15, 16 or 17
#1
06-04-2004, 08:37 PM
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#3
06-04-2004, 09:29 PM
#4
06-04-2004, 09:35 PM
#5
06-04-2004, 09:53 PM
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1. 15", more sidewall means smoother ride.
2. lightweight 17", least amount of sidewall flex makes for very responsive turn-in.
3. 15" with shorter tires changes the gearing around and makes for a very zippy MINI.
IMHO you can't go wrong with 15-17, it's when you start going bigger that it negatively affects everything except for aesthetics.
2. lightweight 17", least amount of sidewall flex makes for very responsive turn-in.
3. 15" with shorter tires changes the gearing around and makes for a very zippy MINI.
IMHO you can't go wrong with 15-17, it's when you start going bigger that it negatively affects everything except for aesthetics.
#6
06-05-2004, 12:00 AM
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i swapped out my oem 17" s-lites with runflats to 16" x 7.0-7.5" asa lw5 with 205/50/16 yokohama es100's. huge difference in all of the 3 factors.
i do believe that the choice of tire brand can also affect your ride comfort, as well as handling, as it seems that some tires are a bit harsher on the ride.
16's to me are a perfect match as they are right inbetween 15's and 17's. plus they're a bit cheaper than 17's.
i do believe that the choice of tire brand can also affect your ride comfort, as well as handling, as it seems that some tires are a bit harsher on the ride.
16's to me are a perfect match as they are right inbetween 15's and 17's. plus they're a bit cheaper than 17's.
#7
06-05-2004, 12:55 AM
>>If you were getting a new wheel and tire setup using the following rankings of importance (1 being the highest), what size wheel and which tire would you get?
>>
>>1. Comfortable ride
>>2. Handling
>>3. Acceleration
>>
>>Also, I'd like to get them in white.
memojo,
Besides your listed three priorities there are other important things to consider-
Cost of rims and cost of tires, shipping costs, mounting and balancing costs.
Wear- thread rating life for tires. Many performance tires are rated near 200-300 and don't last.
Durability- some owners complain of very rough roads with lots of potholes.
Looks- This is a really big factor for some. This includes the look of the rim and of the tire itself.
Road noise- some tires are noisy and others are fairly quiet (this comes under comfort)
Compatibility with ultimate suspension- If you plan to keep your stock suspension then you have lots of choices for wheel offset (37 to 48mm) but if you plan to lower your MINI then the range of offsets will be much more limited and it will differ depending on how much you lower your MINI. H-sports springs: you'll need 42-48mm offset.
Now lets look at your list of three-
>>1. Comfortable ride
For smoothness, quietness and comfort you have to match good tires with these traits in sizes that are not too low in profile on rim widths that fit well. 55 or 60 series tires will fit 15" and 16" rims better than with 17" rims that are better suited for 40 or 45 series tires.
>>2. Handling
While each rim size can handle well enough with the right rim width and tire, cornering performance and great handling is dependent on suspension, sticky non runflat tires, and rim sizes that fit those tires. 40, 45, or 50 series tires on 16" or 17" rims handle better and are more responsive than 60 series tires on 15" rims. 15x7" rims can handle 205/50-15 tires.
>>3. Acceleration
This is dependent on weight of the rim and tire and the grip of the tire under acceleration.
Lighter weight is better. 15" rims have the advantage because they are small to begin with usually in the 8 to 12 pound range. The lightest of the 17" rims is 12 to 13 pounds and they are expensive.
Other considerations-
Load rating- with various tires the sizes may be rather limited and you might have to get a tire that has a lower load rating than the stock tire. This just means that you can carry less people or cargo in the car safely. So before you go with a really low profile tire you have to check that load rating and get as close to about 1100 pounds per tire as you can get.
Bad weather tires- rain, snow and bad weather can affect the performance of tires so if you drive under those conditions consider tires that perform well in the wet as well as dry.
Speedo error- The MC is supposed to have 15" or 16" rims but not 17" while the MCS is supposed to have 16" and 17" rims and not the 15". This creates a little speedo error esp with certain smaller tires on the 15" rims on an MCS. Just so you are aware.
