Starting to look at tires to replace my stock 205/45/17 runflats, I know I'm gonna go with 215/45/17 for size, now just need a brand, I'm mainly lookin at the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2, but want input from others, especially from people that have replaced they're runflats.

 

For 215/45-17
In Ultra High Performance Summer tires (not for any snow)
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 is a fine choice $168 240 treadwear 22 lbs
Good wet and dry handling and good street manners

For more comfort for daily street use and low price then
General Exclaim UHP $72 each 380 treadwear 18 lbs.

For good handling at a little better price
Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval $125 320 treadwear 22 lbs
Bridgestone Potenza RE750 $146 340 treadwear 22 lbs
BF Goodrich g-Force Sport $107 340 treadwear 21 lbs
Kumho Ecsta SPT $88 320 treadwear 22 lbs

For good handling but not as comfortable
KDW2 $137 300 treadwear 24 lbs
Very aggressive tread pattern

Vs in the same size but Max Performance Summer tires
(you trade off lower treadwear for better handling)
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 $132 280 treadwear 22 lbs
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx $130 240 treadwear 22 lbs

Vs in the same size but more comfort and more treadlife
in Ultra High Performance All season tires (can run in snow)
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS $153 400 treadwear 25 lbs
Yokohama Advan S.4. $171 400 treadwear 24 lbs
Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season $130 420 treadwear 24 lbs
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S $123 400 treadwear 21 lbs
and with good value
Kumho Ecsta ASX $90 420 treadwear 21 lbs

 

what about the Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R.

 

I've had my Kumho SPT's on the back of my car for about 3 months with no appreciable tread wear, and trust me, I DRIVE my car. I cooked the fronts due to a horrible alignment (I won't mention any shops ). I have a pair of KDW's up front and love them too, they're a LITTLE more sticky than the SPT's, not enough to justify the 30-40 a tire more in my opinion. The KDW's are pretty loud (I could care, but just an observation).

For what it's worth, Tire Rack ran a test of UHP Summer and Max Performance Summer tires, the SPT's were only a few tires off from the KDW's, and the actual figures were so close that it really doesn't even matter.

For what its worth the General Exclaim UHP's are ranked #1 in their category . At 69 bucks a pop you can't go wrong.

 

A very good performance oriented tire well suited for autocross or track use and can be driven on the street.

Treadwear is a low 140 and it comes in 205/45-17 which is great.

So if you don't mind the really soft rubber and don't flinch at replacing a set of tires each year then this would be a fine choice.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't want to replace my tires anually, so then what's a tire that has good grip but lasts longer?

 

The better question is given a size that fits the MINI, what's a tire that has good grip but lasts longer and isn't as expensive.

That's tougher.

Look above-
In 215/45-17

General Exclaim UHP $72 each 380 treadwear 18 lbs.
Gives up some grip for longer life and very good price/lower weight

BF Goodrich g-Force Sport $107 340 treadwear 21 lbs
Kumho Ecsta SPT $88 320 treadwear 22 lbs
Both moderate on grip with good wear and better price

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 $132 280 treadwear 22 lbs
Very good grip wet or dry, moderate wear and price
So this one beats RE01R with the tradeoff of less but still very good grip and longer wear.

Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season $130 420 treadwear 24 lbs
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S $123 400 treadwear 21 lbs
and with good value
Kumho Ecsta ASX $90 420 treadwear 21 lbs
Often overlooked because they are all season
these all have very good tread life and good prices given they also have moderately good grip wet or dry.
Good street tires for daily use.

 

Anyone know info about Falken Azenis RT615 tires?

 

Falken Rt-615 are Max Performance Summer tires well suited for street driving and autocross or even a little track duty. Treadwear is 200 and it handles well but wears fast.

see
http://www.srtforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366934

Tirerack doesn't sell Falkens
Try edgeracing.com
Has MINI friendly sizes. Can be out of stock

 

What average mileage can you get out of them?

 

I have been super happy with my Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 215/45/17s. They are really good in the wet and handle great. They are also very quite and really improved the ride which is nice for long trips. I get a ton of standing water where I live so wet traction was very important to me. They also have a nice looking tread pattern--Not that that's important. I read a bunch of the reviews on Tire Rack before I bought them. That's a great resource if you haven't checked it out.

 

Tread ratings are not directly comparable across brand lines but a rating of 200 tells you that the rubber is very soft. Competition tires are rated 30 to 60 and are used only for track or autocross.

Many All Season tires are rated about 400-460.

Many Touring tires are rated about 600.

Don't expect a tire rated at 200 to last much more than about 1 to 2 years or about 14,000 to 20,000 miles depending on how you drive.

The Falken 615 is for handling and grip at the cost of comfort and wear.

 

I am running Khumo ecsta AST. 215-45-17, All season tire with decent grip. They give a much better ride than the run flats.

 

So a tire with treadwear of 300 would have good grip, but last long.....a good all around performance tire?

