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We recently had an unplanned opportunity to put run flat tires to the test. Our impromptu test vehicle was a 2013 BMW X3 xDrive 28i crossover. During a Sunday trip to a park we had a puncture that gave us the chance to see how a run flat preforms while driving deflated, as well as explore the repair/replacement options and see how they might compare to other road hazard management options like a full size spare or temporary spare. We learned quite a bit from the experience and hope you find this information helpful if you’re considering a vehicle with run-flat tires.
We first noticed the flat when we re-entered the vehicle because the car told us the front left tire was low via the information screen. A system like this is now government-mandated on all modern cars. Hoping it was just low, and not completely flat, we looked at it closely and could see it was definitely flat. Moving the car slowly with the window down resulted in the crunchy sound of a flat tire and the feeling was noticeably wiggly and sloppy. The sound was so much of a concern we opted to call BMW via the car’s SOS button. After reading, re-reading, and then re-reading the VIN about 6 times to the BMW representative after they already knew us from our name and model number, not to mention the account we called from (frustrating), the person at the other end told us to ignore the sounds and feelings and drive it under 50 miles, and under 50 miles per hour, to wherever we wanted to go. She said as long as we didn’t smell burning rubber not to worry. Off we went.
Run flat tires work by using a much more robust sidewall construction. The stiffer sidewall is able to support the uninflated tire temporarily. However, driving on the tire without air pressure destroys it. In their marketing, makers of run flats try to compare older tire technology to their new, lower-profile tires with the stiffened sidewalls, and claim some safety benefits. We are skeptical. Blow-outs and complete tire failures on new, lower-profile, modern tires (not run-flats) are extremely rare.
Update - Read What J.D. Power and Associates found out about Run Flat Customer Satisfaction and replacement frequency - Added March 27, 2015
My passenger input a Nav course home (14 miles) that did not use freeways. The excellent BMW Nav system made this pretty easy to do, although we did have to wait a few minutes while it would only display a warning message about the tire. As we drove, my passenger also called the BMW dealership the car is serviced at. To its credit the dealership did answer, but since it was Sunday, they could not help us in any way. Take note of that. Next, my passenger looked up the local tire place she services her Honda Fit. It was also closed. We looked for a third place along our route home, also closed. Our plan became, “let’s get it home and then deal with the issue Monday morning.”
Driving BMW On a Run-Flat Tire
The feel while driving the BMW X3 xDrive 28i crossover with the deflated run-flat was just what one might expect. Sloppy, pulling to the side of the flat, and pretty apparent something major was up. It would be very hard to ignore this even if the dash wasn’t constantly telling us about the issue. We looked in the owner’s manual, which is the size of three Korans, and in the section under flat tires, it had a note about the 50/50 miles driving, and that was pretty much it. I mainly wanted to know if I should try to re-inflate the tire. I figured that would help, but I wanted to also make sure it would not cause a rupture of the sidewall. I saw a gas station with an air hose and pulled in. I checked the pressure and it was “0.” I pumped it up to 45 psi. Driving off the car felt dramatically better, but still slightly odd. 4 miles later we were again flat. I found a second station with a lousy air hose and put in about 20 psi. Again it felt better than flat.
The sounds of the car on the flat were the most alarming. It sounds like rubber crunching and is pretty loud. I ignored it. Keeping our speed steady and slow (about the 30 to 35 MPH speed limit) we got the car home OK.
Dealing With the Run-Flat Repair
The BMW dealer was much farther away than the local tire chains, so a local place became our repair plan. Travelling to the BMW dealer would have taken us close to our limit of 50 miles and it was also out of the way for our Monday work plans. Calling around we found that a local Town Fair Tire chain only 6 miles away had the ability to replace our Pirelli Cinturato P7 245/50/18 run flat. Here is the first point we wish to make. This was a puncture from a nail in the middle of the tread. If we had a spare we could have easily put on the spare, driven home and then to a tire place to have the puncture repaired properly (inside patch/plug, tire-off method). That would have either been free, or done for a nominal fee of less than $50. Instead, we are now looking at replacing a tire.
