Hey guys, sorry that this is my first post, but I have been a good newbie and have been searching for all of the information I need from the wonderful NAM forums. (That doesn't excuse why I have not contributed, but remember, I am a newbie, so as I continue to learn, I will.)

I purchased my '03 Cooper used last October. It is not an S, but has the Sport package, so it has run flats. They have 32K on them and two are out of tread so I am replacing them with non run flats based on a couple of recommendations (the forum and other MINI owners).

I ordered 215/50/16's non run flats because I read posts that indicated that 1.) They would fit a stock 16" MINI rim, 2.) (most important)would have a more comfortable ride than the smaller run flats, 3.) not cause speedo issues do to similar size to OEM tire, and 4.) (important) fill out the wheel wells a little better than stock.

Well, Tire Rack just gave me a courtesy call to make sure I was not purchasing the wrong size, and although I told them that I researched my options on the NAM forum before purchasing, I got the "once you ride, you can't return" line which I appreciate, but now makes me a little hesitant that I may have rubbing issues or they may not fit properly on my rims.

I just did another search to confirm, and although I found the original post that did say 215/50 will fit, it was from one member back in 2005, and all the other posts referenced that tire size on a 17" rim.

 

What tire did you order?

Your stock rim is 16x6.5" with +48mm offset
The stock tire is 195/55-16

Your normal choices are-
205/50-16 which is usually used but has a slightly smaller than stock tire diameter of about 24.1"
or
205/55-16 which is slightly taller than stock at 24.9".
Both have good tire selection and some speedo and odometer error in opposite directions. 205/55 fills the wheel gap for stock suspension but decreases clearance if you lower your MINI. 55 series sidewall is a little more comfortable but that can also depend on which tire you select.

215/50-16 will fit rims 6 to 7.5" wide and has a tire diameter of 24.5" which is only about 0.1 or 0.2" taller than stock- not enough to really close the wheel gap so lets consider it essentially stock height with the advantage of 50 series sidewall (with the same sidewall height as stock).

215/50-16 has a small tire selection -
In UHP summer tires:
BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDW $124 each 300 treadwear (better handling)
Dunlop Direzza DZ101 $88 each 300 treadwear (more comfort)
For longer treadwear and Ultra HP All Season:
Kumho Ecsta ASX $91 each 420 treadwear (balance of comfort/handling)
or HP All Season:
BF Goodrich Traction T/A V $109 each 440 treadwear

Another choice in that size is-
http://edgeracing.com/tire/5540/
Falken Ze912 an UHP All Season tire $80 each 360 treadwear

Your tirerack sales person might not be familar with MINIs- did you try to reach Alex at ext 294? Usually it's worth the effort since he knows MINI sizes well.

 

I ordered the Kumho Ecsta because I wanted to have something with good treadlife that would not send me back in another year. I live in SoFla and molten asphalt loves to eat tires down here. This is why I normally drive on Michelins - my last two cars lasted 50K miles on Pilots with proper rotation.

I guess when I meant filling out the wheel wells I really meant something that would be 'wider' rather than 'taller' and give the Coop a slightly more aggressive stance. But I guess since I pretty much know nothing, I probably would have achieved what I wanted with some sort of spacers on the rotors. In the end I would be happy with tires that are a little less jarring over the bumps and looked good at the same time.

I didn't ask for Alex because like a said I was looking at some dated posts, and the person on the phone was pretty comfortable after I said I referred to NAM for my information.

I also should have mentioned that I am no racer - but I guess that probably showed already - I fell in love with the MINI for its uniqueness and its great gas mileage.

Thank you for taking the time to reassure me. I have OCD, but I get the feeling that a lot of other MINI owners do too. I guess I will find out in June when MTTS comes to town....

 

I also used this website to determine what issues I would have in terms of speedometer, etc. for the different sizes..

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html