I'm interested in getting new tires for my MINI Cooper and these are the three tires I've narrowed it down to. If I go with the Falkens I would go with the 215/45 16 size but the other two come in 205/50 16.

Anyone try the new Avon M500 yet? I'm guessing that they will not be as sticky as the Azenis but if they are lighter and tread water more effectively they might be worth a shot.

I've never had a set of Toyo T1's but everyone who owns them raves about them and I love the fact they weigh so little. How far back are the Toyo's from the Azenis in ultimate grip?

Finally, Falken Azenis.......I've had a few sets of these tires on other cars and I'll admit they grip pretty good but on the downside they're really heavy and can get pretty noisey. Anybody have regrets in going to the Falken Azenis on the MINI Cooper for street driving?

Thanks for the input

Stuart

 

I have the Falken's. 205/50/15's. I love them in the dry...wet can be scary. I hydroplaned at about 40mph a few nights ago. I do wish they had a wider 15" size.

 

Stuart,
Which tire will depend on what you want to use them for. I saw your other post about solo II. If you are trying to use this same tire for autocross and street driving then the Falken Azenis would be best for autocross and still OK but rough and noisier for the street.

For street use the Avon M500 in 205/50-16 is a good performer at a reasonable price and Alex@tirerack can tell you more about it.

Tirerack doesn't sell the Toyos which are good but not as sticky as the Azenis sport but will perform well for street driving however they will cost more. For street driving some MINI owners like the Toyo Proxes 4.

 

minihune,
Have you driven on any of these tires? We can read the ads as well as the next person. Do you have any personal insight on these tires?

 

From a UK perspective, I really like Toyo Proxes, on 16" rims, they handle well, are pretty quiet and seem very sticky on UK tarmac, concrete makes them noisy though.The adhesion level in the wet is quite exciting too . Falkens are fine for some less than good surfaces, they would probably suit autotests and roughish road surfaces, semi rally style for tarmac and loose if you get the idea, we dont get Avons much here now in the major tire outlets so not much to say on these.

 

I know an MCS owner that just switched to SSR comps with Avon M500 in 205/50-16 and likes it. He's away on a trip but as soon as he returns I'll ask him for an update. He uses them for only street driving.

I also know an MC owner that used to have Falken Azenis sport for autocross that he used with a 15" rim but he switched to Kumho Victoracers for more grip. He uses Yokohama ES100 on a 16" for street use.

I've used 17" pirelli and Dunlop runflats and 215/45-17 Yokohama ES100s for street driving, autocross and light track use. The Avon M500 doesn't come in a 17" size for MCS owners, but the 16" size is available. Last time I talked to Alex@tirerack he had some good things to say (solid performer at a reasonable price).

Try d-mini-ero for his take on the Toyo Proxes T1S in 17". He likes them.

 

Can't help but be surprised no one seems to be running Sumitomo HTR Z's. Not fancy enough name or what?

I've run both the Yoko ES 100's and Kumho ECSTA Supra 712's that everyone raves about. Quite frankly I didn't like either one. The HTR Z's outperform both of those by a wide margin and price is a few bucks less. Don't know about longevity yet. Best I can tell at this point it will be comparable to the favored two.
Oh yeah, they ride better too.

 

Thanks for all the response.......I guess I'm ultimately looking for a tire that grips as well as the Azenis but has better road manners.

I wish the Kuhmo MX came in a usable tire size for me.......I'd be all over that.

That's why I am curious about the Avon M500 and Toyo T1S. I'm wondering how far back they are from the Azenis and Kuhmo in ulitmate grip.

Stuart

 

+Do give a direct compairison between popular ES100 and Avon Tech M500.

ES100 wins on turn in responce
Tech M500 wins on ride comfort
Es100 wins on hydroplaning resistance
equal on wet pavement
Avon has lower road volume

No tire rides as well as the M500, and still performs as competently

Alex

 

Alex,
How about a comparo to the Kuhmo MX given I could get them in a size that works?

