I am in need of tires for my 2009 mini cooper. I currently have 16 inch runflats that came on the car. I DO NOT WANT RUNFLATS.
I suppose I need an all season tire. I drive in some snow, but not much.
Spoke to a tire store today, he quoted the Hankook 195-SSR16, or should that be 195-55R16? LOL..
I know nothing about these tires, or any other tires.
Can you enlighten me on these tires, and or recommend others.
I sure need help here and appreciate any advice.

Thanks!!!!

 

I'm running 195/55/R16 Bridgestone Potenza Grid G019 all seasons. I like em!

 

Look at the Conti DWS, that seems like it would be a great AS tire.

 

195/55/16 is the official OEM size, but many use 205/50/16 and some use
205/55/16, which is a little tall but acceptable.
I use 205/50/16 as the choice and performance are both better than 195/55/16.

 

I hate shopping for tires because, if you are serious about your driving, every tire model, even within a brand, will have a slightly different charistic that changes the handling on your car.

Ask 20 people on this forum which tire is best for your MINI and you will get 20 different answers most depending on how each person uses their car, what they are used to, and subjective opinion on what makes a tire good.

I am currently using Yokohama Avid Envigors as 3 season tires and Nexen Eurowins for winter snowtires.

Take the following with a grain of salt as it is only personal opinion.

The Yoko's have been a great all around tire. They do not have quite the ultimate grip as a pure summer high performance tire, but work great in wet and are a good balance in pretty well all driving conditions. They are quiet and the highest quality tire I've ever had on any car. When first purchased, no weights were required in balancing the tire on my OEM wheels. Even the tire dealer was surprised.

The Nexen winter tires were inexpensive and as it turned out, works great in winter conditions. Much better than some of the name brands out there.

I understand the Hankooks are pretty good. They used to sponsor a lot of autocrossing activities here where I am. Some people I talk to will swear by them.

Good luck in your tire search.

 

Yes, choosing tires is a very subjective decision with lots of good options. It's difficult to buy a bad tire.

I've replaced tires twice on my Mini. The first time, I ditched the runflats for an all-out performance tire and I got Bridgestone RE-01R's (since superceded with RE-11s). I liked them, but they were very expensive and only lasted about 20K miles. The second time, I mellowed my selection to RE760 Sport's which are much cheaper, smoother, quieter, and wear better, but all-out grip is down slightly and they have a little more understeer than I prefer. But for the price, I'm happy and I'm not spending 35% of my fuel budget on tires.

If you want to do research, Tirerack.com is your best bet. Check out their tire surveys for all-seasons in the various performance categories. Find one that is highly ranked and tops in the categories that are important to you.

- Mark

 

A few questions for you....
first, what is your driving style? Secondly, where area do you live?
Tire choices are abundant, as are opinions, and the choice of one person, in one region may be a poor choice in another area.
One suggestion.....tireracks tire decision guid can be helpful, even if you do not get an actual tire on the list in that it will help you decide if a ultra highperformance all season, a highperformance all season, or a grandtouring all season, or even a touring or allseason tire suits your needs best. Generally with each step away from performance, you gain more winter/snow traction, and loose a bit of dry drip...also generally get a longer tire life. Uhp tires are generally good for a short time mile wise...about 30,000 miles, and door poorly in anything but a very light amount of snow, but grip nearly as good as summer tires, while a typical all season does better in snow and lasts 60,000+ miles, but has less grip and a very different feel handling wise.....the differance in about a half inch of wear rubber compared to a quarter inch or so, and a typically stiffer sidewall.
In my experience, local tire shops typically sell what seems to work best in each category locally....some tires do better in powdery snow vs slush, light rain vs downpours....different tires for different local area....but the tire rack survey can provide some insight on similar tires....just know a typical driver is not a tire expert, as a soccor mom in a minivan has diffent expecations than a mini driver.....

