Would like your opinions. I just purchased my 2017 Mini Clubman S. It has run flat tires. Am debating getting regular tires. Curious as to your thoughts. A concern is I don't think there is any room for a spare tire. I do have extended roadside service on the car however. I have heard that run flats are very expensive and that a screw or nail will destroy them, whereas a regular tire can easy be patched with a screw or nail lodging in it. What is everyone's opinion?

 

I, along with most people on here have gotten rid of the runflats. Detroit tuned has spare tire bag that house the tire and that can be placed behind the driver or passenger seats. All I do is keep a tire patch kit and a small emergency air pump in the car. The car will ride some much better when you remove the runflats. You just have to see if u feel comfortable without having a spare or keep one in the car.

 

Use the RF's until they need to be replaced and then decide. I upgraded to Bridgestone Driveguard RF's and they are excellent. They are better than the OEM tires MINI has used that I've had. Don't just blindly follow that some people hate RF's, I'd suggest that in most cases for average driving they are just fine. Convenience factor makes it a win.

My 2 dr HT has very limited room for a spare so I stuck with RF's.

Only in certain circumstances will they not be repairable. And yes they cost more.

 

Got Run Flats on mine and was concern with the same questions. But found a couple friends have them that I didn't know they had, and both are happy with them. One had a nail in one of his tires on a cross country trip and fixed it with a plug kit from Wally World and is still driving on them. They recommend I keep a plug kit and an air pump. Just roll the tire where you can plug it then pump it up and run. If not accessible, call AAA.

 

I still have my original run flat tires. They've been stacked in my storage building since changing them for non run flats the first week I owned my car. They'll likely dry rot there unless someone wants to buy them. I carry a Green Slime Kit W/compressor in the boot. If that doesn't do the trick I have roadside assistance with 2 or 3 different entities.

 

You only just now got the car.... Drive it for a couple weeks so you can really build up your anger and resentment towards the runflats. Learn to hate the noise, rough roads, pitiful accelleration, ect.

It will make the switch just that much more sweet. Like a first kiss, a baby being born into the world, or even the first time you had Chipotle. Ditching runflats is a life altering event.

FWIW, I have gotten nails in a runflat. Just plugged it myself with a plug kit. While it was a much bigger PITA to get the reamer through, it was doable and held fine. Now I just carry a plug kit and compressor for my non-RF's. If a hole destroys the tire THAT much, then it would probably do a number on a runflat too so Ill take chances. I have also bent TWO sets of wheels thanks to runflats. They dont absorb chit.

 

I plan on ditching the runflats after they wear out. I opted to not order the spare on my Clubman, which was a mistake. Only a $100 option. Sorry I listened to the salesman. I ended up buying a spare tire from Detroit Tune. Chad had to pull together the package, you now see on the website, on my request since no one else had asked for one previously. It will fit under the floor of the Clubman with a little modification. See here... https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-package.html. You will need to source a jack and tools to go with your spare. Doesn't do much good if you have a tire, but can't change it!

 

Long ago and far away we had this discussion:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...man-tires.html

 

I think most folks who complain about RF's came from 60/70 series all-season tires, as they are WAY softer than my RE-71R's on my Mustang. Now, they are nowhere near the Conti DSW's on my former Subie, but that car didn't have the same suspension either. Even my wife, who drives a 'cushy' SUV states that they are not 'harsh', FWIW. Luckily in my 33 years of driving (has it really been that long?!?) I have only had 2 incidents that have killed a tire on me that caused me to have to use a spare (knocking on wood), YMMV.

I did opt for the spare tire kit in my F54 when I ordered and am happy I did, since I have an alternate backup if one of my RF's bite the dust or if I decided on non-RF's for replacement. The spare tire fits nicely under the rear floor with plenty of room left over for other 'just-in-case' items (i.e.- jumper cables, hand tools, towels, etc) that you always seem to never have when you really need them.

I think you can purchase the spare tire kit, but it will certainly be more than $100. Do some searching and drop in your rear well.

BTW, if you want to carry a spare tire in a bag, I suggest getting a Dimpa bag from IKEA, they are the perfect size and for $4 how can you beat it! Do a search and you will see that they are hyped as a bag for a tire.

 

been a MINI / runflat owner since 2002

this topic is in the top 5 of most discussed if you go ALLL the way back to the beginning of this site

I've commented extensively is you care to use advanced search by name and topic

a quik summary

1. folks buy the MINI cuz they want a 'performance vehicle' and then complain the ride is hard (partly due to the rf tires) .... duh? Curious to me was by year two MINI softened the suspension but the most popular aftermarket item was a stiffer sway bar for the rear .... but complaints about RF tires were already present

2. RF tires are repairable BUT ..... like any tire a 'flat tire' can only be run 'flat' for so long b4 it is unrepairable. On a 'run flat' this is 50 miles and it is impossible to tell if the flat was run 1 mile or 50. A regular tire run 1 mile flat is OBVIOUS .... not so on an RF. SO most tire places won't touch a repair on an RF even tho the maker says it is OK. Not to mention they are just harder to work with due to the VERY stiff side wall.

3. I've plugged my own RF and run it for several 10's of thousands miles. RF's ARE repairable ....

4. I've a not car savvy friend who's a MINI owner and without going thru the details I can attest that he drove around 4000 miles on a 'flat' run flat, at highway speeds .....

