Hello all

Am presently a MINI wannabee

Have test drove 2 09 Clubbies and both had what I think is excessive
tire noise.

Both cars had around 45K on the clock and run flat tires.

Is that a characteristic of the run flats??

Also for all the money I am about to spend I do not even get a spare
and the tools to change a flat

Am told this is normal with run flat tires

Comments please???

Thanx

 

Yes normal

Wife's has Bridgestones and sounds like a school bus

Mine has Dunlops and not too bad at all, both runflats

You don't need a spare with runflats....as the name says you can run with a flat.

 

I've been thinking of getting rid of the run flats if I buy it.

I assume this would solve the problem??

Thank you

 

ContiProContact run flat tires seem to be the quietest of the bunch if you need to stick with RF. Dunlops were once the worst of the bunch, but I when they all reach about half life, Pirelli's included, they all start to sing a bit more on the highway.

 

Runflats suck in many different ways, excessive tire noise is just one of them.
They are also:
- over-priced (+100/each vs. proper tires)
- ride excessively harshly due to needlessly stiff sidewalls beyond what would is needed for good handling or ride quality
- not available at all in the top of the line tire models (either summer or winter)
- are only good for 50 miles after puncture, then are toast (good luck if you outside of the 50 mile radius from home - you will get stranded)
- usually can't be patched after puncture

Basically, RFTs suck.
Get a proper tire!

alex

 

I had Conti runflats on my 2012. They were incredibly noisy, handled horribly and rode like they were made of concrete. Plus, they barely lasted 15k miles. I replaced them with Michelin Pilot Super Sports in 215/45/17 and it instantly solved all of those issues. The road noise and handling are superb in comparison. My only regret is not making the change sooner!

To the OP, even if the S model has no spare, they do include the jack and related tools, they are underneath the removable floor in the boot.
J

 

Let me 2nd the motion for Michelin PSS's - I have them on my wife's 335xi (also ex-RFTs) and love the tires. Maybe quieter then my 90% worn RE-11s. Maybe a little less sticky in the dry and a little longer lasting, but too early to judge with fewer then 1K miles on PSS's and 15+K miles on RE-11s.

YMMV,
alex f

P.S.: To add a piece of mind to go with ditching RFTs, I bought the Conti ComfortKit from TireRack: http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/...Tire+Inflation