Here is an interesting diagram that compares-

OEM tires
Sport (Performance) tires
Touring tires


from
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=22

For my family sedans I often look at the Grand Touring tires while for my MINI I look at the highest performance tires in either summer or All Season (for wet traction). Some summer tires have excellent wet traction.

I wonder how a tire could be designed to be like the OEM tire but with a larger green circle that overlaps more of the best traits of both sport and touring tires.

 

cant have the cake and eat it too?

 

Maybe you can. But there are limits.

Notice that both the Touring and the Sport tires cover the outline of the OEM tire and add more to the outline edges in different directions.

At least you don't loose a great deal (compared to OEM) going either Sport or Touring but you might have to pay more or wear down your tires quicker.

I guess the other way to look at it is- OEM doesn't cut it. Use them up and replace them with something much much better.

I used to buy cheap tires (for my econoboxes) not realizing how poor they perform. Then I paid alot for Michelins with long treadwear but they often got really hard and noisy over time.

Now I find something in between. Plus these days there are so many well designed tires in many good sizes with performance in mind.

Still looking for that "Super" OEM tire though.

 

That graph is generic. If your talking just MINI, then the OEM tires are about right for the masses, the vast majority. Its only the 5% (Im guessing), like you that really can take advantage of better sport tires.

I got to guess that MINI has to cater to the 90 percentile.

That is not true for other cars as the tires ARE suited to the car. For example, an Elise comes OEM with A008s, barely a legal tire that is meant for the track. Most ppl complain about getting about 5 - 8K miles and needing new tires. Clearly Lotus as an OEM Tire, cares nothing about snow, mileage or anything else but it is perfectly suited to the 90 percentile (if not more) of Loti buyers.

The same is true for Porsche. Z-rated michelin N-Spec PS2 meant for driving 150+ mph all day long. Kind of stupid for the US but suited for the 90 percentile of those owners. A tremendous tire but pitiful below 45 degrees and not recommended for use

I think OEM tires are suited to the mass buyers of any car.