Will a taller sidewall improve ride on my 2015 Mini Cooper S? Changed from runflats to Continental 195/45 R17, but ride still very harsh. Any recommendations?

 

 

If you have stock suspension and ride height and if you have stock MINI 17x7" wheels then if you want non runflats 215/45-17 (as mentioned) gives you slightly better tire selection, otherwise 205/45-17 is OK.

Improve ride? Be more clear on what you want to improve and for what sort of driving?

Street use and daily driving- good ride comfort, lower noise, good wear, decently good handling and grip, not too expensive, used in three seasons or some cold weather, used in wet conditions?

Performance driving (occasional track, driving school, autocross) but some street use (lower miles)- max grip and performance, responsive handling, only for warm weather, good in dry and wet?

For street use with comfort and lower noise the tire you choose can be more important that the sidewall height. In a given tire model changing to taller sidewalls does soften the ride but also deadens handling responsiveness to some extent. An excellent choice is Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Max summer tire but it costs more and is not for cold weather.

For use year round but not in snow an all season tire is best, if you want good handling then Ultra High Performance All Season tires like Michelin Pilot A/S 3 is a good choice but costs more.

Continental tires are good but there are many tire models and not all come in sizes that will work for the MINI.

Did you really mean 195/45-17? In that size there is only one tire choice- Yokohama S.Drive Ultra High Perf Summer tire. 300 treadwear.
Fits wheels 6-7.5" wide, perfect for 6.5" wide rim. tire diam is slightly small at 23.9" but OK.
Tirerack test result-
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=192

Sample comparison of tire owner ratings for Ultra High Perf Summer tires in 205/45-17
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...=true&filter=y

S. Drive is a tire that comes in unusual sizes and popular with stretch fit situations (small and narrow tires on wide rims). Stretch fit does not give the best handling or ride quality but works to give more clearance for very low suspensions or if you want that look.

 

your problem is the 17" wheels

these 'require' a shorter side wall .... to fit in the car ... they are 'low profile tires"

want softer ride? You want a taller and softer side wall.

(Run flats have a STRONG sidewall)

buy smaller wheels and taller tires.

 

My bad! 205/45 R17. Continental Control Contact from Discount Tire. Our driving is street driving. I'll push it some on the twisty country roads here in East TX. These are better than the run flats!

 

I have used non-runflats in 195/55-16, 205/45-17, 215/45-17 and 215/40-18 sizes on a 2010 R56 Cooper S and found very little difference (so I fitted R105's for their looks). I'll be the first to admit others disagree and found smaller wheels noticeably more comfortable. On my R53 and R56 I had Koni FSD's fitted and they really are the best of both worlds. A softer ride over potholes and better body control at high speeds. They have been recently updated to Koni Special Active and are available for all three generations.

 

OK Continental Control Contact is more of an All Season Touring tire so OK for street use and long tread life but gives up on handling and performance. Better priced. If it suits your driving then that should work better than runflats for you.

Realize runflats are mainly for safety and not having to stop in traffic, bad weather or in bad areas to change a tire or call for help. You can drive at 50 mph to a better area or even home. You give up ride comfort, wear and sometimes cost.

205/45-17 tire size is OK but with a 45 series tire it can be firm riding. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S shows that ride comfort and lower noise is possible no matter how low profile the sidewall is. However not all tire companies can produce a tire that comes in 205/45-17 and doesn't ride firmly.

Just changing to a tall sidewall like 205/55-16 does improve ride quality across many tire models but it can vary.

 

 

Yes, Michelin Pilot Super Sport set the standard for street worthy Max Summer tires and now Pilot Sport 4S takes it's place at the top of Max Summer tires. You get a daily driver tire but good in dry or wet however it costs more for not having to compromise as much as some other tires.
Continental ExtremeContact DW or DWS06 give good performance but with more comfort and not as high cost.
For best handling and performance Extreme Summer tires do the most but wear very fast and aren't friendly for daily driving (more noise, firm riding, higher cost). It is an option for low mileage street driving with lots of track or autocross events.

At the opposite side of the spectrum is what I use- Grand Touring All Season- very good for comfort, longer treadwear, good in three seasons and some light snow, lower to higher cost possible, friendly for daily street driving.