Town Fair and also Tire Rack, which we looked at as a reference, had pretty much the same price for the rubber. The tire itself costs about $350. Let’s stop here for a moment. We compared a best seller, non-run-flat Michelin of the exact same size and specs, and it cost only $200. So the run flat, in addition to requiring a replacement instead of repair, is also dramatically more expensive. Remember too that the closest tire place we tried does not handle run-flats at all.
I used my portable pump to pump up the tire before setting out the 8 miles back to the tire store. The ride there was the same as my previous trip.
Comparison of Run-Flat to Other Options
My 2007 Highlander Sport could have been the car taken that day. It is exactly the same size as the X3, but with more interior room and more cargo room. That vehicle has a full-size matching spare on a matching rim. Had we been in that vehicle, my matching spare would have gone on, I could have thrown the flat tire in the back, or put it in the spare tire well under the rear of the car, and then had it repaired at my leisure for less than $50. Or I could have replaced it. I just bought tires for that car and they cost $130 each including tax. This run-flat scheme is supposed to be progress?
Another alternative would have been a temporary spare. This is the direction most manufacturers are now going with most models. At least with this option I would have probably saved the cost of the new tire. Also, had we ripped a side wall from hitting a road defect, the run-flat would not have been an option and we would have had to be towed twice. Once home, and then again to the tire place the next workday.
Why Do Manufacturers Use Run Flats?
Manufacturers claim that run-flats save both space and weight. Baloney. I checked the specs of the Pirelli run-flat. Its weight is 33 pounds. The non-flat Michelin with the same specs is 26 pounds. That means a temporary spare weighing around 28 pounds would have been a zero-weight added solution compared to the run-flats. Also, a car this size with its massive cargo area can afford the small wafer of a temporary spare, or even a full-size spare, as my Highlander proves.
Conclusion – Avoid Run-Flat Tires
Manufacturers are doing everything in their power to save money, increase their profits, and to do the best they possibly can on the EPA mileage estimation test. That is understandable. However, it is hard to justify this move away from customer convenience and customer value in terms of affordable tires and repair options. This author’s opinion is that run-flat tires, and models that use them exclusively, should be avoided by consumers. We are not alone. J.D. Power surveyed customers about tires and found that customers scored cars with run-flats significantly lower than those with conventional tires. Some customers who bought run-flat tires have even sued BMW in a successful class action suit.
Other Sources of Information:
Should I buy a wheel and tire warranty?
The free run-flat tire road hazard warranty your tire shop forgot to tell you about
Will BMW move from run-flat tires to Michelin airless tweels?
Autoguide – Why You Should or Should Not Buy Run-Flat Tires
Jalopnik – Everyone Hates Run Flat Tires
Consumer Reports - My luxurious BMW 750Li run-flat nightmare
BMW's Run-Flat page
Images by John Goreham
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Comments
I came across this looking to
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I came across this looking to compare RFT brands because I'm getting new ones soon. I see that this (like many other articles) leaves out a very important (the most important) aspect of RFTs, which is that they provide much more cornering stability and control. Usually lower profile tyres are used to get this, but with RFTs you get great cornering stability (which is safer) while having a thick profile, so the comfort vs stability is improved vastly.
Perhaps, but that sidewall is
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In reply to I came across this looking to by Marc (not verified)
Perhaps, but that sidewall is rigid, and thus the flex, which is what provides much of the comfort is not improved. The X3 this story is based upon does have superb road feel and good ride comfort, so you may be on to something.
Thanks for a reply. Just a
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In reply to Perhaps, but that sidewall is by John Goreham
Thanks for a reply. Just a bit of advice - if you're running RFTs, then keep a puncture repair kit - it's so simple to use. I think the new X-cars even have a compressor included as part of the tool kit. If you don't have one, compressors are very cheap. Repairing a simple nail puncture shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. And if (like me), you live where stopping for a flat is often dangerous, at least you can drive to a nearby safer place to do the repair.
