I have a 2009 Mini Cooper S. I have the run flat tires which i want to get rid of and use regular tires.

The tire size is 195/55R16

Costco has 4 tires:
Bridgestone - Potenza RE97AS
Bridgestone - Ecopia EP422
Michelin - Pilot® Sport A/S 3
Michelin - Premier® A/S

which one is the best all season tires? I live in Southern California and I just drive my car like any other car so not being rough on the street

Also Plus $15 installation package and disposal fee per tire. Any applicable state sales tax &/or state eco fees will be added at the time of checkout.

Do I still need to pay for wheel alignments or is the $15 Costco installation enough? One dealer told me I needed to pay $164 for wheel alignment?

Also, do i need a special tire sensor installed as I won't be buying Run flats?

Thanks so much.

 

You don't need any changes to the TPMS sending units in the wheels. I highly recommend the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires unless you go skiing and need the all season A3's. The A3's do wear a lot better but you can't beat the grip and fun factor of the regular MPSSs. I carry a spare wheel and tire on trips longer than 100 miles. If you want a repaired wheel that is seemingly perfect, these guys were great for me: http://www.allfactorywheels.com/

I use AAA but have never needed it yet in case of a tire problem within 100 miles from home. BTW, I got flat tires from nails with the old run flat Continentals but have never had one with the MPSSs in 20,000 miles.

 

Did you check out Tirerack?

 

You have several options.

Costco will not replace runflats with non runflats unless you have a compact spare tire in your car at the time of tire replacement, a full size spare will do as well, borrow a friend's MINI wheel/tire and put into a plastic bag and place it in the passenger's seat.

Costco's list of tires is very limited and you can also choose to use other sizes that will fit and have an adequate load rating such as 205/55-16 if you use stock suspension with no plans to lower it.

Tirerack sells many tires but you pay for shipping and the mounting and installation by a tire shop. Tirerack has a list of approved shops they use. Costco will not install any tires they do not sell.

Alignment is needed if your old tires were not wearing evenly, check that each tire has no big defects or ask the tire shop to check the tread wear for signs that you need to do an alignment. A four wheel thrust alignment is the type to ask for and can run from under $100 to over $150. Many shops offer coupons to discount their rates. If your old tire wear is OK then no need to do an alignment. However if you have really bad roads full of potholes and hit them on occasion then eventually you may want to do an alignment within the next few years as a preventive measure. Good alignment means good tire wear and you can be making an investment in good tires which you want to last.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport is a superior street tire but does not come in any sizes smaller than 17" diameter.

Of the tires you have listed at Costco-

Michelin Pilot A/S 3 comes in two forms, Ultra High Performance All Season with Y speed rating in 205/55-16 at about $134 each

Or Michelin Pilot A/S 3 in High Performance All Season, 500 treadwear
195/55-16 $116 each, H speed rated
It also comes in 205/50-16 and
205/55-16 in both H and V speed rated

The H speed rated is the basic one for the MINI base cooper and V or Y speed rated standard for the Cooper S. For Street use any of these are fine. The Pilot A/S 3 has a firmer ride that is more responsive than the Premier A/S tire.

Michelin Premier A/S is a Grand Touring All Season tire, this offers more ride comfort. less noise and longer treadlife for street use. 640 treadwear
195/55-16 $140 each, V speed rated
205/50-16 $142 each, V speed rated
205/55-16 $132 each, H speed rated or $142 each, V speed rated

When you switch from the old tires to the new tires you can reuse the same TPMS valves for each wheel but purchase a maintenance kit for each wheel that costco can install at no extra charge, each kit is about $6-8 each. The runflats have nothing to do with the TPMS, thats the valve sensor in each wheel that detects low tire pressure.

The $15 costco installation is only for mounting and balancing of each tire on the wheel. Alignment has to do with the suspension being adjusted to bring it into MINI OEM alignment specs.

The big advantage of costco is that they will handle the mounting and balancing at a good price and offer road hazard warranty which covers you for flat tires and replacement cost for a tire that cannot be repaired (at a prorated value based on remaining tire tread depth). They also do free tire rotation and free air pressure checks.

 

If I lived in SoCal and never saw snow, I would get proper summer tires (e.g.: Michelin PSS).
No point in sacrificing dry/wet performance for snow/ice traction if you will never experience the latter.

If you do drive your MCS to go skiing, definitely go with Pilot Sport A/S 3. Everyone who bought them loves them.

There is absolutely ZERO need to align the car after changing wheels/tires, unless you feel compelled to contribute to your tire dealer's boat fund.

Same sensors in your wheels can and should be re-used to keep your TPMS system working. Sensors are mounted to the inside of the valve stem, and stay with the wheels as you swap out the tires throughout the car's lifespan.

a