New owner of a 2007 'S' with non-standard LEXANI 205/40 ZR17 84 WXL run-flat tires. Rear tires have more tread than front, but neither seems able to grab well in the kind of snow we just got socked with. Need better traction and can't spend a lot. Can I replace just the front tires with all season 17" or better to buy new rims as well? Confused about the options. Tire changing equipment came with the car but no spare. I haven't changed a tire in 35 years anyway. Can I have run-flat on the rear and non run-flat on the front?

 

You need real snow tires to go in the snow that deep. Even with them, the mini is just a plow and doesn't go as well as other cars. Now, 2 inches is a different story.

You need all 4 tires to match to be safe, otherwise you will have a very unpredictable drive that would be unsafe. Tires are compromise, snows are great in snow and rain, but not so good on dry pavement. "All-season" is a compromise as well, better on dry, not as good in snow. You have to choose tires based on your useage. If you wait inside for the plows, all-seasons are probably the best choice, if you are a person how drives often in the snow, snow tires are the way to go.

 

Thanks for the advice. That helps me narrow down the options

 

Don't cheap out on your tires. It is the only part of the car in contact with the road. With tires you get what you pay for. With that said, General Altimax Arctic snow tires give great traction in the white stuff and are reasonably priced. Search tirerack for them.

 

Welcome to the forum, happy snow sledding.

 

+ 1, and I have been using the Generals for 3 seasons now and they have been great, I have yet to get stuck.

 

I put a set on my daughter's Accord last winter and was very impressed and since my Blizzaks were shot I put a set on my car this year. Yesterday was the first test ...a Friday night commute with 4" of snow already down and more coming at the rate of 1" an hour.

My car performed flawlessly. There was only one hill (very steep with a tight S-curve) where my DSC came on. Very impressive.

The Blizzaks were great the first season, only so-so the second season and last year, with 9K miles on them, they were like not having snow tires. I'm hoping the Generals wear better. I am careful not to put the tires on until the roads are cold and I take them off as soon as it starts to get warm and I don't do any spirited driving on them ...in other words, I try to make them last.

Dean.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I go for service today to check out the cold morning rattle under the hood. Will look into the Gen'l Altimax. Would love to go non-RF, but get spooked by all the tire dealers' warnings. I took a picture underneath, and blown up it looks like there is a tire snug in the center, but that's not where a space-saver goes, is it?

 

My MCS had 17" runflats. I also couldn't get out of my driveway with them. I cleaned them up and stored them away in my basement for the winter and bought a set of Dunlop Graspic winter tires, 205/50-16 and a set of 16x7 wheels. The non-run flat tires ride soooo smooth now, and the car is a little demon in the snow. Slush, ice, powered snow, whatever. I'm sure it would turn into a MINIplow in anything over 6" of fresh powder, but otherwise it feels very safe and in-control, even at highway speeds in the slushy, icy stuff. Great Investment in my book!

As for a spare tire, I bought a donut spare. The car already has a jack in the boot. But my spare tire well is where the battery lives , so I just wrapped the donut (it's new and clean anyway) up in an old blanket and called it a day. It's only for the Winter months.....

 

This is my 3rd Winter on the Generals, my guess would be 15 to 17 K on them, 2 storms this year and no issues, number 3 will be tomorrow night.
Bring it on!! I am ready

 

Snow tires on the MINI should get you through anything Mother Nature can throw at us. And the past few weeks it has been quite a lot!

 

We have #3 on the way as well. The first was a blizzard of 20" or so that created drifts up to 4' deep, the second was a non-drifting 12" and tonight into tomorrow is supposed to bring yet another 12" - 16".

I am in CT and think this may already be more snow than we had last winter.

I'm glad to hear the Generals last, because I sure do like them ...and love that they are so inexpensive.

Dean.

 

DVD Ford:

Your best bet is a dedicated set of 4 mounted winter tires. I'm not sure if you can go down to 15" wheels on your 2007 - maybe 16's would be better for you. You want narrow tires for snow.

On my 03 MCS, I picked up a set of 15" factory wheels from a Cooper (From someone on NEMINI.org) and mounted skinny Pirelli SnowControl 190 tires. I bought these for the winter of 03-04. Also used them in 04-05, 05-06, 06-07, 07-08. 5 seasons! Then towards the end of March 08, I hit a pothole which cut into the sidewall. (Thanks NJ DOT!) So I bought another set of the same tires on an end of season closeout from TireRack.com.

I also run the exact same tire on my wife's 03 Cooper for the winter. They are inexpensive, work great in the snow, and last 5 seasons. The way I see it, that's 3 big advantages over Blizzaks.

You'll find that everyone has a favorite tire for different reasons. There are lots of good winter tires out there. I know it seems like a big expense, but keep in mind that when you're driving on these winter tires, you aren't wearing out your summer tires. In the long run it's really not that expensive.