Last night, my wife and I
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Last night, my wife and I just had a terrible experience with the run-flat tires on our 2010 BMW 535 X-drive Wagon that has 32,000 miles on Good Year Eagle run-flat tires. We were driving home from California to Salt Lake City in the late afternoon and had a "flat" with the left rear tire while heading north on Interstate 15 just about a mile south of Interstate 70 (~ milepost 130). Long story short we called AAA at 7:00 PM and had to use BMW with our extended warranty on the car to transport it and us ~ 150 miles to the BMW dealership in Pleasant Grove, Utah. We could not drive on the tire at all. We had to sit on the side of the interstate with cars and trucks going by at 80+ miles per hour - the speed limit in that part of Utah is 80 - until a transport truck could get to us. It arrived and we were off the highway at 10:00 PM, getting to the BMW dealership at 12:30 AM.
The jury is out on what BMW will pay for the tow and maybe the tire with our extended warranty. But the tow cost is $4.50/mile and at 150 miles that comes to $675. Even if we could have driven on the "run-flat" flat tire, it would have been at 50 mph for 30 to 50 miles.
I will be dealing with BMW tomorrow (Monday) on this topic and seeing what alternatives we may have to these tires.I think our options will be few with these tires that I feel are very unsafe and a real problem if they go flat. If we have to stay with run-flats or go with "normal" tires with no spare, we will look to sell the BMW and move to an auto with better alternatives for a flat tire.
My suggestion is not to take any extended trips in your BMW with run-flat tires if you think you might be in a rural area more than 50 miles away from your BMW dealer. Also, carry warm clothes in your car if you drive any distance in the winter.
Sounds like you had bad luck.
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In reply to Last night, my wife and I by Jeb McCandless (not verified)
Sounds like you had bad luck. You've got to weigh up your options - you can't just blame everything on run flats. Have you considered that your tyre might have ripped off and you may have lost control and crashed badly had normal tyres been on? Then think about the scenarios - what happens if you get 2 flats and you have normal tyres? What happens if you crack a rim on run flats? What if you're driving past Diepsloot in South Africa and you get a flat and have normal tyres?
It sounds like you had a catastrophic tyre failure, and if you had normal tyres on you may have lost more than a tyre and some time. Maybe the runflats caused some inconvenience at the cost of saving your life?
Do you drive with a puncture repair kit in your car? You should. Even if you have normal tyres.
Puncture repair kit:
- Bottle jack
- Wheel spanner
- Rasp tool
- Split eye needle
- Repair plugs
- Rubber cement
- Side cutters
- Pliers
- Compressor
Mine cost me a bit under R1500 ($71) and the compressor is an extremely useful thing to keep handy anyway. Oh and the compressor was most of the cost.
I find it interesting to see
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I find it interesting to see the recent rationalizations for RFT's come from Germany, South Africa and India. Each discusses safety within their environs. in Germany, it is safety on their no-holds-barred autobahn where a blowout at 200kph+ can be fatal. In India it is blowouts of the kind we no longer have in the US thanks to safety regs. In SA it is off-road autonomy -- though I still don't get how RFT's are better for that and most of us don't need a super duper 4x4 kitbag with us. We can debate this all day, for I think RFT's are dangerous, poor performers, expensive and unreliable. But one thing is indisputable. BMW does not provide a spare. With one, many of the most angry gripes (like mine from earlier) would be solved. For then we can change the tire ourselves (or get AAA to do it) and be on our way instead of stuck by the side of the road or in some small town waiting for a replacement. Yes I could buy a spare and jack/tools, but then I would lose most of my cargo space. I just sent my responses to the latest JD Power survey. Gave my BMW 335xi an 8 for most things -- and then said I will never buy one again or recommend one because of the RFT's. BMW are fools for putting those tires on their cars worldwide. And to the BMW reps posting on this site -- instead of rationalizations, get your Bavarian bosses to give us an option for a spare and normal tires, and perhaps we will return.
