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What tyre size should I fit?

I bought a MINI clubman in April and have already racked up 10,000 miles so by November I’ll be ready to switch to all-season tyres. The current fit is 225/45/17 which makes the rims incredibly vulnerable and the tyre rather uncompliant, I went for 17-inch wheels because I wanted them black. I fancied increasing the profile but don’t know what size I should fit, what are your thoughts?

Asked on 15 August 2022 by Ashley Ward

Answered by Lawrence Allan
Are you prepared to change your wheels to a smaller size to suit the increase in tyre profile? Increasing the tyre profile on the same size wheels could present more issues than it solves. For example, the circumference of the tyre increases, which will make your speedometer slightly less accurate and also has the effect of 'gearing up' the car. This means the engine will have to work a bit harder to deliver the same acceleration, which also impacts fuel economy, The tyre may rub on the arches if too large, too. Increasing to a 50 or 55 profile tyre is as far as we'd go, but for the aforementioned reasons it's worth considering the positives and negatives.
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