The 215/45-17 is cheaper as I think that's why Minihune pointed out that size. That is interesting idea...it comes down to $132 after Michelin rebate.

I have been contemplating 215's, the price difference could push me over.

Minihune, what do you think of the Primacy HP in this same size? I have friend at work that just removed them from his Subaru BRZ after about 50 miles for more aggressive tires.

 

It's for the Pilot Super Sport in 215/45-17
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....SSXL&tab=Specs
Now $154 each and $70 mastercard reward card with purchase of a set.

Otherwise it is $186 for 205/45-17.
For the difference in price it is worth considering 215/45-17 assuming stock suspension.

As for the Michelin Primacy HP, this is a Grand Touring Summer tire,
$202 each, 240 treadwear, W speed rated. Review ratings by owners put it at about 7.7 for ride comfort and noise. They rate it very good dry handling, slightly less in wet.

By comparison, Pilot Super Sport owners rate it about 9.0 in ride comfort and noise and excellent across the boards for dry and wet handling. Treadwear is 300, and weight is the same at 20 lbs.

I have not seen many good tires in Grand Touring Summer category. It seems that if you want great handling you can start in Max Summer tires and work up towards Extreme Summer tires if you don't mind the faster treadwear or work downwards to Ultra High Performance for slightly less handling but a little longer treadwear.

Anyone that has to cope with cold weather or any snow should consider All Season tires. If you care about handling (don't all MINI owners want this?)
then Ultra High Performance All Season tires are the best blend of good handling, ride comfort and longer treadwear in three seasons. It is possible to find some good tires in High Performance All Season category.

If you care more about comfort and longer treadlife then look at Grand Touring All Season tires.

The thing about the MINI is it is such a good car even in the base cooper, the investment you make in great tires will reward you in handling and ride quality that you will enjoy, much more than in most other cars. Because the MINI has a large performance capability you want a tire you can count on that will be safe on the street, in dry or wet and in the weather if your area.

I use Ultra High Performance All Season tires on my Cooper S for daily use, very good handling but longer treadlife with comfort on the street. Works in dry or wet weather, cold or snow not a factor.

 

My run flats went out at 20k. Bought a set of Cooper Zeon RS 3A's. Consumer Reports ranked them one of the best all season performance tires. They cost a little over $100 per tire with a 40k mile warranty so we will see if they are decent or not. Where did you read that report on Cooper tires?

 

Any recommendations for the 215/40-17 size for a summer tire?

 

Lets see how this works from my iPhone.

I recent went ahead and purchased Michelin Primacy HP in the 215/45 size. These were takeoff tires from my friends Subaru BRZ. Some of my coworkers call this the "Prius" tire. I'm told Toyota didn't want too much grip in their new underpowered FR sports car. Anyhow.

Tires look great, all the good things you hear about the ride quality over the run-flats without the squish soft feel. They have a nice sidewalk profile, with a bead saver like profile near the bead.

I still haven't figured out if the added tire height is causing false vehicle speed. But I've discovered on this site like many of you that Mini has a speedometer correction factor. Using GPS app I'm still showing that my car is 2mph slower than what the speedometer is displaying. I've tired a few different apps, either it's my phone or the car. With taller tires I thought it may have gone the other way.

 

I just put on a set of bfg g-force sport comp 2s in 205 45 17s for 590 mounted and balanced at Costco on my 09 jcw, and they have been great so far. made in the same factory as the pilot super sports just cost alot less

 

Sure, go here: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...40&diameter=17
De-select RFT, All-Season and Track tires, and you will be left with 6 decent, but not great, choices.

If you go back to stock 205/45-17 size, the selection improves VASTLY!
Ditch RFT, All-Season and Track categories, and you are looking at 21 choices, including the best summer tires on the market: Bridgestone RE-11, and Michelin PSS.

Why those 2?
Personal experience (loved RE-11s, loving PSS's), plus TR's survey results:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=EP
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=MP


HTH,
a

 

Any reason why you want 215/40-17?

Not as much to choose from.

Dunlop Direzza ZII (extreme summer tire)
$167 each, 200 treadwear
Great grip but fast wear

Kumho Ecsta LE Sport (Max Summer tire)
$98 each, 280 treadwear
Good value tire.

 

Reason I ask is the GPII stock RFT' are 215/40 17, the RFT ride is extremely harsh.

I am leaning towards the Cont 215/40ZR17, not sure why tirerack didnt list them.

Thanks

http://www.continentaltire.com/www/d...tasheet_en.pdf




87W
XL
BSW
15481670000
23.8
8.3
18.4
51
8.8
(7.5)
7.0
-
8.5
545
1202
10/32
862

 

Assuming you are referencing Continental DW tire, it is listed and reviewed on tireRack:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=MP

It's a decent, budget-friendly, comfortable street tire. Though nothing special. You can do better, and you can do worse.

Either way, I would not get hung-up on 215-45/17 tire size.
Stock 205-45/17 size has MANY more high performance choices.
The difference in width between tire models will more than make up for the difference in advertised size on the sidewall (i.e.: Hankook's 205 marked tire will be winder than most 215mm wide tires).

a

 

I don't see a listing for the Stock runflat in 215/40-17, I think you mean 215/40-18 for both the runflat and the Conti DW.

I don't see any 215/40-17 for the Conti DW in your link or on tirerack.com.

