I am looking at the Michelin Defender T+H in 205/55R16 also and want to follow your post. I am about to order a 2019 Mini (NON S) signature - has 16” wheels,,,,, not convinced I will like the run flats???

I have a 2019 Justa with the 16” wheels (they’ll become winter wheels) and I’m just as unhappy with the runflats on this car as I was on my BMW. If I weren’t ditching the runflats in favor of snow tires in the next couple months, I would’ve ditched them as soon as I got the car. Whether 205/55-16 tires will fit on the factory 16” wheels without issue, I don’t know. I suspect the offset will be fine, but not sure. I also don’t know offhand what the width of the factory 16” wheels is, though I’m guessing it would probably be fine with a 205-width tire.

That makes sense because a 205/55 tire is overall taller than any factory tire option. That will cause the speedometer and odometer to read slower than reality. The speedometer is a bit optimistic from the factory, so likely no harm there. The odometer would likely be affected, however. Up to you whether that matters or not. Also, when you increase the overall size (diameter and/or width) of the tire, you could potentially run into other issues (e.g., tire rubbing suspension components, particularly when the suspension is under compression and/or the wheels are turned). Those are just some examples. Sometimes you can compensate for those types of issues by using a wheel with a different offset. Anyway, a 205/55 tire vs. a 205/50 tire isn’t much of a change, with the former being 0.8” larger in overall diameter than the latter. If someone else hasn’t already tried this setup and reported the outcome, you may have to just give it a go!

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