 

Another good point is how do you really want to spend. If you want to spend a lot you can get a great set of tires or you can cheap out and get garbage. Myself personally think that the Ha kook V12s offer a great amount of performance for a great price. It is not unheard of to spend $80 a tire for them. Hopefully you find something and you feel like you get a great deal and a great amount of performance.

 

Just ordered 4 - Kumho Ecsta 4x's for the wife's 2010 Clubman S. 195/55/16 was the stock size. I went to 205/55/16's which should fit with no problem and will give about 1/2" of additional sidewall height to help soften the ride a tiny bit more. I do not see anyone here mentioning the Kumho Ecsta 4x as a favorite brand and model but I did quite bid of forum research and found a high percentage of people liked the Kumho's. Yokohama was send and Perilli was third. As I said, that was based on my own unscientific research project. I am satisfied that I made a wise choice in my selection. Anyway, out the door at Discount Tire, with tire disposal, Discount's own tire warranty, valve stem gasket replacement and rebuild and a couple of other things thrown in, I paid $131 and change per tire. I can live with that. Tires had to be ordered as they did not stock the 4x's in the size I wanted. Can't wait to get them installed and loose the Rock Flats.

 

I see where "wilpower" is getting rid of his Hankooks in another forum post (see link below". Wants to sell them too. May want to ask why and that post?


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...new-tires.html

 

While the subject of tires can be daunting and complicated, as it applies to the MINI there are some very logical and proven approaches.

Look first at your needs taking into consideration your car. Prioritize your requirements (handling, comfort, good mpg or treadwear) and determine your budget.

For your case All season tires are a good place to start. If you want best handling even with a base Cooper start with Ultra High Performance All Season tires but if comfort and longer treadwear are important then Grand Touring All Season tires are worth considering.

Hankook makes two tires in 195/55-16:

Ventus V4 ES H105 ultra high performance All season tire
$88 each, 20 lbs, V speed rated, 420 treadwear
Compared to other tires in it's class, provides more comfort but not as good handling, less performance especially in the wet.

Optimo H426 grand touring all season tire
$97 each, 18 lbs, T speed rated, 420 treadwear
Not a good choice for the MINI, you want at least H speed rated for a base cooper and V or W rated for a Cooper S. H rated can be used for Cooper S for daily driving on the street.

While the Ventus V4 ES is a possible choice, there are other UHP all season tires worth considering-
Continental ExtremeContact DWS
205/50-16 $117 each, 19 lbs, W speed rated, 540 treadwear
Tirerack test result-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=165
Bridgestone Potenza RE-970AS Pole position
205/55-16, $110 each, 23 lbs, W speed rated, 400 treadwear

Or on a budget
Kumho Ecsta 4X
195/55-16 $86 each, 19 lbs, V speed rated, 420 treadwear
205/50-16 $89 each, 20 lbs, W speed rated
205/55-16 $89 each, 21 lbs, W speed rated

Tirerack test result for some UHP all season tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=151

If comfort is of importance for you, then consider:

Michelin Primacy MXV4
205/55-16 $128 each,23 lbs H speed rated, 620 treadwear
205/55-16 $135 each,23 lbs V speed rated, 620 treadwear
Michelin Primacy MXM4
205/55-16 $139 each,22 lbs, H speed rated, 500 treadwear
Tirerack test result-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=138

Or if on a budget-
General Altimax HP
$99 each for 205/55-16,20 lbs H speed rated, 440 treadwear
$101 for 205/50-16, 19 lbs
$93 each for 195/55-16, 18 lbs

As for tire size using stock 16" wheels, the following sizes will work/fit with stock suspension for use on the street:
195/55-16
205/50-16
205/55-16

Tire selection does vary with a given size and there are some pros and cons for each tire based on differences in sidewall height, weight, and speed ratings etc. For Runflats, 195/55-16 is the size to use.

Given that you don't buy tires all too often in most cases and you want the best value and performance for your purchase, plus safety on the road, the investment you make is worth your time and effort to shop wisely. Price does not always reflect a good match and there are some excellent and very poor tires for the MINI out there to buy. Your MINI and you deserve good tires.

