Tires (Summer/Winter/All-Season)

Awesome range results!

 

Just did a 82mi round trip on the VikingContacts, half of the trip at 75mph, the other at 70mph, dry roads, 20F, preconditioned with climate at 64F, in green mode, no wind.

Totally range 89.6mi (3.08mi/kWh).

A bit less than ideal, to be sure, but also… it’s a winter tire. Certainly was a bit of range anxiety, but I trusted the range calculator, and ended up with 7mi left on the GOM. Not shabby. Better than the 4mi it was telling according to MINI navigation!


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When I had mine switched over to the Continentals, they "forgot" that we had dropped off the wheels and tires in my truck and were going back with the truck to pick everything up. When they called to say the car was ready, they apologized that all of the replaced wheels and tires did not fit into the Mini and that is was OK to leave what didn't fit until I could come back for them. LOL. I reminded them that we would be back with the truck at pickup, so please take everything back out of the Mini. I'm not sure what they had managed to actually fit into it. I had the wheel/tire set that came off AND 4 bare tires that had come off of the "new" rims used with the A/S tires. So...nope...that didn't all fit into the Mini.

Rob

 

Is there any way to confirm what tires are coming on my SE? Its at the UK port right now but hoping it'll be here by the end of the month. If its summer tires, I want to get at least some all seasons ready.

Also, does anyone know if these will fit on our cars? I know a couple people have had these wheels on their cars but didn't know if they made different sizes. He said they came off a 2015 3 door Cooper S. Stock tires are 195/55/16 right for the 16 in. rims?

 

I have Continental VikingContact 7 tyres on my SE. So far, I have found them to be very quiet and have very good grip.
Today, the temperature was -19°C (aka 0°F) and I did a 50 km (30miles) run on dry hiway pavement. (About 24 km before the hiway run average 60kph)
Quiet but not really a test of grip.
I then drove one of my favourite segments of rural road (2.5 km with a series of esses making for 12 turns).
I have driven this road 7-8 times per week for the last 5 years most often in a Honda Fit with Pirelli P4s in summer and Michelin X-Ice in winter.
I drive this road (signed as twisty - 40 kph) and try to average 80 kph. (I haven’t hit a deer yet.)
Best time in the Honda was 3 minutes 4 seconds.
Today, driving in Sport mode, I equaled my best time for that section I’d set in my SE with the factory Hankook A/S tyres. 2 minutes 52 seconds.
Dry, cold pavement. No salt dust.
I had started with the GOM saying 152 km range and ended with 58% and range of 62 km. Heater was on the whole time as well.


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Yes, the Loop Spokes will fit. Someone on here has a set. (Insightman I think).

 

I have 8 of those MINI Loop Spoke rims for my SE. One set for summer, one for winter, and the OEM Power Spoke rims for show.

 

I'm one of those people looking for all season tires for now, as much as I'd like to have a dedicated set of summers and winters (maybe in the future when I have more storage space...). Have been reading through this thread and a few other forums and am finding some mixed reviews, so far am looking at

• Continental PureContact LS A/S
• Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus II (differing POVs on range loss with these)

My priority is not losing too much range vs the OEM Hankooks - range > comfort > performance. Any thoughts? Located in Connecticut, expecting to drive in wet wintery weather but not real snow conditions (have an SUV for that).

 

Thanks! Glad they fit! Found a great deal on four of them just a few hours away and wanted to make sure they fit before I head over there.

 

Thanks, Puppethead. The MINI received its cold weather shoes today. The summer wheels/tires fit as you suggested. The Pirelli Cinturato P7 A/S Plus II tires are fairly quiet and don’t seem to dull the performance too much. Once they break in, I’ll try to report.

 

Well, I'm ditching the Hankooks for a set of all-seasons (Goodyear Assurance Weatherready). After 1-2 inches of snowfall in Pittsburgh last week - and nearly getting myself killed several times due to poor traction - I decided it's time, as my SE is my only car and I still need to be able to get around in some level of inclement weather here in Pittsburgh. Got 'em on Tire Rack. Tire Rack also recommended the Vredesteins (and they've been brought up here in the forum as good options) but they were out of stock without any indication of when they'd be available. Very likely sacrificing some range and comfort here for security, but I'll take it. My previous 2011 Cooper S handled beautifully in the snow with all-seasons.

 

I look at my Hankooks in the basement and smile knowing it will only be a few months before they're back on my SE. And while my Hankooks are resting and preserving their excellent treads for summer fun, I feel safe and ready for the next snowstorm with my Michelin X-Ice winter tires.

I've told this winter tire story before. There's a big rock at the entrance to a nearby mall parking lot. One snowy day I was turning into that entrance and my car started sliding straight towards the rock. Neither the brakes nor the steering wheel were helping me out. At the last second, my winter tires took hold and saved me just inches from the rock. Now every time I see that rock I think how the cost of those tires is so much more preferable to expensive damage, devastating grief, and weeks away from my car while it languished in the body shop.

 

I'm guessing you guys saw that there is another set of 16" wheels and tires for sale on the NAM forum.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/market/358204

 

$125?!? What an incredible deal for 4 MINI Loop Spokes with tires and TPMS sensors--and are those SE center caps, too? Wow!

 

I had ordered a set of Neuspeed RSe05s through ECS, but they said Neuspeed cancelled the order and wasn't taking backorders. They're basically the only after market vendor that makes wheels specifically for Minis, and I haven't decided what I want to do now. I could shell out for some OEM wheels or just play the tire swap game twice a year.

I'm keeping an eye on Craigslist for now hoping some 17" mini wheels will show up. If I had a time machine I would go back to October and order that 16" victory spoke winter wheel/tire set that MINI sells. Oh well.

 

I put on the Pirelli Cinturato P7 A/S Plus II tires - liking the way they drive, hoping the range improves with break-in. My efficiency has taken a huge hit but still in the first 100 miles on the new tires. (Bottom row is with the stock Hankook's, top 3 are with the new Pirelli's). Almost all local driving <45mph, heat was either completely off or at 60 degrees to keep windshield from fogging.