For a balance of looks, price, weight, and performance at not too high a cost the 16" rims are a good compromise.
If you don't really care that much about looks then the 15" rims are pretty good. cheap, lighter, good value, fair selection of tires at good prices, performance maybe not quite as good as 16", good smooth ride depending on tires.
17" might look nice but the biggest problem is weight and cost. To get the tires to fit a MINI they need to be in the lower profile range so while that is good for performance it adds to roughness and noise depending on the tire. Also tires are more expensive in 17" diameter. It's easy to find a heavy rim at low cost. Remember too that lighter rims can be damaged by potholes. You pay more for them so that they can be built with more strength to offset the lighter weight. Cheaper 17" rims are heavy to provide a measure of strength against damage.
No matter what you still have to be very careful about road debris and road hazzards. Your rims and tires will thank you.
_________________
MINIlani home of Jasmine Trias
>>
>>1. Comfortable ride
>>2. Handling
>>3. Acceleration
>>
>>Also, I'd like to get them in white.
memojo,
Besides your listed three priorities there are other important things to consider-
Cost of rims and cost of tires, shipping costs, mounting and balancing costs.
Wear- thread rating life for tires. Many performance tires are rated near 200-300 and don't last.
Durability- some owners complain of very rough roads with lots of potholes.
Looks- This is a really big factor for some. This includes the look of the rim and of the tire itself.
Road noise- some tires are noisy and others are fairly quiet (this comes under comfort)
Compatibility with ultimate suspension- If you plan to keep your stock suspension then you have lots of choices for wheel offset (37 to 48mm) but if you plan to lower your MINI then the range of offsets will be much more limited and it will differ depending on how much you lower your MINI. H-sports springs: you'll need 42-48mm offset.
Now lets look at your list of three-
>>1. Comfortable ride
For smoothness, quietness and comfort you have to match good tires with these traits in sizes that are not too low in profile on rim widths that fit well. 55 or 60 series tires will fit 15" and 16" rims better than with 17" rims that are better suited for 40 or 45 series tires.
>>2. Handling
While each rim size can handle well enough with the right rim width and tire, cornering performance and great handling is dependent on suspension, sticky non runflat tires, and rim sizes that fit those tires. 40, 45, or 50 series tires on 16" or 17" rims handle better and are more responsive than 60 series tires on 15" rims. 15x7" rims can handle 205/50-15 tires.
>>3. Acceleration
This is dependent on weight of the rim and tire and the grip of the tire under acceleration.
Lighter weight is better. 15" rims have the advantage because they are small to begin with usually in the 8 to 12 pound range. The lightest of the 17" rims is 12 to 13 pounds and they are expensive.
Other considerations-
Load rating- with various tires the sizes may be rather limited and you might have to get a tire that has a lower load rating than the stock tire. This just means that you can carry less people or cargo in the car safely. So before you go with a really low profile tire you have to check that load rating and get as close to about 1100 pounds per tire as you can get.
Bad weather tires- rain, snow and bad weather can affect the performance of tires so if you drive under those conditions consider tires that perform well in the wet as well as dry.
Speedo error- The MC is supposed to have 15" or 16" rims but not 17" while the MCS is supposed to have 16" and 17" rims and not the 15". This creates a little speedo error esp with certain smaller tires on the 15" rims on an MCS. Just so you are aware.
For a balance of looks, price, weight, and performance at not too high a cost the 16" rims are a good compromise.
If you don't really care that much about looks then the 15" rims are pretty good. cheap, lighter, good value, fair selection of tires at good prices, performance maybe not quite as good as 16", good smooth ride depending on tires.
17" might look nice but the biggest problem is weight and cost. To get the tires to fit a MINI they need to be in the lower profile range so while that is good for performance it adds to roughness and noise depending on the tire. Also tires are more expensive in 17" diameter. It's easy to find a heavy rim at low cost. Remember too that lighter rims can be damaged by potholes. You pay more for them so that they can be built with more strength to offset the lighter weight. Cheaper 17" rims are heavy to provide a measure of strength against damage.
No matter what you still have to be very careful about road debris and road hazzards. Your rims and tires will thank you.
_________________
MINIlani home of Jasmine Trias