The ride on my Countryman is bone jarring at times, especially if you hit any sort of pothole, to the point where I feel like it's goign to damage strut mounts, etc.

I threw on the NM engineering springs, and I love them, but the ride is still harsh. If I were to replace the tires, which people say makes a huge difference, it's going to cost alot.

To those that have switched, is it worth it? Is it a huge difference?

Run flats are stiff and ride that way. however they are getting better and without knowing what kind of tires you have ,its hard to say how much better your ride will be. I'm thinking non run flats will help some , go to tire rack and look up some tires you're considering they will have some reveiws that might be helpful

thanks! i'll take a look, I have the stock factory tires, which I think are continentals??

See my sig for the best of both worlds......

Unfortunately the RE960AS tire is not yet offered in sizes for the CM.

22/45/70 would work, but wouldn't be my first choice

Bridgestone Dueller run-flats are fine on 17in wheels, even with sport suspension.

It made a huge distance when I swapped my run flats for conventional tires. I had read all over about how huge the difference and wondered if people were going a bit overboard with their impressions but it really is a dramatic difference. I just finished a 1400 mile trip and I raved about the quietness, smooth ride and increased tire grip. Buying new tires for a new car is a hard pill to swallow, but I am so glad I did it. FYI, there are quite a few post in the tire wheel section.

I switched from the stock Pirelli run-flats to Dunlop SP Sport Signature tires on my 18" wheels and it made a world of difference. Even though the run-flats are summer tires and the Dunlops are all season, both the comfort and grip went up, and they were less than half the price. I now carry a fix-a-flat kit that sits in the trunk well. Run flats can suck it.

I'm a huge fan of Dunlops and run them on my S2000 also (Direzza Z1 Star Specs).

I haven't done it yet on my CM,but i did it on my JCW at about 10k miles,huge difference!
Having said that,my daughter's CM rides a lot better on 17" runflats than my CMS on 18"s.

Having had cars with runflats for the past 6 or 7 years, it seems they have gotten less punishing in the ride department. I equipped the CM with base suspension and 17 inch wheels because it is a highway car and I was more concerned with comfort than handling / grip. Compared to the R53 on standard tires, the CM rides like a Lexus, even with the Continental runflats.

I have switched from runflat to standard tires on other cars and the level of confort you get back depends on the tire you purchase. The R53 has had a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto and they were no more confortable than the runflats they replaced but they were durable and quiet. The Conti DW seems to provide a better ride and are quiet, but final judgement is reserved until they have more miles on them.

A lot of it is subjective so opinions will vary. I am now on the fence in regards to runflats because I have had at least two occasions where they kept me from being stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow. Given that the CM regularly travels long distances and rides fairly well on the Conti runflats, I might stick with them on that car.

my opinion, i ditched my runflats after i put 200 miles on my car. I HATE THEM, there loud, stiff and soooo heavy. just cary a slime kit and get some real tires. my Michelins are so smooth and make the ride amazing on my sport suspension on 18s

Wow! This is a really subjective topic. Also, your road conditions are a factor. IMHO, a lowered sport suspension with 18" runflats in SoCal will feel a lot different when driven on roads above the "frost belt".



So, what wheel size are you running now, do you have the sport suspension, and where do you live?

I think the biggest difference might be felt when going from an 18" runflat to a 17" regular tire. IMHO, the all-season (Pirelli) 17" runflats are miles ahead in comfort compared with the 16" Dunlop RFs that came with my '04 R53 JCW. I have the regular suspension on my R60 S non-all4 with the Pirelli 17" runflats and can actually tolerate the terrible roads we have in my part of the country. Because of the (generally) poor road conditions here in western MA, 18" runflat tires with the sport suspension would be too bone-jarring. Not so on good roads in the south.

If you are running 18" runflats, I believe you WILL notice quite a difference in the ride if you try a 17" regular tire regardless of your suspension. To test out the difference, why not swap for a few hours with a fellow R60 owner who has switched to regular tires...

Much prefer my Michelins. Most of the wheel hop squirreliness goes away and the ride is much smoother. For those who love runflats, I still have my 3k mile take offs for sale in the classified section.

I just installed Continental DWS extreme A/S today and felt the difference when driving on a road that was torn up and under construction. I felt all the uneveness and raised manhole covers on the way to get them mounted and felt very little on the way back . You can actually feel how softer the sidewall is. I like to see results, especially after dropping the $$$ on them, and I did!

Runflats will tend to be heavier and have much more sidewall stiffness, so expect a good bit
of difference compared to most non-runflats, but not so much difference if you compare
them to a non-runflat that's on the heavy side with fairly stiff sidewalls, like the
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec or the old Bridgestone Pole Position S-03 or similar.

Here is my view, the difference could be felt in the first 100 yards from Discount Tire.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-kumho-4x.html
Bruce

Meant to say not as much difference in ride with these, but much better
grip with tires like the Direzza or old PP's.

i have an 03/2012 build 2012 cms all4 with sport suspension and 18" wheels with pirelli p7 cinturato 225/45R18 91V oem summer runflats

as delievered, with 32 psi they were horrible

i upped the pressure to 38psi and it was like i changed the tires, in fact i drove 3 friends to dinner the night i upped the pressure and they all asked when i had snunk away to get new tires

since then, using a tire pyrometer and chalking the tires, i have settled on 42psi front and 36psi rear, the tires are wearing evenly, the handling is spectacular, the ride is better than the 235/75R15 all terrain tires on my gmc sonoma and with the higher pressure, the tire noise is no worse than any other car tire i have owned

my dad bought an 09/2011 build 2012 cms all4 dealer demo after riding in my cms all4

dad's cms all4 has stock suspension, stock 17" wheels and pirelli p7 cinturato 205/55R17 91V oem all season runflats

at the stock 32 psi, his car also rode harshly, made lots of tire noise

i upped his pressure to 38 psi and experienced the same improvement i had

using the tire pyrometer and chalking the tires, i settled on 38 psi front and 36 psi rear on dad's car

the ride is much improved, the handling is better and the p7 all seasons are very quiet tires

we are both happy with the run flats, although i will be putting michelin pilot super sports on next, when i wear the oem tires out, and will be buying michelin x-ice xi3s for the wisconsin winter, size 205/65R16 on platinum etwine or sport edition f10 wheels (16/7 or 16x7.5 is the deciding factor, i need to chat with Alex@tirerack)

dad, at 91 years old says the tires will probably outlast him and he is not going to think about the next set of tires

my 2 cents (ok maybe this was a dime) worth

scott

bmwr606, how wonderful that you and your father can enjoy your MINIs together - and your father sounds like a great fellow, as well.

I have a question about all this 'runflat' madness. I hear a lot of complaints about them, and I've noticed that a lot of people complaining often have 18" wheels. When I did a test drive of the Countryman I was expecting to be bouncing around, but I found the ride to be pleasant.

Now, 18" wheels should be less comfortable than 17s... so is it maybe that the comfort issue is more prominent with 18" wheels and that 17s feel more 'normal'?

Me and my gf replaced the stock 17" with 20" conti dws. the different is huge. don't take it from me, even my gf felt the different right away, she said the cm ride softer and handle better.