Replacement tires for RUNFLATS
- Thread starter moliver2k9
- Start date
Quite a few people get the runflats based upon the sales pitch, only to get 'regular' tires after actually living with them for some time.
No, I don't think you need all-new rims, but you do need an extra wheel and tire for a spare now.
Here are my recommendations for tires on your 330Xi -- car would drive tons better on the below rubber - (225/45/17).
All Season:
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S $163
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS $161
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S $178
Pirelli P Zero Nero M/S $127
All Season with a strong winter bias:
Continental Extreme Contact $110
Bridgestone G009 $127
All Season on a Budget:
Avon M550 A/S $104
Winter:
Bridgestone Blizzak Revo 1 $137
The prices above are from the best source I've seen for tires, tirerack.com. They send you the tires, or send them to a local installer.
Don't skimp on tires for your $40,000 car!
No, I don't think you need all-new rims, but you do need an extra wheel and tire for a spare now.
Here are my recommendations for tires on your 330Xi -- car would drive tons better on the below rubber - (225/45/17).
All Season:
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S $163
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS $161
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S $178
Pirelli P Zero Nero M/S $127
All Season with a strong winter bias:
Continental Extreme Contact $110
Bridgestone G009 $127
All Season on a Budget:
Avon M550 A/S $104
Winter:
Bridgestone Blizzak Revo 1 $137
The prices above are from the best source I've seen for tires, tirerack.com. They send you the tires, or send them to a local installer.
Don't skimp on tires for your $40,000 car!
What brand of runflats do you have on your car now? I have a new 2007 328i with Sport Package and 18" runflats. They are Bridgestone Potenza's RE050A's. I thought I would hate them based on what I have read on the forums. So far I have been very happy with them. The ride and handling has been great. I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I like them. I wonder if anyone else is happy with their runflats?
Reference to my post above: I did drive another 328i with runflats at another dealership about 2 weeks before I bought my car. It drove completely different. I drove it about 15 miles and was disappointed with the harsh ride and ultra-firmness of the ride. I didn't like it. I do not know what brand of tires was on that car. When I finally drove the car that I bought with the Bridgestone Potenzas, I noticed none of the harsness or firmness that I experienced with the 1st car. It is entirely possibly that the difference was due to tire brands or differing air pressures of the suspension of the individual cars. I just know that this car rides noticeably better and I have been very pleased with the Bridgestone Potenza's. The salesman said the tires will typically be good for 30,000 miles. I don't know if that is true or not. The Pirelli P6's on my last BMW just went 20,000 miles before the rear tires needed replacement. Time will tell. I do recommend the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A's for these cars. They get a great rating on Tiretrack too.
I've got Bridgestone Turanzas, 205/55R16 on my car. I'm pleased with the ride, not harsh at all; I suspect these tires don't handle as well as some of the other options listed above. Runflats seemed like a great idea at the outset - able to drive from 30 to 100 miles depending on the load in the car after the tire monitor system identifies a low tire. So, I pick up a self tapping screw after 2 weeks of ownership. I think, no problem, top it up every day, get fixed at end of week when I have more time. However, the dealership doesn't recommend fixing the tire. That means buy a new tire every time I get a flat?! No way! The tire dealer said they can look at it and determine if the casing is OK. It is, patch it and I'm on my way. But what happens when I'm in bumflat nowhere Nevada and have no choice but to drive in a low pressure condition until the tire is ruined. Now I'm out 200 bucks instead of 20 for repair. I'm thinking of the above listed options as soon as I burn this set out. Two questions:
1. Is the suspension tuned specifically for runflats? and would the changeover be less than optimum?
2. Should runflats be rotated? again the dealership says don't rotate.
1. Is the suspension tuned specifically for runflats? and would the changeover be less than optimum?
2. Should runflats be rotated? again the dealership says don't rotate.