How far back in ultimate grip is the Avon vs. the MX?

Do you know how much the Avon weighs in 205/50 16?

Thanks,
Stuart

 

Got into this one a little late, but here is my .02 worth:


Azenis 205/50R15 used for autocross here in the D.C. area, love them. I run them as street tires as well, when I am too lazy to swap back to the Proxes 4's. I have not run into any hydroplanning problems, we have not had that much rain.

Toyo Proxes 4's are the all around best tires I have put on my MINI. They are great for around the city, unbelievable grip on dry pavement and on wet pavement, not quite as good but better than the Azenis, 15" OEM tires, and the 17" pZero's (non-runflat) that came on the MINI. The Toyo's are 215/40R17 and have a about 13k on them and still look new. The cost of the Toyo's was about $20, ea, cheaper than the Yoko ES100's.

I will say that that I beat up my Toyo's in an autocross pratice session. They really showed the wear and I know that the Azenis would not have affected as much.

Once again, my .02 worth, YMMV

 

9/10 on grip for Avon Vs Kumho

21 lbs ea

Kumho's are grippy and loud

Avons are less grippy and much smoother, and more quiet

Alex

 

If you want performance nearly the equal of the Kumho MX or the Falken Azenis and aren't scared of spending a bit more, why not check out the BFGoodrich KDW 2's? I drove 3 BMW 330i's back-to-back during fun runs at one of the local BMWCCA chapter autocrosses, one shod with MX's, one with Azenis, and one with KDW 2's and danged if the KDW 2's didn't feel as good as the other two, IMHO. And, the KDW's are great in the wet.

My good bud that autocrosses with me and drives a Dinan3 uses KDW's on the street and MX's for the track... He actually likes the KDW 2's better!

I personally didn't like the Toyo T1S, as I feel the sidewall is too mushy...

Right now, I run ES100's on the street on 16" wheels and use 15" wheels with Falken Azenis for autocrossing. But, I'll be putting KDW 2's on the street wheels the next go 'round most likely!

 

Thanks, that's what I'm looking for........

 

I drive on 205 50 16 Falken Azenis. They are better than the runflats that came with the car in the rain and day to day driving. There is a little road noise but it isn't that much more. I use them for autocross as well and found it isn't worth my time changing them over after an event. I have had Falkens on other cars and they seemed louder than on a MINI. I haven't driven in the snow yet with the Flakens on the MINI and don't plan to, but they are a good tire for anyother condition.

 

I did not know that Falken made Azenis in 205/50-16. Do they?

 

Been there, done that, don't do it. I had my Azenis on during a freak snowstorm and even with an inch of snow on the ground, traction was downright dangerous. FWIW, I have 215/45-16 on 16x6.5" rims. They have worked great last summer and this summer. Next year, I'll likely be replacing them with a fresh set of exactly the same tires.

 

I searched around and didn't see 205/50-16 for the Falken Azenis sport.
I did find-

205/50R-15 85V B $77.00 (will fit stock MINI 15" rims-shoe horn fit)
205/55R-16 89V B $87.00
215/45ZR-16 86 B $110.00 (will fit 16" wheels and still fit-no rubbing)
225/45ZR-17 90 B $117.00 (would rub inside wheel well-requires trimming)

 

My new car, one month old Dodge SRT-4, came shod with BFGoodrich T/A KDW. The tires work well in the dry: quite, sticky, do not tram line like my Pirelli run flats. I can't attest to wet handling of these tires, but I'll update this when we get some rain in this area.

 

oops, I meant 205 55 16.

 

Paddy,
Have you ever had your Proxes 4's in light snow?

 

I have the Falken Ziex 512 tires 205/45/R17's and they are excellent tires for all-season driving.

 

No, I purchased them in late March of this year and we normally don't get snow that later in the year. I will take the Toyo's off around Thanksgiving, as I have 15" OEM wheel & tires. Those tire are super in the snow. Did not have a problem at all last winter.