I have been reading the NAM forums for the last couple months and I finally ordered my 2007 MCSa, which should arrive in three weeks. I am planning on replacing the stock run-flats with all season non run-flats. I noticed that there is a better selection of tires in the 205/55/16 size range. The original stock size of 195/55/16’s has a slim selection to choose from on TireRack. I was leaning towards 205/55/16 Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position Ultra High Performance All-Season tires. By moving up to a larger width tire will it throw off the MPG calculations with the onboard computer? Will I need to reset the air pressure valve default settings? I don’t think I’m going to big on the tire size. I see a lot of other Mini owners being recommended this size tire. I live in the Washington DC area and we get 3-4 snow storms a year. Will I get a noticeable less traction in winter because this larger tire has a wider width? Basically, I am looking for a high rated all season tire that has good traction in winter and summer.

As a side note, my friend said that Falken make a great tire and they might be a good brand. Although, TireRack does not sell them and there are no ratings.

Thanks!

 

yah, it will throw it off a little bit. on a R56 i would go with 205/55/16
and drive by one of those police radar meters you see on occasion to
correlate your speed.

i wouldn't worry about the width especially if you only see 3-4 snow
storms. a/s tires dont do that great anyway in deep snow unless it is
an AWD car.

 

This tire calculator might come in handy for you, too.

 

The 205s won't make that much difference to the overall diameter. The 205 refers to the width of the tire in millimeters, and 55 is the percentage of that width that the sidewall height equals - the sidewall height is 55% of the tire width. So if you increase the width from 195 to 205 (10mm), the sidewall will increase 5.5mm, adding 11mm to the overall diameter.

 

Do not assume that the stock 16" tire is the 'official' size. Consider that the standard 15" size is 175/65, which at a circumference of 75.3 inches works out to be 842 revolutions per minute. The 16" at 195/55 has a circumference of 76.8, for 825 revolutions per mile. The stock 17" is a 205/45, at 76.2 inches circumference for 831 revolutions per mile. The 18" is a 205/40, which works out to be 76.8 circumference and 825 revolutions per mile. Thus, even among the 'stock' sizes there is considerable variation.

To complete this analysis, for other after-market available 16" tires a 205/50 has a circumference of 75.6 and 838 revolutions per mile; a 205/55 has 78.2 circumference and 811 revolutions per mile.

 

I just put 195-50-16 Kumho ASX all seasons on my Cooper. The ride is great, and the mileage doesn't seem to be affected much at all. The car runs about 2-3 mph slower than what the speedo reads at 65 mph, but I think that, at least for me, it's more of a safety factor, cuz i don't need to worry so much about over-zealous cops waiting to nail me. Yes, a bit more of the wheel well shows, but I figure that, in snow, it might help more in getting around.

I have Kumho ASX all seasons on my MCS, but they are a bit larger at 205-50-16. Still, the mileage has not been affected much at all and the speed is pretty much the same when the speedo reads 65mph.

 

According to Tire Racks data:

The stock Dunlap SP Sport 01 DSST 205/45ZR17 that came with my MCS have a O.D. of 24.5" (76.969" circumference) and 853 R.P.Miles.

Pirelli PZero Nero M&S 205/55ZR16; O.D. of 24.9, R.P.Miles 836

Sumitomo HTR+ 205/55VR16: O.D. 24.9, R.P.Miles 848

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 205/55ZR16: O.D. 24.9 R.P.Miles 839

Note that on the 205/55-16 tires the O.D. is the same, but the R.P.Miles varies.

 

Interesting; even more vatiation than I expected. My figures come from the Miata tire size calculator; obviously based on assumptions rather than real-world measurements of actual tires.

 

Thanks for the helpful information. Everyone on this site has been extremely friendly. I am proud to be part of the Mini Cooper community.

 

Any tire diameter within a few percent is going to be a negligable difference. As was said earlier, even the different stock tires vary a little bit in diameter.

205/50/16 seems to be the best fit as it falls within the range of the other stock tire diameters. 205/55/16 seems to be outside that region by a small amount, but again, we're only talking 1.8% larger than the tires you're replacing. That's almost nothing.

215/50/16 is a near-perfect match to your original diameter. If you have any interest in buying a second set of wheels, I'd put 215/50/16 summer tires on them and use your stock tires in the winter.

The wider tread will have a minimal impact on snow traction. Again, we're talking small percentages here. Tread design will play a much larger roll. Some higher-performance all-season tires are made for winter but not necessarily snow. Unfortunately, dry traction and snow traction are two mutually exclusive things to optimize a tire for, so you'll have to chose one or the other.

Falken's all-seasons are among the best on the market. They're adequate in snow, but not great. They're fantastic in dry weather and rain. They're also quiet, comfortable, and inexpensive. There are several great brands that TireRack doesn't carry, Toyo and most Hankooks are others.