I have a 2011 Cooper S, with the stock 16" Continental RFT. My car just hit the 16K mark, and my service advisor is telling me I need to replace the tires already? New tires after on 16K miles? Does that sound right to anyone here?

 

Consider yourself blessed and switch to non-run flats. 16K is another year away for me on my '11 S and I can't wait to dump the RFTs. The Continental RFTs on my mom's 328xi lasted all of 17K.

 

My Goodyear RFTs lasted 38k miles.

 

My first thought was what MattMatt said first, but, if you're not yet ready for ride relief, you can measure your tread depths across the width of each tire yourself; just to verify what your SA said.

The wear bars in the grooves are molded to be exactly flush with the surrounding tread at 2/32" of tread depth remaining. You'd certainly need new tires at that point. Some replace tires with even more remaining tread depth in order to improve wet grip or reduce tire noise.

Re switching from RFTs to non-RFTs; should you choose to do that. Your SA might not want to do it. In fact, some independent tire shops apparently won't do it either. They claim that they need to replace RFTs with RFTs for liability reasons. Those who've managed to get around that usually report being rewarded with instant ride relief.

 

Thanks for the info.

Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable with switching to Non-Runflats. I drive the PA Turnpike to work every day, and God forbid I get a puncture in the sidewall or something I can't fix on the side of the road. And I need the space in the boot area for transport, so I can't keep a spare back there.

I had no idea the runflats wore down that much faster than a regular tire. Makes sense, but wasn't something that ever occurred to me.

 

Understood. In that case, I suggest that you contact Alex at Tire Rack (available on NAM) about the "new and improved" (for ride quality) RFTs that have come out recently. Tire Rack doesn't post much user survey data on RFTs, so TR tests (there are a few) and talks with TR reps are useful. If you want longer tread wear, look to all-season or Grand Touring RFTs rather than high performance summer RFTs.

 

Mine is about the same.
16k seems very low.

 

1) it depends on what kind of rft you are talking about, and how you drive. the stock Bstone RE050a's lasted about 17,000 miles. If you have all season or economy tires and drive like a grand ma, they could last a lot longer.

2) I just installed Dunlop StarSpecs (non rft) and don't even care how long they last. Lol

3) you can fit a doughnut spare behind the passenger seat, with no loss of space in the back.

 

Changed my mind. I'm getting non-RFT put on my MINI tomorrow. I'm going with the Kumho 4X, and a Slime Repair Kit from Amazon.

Oh and the MINI Roadside Assistance app for my iPhone.

 

brian, let us know how it rides afterwards. thks, matt

 

My all-season Continentals lasted about 28k miles.

 

Discovering you have cockroaches or run flats is nothing to be ashamed of. Keeping them, on the other hand, ...

 

With the new tires the ride is much improved in comfort. It takes the bumps in the road nicely, but the MINI "go cart" feeling is gone. That's the trade off I guess. Shame. :-(

 

You can bring that feeling back--and even improve it--with suspension mods. Many would say the combination of non-RFT + quality suspension (coilovers, anti-sway bars, etc.) is the true MINI experience.

Just some food for thought.

 

Thanks for the feedback Brian. I guess I'm old and looking forward to that cushier ride! I've been wondering if my next car is going to be a Lexus a/k/a isolation chamber!

 

Yes a run flat will give it's life to save yours.

There is new run flat tech that lets you keep them and have a smooth ride - see my sig.

 

My dad had a Lexus. You're right they are isolation chambers! But it's a nice relaxing ride. Just don't fall asleep!!

 

Well if you drive these cars like the go-karts they are, then you can expect less life out of the run flats. I had a friend who ran through his shoes in 11k miles. After paying over $800 for another set, he changed his driving habits.

I'm running runflats as they came on my car when I bought it (pre-owned) but I'll probably switch to normal tires when these wear. Southern California is a good place to get a flat as the population density means you're never more than 2 exits from a service station. I will also carry Slime and an inflator in the car for the longer trips.