My wife's 2009 Clubman is about due for new tires. Mostly driving in the northern Illinois area so rain and snow are both facts of life for her. We're not going to have 2 sets so some type of all season would be best. She hates the ride and noise of the run flats and is has asked for regular tires. it's got 16" bridgespoke rims and while she does not drive aggressively, the highways here sometimes result in speeds at least well into the 80's if you don't want to be a road hazard.

So, from my research I've narrowed it down to a few non run flat 195/55R16 options...

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
Yokohama AVID ENVigor
Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS
Pirelli Cinturato P7

At the moment I have them listed in order of my preference. Cost isn't an issue, safety and handling are.

Any comments good or bad on these? Any reason I should drop one or more from this list? Or change the order?

Thanks

 

Back tires on the Clubman models inherently wear poorly unless they are rotated often so I would keep clear of any tires which wear poorly on a hardtops so you don't compound the issue.

Bridgestone Potenza as far as I know is in that category.

The Pirelli's wear faster than you would probably want.

And from personal experience, if road noise is a concern get a 4 wheel alignment done by the dealer after installing the tires. I put on a new set of Conti-Extreme Contact DWS's on my R53 and they sang on the highway until I had a proper alignment done. Made all the difference in the world in both handling the corners and road noise.

BTW, so far the Conti Extreme Contact DWS's have done very well....

 

Michelin, The all around choice! Any Pilot series is hard not to love.

 

Michelin: "The only way to fly!"
If you can find a savvy wheel/tire specialist who isn't paranoid about deviating slightly from the mandatory "same exact size" rule, then it pays to up the size one notch; i.e. a 215 versus a 205 etc. That will fix your speedometer 3-4 MPH over read problem; give an improved ride; and fill the wheel well appropriately without any rubbing problems. Your MPG will then be more accurate as well. If you can borrow a wheel and tire from somebody then the tire man won't give you a hard time about converting from crappy run flats to real tires. Lots cheaper too.
JW

 

+1

This is the third different car I've had these tires on and I SWEAR by them.

 

I am in a similar situation to you and just put on some General GMAX AS-03 (195/R55/16). Had them about a week with no complaints so far. NVH is better than the stock run-flats I took off. Handling is good in the light rain we've had. We're due for some snow this week so I'll let you know how that goes :p My dad has a set on his Charger R/T (different size obviously) and they're the only reason it manages to stay on the road in the wet/snow.

 

I'll put in my two sense, as I ditched my run-flats a few thousand miles ago and went the Michelin route... drove from SC to MA on I-95 and they were great... ran into winter weather (rain, ice, snow) and haven't had any traction issues yet... quite pleased... and if you are a Costco member, the Michelin's are on sale this month still...

 

What's a priority, handling or budget?

 

For 195/55-16:

In your case look first at the Pirelli P7 for $120 each and treadwear 700 it makes for a good long lasting street tire for a base clubman.

see
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...wws=N&showcm=N

If slightly better handling and lower cost with less treadlife is more important then-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...wws=N&showcm=N

If budget is not a factor then in 205/55-16 which will work fine, look at-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...wws=N&showcm=N
Hankook S1 noble 2 $89 each
Continental DWS $108
These have good blend of handling with comfort and treadwear of 500ish.

There really is no need to stick with 195/55-16 which is really a runflat size. Certainly you can use it and not the alternatives but some tires will come in other sizes but otherwise work fine for you.

205/50-16, 205/55-16 are both very common and popular.

 

I have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S2 mounted on the summer wheels, have not installed on car yet, have steelies on for winter. I have hear nothing but raves about them (I'm a salesman at a tire dealer) and I've done alot of research and have probably twenty different tire models available. CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING.

 

Safety, then handling. Budget is not relevant (although I'm also not paying $300 per tire either!)

 

Just installed Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s today. I like'm right off the bat.
205/50/16s on a 16x8 rim. PLENTY of sidewall overhang to protect from scraping the rim.
Handles like a lower profile tire, but with better comfort.
http://www.michelinman.com/mediabin/...a-s-3-hero.png

Update, VERY good in the rain.

 

I have General Altimax HP (205/50/16) on my roadster. Fairly good in the dry, very good in the wet, pretty good in St. Louis snow. They are wearing great and should last a long time, and they are cheap.

 

Like they say on the T.V. Game show......we'll Alex tell me what I won?

My priority is Handling, then Ride, throw out budget.
When spending for a kart car and driving like it is being stole everyday, budget be damned.

So give me the low down and I'll take a peek on your site.

Thanks.

 

Like they say on the T.V. Game show......we'll Alex tell me what I won?

My priority is Handling, then Ride, throw out budget.
When spending for a kart car and driving like it is being stole everyday, budget be damned.

So give me the low down and I'll take a peek on your site.
P.S. '14 fJCW Clubman w/17's

Thanks.

 

Culex: DWS is the best ultra high performance all season in your size.

Bubba: where do you live? How aggressive of a driver are you?

Brad: Always sound advise

 

Oh look, a double post......did I win something?

Anyway, thanks for the reply Sir Alex.
I'll be sure to look them over.
On another note, I wasn't expecting a All-Season Tire!
I have Blizzak's for my winter running along with rims.
I live 45 minutes outside Chicago, western 'burbs.
As for how I drive, never been on a track or Auto-X, but I drive pretty aggressive on my commutes to and from work.
30 miles each way up and down Rt.59 here outside Chicago.
90 to 95 percent of my driving is with the paddle shifters as I have the fJCW Automatic.

Again, Thanks for the reply!

 

Interesting... I drive essentially the same route... although I haven't see a JCW on 59 in ages so I'm guessing we're out there at different times. The Mrs. (who the tires are for) is on 88 almost daily.

Patrick or BillJ? We got one from each.

 

I drive north out of Shorewood around 1pm
Hit West Chicago around 2pm
Return drive is late night and loads less traffic
Got both wife's and mine from Tinley Park MINI
Bill J wouldn't take a trade or move off MSRP on and order for 2 cars!
Look for BRG II w/Black Clubman most days
The badges have been removed for now from all 'cept the front bumper
Wife's MCS is laden with the British Union Jack Flag, mirrors, rear mirror, door handles, side scuttles, full roof flag, and P Mcrtny license plate!
Oh yeah, Chili Red w/White Hardtop.

 

Yep, definitely different times you're sandwiched between my commuter times. Bill J didn't really move off msrp for us either but we were ordering a custom build and at that time none of them were moving. I got mine as a year end close out and Patrick was pretty reasonable with the discount and with the trade in offer. If/when we replace one of these I'd consider them again.

 

We (thankfully) did not get the snow predicted but we did have some rain. I'm still happy with my purchase (General G-Max as-03) and based on their performance on my dad's RWD charger, I'd say they are pretty good in 1-2 inches of snow/slush.

 

I have 2 ideas for you:

Bridgestone Potenza S04 Pole Position -This tire offers a bit more daily driving ride quality. The aggressive pricing is also an advantage.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport - This tire handles like its on rails. King of the hill to date. Potential wear according to Michelin is 50% greater. We have seen more like 25% longer treadwear.

 

As stated earlier, I'd upsize those tires to a 205. More options with a slight edge for better handling performance.

 

+1 for Michelin PSS's.

Have them, love them for street summer tires (not autoX though). Will buy them again for daily summer commuter.
Quiet, amazingly grippy, reasonably priced.

a

 

Which part is the worst for AutoX on the PSS's?