 

Maybe. The treadwear is not a good indicator of how well performance will be, only that the rubber is not really soft like a tire rated at 140 or 180.

Some tires have higher treadwear like 400 and still have very good grip and handling, but it's harder to achieve.

You have to look at the individual tire, it's design, construction, tread pattern and intended use.

A good all around performance tire for the MINI would be something in-

Ultra High Performance Summer class or
Ultra High Performance All Season class.

Max Performance or Extreme performance tires tend to be better on handling but much worse on wear and higher cost. They do work well for the Cooper S and are not intended for any snow.

High Performance tires give up handling and performance and are possible to use for street use but aren't able to keep up when used on the track or for any autocross- you'll tend to wear them out.

 

I think I'm gonna go with the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3...reading info at tirerack...sounds like good grip in the dry, but with good treadwear that will last longer, and at a reasonable price.

 

You won't regret it!

 

By the way, are 215s a better size to run instead of 205s, cause I was planning on getting 215s for my new tires....I figured that that width would be perfect for a MINI.

 

How do you define "better size"?

If you talk to the MINI designers they would tell you that the better size is going to be the stock 205/45-17. Otherwise they would have picked 215/45-17 or even 225/45-17. GS-D3 doesn't come in 205/45-17 and actually the stock size is a runflat size. The speedometer and odometer are calibrated around the stock sized tire.

If you talk to drivers that like performance then 215/40-17 would be the better size because it fits with good clearance and offers very good handling. But it can cost more and it gives a harsher daily street ride that will be less comfortable on all but the smoothest roads.

If you talk to most owners, best size is a compromise of what fits the MINI without rubbing and still offers good comfort and good value. Usually 215/45-17 is OK except if you have a very lowered suspension and you need a tire that is less than stock tire diameter- then 215/45-17 would be tall and result in a little rubbing.

If you talk to owners that have wider than stock rims like 17x8 or wider then they consider best would be 235/40-17 or even 245/35-17.

What is perfect for the MINI varies with all of the different possible options for suspension, upgrades and for your needs on how you use your car in the weather and road conditions you drive in.

 

okay...well I have the Mach V springs, so it's approx. 1.25" lower than stock, so would the 215/45 fit fine since my 205/45 fit fine?

 

If you use stock 17x7 rims with +48mm offset then 215/45-17 will barely fit. Sometimes it depends on which tire tread shoulder pattern you have to work with.

I think you will be OK and if there is a little rubbing it won't be a big problem. the only other choice is to go with something smaller than stock like a 40 series tire and that would be harsher for daily use.

Is there someone in your area that has Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 on a 17x7 rim that you could try to install on your R56? Just to check fitment?

The difference between stock and 215/45-17 is usually about 0.3 inches.

If you look at your current tires especially in the rear and there looks to be about 0.5 inch clearance from the top of the tire to the closest inner wheel arch plastic trim then you can use the 215/45-17.

I have that tire and it is very close- the tip of my little finger and just fit in the wheel gap with a lowered suspension and +42mm offset.

Got any pictures of your rear wheel now showing the present gap?

 

Here's some pics of my car.....looks like there should be plenty of room.

 

Another option is to see what is now available in 205/45-17 since you know that fits fine now.

Closest to Goodyear GS-D3 would be-

Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season $122 420 treadwear. Good wet and dry handling, a little less comfortable than the GS-D3 with longer treadwear but not as good on the track. For street driving it should be fine. Overall a good value for how good the tire is. It's Ultra High Performance All Season. Has a stiff kevlar sidewall.

Other notables in 205/45-17

In Extreme Performance Summer tires
Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R $155 180 treadwear

In Ultra High Performance Summer tires
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 $124 240 treadwear
BF Goodrich T/A KDW2 $120 300 treadwear
BF Goodrich g-Force Sport $109 340 treadwear
Kumho Ecsta SPT $99 320 treadwear
Yokohama S Drive $109 300 treadwear

In Ultra High Performance All Season
Goodyear F1 All Season (see above)
Avon Tech M550 A/S $99 360 treadwear

In High Performance All Season (good for MC or MC cabrio)
Kumho Ecsta AST $68 400 treadwear H speed rated

 

Based on your current pictures and using your stock 17x7 wheels you should be fine with 215/45-17. In fact the slightly taller tire will close the gap a little and look better most likely.

The problem comes with using wider than stock rims or offsets that are much less than stock like +40mm or less due to the tire sticking out of the wheel wells.

The drop you have may have been from a higher stock height than in the R53, each model is different and it does vary a little from car to car and with your options.

Also the pictures are with no one in the car. With people in the front and back it's more likely that clearance will be less so I think the 215/45-17 are about as tall as you want to go. If your springs are really stiff that will help to keep the ride height in good position to use the 215/45-17 tires.

 

I just checked the current clearance and on the rear I can get my whole hand in the gap, and on the front I can get my hand in all the way to where my thumb attachs to my palm.