Hi. In South Africa it's got
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In reply to I find it interesting to see by spauldingsteep (not verified)
Hi. In South Africa it's got nothing to do with off road driving - it's got to do with being shot if you happen to get a flat on the highway outside somewhere like Diepsloot. Yes, it's that bad. And a puncture repair kit takes up literally 4L of cargo space - it's fits very easily under the cargo area's floor in that nice compartment made for things like that (where you should also be keeping jumper leads). And say you get a flat on your new RFTs and you have to drive 100 miles to a shop where you can get a repair; you'll have to buy at least 2 new tyres, which is an expensive puncture repair when you can DIY for hardly any cost and only 10 minutes. Same thing if you have normal tyres - say you get 2 flats - then what? If you have a repair kit, 20 minutes and you're on your way.
I have 16" wheels on - the tyres are nice and thick and very very comfy, but I also get excellent handling because of the stiffer side walls. It's like having 18" low profiles on when cornering and 16" comfy tyres when driving long distance.
I'm not against normal tyres - it's also possible to get away with not carrying a spare if you have a repair kit. For me, stopping on the side of the road is often not an option due to safety reasons, and thus I will continue to use RFTs.
Great dialogue Mac and
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In reply to Hi. In South Africa it's got by Marc (not verified)
Great dialogue Mac and Spaulding. I just want to add that in the case of the story that inspired this, an X3 with a flat, a compact spare, or even full size spare would have been most welcome as an option. What I like is that this discussion opened up the possibility of both run flats (which we can all agree do have some benefits) and a spare option for the customer that chooses to purchase it as an option. Every crossover I have tested this past year (about 15 by my estimation) had a compact or full size spare in the trunk under the cargo area, or mounted up under the rear of the vehicle. BMW could make that work. Last, repair kits don't work in New England where it is well below zero and often snowing for 4 months of the year.
Fully grasp the SA safety
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In reply to Hi. In South Africa it's got by Marc (not verified)
Fully grasp the SA safety situation. Funny thing is that I have switched to conventional tires on the 335xi and BMW sold me an inflator kit like I have for my motorcycle. Goop and compressed air. It is all I have if I get a puncture -- and I think I then need to replace the tire because of the goop. Out here in the mountains of Colorado -- rough roads but no thieving -- we need spares. Pretty simple. Good luck in SA -- must be tough these days. Losing to Japan, and losing Trevor Noah to us.... and watching Aussie surfers beat up on yer Great Whites.... . :-)
We have a BMW X5 35d sport,
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In reply to I find it interesting to see by spauldingsteep (not verified)
We have a BMW X5 35d sport, bought it new in 2012 and have only driven it 10,000 miles. We hate the ride and resulting flat spots from not wanting to ride on these uncomfortable tires. Could someone recommend a replacement set of tires so we feel like driving the vehicle. $60,000 for a car that doesn't drive well. Never again BMW.
Your new car likely comes
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Your new car likely comes with roadside assistance. Most auto policies also offer roadside assist and towing coverage for a very small additional premium. In a small car like our Cooper S, there is really no room for a spare anyway. Of course the OEM tires are runflats. Once they have some miles on them, I would be inclined to install normal tires and just rely on a tow if we get a flat. Just about any repair shop can patch a tire that has not been badly damaged, and if the tire cannot be repaired, a replacement won't incur the runflat premium. I have a real spare in my 20 year old M3. It hasn't been used in the 20 years I have owned the car.
Hah! Roadside assistance.
