with so little, ir any, differnce in sizes.