I'm in the process to purchase new tires for my 09 Cooper S 195 55 16. I am not happy with run flats and I want to consider a non-run flat.

I do a lot of combination driving (highway and in town) and I am pretty conservative drive even though my husband says I am not. I do not know much about tires and I'm kind of stumped.

So with that said, If I get non run flat tires, what tires do you recommend and what do you recommend I carry in the boot for a flat?

Robin

 

Robin:
I converted from run flats on my 2010 MCS and bought Michelin tires AVS. Get the best non-run flats you can afford and then carry a bottle of sealant with a mini-compressor. Walmart has several kits that will work well for about $20. Expect to have a less harsh ride. In 25000 miles since the new tires, I have yet to have a flat and make sure you rotate tires every 5000 miles. My wear on the run flats were atrocious (Bridgestones) and I had to replace them at 22000 miles. You would think the tires would last longer. With respect to wear, get a UTOQ rating on your new tires of more than 300. Most run flats have a low UTOQ rating of under 200, so they wear out quick.
David

 

I put a temp spare in mine. Considering I already blew out a sidewall, it proved to be a good choice.

 

I haven't fun that size, but generally any tire is good. I've been running Nexen tires the last few time and am very happy with them. Inexpensive, and last quite a while. As for what I keep in the boot, a small compressor, and a plug kit. (could add a can of fix-a-flat if you wanted) I've been happy with the non-runflat tires. In 10 years and over 310,000 miles I've only had to plug the tire twice, and have never been stranded.

Good luck,

Nik

 

I recently swapped my run-flats for the Kumho Ecsta 4x in the 195/55-16 size. I'm quite happy with them so far and the ride is quite nice as is the lack of road noise. The price was very nice also, around $80 per tire. There is a learning curve when getting used to the change in the sidewall stiffness. The non-runflats will flex more. I also changed to aftermarket tires at the same time and lost about 7 lbs per wheel so that played a part in the significant change in the handling. Now that I'm used to the setup, I'll never consider changing back.

As for the spare, I have a plug kit, a bottle of Slime, and a compressor on-board for emergencies. A roadside/tow service plan is also a good idea.

 

I had a set of Cooper RS3-A's on my '03 MCS, and I really liked them. Better than some other, more expensive rubber I had on my MINI.

 

grab a Viair compressor off of amazon, worlds better than most big box store tire inflators.

 

I have an 07 R52

this is how I said goodbye to my run flats (and I hated them )


I got a set of Conti DWS and I love them it is a great fun tire than can easily handle light snow & cold.

As for a spare I picked up a Honda dog-nut for 20 bucks on craigslist. When in town it sits in my garage only a phone call away. When we travel in the mini it actually fits right behind the front seat in the rear seat footwell. Was thinking of getting a trailer hitch + tire carrier for it to be more permanent but for local use plenty of access to my house via cell phone - I do not sweat it.

In the end you are only getting 50 miles of driving anyway so on a trip where your next exit is 120 miles away it is not like you are any better off.