For anyone interested-
On a budget in non runflat Max Summer tire class,
Sumitomo HTR ZIII 300 treadwear, ($50 mastercard offer now)
215/40-18 $124 each on special, ($83 for 215/45-17)
Tirerack test result-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=149

Or for longer treadwear for street use in 215/40-18
General G-max AS-03 (Ultra High Performance All Season tire)
$134 each, 480 treadwear ($90 for 205/45-17)
Tirerack test result-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=151

Or if budget is bigger then-
Michelin Pilot Super Sport (Max Summer tire)
$231 each in 215/40-18, 300 treadwear

 

That's the closest I've heard to someone saying something negative about the ExtremeContact DW tires.

 

GP2 came stock with the Kumho' 215/40-17 on a 7.5" rim. I was looking to keep the same size tire.

So no its between the Michelin above and the DW'. No worries about colder weather as I have another vehicle to drive.

Cheers!

 

Michelin Pilot Super Sport. I've installed PS's on all my cars over the ages. After going to a 3 day ZR1 driving school with the PSS I was sold. I put them on the Mini and it's perfect. Tremendous feel, tremendous grip, great in the rain, great looks.

Best,
Gene

 

OK, your GP2 came with OEM Kumho ecsta V700 R compound competition tires, meant for the track, not for the street. Hence they have higher grip/traction at the cost of faster wearing and less comfort. They are not runflats. There are no runflats that come in 215/40-17 size.

It doesn't help that 215/40-17 has a very low profile sidewall that is stiff for street use.

If you want a tire that provides more comfort then 205/45-17 or 215/45-17 will give you more choices.

If the GP2 suspension is near to the 215/40-17 tires (I don't think it is that close) then you can stay with that size or 205/40-17.

Wider sizes like 235/40-17 or 245/40-17 require at least a 17x8" rim.

In 215/40-17 neither the Michelin Pilot Super Sport or the Continental ExtremeContact DW is available.

in 215/40-17 your choices are still-

Dunlop Direzza ZII (extreme summer tire)
$167 each, 200 treadwear
Great grip but fast wear

Kumho Ecsta LE Sport (Max Summer tire)
$98 each, 280 treadwear
Good value tire.

 

Thanks, I need to compare tire specifications 215/40 17 and X/45 17. Where do you get your tire spec' from, I can't find anything on the Kumho Ecsta V700 other than a reply to a post of yours on the tire diameter?

 

No one for Hankook Ventus Evos? I've heard some good reviews about em and they do score well on tirerack!

 

I would start with TireRack.
Here is the info on V700 tires:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....del=Ecsta+V700

Again, I would not get hung-up on 215/40 size. Too few choices.
Unless you have a compelling reason for doing otherwise, stick with the wider variety of top-tier tires available in 205-45/17 size.

a

 

Hankook RS-3's are great autoX tires.
Not the best anymore, but still very good.

V12 Evos are the budget-oriented (aka cheap) alternative, with a sexy name.
Mid-pack (#10 of 26) in category reviews on TireRack from the people who actually bought this tire:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=MP

In TireRack's own "Value-Priced Max Performance Summer Tires" experiment, V12s came in DFL (dead * last):
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=149

You can definitely do better even on a budget !

a

 

FYI, took a trip up to New England this weekend and noticed my speedometer is 4 MPH to fast, verified with GPS and roadside speed signs.

Would be interested in the diameter of the stock Kumho' so I can compare the 215/45'.

Hopefully the 215/45 will correct the speedo issue and harsh ride of the 215/40'!

Cheers!

 

Despite what some say, these ARE good tires. I ran a set for the past 2+ years and never once had them break loose on me, at least not when I wasn't expecting it/not trying I'm a spirited urban/suburban driver with a frisky MINI that likes to run & play heh heh.

When I ditched the stock runflats I was on a bit of a budget, so I did my research and the Hankooks provided a great mix of handling, comfort, and price value. They rated higher than some more expensive tires in a Car & Driver tire test. I recommended the Hankook Ventus V12 Evo K110 to some other drivers in my local MINI club and all have been happy.

I'd call these an inexpensive tire, but not cheap, as "cheap" implies subpar quality or characteristics, which is NOT this tire.

There are higher rated and better-performing tires, to be sure, but they come at a price. I'm able to spend more on my MINI now, so I upgraded to Michelin Pilot Super Sports yesterday, but were I still budget-conscious I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Hankooks again.

Just my $0.02.

 

I put these on my Infiniti and loved them. They did get some snow driving (though not much, since I only put them on a few months before I traded it for the MCS4 )

In fact, I intend to put these on the MINI this fall, since what I picked up has the Continental ContiSportContact 3 Max Performance Summer which, in Colorado, I sadly have no business having on my car after September...

I can enthusiatically recommend the Extreme Contact DWS and, if your winters include cold/rain, but little snow, the Extreme Contact DW should work fine and give you a bit more decent summer traction.

 

I love my Bridgestone Potenza's RE970. Very sticky in the spring and summer so far! Winter wasn't bad, but I'm gonna buy some Blizzys for the winter!

 

Following up on my previous post now that I've had my PSS for about 3500 miles. Fabulous handling and ride, but the wear rate on these is staggering. The wear rating is 30k but these tires will be totally shot before 10k easily. The fronts are well past half gone already and Discount Tire won't rotate them until 5k, they actually turned me away...

Love the tires otherwise, but I don't think I'll stay with them next time as the price isn't worth the tread life unless one is doing lots of tracking/autox, of which I do none.
J

 

I didn't want to read that! I'm in the market for non run flat tires and the reviews on these were great so was considering them. Wouldn't the warranty kick in if they only last 10k miles?