I've always ran 205/50/16"s on v-spokes and have been satisfied but I wanted something different for my previous MINI. After a long time searching I finally found some 17" wheels and fitted them with 215/45/17"s. The weight difference is roughly to the same. The 17" wheels weigh 16.1 lbs each.

The problem. With the 17"s the car seems to have sluggish pickup compared to the 16"s. I ran the tire calculator and here is the difference from the stock 195/55/16. The 205/50/16"s are 1.539% too fast and the 215/45/17"s are 0.698% too slow. I run the same Yoko's on both sets.

So. Did I mess up in getting the wrong size tire or is it the weight of the 17"s being further out from the center that is causing the sluggish feeling? I would like to know if I can fix this issue with a different size tire or should I start searching for some 16" wheels.

I have to run 17"s for now because of the JCW brakes. The only 16" rims I've been told will fit are the SSR's. Those are beyond what I want to, and can at the time, spend on a set of rims.

 

Your car feels so much slower since your new tires are so much larger. It takes more energy to turn a larger object around. The super charger takes longer to build up power..

All these make the car seem slower..

 

I agree, try some 215/40/17's but watch the load rating if you drive long distances with a fully loaded car.

It's my understanding, most 16" wheels clear the JCW brakes.