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Hah! Roadside assistance. Like the Maginot Line, you think you are safe until the Germans reveal your false sense of security. I have used roadside assist three times, all due to tire problems. First, you need to know that it is not BMW, but a third party contractor staffed by morons who can't read maps. All three times they couldn't figure out where was I was because I was not in a city. Moreover, the contracted towing companies HATE doing roadside assist runs because they earn diddly. So you are not a priority to them. Second, they will ONLY bring you to a BMW dealer. Now, if you are in the American West, that BMW dealer could be hundreds of miles away. And, of course, the shops at those dealers are only open about 60 hours out of a weekly total 168. But, as I discovered, they often don't have tires in stock. And in any place not in shouting distance of a tire distributor, it means you may need to wait 24 hours or longer. So....to put this another way, if you need a new tire, and need to get towed to a dealer (a process that can take hours depending on location and how busy the tow company is), you better hope this happens during working hours Monday-Thursday and even then you could be stuck for days. Now, folk like me -- driving the wide open vistas of the west, are the minority. And I realize the majority generally represses minorities in ways obvious and subtle. But the solution -- let's call it Number 1 on the universal declaration of BMW driver rights (yeah, lame, whatever) = a proper spare so the damn machine can be driven. I hate runflats, if you can't tell
My Safeco auto policy gives
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In reply to Hah! Roadside assistance. by spauldingsteep (not verified)
My Safeco auto policy gives me access to any towing service, so whether BMW assistance is available or not, a towing service is likely to respond unless, as you say, we find ourselves in the middle of East Jesus Nowhere, which isnt very common. The few times we have needed help (including the catastrophic failure of the OEM plastic water pump in my M3) we have been flatbedded to a dealer without much delay. As I said, I have had a full sized spare on a stock M Sport alloy rim in my trunk for over 20 years. It has never been out of the trunk. And in a Mini, there simply is no good place to stash a spare. Finally, neither I nor my wife are really likely to jack up a car and change a tire anyway - we'd call for help regardless. I grant you it isnt ideal, but given what runflats cost, the limited selection of RF tires and the limits on their performance, it makes some sense to me to go 'naked' with standard tires and no spare. But we just got a new MINI with arF tires on it, so will wait to see how that goes before we spring for a new set of rubber.
I love it.... I go naked as
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I love it.... I go naked as well. Both my winter and summer tires are standard. I have an inflator kit. And AAA so I can be towed where I want and not to some closed dealership two states to the east.... Again, and of course, this whole insane dilemma could be solved if they gave us a $*&^%-ing spare. The other solution, never buy a BMW again. Which will be mine from here on out. And I know I am not alone! BMW marketing and PR nerds: get those Bavarians to drop the biersteins, hike up their lederhosen, check their diesel emissions software, and put spares back in the cars. We don't mind of they still insist their grandparents only joined the "party" because everyone else did...and not out of some devotion to a mistaken ideology based on self-righteousness... apple, tree, falling, you know
I have a BMW 730d. I bought
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I have a BMW 730d. I bought it new in 2011. It is the 6th BMW I have owned in 25 years and probably will be the last. The reason is run flats.
In 21,000 miles I have had 9 punctures and excessive wear on a further 2 tyres. It came with Pzeros and for the latest 4 replacements I have changed to Michelin to see if there is any difference.
Apart from the fact that they are pretty useless generally, problems with big run flats are
Dealers and tyre specialists dont stock them. This means the BMW arguement that your can go for 50 miles and change the tyre is bunk. Youwait the best part of a week.
The tyres do not last 50 miles as stated.After about 20 miles of town driving at 20-30 mph they deform and start to flap against the road. AT THE MOMENT NY 7 SERIES WILL HAVE TO BE "RECOVERED" TO THE TYRE SHOP
The ride quality is poor as is cornering. My wifes Land Rover which is a box on wheels is smoother.
Put these points to BMW customer services and got the response that they would "contribute" £250 to a set bought at the dealer. That about cover the prices hike dealers put onto tyres.
They also claim that BMW will supply cars fitted with pneumatic tyres across their range if specified at time of order. This was not my experience. Dealers are promoting run flats like crazy and no choice is offered.
So, 21,000 on I have gone through 9 tyres on street driving. The latest replacements take the total to 13 tyres!!!!
Time for Audi or ,God help me, Jag.
I recently moved from run
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I recently moved from run flats to regular tires on my BMW 328i and the driving experience and miles per gallon deteriorated by a huge margin.
I'm glad you added this SM.