 

I have the Kumho Ecsta 4x's on my 2009 Clubman S as since last summer and it performed well for my daily commute. I have Bridgestone Blizzak for winter driving and it also performed well for winter driving.

 

I obviously have money (see below) and I love my Kumho Ecsta 4x's.

 

1st tires after OEM Runsmacks were the 195/55R16 Bridgestone Potenza G019 grids, it was a good tire at first, but they started to get really noisy, so I switched to 205/50ZR16 Continental ExtremeContact DWS's, love how they handle, they grip really well, and are much quiter. You do pay a bit more ($26/tire), but it was well worth it. TireRack.com has a great system for helping you select a tire that fits the criteria you are looking for...check them out!!

 

Nitto Motivas. I replaced my runflats with Conti DWS. They were shot after 21,000. Replaced those with the Motiva. Much better tire than the Conti. I got 12,000 on them so far, excellent in the corners and very good on ice.

 

Had these on a VW GTI for another family member and they were great. What you ordered will have the same sidewall height though and be wider than stock. The section width is 205 vs the stock 195 but the aspect ratio or sidewall height is the same at 55mm. If you're switching from run-flats, then your ride should be dramatically improved no matter what.

Nice choice

 

Thank you. Yes. I am sure tires are something that is part of a preference thing. I really dont drive the car "hard" but desire more of a quite and more pleasant drive.
I so appreciate all of you who took time to post replies.
Thanks once again for all the help!
Minilouhoo

 

If you want more street comfort, lower noise, and longer treadlife then-

Try for tires with more sidewall (cushions the roughness better)
195/55-16 for less weight, usually lower price, better mpg
or
205/55-16 for more comfort, still fine for street use.

Michelin Primacy MXV4 or MXM4
Of these two the MXV4 costs less at $128 each (H speed rated is fine for street use), has a longer treadlife, and has slightly more comfort.
MXM4 has better handling and braking with slightly less treadlife and comfort.
Both of these are good choices for street use and usually worth the extra expense.
Info on these-
http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...4/tire-details
http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...4/tire-details

On a budget-
General Altimax HP in 195/55-16 will work

Since Bridgestone Potenza G 019 Grid was mentioned, it's a good budget tire for street use but in 195/55-16 at a slightly higher price in High Performance All Season tires:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...wws=N&showcm=N

Consider Yokohama AVID ENVigor $112 each, 21 lbs, 560 treadwear
Or
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S in 205/55-16 for $127 each, 23 lbs 400 treadwear

 

I have to get new tires since my rear tire has a nail about an inch from the edge of tire. I currently have 195 55 r16 run flats and will not replace with them. I kind of remember my service advisor telling me months back that if I install regular tires to get a slightly lower profile tire which I assume would be 195 50 r16's. do you guys agree with this? I do mostly highway driving but occasionally like to whip it thru curves. I'm leaning towards the continentals dws that I read so much about on here

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The common replacement size is 205/50-16. That's slightly shorter than stock. 195/50-16 sounds like a really odd size. I use 205/50-16 for our 16" wheels.

 

I don't agree with it. Lower profile tires will ride worse, look worse, and effectively shorten your final drive ratio which will give you worse gas mileage, throw off the speedometer, and make the odometer spin faster, lowering your cars value (Though I suppose you would be slightly quicker) .

 

Well I ordered Yokohama envigors 195 55 R16's. I kept the same size tire but ditched the run flats, hopefully I will like them better.

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I can hear a pin drop now, soooo quiet in my little coupe. Ahhhhh

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Good choice! I convinced my buddy to buy a set for his '03 Civic. The car is so much smoother and quieter. And the excellent tread-life is definite plus.

 

Here my second thoughts after driving with them for a few hundred miles. Yes the ride is definitely for comfy but the car lost its turning ability. It's not crisp flying thru curves like it was with the runflats. I'm starting to regret my purchase, I can only hope it improves over time but its unlikely. Btw, I just pumped them to 40 psi but it seems to make little difference.

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