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Well here’s another tire question. I seem to find a lot of advice for 17” tires on the forums, but not so much for 18” I have a 2015 JCW 2 door hardtop with factory wheels and 205 40 18 Pirelli run flats tires. This is a second car and I can only take about an hour in it before I take it back home because of tire noise and super jarring ride. I’ve had sports cars my whole life so I’m used to a firm ride but this is super stiff even in comfort mode. People say to switch out the runflats to a summer tire. I’ve called a couple of tire stores (choices ate limited for 205’s) and the response is to go to either a 215 or a 225. I’m confused on these choices. It seems like the taller I go the less precise the steering will be, and the speedometer will be off. Also rubbing on wheel well. My goal is a performance tire that is quite and maybe smooths out the ride.
Any advice on tire size, tire choices? I would like to stay under $175 per tire. Thanks.
You do not have to stay with the OEM runflats but you should be prepared in case of a flat tire. Fix a flat or towing service. You can use any size tire that will fit the 18" wheels and have tire diameter close to OEM 24.5". Slightly taller or shorter will affect speedometer and odometer accuracy but only a little.
Max Summer tires will give warm weather use with good grip but not as good comfort for daily driving and slightly faster tread wear
Ultra High Performance All Season like Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3+ $187 each gives good dry and wet grip and works in colder weather or light snow. It usually will give a more comfortable ride with longer treadlife.
An alternative tire size with OEM 18" wheels is 215/40-18 which fit rims 7-8.5" wide and has tire diameter of 24.8" which should work fine with OEM suspension. A slightly wider tire with 40 series sidewall is slightly taller for OK comfort.
If you want the best grip and handling with good ride comfort and lower noise then one option is the Max Summer tire Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 215/35-18 which fits rims 7-8.5" wide and have tire diameter of 23.9". Cost is higher at $194 each but it is worth the higher amount. Limitation is it is not for cold weather less than 40 degrees and it doesn't wear as well with treadwear 300.
It's an excellent street choice for a more powerful MINI. Though 35 series sidewall the tire is made well for street driving and is a good choice for those who demand more precision and tight handling.
Wow, a lot of info. Thanks for responding. Now I have another variable. Choosing a 35 as opposed to a 40. Wished the Pilot sport 4 s came in a 40 as I’m not comfortable going to a 35 on a stock rim.
Wow, a lot of info. Thanks for responding. Now I have another variable. Choosing a 35 as opposed to a 40. Wished the Pilot sport 4 s came in a 40 as I’m not comfortable going to a 35 on a stock rim.
For most tires, 35 series is going to be stiffer than a 40 series but in the case of Pilot Sport 4S the tire is made well and it will carry good street manners it was designed with no matter 35 or 40 series. This isn't the case with many tires but the 4S is the exception.
My advice would be to ditch the 18s and go with a smaller diameter wheel and 45 or 50 aspect ratio tire. I had 225/40/18s on my r53 and the ride was brutal but the handling was great. I now have 205/50/16s and the ride is much improved. I do t cringe over every crack in the road. The handling isn't as good but I'm willing to compromise because not a race car, and it's still a blast in the corners. Smaller wheels and tires will also be lighter. I realize I'm spending other people's money, so do what you want, but it's cheaper than moving somewhere with better roads,lol.
Only options for 17" and 18" wheels so I think with the larger JCW brake calipers the 16" wheels will not fit. So 17" wheels would be the likely option as an alternative to 18". 215/45-17 is a common choice with good tire selection for street use- lower noise, more comfort without much loss of handling.
Thanks for posting some good info @minihune. I recently got new tires and the salesman talked me into some Bridgestone Driveguard RF's and now my F56 handles like a Buick. Going in to get some Michelin - Pilot Sport All Season 4 as they have good ratings since I live a 3k FT and get a few months of cold, but still desire a summer tire grip for the windy roads. Hope it all worked out @wackit Any updates on what you went with and how its been handling?
215 mm width Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and get an additional set of winters. Never let a salesman
talk you into anything runflat. Latest gen runflat tires are only marginally better. They still suffer severely
compared to (again latest generation) conventional tires.
On a side note, comfort mode only does affect ride if your JCW came with the optional EDC suspension.
Are you driving it on the street... or plan on track occasionally?
Is it lowered at all?
Fair weather only? What state and weather will you drive this car in?
215/35/18's (24.02" dia) ride noticeably rougher than the 205/40's (24.53" dia) ... In the same tire for the two sizes. Nitto Neo Gen's in my case....also, I found that in the rain... the 215's would not corner as well.
They also offer a 215/40/18's (24.76" dia)... which would be a good fit also.... Unless you are a "track star" ... you won't notice any difference in handling compared to 215/35.
Wheel protection is also an issue in the real world... with shorter tires making a big difference.... just a bit can mean the diff between a bent wheel and not.
I'm a big fan of the Nitto Neo Gen tires...All-Season UHP tire, UTQG of 280 AA A.... great grip, great price and very good 3 season performance (no snow)... is decent in the cold dry tho.
Americas/Discount/Simple tires all carry them. Nitto is a quality Japanese tire IMO with tight quality control. If you are into the name on the side of the tire... decent choices in the Michelin tires.... but unless you are a super aggressive driver, IMO, the 4S will not make a difference to most.. and you compromise in other than summer conditions.
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Last edited by mountainhorse; Feb 25, 2021 at 07:24 PM.
and get an additional set of winters. Never let a salesman
