I just bought an o4 MCS with 17 " wheels. I need snows and noticed that I can get cheaper rim /tire combo deals at Tire Rackwith 15 or 16 " tires than the 17 " tires alone. One concern is ground clearance. I've ordered a steel skid plate, but would also prefer tires that might also raise the car a bit more. Does wheel size affect ground clearance or winter performance? Also, I assume Blizzacks are the best snows, but am open to any other suggestions.

Thanks!

Scott

 

The 15's will not clear the stock brakes on the S ... So go with the 16's the outside diameter is the same as the 17's you are running

 

If you order snow tires that are taller than OEM your Mini will drive like a pig, it will accelerate slower and the speedo will read faster. You'll hate it.

Your best bet is 16" wheels with a snow tire that has the same diameter as stock. Seventeen inch snows are available, but they're rare andpricey.

Blizzak is a great winter tire, can't say enough good stuff about them. I'vebought about five different sets for different vehicles. I've alse used Pirelli, Kumho, Yokohama. Any name brand winter tire is going tomake an immense difference compared to all season tires. Don't even think about using your summer tires when there's more than 1/16" of snow. Snow tires are something where you should NOT get a discount tire. The last thing you want to do is save $20 on tires and then slide off the road in the middle of winter because you scrimped.

 

I worked with the folks at Tire Rack and they are first rate in getting you what you need. Depending on where you live could determine the tire you shoot for. I went with a 15" on my S (and they fit over the brakes fine) and narrower because we get quite a bit of snow here. The more narrow the tire the less likely it is to ride up on the snow. My car barely spun a tire all winter. Obviously I don't drive the car like I do in the summer and I do realize there are performance trade offs.