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In reply to I recently moved from run by SM (not verified)
I'm glad you added this SM. The story does not go deeply into it, but all automakers tune the suspensions and tires together when they design a vehicle. Very stiff sidewalls like those in run flats means that automakers have to use softer dampers (shocks). Thus when the run flats are replaced with a completely different design the handling is affected, and the chances are it will be a negative effect. Run flats are not inherently better with regard to fuel economy, but all automakers optimize their OEM tire choice for fuel economy. Aftermarket tires are not necessarily optimized for low rolling resistance (better fuel economy). There have been efforts to add a fuel efficiency ratings to tires, but it is difficult to get a perfect system. In a nutshell, if you buy a car with run-flats, you are pretty much stuck with them.
Interesting to view the two
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In reply to I'm glad you added this SM. by John Goreham
Interesting to view the two comments after my venting re run flats and punctures.
Having spend a long time speaking with really very pleasant people at BMW UK I have been told that they are unaware of any problems with run flats and punctures or excessive wear. Aparently their corporate people dont read sites like this which give the run flats a panning.
It was made clear to me that BMW do not accept any responsibility for what they regard as a "third party " issue and suggested that I send one of the punctured tyres back to Pirrelli for examination.
I take it that they were being serious.
This about sums up BMW and run flats . Serious but also seriously deluded
Please read my comment
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In reply to Interesting to view the two by david clark (not verified)
Please read my comment knowing I'm using a friendly tone. Unfortunately you're the one who's deluded thinking the dealerships (or divisions) know anything about the cars they sell. Advice about sending the tyres to Pirelli is great advice though.
I will probably jinx us by
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I will probably jinx us by saying this, but we've not had any issues with our Cooper S runflats thus far. As far as the ride quality, I think its just right. Firm but not jarring. That's with the so called all sason rf tires. I like the ride better with the summer performance rf fitment and we have a set of those to use six months out of the year, on plus 1 wheels.
I hope to have a new M2 this comng summer. It supposedly comes with pilot super sports. As far as i know, those would not be rf tires - at least I have not seen pilot ss run flats before, and i do not think there is anyplace to stow a spare in the M2, so perhaps that will rely on the goop kit. The pilot ss 'regular' tires are simply awesome on an E36 M3 with Dinan stage two suspension. I dont know why they could not be engineered as a high performance run flat.
You purchase a BMW for one
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You purchase a BMW for one reason. Excellent car and everyone wants to own it or make one like it. If you cannot afford run flat don't buy a BMW. BMW are expensive compared to similar vehicles. You know that already. Why compare tire cost after the fact. I had a flat, (nail in the tire) was up north, drove 250K home. All I had to do was pulled over to the side of the road for about 30 seconds, system check the tire, press reset and start driving. The system inflated the tire as I drove and I was on my way home in minutes. This is what the new vehicle can do now. It inflates the tire for you as you drive, keeping the pressure you require. The convenience of not getting out of my vehicle on a freeway, the safety and the time it took me to press a button to be on my way....cost me $380.00....I will pay that any day anytime for a new tire rather than being stuck on freeway at 9pm at night on freeway changing a spare or waiting. Time is money and $380.00 is nothing for the convenience. Moral of the story, if you cannot afford a BMW don’t buy it.
What is the best non run flat
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What is the best non run flat tires I can buy for the rear of my bmw 128i? I just bought front tires and they are run flats which I regret buying, but my car was at dealer when I purchased them. Is it ok to run non run flats on rear with run flats on front?
