I have looked at a lot of threads and I have not seen the above tire size mentioned as an alternative to the 205/45 R17.

I have 205/45 RF17 on a 2013 JCW and I am going to ditch the run flats to get a softer ride. I am doing mostly city driving on rough roads. I figured a higher profile tire would offer a softer ride. Several people suggest the 215/45 which adds width and .2 inches of sidewall height.

Is there a good reason for not going with the 215/50 which would add about another .4 inches of sidewall height. It appears that the tire will fit a 7" wide rim and should fit the wheel well.

 

There are better ways to make driving on rough roads better than to use a non standard size tire that is too tall and won't fit without rubbing. Hence no one considers 215/50-17

215/50-17 fits rims 6-7.5" wide which is fine for OEM 17x7" wheels but tire diameter is very tall at 25.5"vs 24.3" for OEM. While this doesn't seem like much it reduces clearance and is wide compared to OEM 205/45-17 so if it doesn't rub right away it might under load and going over uneven surfaces like dips and bumps especially at speed.

A tall tire does give more sidewall height and does soften the ride quality, but it also causes speedometer and odometer error and will look oversized for the MINI. In addition you will increase ride height and road clearance for a higher center of gravity and a reduction in handling. In general summer tires are lacking in this size.

Both 205/45-17 and 215/45-17 are the preferred sizes for good reason, tire selection is quite large depending on your needs.

To get ride quality better there are certain tires that do a great job. Michelin Pilot Super Sport or now the Pilot 4S are the best blend of great street manners with very good handling and performance but it might cost more. For those that need All Season tires, a compromise of good handling and slightly longer treadlife with OK street manners is Ultra High Performance All Season tires while better road manners with longer treadlife and slightly reduced handling are found in Grand Touring All Season tires.

For a JCW MINI I would stick to tires that give the best handling and performance unless you drive only in urban areas and at relatively lower speeds compared to traffic around you.

Where do you live? Do you need tires that can be run in cold weather under 40 degrees or do you have another car to use in the winter or snow tires in storage? If so then Max Summer tires would be a good place to start with emphasis on ride comfort, lower noise, but with good handling.

Otherwise if you do have cold weather and no snow tires then an Ultra High Performance All Season tire is the first place to search. Example would be Michelin Pilot A/S3+ or similar. Somewhat firm riding but OK. 215/45-17 would be a good size. For better ride comfort the Pirelli PZero All Season Plus in 215/45-17 is worth a look, still has good handling.

see
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=216

 

I recently put Mich AS3 (no +) on my R52 JCW. 215/45-17. .3 inch taller diameter, 24.6. Mich have some of the smoothest tires around IMHO. I wanted a softer ride with a stiffer suspension on a convertible and older AS3's are very good.


I run MSS on another car and while the grip level is better, the AS3 has plenty of grip for anything short of being on the track.


Regards,
Jerry