[leftoverture]

Yesterday, driving 70 mph down the road and... what was that noise... whatever it was it took a chunk out of my sidewall. Instant pressure loss. No problem, just drove a couple miles to the nearest Discount Tire. No changing my tire on the shoulder of a busy freeway. And, thanks to the certificates for free replacement, the new tire is free. But wait, they don't have it in stock. No problem, they gave me a loaner tire! Run flats + Discount Tire is a winning combination!

I know, I know, some people hate run flats but when you have an incident like this, and you get to experience the benefit, it's easy to appreciate them.

[Kernel Kurtz]

I too appreciate the RFTs. Yes, they are expensive, heavy, and ride harshly, but they have good turn-in and being able to keep driving after a puncture is a wonderful thing, especially in the winter.

I mostly drive in the city so not putting many miles on a flat tire. I usually just get them patched like a normal tire. Free replacements and loaners is pretty cool though.

[Resoelg]

Not a fan of the RF. Changed out all 4 and added 5th wheel/tire strapped in trunk. Does not help when you blow 2 on the same side at the same time tho.
Happened twice on the perfect streets of Philadelphia.
Go Phillies!

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Resoelg

Not a fan of the RF. Changed out all 4 and added 5th wheel/tire strapped in trunk. Does not help when you blow 2 on the same side at the same time tho.
Happened twice on the perfect streets of Philadelphia.
Go Phillies!

Rag top owner. Even a compact spare will take up nearly all my trunk space. I did think about going that way but decided against it for that reason.

[Resoelg]

Ahh. Agree, no space in the trunk particularly with 19" wheel. Rather that than the harshness of RF.
Second vehicle is SUV.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Resoelg

Ahh. Agree, no space in the trunk particularly with 19" wheel. Rather that than the harshness of RF.
Second vehicle is SUV.

I have an SUV, too, but the Bimmer is much more fun on a road trip:

[Resoelg]

Hell yes!

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

I know, I know, some people hate run flats

The editor of Roundel has strongly suggested that they're much better than they used to be and are now a reasonable choice for most drivers.

They don't interest me, but maybe they're a more mainstream choice for enthusiasts than they used to be.

[celsdogg]

I am glad you had a good experience and I don't know the details of your situation in that case OP, but it sounds kinda similar to my only experience with RFT's "saving me"; I likely wouldn't have needing saving if I wasn't running the run flat (speaking of sidewall damage).

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by dradernh

The editor of Roundel has strongly suggested that they're much better than they used to be and are now a reasonable choice for most drivers.

They don't interest me, but maybe they're a more mainstream choice for enthusiasts than they used to be.

I'm a "belt and suspenders" guy when it comes to security/safety. I ordered the spare and I'm hoping to have the Michelin RFTs on the car when it's delivered shortly.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by celsdogg

I am glad you had a good experience and I don't know the details of your situation in that case OP, but it sounds kinda similar to my only experience with RFT's "saving me"; I likely wouldn't have needing saving if I wasn't running the run flat (speaking of sidewall damage).

A piece of debris on the road took a chunk out of my sidewall, meaning hole far too big to patch. Tire would have been garbage whether RFT or not.

[XutvJet]

I've been driving since 1989. I've never once experienced a tire blow out. My wife hasn't, my parents haven't, and none of my close friends have. Now I've had a lot of flats over the years, some with small leaks and others with fast leaks. If you don't have a spare, a simple and basic $10 tire plug kit and tiny air compressor will save you 99% of the time as punctures rarely occur within 1 inch of the sidewall. I can install a plug in about 5 minutes.

What I find EXTREMELY interesting about run flats is how often those tires do blow out compared to non-RFTs. Do a BMW forum search of tire blow outs and note how almost all of them are RFT tires. Sure, you may be able to possibly still drive on them but at what price? The stiff sidewall and lack of their ability to flex much is the culprit. Sure you can drive on a flat, but have fun shelling out big bucks for that "convenience" and "safety" feature.

RFTs have no place in a performance car, IMO. They do nothing well.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I've been driving since 1989.

Youngster! Been driving quite a bit longer than you. I've had a couple tires completely self destruct over the years, none of which were run flats. In the 70's and early 80s, it was much more common I would say. But in this most recent case, it had absolutely nothing to do with being a run flat. The debris would have put a hole in any tire.

But just think of it being your wife or child out there, wouldn't you be glad they had a run flat that allowed them to keep driving to somewhere safe? I know I would be. So maybe run flats do serve a purpose for some

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

Youngster! Been driving quite a bit longer than you. I've had a couple tires completely self destruct over the years, none of which were run flats. In the 70's and early 80s, it was much more common I would say. But in this most recent case, it had absolutely nothing to do with being a run flat. The debris would have put a hole in any tire.

But just think of it being your wife or child out there, wouldn't you be glad they had a run flat that allowed them to keep driving to somewhere safe? I know I would be. So maybe run flats do serve a purpose for some

https://www.tirereview.com/run-flat-...wout.%E2%80%9D

The J.D. Power study found that “customers with vehicles equipped with run-flat tires are nearly twice as likely as those with vehicles equipped with standard tires to have to replace a tire due to a flat or blowout.”

