I have a 2008 Mini Clubman S with 17" rims and 205/45/17 tires. They are old and very noisy - especially in the rear due to the typical uneven tire wear.

I have a spare tire, so I don't need run-flats, and looking for regular tires..

I am not racing or autocrossing my car, and really looking for quite, long lasting tires for Southern California road driving.

Can anyone recommend a good type of tire that meets the low noise requirement?

Also, if I down size the rims to 16" and run a 55 tire, would that also make the ride much quieter and smoother - or it is not much of a difference?

I went on tirerack, and see that MICHELIN PILOT SPORT A/S 3+ , GENERAL ALTIMAX RT43 and GOODYEAR EAGLE SPORT ALL-SEASON seem like good options - any thoughts?

 

OK, old tires are always noisy due to rubber getting hard, ride quality is also poor as it ages. Tread depth may remain but new tires would be of large benefit.

In warmer climates you have the choice of the following tire categories- Max Summer, Ultra High Performance All Season and Grand Touring All Season. Tire sizes would be 205/45-17 and 215/45-17.

Most important is the exact tire model you choose within any of these tire classes as each category has tires that are good for low noise and for more comfort with good tread wear.

Summer tires will wear out the fastest and are good if you don't drive more than 12000 miles per year, otherwise longer tread life will be best with all Season tires.

Tire size alone helps but not enough to consider 16" wheels for these tire categories. 215/45-17 is a good place to start and gives a good tire selection.

Max Summer tires- very good for dry or wet handling, good ride comfort, good noise, faster tire wear treadwear 300
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Treadwear 300
215/45-17 $193 each
Tirerack test result-
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=248
Ultra High Peformance All Season tires- good for dry or wet handling, OK for light snow or cold weather, good ride comfort and low noise. Longer treadlife - treadwear 500
Pirelli PZero All Season plus treadwear 500
215/45-17 $127 each
Tirerack test result-
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=230
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 treadwear 560
205/45-17 $142 each
215/45-17 $128 each
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ treadwear 500
205/45-17 $164 each
215/45-17 $153 each

Grand Touring All Season tires- decent for dry or wet handling, OK for light snow or cold weather, Better ride comfort and low noise, Longer treadlife treadwear
Continental PureContact LS treadwear 700
Requires 16" wheels
195/55-16 $116 each or 205/55-16 $117 each
Tirerack test results-
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=244
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack treadwear 800
215/45-17 $189 each
Vredestein Quatrac Pro Treadwear 400
205/45-17 $145 each
Michelin Premier AS Treadwear 640
215/45-17 $153 each
Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus Treadwear 700
215/45-17 $100 each

 

I've been happy with the General GMax AS-05 I put on my '06 R52. (205/45-17) Good reviews on Tire Rack, cheaper than many

 

Very happy with Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06. It's a very quiet tire and handles very well.

 

Coincidentally, Saturday I just put a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on my R53 in the same size as your car takes. In the less than 100 miles I've put on them, they seem quiet and surprisingly plush to me, perhaps too plush for my liking.