Mini Cooper Suspension

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
January 26, 2013

These tires were installed on my car when I bought it at 27k miles in Feb 2011. I'm now at 67k miles, almost Feb 2013 so I average 20k miles per year.

To start off, when the tires were new I was pleased with them. Plenty of dry and wet traction and low noise. Car tracked good as alignment was performed when tires were installed. Over the course of 40k miles I would have expected the tires to be shot and pretty worn. Granted I have a lightweight vehicle but I've still got 6/32 tread on center. Edges however are more like 3/32. I know edge wear is due to the MINI's aggressive suspension, however the tire noise is now quite loud. Not as bad as goodyear eagles with similar mileage but loud none the less.

Last winter was quite mild and I never had the chance to test out the MINI in the snow. Finally got the chance to drive in a snowstorm last week and let me say- Mark these tires down as NOT all-seasons. More like 3-season tires. With 6/32 tread life over 80-90% of the tire I expected much more in snow. Braking in snow is awful- slight tap on the brakes caused me to fishtail across multiple lanes on the interstate in less than an inch of snow on the roads (traveling about 55mph and going straight initially). Starting from a stop is a joke, grandmas pass me in their Buicks. Cornering in snow is, lets say breath taking, and not in a good way. Again, this is all on less than an inch of snow. Nowhere close to "deep snow" and not slush or ice.

I am now investing in new tires. Again, these Hankooks are not "worn out", more like 50% tread left. These tires would be great for someone who lived in warm climates that may get cold but stay above freezing. However for a norther climate driver, I would pass on these.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
January 22, 2013

I've only had these tires a couple weeks so I can't comment on treadwear or wet/snow performance. But I can say that the difference in ride quality is phenomenal (they replaced run flats). A MINI Cooper suspension is stiff by design; but with run flat tires, on 17" rims, in sport mode…if you hit a nickel lying in the road, you’ll spill your coffee. With the Continental Extreme DWS tires I can hit all the loose change I want. Plus, the run flats were very loud whereas the Continental’s are so quiet that I can now hear my wife telling me to slow down. I’m very happy with these tires.

Initial Review, 3,450 Miles on Tires
August 29, 2012

Please ignore phrases like: "great tire for the money". This is a great tire. Period.

I went from Dunlop SP Sport Signature non-run-flates and then Michelin PIlot Sport A/S to these Kumhos, and he Kumhos are easily as good or even better than both of those much more expensive tires, all on my slightly modded MINI Clubman S. Haven't had a chance to push them when it's wet yet.

A TireRack salesmen recommended these, even after I told him that price was not an issue. They handle great, have low noise and a good ride for a performance tire, though I can see that tread life will be lower than advertised. The only reason these are cheaper is probably because they are made in Korea...the 4Xs definitely outperform the Dunlops on most levels, and are as good as the Michelins (even better as far as road noise). There is very little tramlining, and I feel confident pushing them.

It's strange to see some people complaining that they feel floppy -- this must be very car and suspension dependent, because on my Clubman S (with Koni FSD shocks and a stiffer rear sway bar) they feel as or more strong than the Dunlops or Michelins that I had, when it comes to sidewall stiffness.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
May 21, 2012

From the very first mile driven a dramatic improvement over OEM Summer RFT was noted. The crash of the RFT was was gone and replaced with quiet quickness. The Cooper S suspension feels tight and stiff not harsh. The driver can enjoy the Mini for what it was intended. The RFT provides mobility for 50 mi. but endless inconvenience. With a Conti Comfort Kit and simple tire repair knowledge you can be prepared for 85% of tire flats while enjoying 100% of your Mini S.

Initial Review, 29,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2012

Two sets of this same tire in 59,000 miles over 50 months, and both sets had similar results.Ratings are averages for full life of use. When newer --first 10k-- they performed much better in all conditions including wet. But as they wore out they became progressively slicker and apt to hydroplaning in any wet conditions. Tried many different pressure settings, and kept good maintenance of them including frequent rotation. Very disappointed in how they behaved in last half of their life.
Don't even think of using them in any snow, especially after first 5-10k! Horrid traction in even light snow. I could put up with some diminishing of grip and handling if they were astounding when new, but that is not the case.
They did have "decent" handling response and predictable action in most driving conditions (and that includes white knuckles in rain) when newer, but consistently have a very hard/harsh feel, even with setting lower pressure. Not sure if this is due to run flats or the suspension setup on the MINI, or both. Won't get these again. Probably should have researched these more when I replaced first set, too. Unfortunately not a lot of choices for all season run flats for this wheel size... might try the Yokohama AVID ENVigor ZPS, though no test results yet... (Or maybe just get summer tires and dedicated winter treads and wheels like I do for my other two cars - RX-8 & S2000.)