Many customers have not responded well to run-flats. There have been lawsuits against BMW and Honda because of poor treadwear and unexpectedly high replacement costs. Primarily used on luxury and performance sports vehicles, overall satisfaction with tires is lower when vehicles are equipped with run-flat tires compared to vehicles with conventional tires.

J.D. Power recently completed a study that found that people were replacing their run-flat tires an average of 6,000 miles sooner than owners using conventional tires. It’s not clear why run-flats appear to experience faster tread wear, but one theory is that tiremakers use a softer tread compound on run-flat tires to counter the hard ride. The use of the softer compound could result in shorter tread life.

Reduced fuel economy is another negative. The sidewall reinforcements or support rings add weight – and weightier run-flats may reduce fuel economy by 1% to 2%.

[2ndRat]

Hi everyone -new member here. This thread caught my attention since my 2019 230ix will soon need new tires. I'm not thrilled with the current P7 runflats, but my wife is greatly comforted by the idea (illusion?) of not having to stop in a dangerous location to change a flat tire (maybe..., maybe not). I can live with the runflats, but my main complaint is the lack of choices for 17" runflats to fit the car. Especially the lack of high performance all-season runflats, like a Pilot A/S4. With limited options available, I'll probably go with a runflat P7 Cinturato AS in 225/45x17. Anyone here have experience with that tire/size on a 230ix? Can I expect any significant differences vs the original 205/50X17?
Thanks for any insights.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by 2ndRat

Hi everyone -new member here. This thread caught my attention since my 2019 230ix will soon need new tires. I'm not thrilled with the current P7 runflats, but my wife is greatly comforted by the idea (illusion?) of not having to stop in a dangerous location to change a flat tire (maybe..., maybe not). I can live with the runflats, but my main complaint is the lack of choices for 17" runflats to fit the car. Especially the lack of high performance all-season runflats, like a Pilot A/S4. With limited options available, I'll probably go with a runflat P7 Cinturato AS in 225/45x17. Anyone here have experience with that tire/size on a 230ix? Can I expect any significant differences vs the original 205/50X17?
Thanks for any insights.

I have Bridgestone Driveguard Plus. They are 17" all season run flats. Probably one of the smoothest tires I've ever had. They are great in the rain, too. They are highly rated for winter use, but I haven't had opportunity to test that yet (coming soon, though). I drive pretty hard and they handle just fine within the limits required on public roads. Definitely prefer them to the Pirellis.

[WolfGTI]

Pretty much why in 6 years I've only taken my car into Philly maybe 5 times. We always use the wife's X1 when we go into the city.

Originally Posted by Resoelg

Not a fan of the RF. Changed out all 4 and added 5th wheel/tire strapped in trunk. Does not help when you blow 2 on the same side at the same time tho.
Happened twice on the perfect streets of Philadelphia.
Go Phillies!

[Mike F.]

Had RFTs on my E90 five or six years ago. Had one go out on me on a road trip to Phoenix. Couldn't be repaired and had to be replaced. Had another one go in spectacular fashion, closer to home. Hit a raised (and unmarked) storm drain on an off ramp going 50+ mph and put a four inch gash in the sidewall. I limped it home but I probably shouldn't have. Also cracked a couple of wheels while on them. Switched to non-RFTs and (perhaps coincidentally) haven't had a tire problem since. (Knock on wood!)

That said, I road tripped out to Tucson last July in the M240 with non-RFTs and no spare. I was driving through the Mojave desert, temp was ~115 degrees, and I was getting the heeby-jeebies at the thought of a tire failure that couldn't be handled with the "mobility kit". I won't be doing that again without a spare.

[Hookalatch]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

drove a couple miles to the nearest Discount Tire..... But wait, they don't have it in stock. No problem, they gave me a loaner tire!

You are luckier than I was with Discount Tire (called Americas Tire in N. CA). My run flat was ruined. The salesman said I would have to buy a temporary tire. Then the manager said they would not install a regular tire to get me the 30 miles home. None of the tire shops in Redding CA carried ant size run flat. No other shop would install a regular tire for me.

I am happy running regular tires now. They ride better and probable handle better. The air compressor and tire repair kit I purchased fit nicely under the trunk cover.

Chuck

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Hookalatch

You are luckier than I was with Discount Tire (called Americas Tire in N. CA). My run flat was ruined. The salesman said I would have to buy a temporary tire. Then the manager said they would not install a regular tire to get me the 30 miles home. None of the tire shops in Redding CA carried ant size run flat. No other shop would install a regular tire for me.

I am happy running regular tires now. They ride better and probable handle better. The air compressor and tire repair kit I purchased fit nicely under the trunk cover.

Chuck

I've never had a bad experience at Discount Tire...ever... in something like 20 years. Sorry you did. Your compressor and repair kit wouldn't have helped in my situation, the hole was much too large to plug or patch.