I am new to the this forum, and hopefully will get some help here. I will be needing new tires soon. Currently own a 2009 Mini Cooper. Will I have to replace my run flats with run flats? Do I not have a choice? I live in a very small town, have to drive 2 hours for Mini Dealer, and was planning to have tires replaced from that dealer, but while I was there recently, I asked for a tire quote. They handed me a piece of paper with a price, not a tire name, type etc. No discussion at all. I am NOT pleased with my service at all. Almost to the point of selling the mini. I sure hope I can replace with reg. tires. What is the deal with these tires???
Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

I replaced by OEM runflats (195/55-16) with non-runflat (205/50-16) and very glad I did. I'm on my third set of tires now.

 

Did you do this yourself or dealer? I am female and will have to have a tire dealer do this or Mini dealer.

 

A tire dealer will have or be able to get set of non run flat tires for you no problem and considerably cheaper. I am guessing most people replace their run flats with non run flats. I did.
Dealers get the nickname stealers for a reason.

 

I would look at some continentals DWS non-run flat 205-55-16. I currently have bridgestone potenza's RE970(performance tires) 205-55-16 and it is much better than those silly run flats I had on. Good luck!

 

Thanks. ... I can use all the advice on this matter that you can give. I especially appreciate the tire name and number you recommend so that I can price that. I so appreciate you!

 

just picked up a brand new set of four Pirelli PZero RFTs (17's though) from tirerack for less than $500 shipped. Got them installed at my MINI dealer for $80. Tirerack has the best selection I think, especially if you decide to ditch the RFTs. I do like the Continentals as an all-round tire, but there are many great options out there.

 

Tire Rack (www.tirerack.com) is an excellent source for tires and tire information. Tire selection to fit your preferences can be complex, so it might help to talk to someone at Tire Rack, or contact Alex of Tire Rack right here on NAM. Or you could just buy what someone mentions here and get lucky.

The two tires mentioned by Rob, for example, are both Ultra High Performance All Season (UHP A/S) tires. If that's the tire category you want to select from, they are both very good tires (I have Bridgestone RE970AS on a BMW and like them a lot), but there may be other tire categories that offer tires that may suit your preferences somewhat better.

High (Ultra High, Maximum, or Extreme) Performance summer tires offer the better grip in warm, dry weather, but are not as good as A/S tires in the cold and light snow/slush, and they tend to wear faster.

Another tire category is Grand Touring, which offers both summer and A/S tires. I've never tried any Grand Touring tires, but they apparently offer somewhat longer wear and a comfortable ride. My thinking is that I wouldn't want them on my Mini Cooper, but you may like them on yours.

The other thing that Rob mentioned is tire size 205/55/16. The original equipment (stock) size is actually 196/55/16, but both 205/55 and 205/50 sizes are fairly popular size changes for the Mini Cooper. They're both the same width (and a bit wider than stock), but the 205/55 is a bit larger in diameter than stock (so should provide a slightly softer ride), while the 205/50 is a bit smaller in diameter than stock (so should provide a slightly firmer ride, but more responsive steering into corners).

Last gasp: Quite a few here have switched to non-run flats and are glad they did. Some tire dealers refuse to mount non-run flats on wheels that came with run-flats, so you may have to shop around.

 

It's a technical no-brainer to put non runflats on the Mini or any other car that comes originally with runflats. There's no difference with the wheels. However, know that you won't have that extra bit of safety/convenience if you do get a flat as you won't have a spare tire. Most people who switch from run flats to non runflats carry one or more way to temporarily plug and fill the tire to get them to a tire shop.

Prices for tires at a dealer are ALWAYS going to be the highest and worst. Shop around. Tire Rack is an excellent choice, though I've never used them. America's Tire/Discount Tire is where I get mine. They'll usually match or beat any other places tire prices.

Know also that some places won't put non runflats on a car that originaly came with runflats. It's a "lawyering up" thing. It's perfectly legal and perfectly safe to run conventional tires on your Mini if you choose to do so.

 

If MINIBOOK's car is a non-S it will have a spare under the rear of the car.

 

i have 4 brand new run flats 205/45/17 4 sale. off a 2013 JCW pm me if ur interested. nyc area!