Initial Review, 50 Miles on Tires
January 24, 2012

This is a follow up to the review I wrote a few days ago. My Cooper S came with Bridgestone RE050A RFT "run flats" and the ride was awful. I have just put these "conventional" Continental Extreme contact DWS tires on and the difference is huge.
1) The steering is now lighter when making corners at low speed and roundabouts
2) The "roar" from the tires is much quieter.
3) The Mini doesn't "crash" and "bang" into pot holes and ridges like it did with the Bridgstones. Don't get me wrong, it's not Lexus smooth, as the mini still has a sport suspension (i.e. firm) and large'ish 17" tires, but I drove the same route to work this morning over a section of badly surfaced road and I wasn't gritting my teeth and grimacing all the way. Sure you could feel the surface, but I now feel like the tire is part of the suspension not excluded from it.
4) Best of all, the tramling has all but gone. Its pouring here in Vancouver and worn inner city grooves in the road are everywhere, but the Mini now tracks straight and true, I can drive with one hand on the wheel instead of bracing myself with two and wrestling it in the direction I want it to go. Vast improvement - worth the upgrade for this alone. I noticed the same effect on my Mazda 3 sport when I changed from Goodyear Eagles to these Continental.

Based on experience in the Mazda, I know they will be good in the dry too, but I wimp out in the snow and leave the car in the garage so I don't have any experience of that.

Initial Review, 11500 Miles on Tires
January 10, 2012

When you are limited to RFT Tires, you really don't have much choice. I live in AZ where we see maybe 10 days of rain a year. My P-Zeros RFT's are 'simply without equal' as long as you have 'dry or slightly wet' roads. Naturally the MINI COOPER S is built to handle 'very well'. To that, I have made some 'upgrades' to the 'overall performance' of the car. I admit that I 'love driving fast' and when you make 'quick cuts' around 'slow moving traffic' at 'high speeds', you don't have time to wonder if your tires are 'up to the task'. Fortuantely the P-Zero's can easily and without any hesitation go where I point the car. Sometimes with maybe a 'foot or two' clearance when I change lanes at 80+ MPH. Wear is about what you would expect. The outer part wears faster than the middle of inner part of the tire.
I've driven Bridgestones as well and they are also 'very good', but the Perilli still does the job 'better'! Road noise is 'nil' Comfort? Well, Mini's don't have 'suspension' that 'comforts out' every bump in the road, but for the 'superior handling of the MINI, that is 'more than acceptable'. I wouldn't hesitate to get these tires again! Just 'Remember'. These are Ultra High Performance Summer Only Tires. I live very near Phoenix so there is 'never a chance of much rain'. If you live in a place where it does rain somewhat often, these may not be the tire you're looking for.
In AZ, they are TOPS!

Initial Review, 3000 Miles on Tires
January 09, 2012

I gave these tires a dry traction rating of 9. I am not sure how much of the performance is related to MINI and how much is related to Continental but I go screaming around 270-degree on ramp and there is no slip or noise. I take turns much faster than I did with my Impreza and BMW 330Ci /w Sport Package. I have not had a surprise when running at high speed in the wet and so far have not experienced any hydroplaning. We had over a foot of snow (Colorado Powder) and I drove around the block plowing with front bumper and all was OK until there ice below the snow and I got stuck. They are marginally acceptable for a thin layer of packed snow but not ice. Fortunately in Denver we have really good snow removal and the sun melts the thin layers of packed snow quickly. If you lived in area with snow and cloudy winter days, forget it. Forget driving on ice.

These are run flat tires so by definition they have a harsh ride and are much noisier than conventional tires. The tire has to support the car without air pressure. The MINI has a very stiff suspension so this only amplifies the noise and harshness. I can validate all the comments about ride and noise. At first I was ready to pull them off and exchange them for something else but the traction and corning is incredible I am keeping them. Its up to your discretion as to what is acceptable.

The tread wear seems to be doing quite well as there is still no noticeable wear front or rear at 3000 miles.

Conclusion: I like them but there is serious trade off between performance and comfort.