A Mini Cooper is intended to be the ultimate city car. But with the best tires for the job, there’s no reason it can’t handle highways and a little bit of dirt and gravel now and then. Just as long as you’re prepared, the Mini is surprisingly capable.
What are the best tires for a Mini Cooper?
- Touring: Goodyear Assurance Weatherready – $88.17/tire
- Performance: Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R – $132.21/tire
- All-Terrain: Continental VikingContact 7 – $118.99/tire
- Winter/Snow: Pirelli Winter SnowControl Serie 3 – $114.90/tire
Best Tires for the Mini Cooper
Touring: Goodyear Assurance Weatherready – $88.17/Tire
Touring is all about comfort over the long haul. If you’re going to be doing a lot of highway driving, you need a touring tire.
The WeatherReady tire uses 3D TredLock technology blades to allow for stable cornering no matter how slippery the road, with a silica-based compound for comfort and traction on long drives.
Users give the tire an Excellent rating across the board, from comfort and treadwear to dry, wet, and even winter road performance.
Performance: Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R – $132.21/Tire
This is where the Mini Cooper shines: City-driving. Performance can refer to race tires, of course, but what makes a great race tire is also what makes a tire that can handle tight turns in heavy city traffic.
The Potenza uses a directional tread design with a center rib providing constant contact with the road for great traction when braking, accelerating or turning on the blacktop.
Users give the tire a near-perfect 9.6 rating for dry performance. The tire is less impressive in harsh weather or on rough roads, but it’s perfect for summer driving in the city.
All-Terrain: Continental VikingContact 7 – $118.99/Tire
An all-terrain tire will let you handle some gravel and dirt if you plan on doing some light off-roading. The Mini Cooper really isn’t built for the farmland, but if you’re going to be driving on trails and hills, you should at least come prepared.
The VikingContact 7 uses interlocked block bridges to cut through water and slush, grab the road even in snow, and climb through loose dirt and hard gravel.
Users give the tire an 8.8 for wet performance, 8.4 for dry, and a 9.2 for comfort.
Winter/Snow: Pirelli Winter SnowControl Serie 3 – $114.90/Tire
You can’t control the weather, but you can be ready for it. With the right winter tires, your Mini Cooper should have no problem cutting through slush and snow come winter.
The SnowControl Serie 3 uses a silica-enhanced tread compound to keep the tires from freezing up in the winter, with lateral grooves to push water and slush out the sides of the tires, so you don’t hydroplane.
Users give the tire high marks, noting that the tire may be built for winter but can run in the summer just as well.
People Also Ask…
Does the Mini Cooper come with a spare tire?
Yes. Many automakers are phasing out the spare tire in recent years, but Mini is not one of them. They still offer a spare with most trim levels. The Cooper S does not come with a spare, but most Minis do.
What’s the recommended tire pressure for a Mini Cooper?
35 psi. But check the wall of your tire to make sure before you start inflating. Coopers typically come in three different wheel sizes, and many used Minis may come with custom tire sizes owing to a few aftermarket modifications. So check for yourself.
How do you reset the tire pressure indicator on a Mini Cooper?
Find the reset button on the eBrake handle. Turn the ignition key to position 2, hold the reset button, and wait for the yellow indicator to come on. The next time you hit the road, the system should recalibrate itself as you drive.