5. Presently our MINI is Mrs' daily driver .... it has RF's. She likes 'sports cars' and the ride is normal to her. TWICE in the last 5 years she's had TPMS alert and we eventually found there was a BIG nail or similar in the tire ... aka it WAS FLAT. In both cases she was able to drive to the next exit of I-95 to a safe place rather than pull to the shoulder of I-95 and try to deal with the problem. I have AAA but don't think they can beat this deal .....

6. lil pumps and slime kits are great ... are you the only one who drives the car???? Can the Mrs or the kids handle these tools????? B4 my kids could drive a car they had to demonstrate changing a tire ... what about using SLIME or a plug kit and a lil pump (btw, ever actually tried to fill a tire with one of these ..... if no, I suggest you do and imagine a dark night, on I-95 ... raining ... and I've waited an hour for AAA)

I could go on ....... most important: consider everyone who might drive the car and not just YOU. Does every driver KNOW there's no spare??????

 

Thanks for all the thoughtful comments. The car my mini replaced is my 2006 Nissan 350 Z. After driving my Z all these years, my mini clubman with the rf tires drives like a luxury car as far as comfort and smoothness goes. So, I don't think harshness of ride will be a problem for me. I will be the only person driving the car unless my spouse is driving with me. The finance officer at my dealership scared me saying I needed to get tire insurance to the tune of $1200 to cover very expensive rf replacements. He said replacements were $400. Said no repairs can be done. Glad I turned down tire insurance now. I found I could purchase the same exact pirelli rf tires for $150. So, the expense to replace an rf is not as scary as I once was led to believe. And I see from Capt. BJ that repairs can be made. So...for now the rf tires stay. By the time they need replacing I will know if rf's work for me.

 

Glad we could chime in with some things for you to consider. Your previous car certainly conditioned you to a 'stiffer' ride where the MINI isn't all that bad.

I hate when the finance guy ends up tossing out info like that, most annoying tactic out there. If something sounds 'really' scary, it should always be a red flag to put on some hip waders and to move slowly to the dry land.

So far I enjoy the factory RF's. Now in early June I get to see how well they hold up to a track day...guessing they will loose ~10K miles worth of tread depth

 

I agree with so many of the comments about Run Flat Tires.... I've repaired several of the RF's that our now-gone MINIs had since I was able to. So far, our 2017's are so new that Tire Noise isn't any issue. I would add however, that the suspension is SO different than our previous R55 and R60s, even with 18" Run flats on my Wife's F60 Countryman, it's not a rough ride at all due to the suspension changes between models. That possible creep in noise level is something we'll get to, maybe....

 

I did the same, they can be plugged easily for nail and screw holes (well other than reaming which is a pain). put over 10k miles on DC streets with the plug. My wife (She drives a 18 Countryman now and I got the 17 Clubman).

As for price, my wife blew out a tire on the Clubman a few months back in a DC pothole (that I suspect almost ate the entire car). they are the stock 17" RF's. The replacement quote from Mini was $380, Mr Tyre was $185 for the same tire and included insurance, mounting and balancing.
While it may have been true a few years back that RF's were significantly more expensive, that is not the case anymore, they are similar in price to their non RF bretheren. Obviously that also depends on the tire and brand, but the cost difference has come down significantly.

My plan is to eventually dump the run flats for snow tires, and a new set of rims with summer non RF tires

 

Or people who came from very harsh sports/muscle cars. My previous care was an AMG C63 with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.. Talk about harsh ride... also expensive when you murder 2 sets of rear tires a year

 

Tell me about it. 1996 Grand Sport w/Z51 suspension. With 285's on the front and 315's on the rear, a set of these Goodyear F1 runs me around 15-1600 bucks. I wish they offered this tread pattern in 215/45X17.

 

we do not recommend that for cars with in wheels sensors.

 

I guess my acceptance with run flats are due to the 10 ply tires I have on my truck.
The run flats feel soft to me.

 

The MA who handled my Clubman lease suggested I consider purchasing the Tire 'n Wheel coverage.

I asked if, with the coverage, if I had a flat, would MINI send someone out with a new replacement tire if I were stuck in the boonies with a flat? Answer, "No, if the tire needs replacing, they will replace it but they might have to tow you or put on the spare (I ordered the spare) until a new tire can be supplied."

I asked if I curb rash a wheel, will the coverage repair the cosmetic damage? Answer, "No. Rim will be repaired or replaced if a tire cannot be fitted, hold air, and balanced on a damaged wheel."

I asked if all MINI dealers have tires on hand all the time. Answer, "No. They should but the coverage does not guarantee availability of tires on demand."

My run flats are bagged in my garage, awaiting lease-end. My Vogues are delivering enhanced performance, smoother and quieter ride, and better wear than I had hoped for (they show almost no wear after 9,000 miles and one rotation).

Yet, and this is key, for some, limping home or to safety with run flats, on a rainy, dark night, has great value. In today's world, sitting by the roadside with a flat, waiting for AAA or MINI roadside assistance is not within their comfort zone. Gotta respect that.

Yes, run flats are getting better than older versions were. Yes, the price is getting better. Yes more places will plug them.

I went with a spare and non-run flats. Others like them. Some tolerate them. No right answer other than drive what makes you grin, because life is short and MINIs are meant to make you grin. IMHO.

 

Feeling the need to add one more thing. If I hit a big one and totally thrash my run flat tire and it dies or the wheel dies, without a spare, I'm SOL. First thing AAA asks is, "Do you have a good spare?" Can't change a blow out if there ain't no spare wheel and tire. Thus, I only drive cars that have a spare. As they say, when I'm out on the road, I wanna go, not hire a tow.