I have run flats on my 2014
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I have run flats on my 2014 X3. I've had two nail punctures on one tire and just have then patched at a local shop for $30 each time.. I usually don't go in right away and just opt to top up the slow leaks, as needed. If the tire is completely deflated you don't want to drive it because you can definitely feel it. I have 45k and it is time to have them replaced (front ones anyways). I don't have much to compare it to because my last car was a ford escort and when I needed to replace a tire I'd go to the auto wreckers and buy one for $10. I'm now looking for 245/60/19's used. Unfortunately, they won't be $10 :)
My experience just last night
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My experience just last night. East coast us recovering from huge winter storm...there are Potholes EVERYWHERE..its pitch dark and at 30 miles an hr my car lands in a 8 inch 4 ft wide deep pothole! The car instantly seesaws and comes down hard on rear tires..instantly the drive system indicates a flat tire! Its late at night and just me and my sister.. i googled run flat specs for my 2014 X3 and LITERALLY drove 10 miles home.. 20 miles to work the next day and then about 25 miles to the dealership..of course you could tell tire was lack of air but it drove INCREDIBLY considering..never pulled to the right... and BMW confirmed my perfect rim! Ive had my fair share of flat tires in my day but this by far was my LEAST stressful and convenient experience. I have nothing bad to say bc in the end this expensive tire was worth it!
I have 2 BMW, E92 335i and X1
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I have 2 BMW, E92 335i and X1 and they have both runflat tires for the summer and the winter and I never had any issue with them I had 2 or 3 flats and I was able to repair them my self at home with basic tire plug repair kit (10$) and I was av=ble todo it with removing the tire. I removed the nail and put the plug!. When driving 10 or 15 miles on the tire even without air, there is no damage to the tire and it's a eay fix. Of course the dealer will tell you to replace it...they are here to make money. But the most important thing to remember it's the safety...who want to pull on the side of the highway with a major risk to be hit by a car, especiallyn during the winter with kids on board...
One point I didn't read here
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One point I didn't read here is that you better hope the offending tire's tread wear is within 3/32s of the new replacement tire if your car has X drive. Otherwise, you have to replace all 4 tires. My 528 X has Continental Conti Pro run flats. A new one comes with 10/32 tread. My tires currently are at 7/32 after 11,500 miles. So, I have to decide, do I replace my one tire that I need to now or go with all four with road hazard protection.
Non run flat is not an option as I have read that the suspension system is tuned with the heavier side walled run flat tires (and no spare; and I won't render my trunk useless by keeping a spare there).
Essentially, what I'm learning is that you should budget $1,000 in tires at a minimum in your first three years.
I should add that my RFT has
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I should add that my RFT has a visible screw in the outer part of the tire, but there is no air pressure loss. So perhaps it did not pierce the tire?
Anyways, the shop will have to have the replacement tire at the shop when they remove the screw. If I'm lucky, and it hasn't pierced, then all I pay is a re-stocking fee for having the tire on hand from the warehouse.
Looking at all these comments
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Looking at all these comments, I guess I don't have much to add, but am in a venting mood. I have a 328d with pirellies. On Easter night on my long drive home was stranded for several hours thanks to these run flat pieces of garbage, because, obviously, there were very few tow trucks available. Why BMW can't figure out how to put a spare in a sedan is unconscionable. This four-hour, late night ordeal is a deal breaker for future BMWs for me. Fortunately I decided last minute to lease the car instead of buy it. It's a bummer, because, from the fenders up, I love the car.
I had non-runflat tires and
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I had non-runflat tires and once I waited for tow-truck almost two hours in a bad neighborhood. After that I decided that I would stop listening to anyone and just use my own head. So I bought runflat tires. I was driving on these runflats for years without any problems but without any real benefits either until I ran over a fallen tree at 8pm in December, a day before Xmas. In the middle of nowhere. My family is waiting for me, it is cold and dark and one tire is losing air. But I have runflat tires so I drove on. For 600km. Which is almost 400mil. It was Nokian Hakkapeliitta tire and the car was BMW 3 series.I got home safe. I discarded the tire after that eventhough it did not look bad. So there. Happy driving, everyone.
I purchased a 2015 BMW X1 M
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I purchased a 2015 BMW X1 M back in January of 2015. It is now June 2016 and I'm having to replace all 4 tires. Is this a normal time frame? The current Pirelli P7's on it are apparently only good for 15k miles. I'm a female, there's no spare in the car, the tires are already at 4/32nd's. I'm leaning towards putting run flats back on it regardless of what has been mentioned in these comments here, although all very interesting points. I don't want to be replacing tires again in winter 2017. What gives? What's a better All Season run flat tire?