Run flats
 

They got me and it won't happen again. Clubman in for oil service today, technician noticed a big bubble in right front tire...had Baron replace it on the spot. $383, which sounded like a rip-off but it wasn't (Checked Tire Rack as soon as I got home). Subtacting sales tax they were $10 higher than if I'd had one shipped/mounted/balanced...so this dealer maintains their standard for fair play once again. But no more RFs for us for sure ASAP.

I hear ya. Was getting tires rotated and the tech found a screw in the outer edge of the tire which was unrepairable. It had been there a while too as it was ground down fairly well. For $100 more than the cost of 1 run-flat I got a set of 4 Falkens. The ride is sooo much better!

$383! ...another good reason to ditch runflats. Yes, there are some benefits, but there's a lot of issues with runflats. Expensive, stiff ride, no spare, short driving range once flat, repairability issues, availability issues.
I ordered my Clubman with the base 15" rims to avoid all these problems. When it's time for a new set of tires, $383 should just about pay for all four.

I took a staple in one of my runflats that was not repairable. Instead of paying $380 for one tire, I paid $550 for four of these. Overall cost is a bit more but it's a good point at which to improve on noise, ride, and handling of your car.

The run flats are there because they couldn't fit a spare without hogging a bunch of space. It wasn't that they eliminated the spare because they knew they were putting run flats on. I am not sure this even saves BMW money with how expensive they are...

run flat problems too!
 

i have a 2009 clubman s-

My low tire indicator cam on, but no apparent low tire. After driving down highway doing 60ish, i hear a loud thump thump thump on front right tire.

I pull the tire off and find a large goiter-like bump on the inside sidewall of the tire.

when i bought the car, i specifically said that i did not want run flats. my young salesman said there were two types of tires- run flats or all seasons. since i thought i chose the all seasons, he said he will get me a spare. So he got a spare from another car on the lot. I never thought much about this until my tire problem last week.

I found out that 1) there are no non-run flat tires available for S models. 2) the spare tire that is designed for the cooper (non-S) does not fit the s models. In fact a 2009 clubman s has the same wheel axel size as the 2008 JCW...and the cooper non-s has a smaller size.

therefore, i have spare that doesnt fit! and then service tells me that I do indeed have run flats. He said that there are 2 types of tires are BOTH run flats (performance and all season).

Of course, MINI does not warranty the tires, charged me 289.00 for the new tire. But since they screwed up the spare tire issue, they deducted 200 from the bill...and let me keep the old tire for a claim against continental.

thats my gripe!

I can't wait for my all season runflats to run out. My non-runflat winter tires run quiter and smoother than my runflats.

What size and type tire is this?

I checked tirerack and the 16" all season is $141. Continental ContiProContact SSR (Grand Touring All-Season)

the most expensive summer 17" I found is $291....Dunlop SP Sport 01 DSST
(Ultra High Performance Summer)

so which model tire costs $383?

Okay take $291.00 plus shipping, mountting, balancing i can see if being $350 plus add the sales tax to that and it would be $380+

Ok, so I have to ask (as a nubie) I looked in the lower storage area in the boot of my new clubman (take delivery tomorrow) and the tool kit is in a styrofoam block the shape of a spare tire. Why don't they offer a doughnut or inflatable spare that fits in that space? Has anyone done that on their own?:confused:

Yeah Ive been wondering about what to do re: runflats. I'll be getting my MCCS in a few weeks (w/stock 16") and though I've read a few post I still wonder what I should do when the time comes. I figure I wont install a new set of runflats so........

1) What brand/model recommendations do you all have for non runflats? I think I want good performance but will the tires life be very short? Are there good performance&durability tires out there?

2) What are you all doing about not having a spare? Plug kit? DC powered air compressor? What are my options really?

6% sales tax is about $17, for a total of $308.

Any shop that charges $70 to mount and balance a single tire is a total rip, i.e. the stealership. (i.e. Discount Tire, Costco, Sears, just about anywhere is far cheaper than $70 to mount and balance one tire)

So, just to be clear, this is for the MOST EXPENSIVE TIRE AVAILABLE.

It is misleading to say the cost is outrageous, there are far cheaper options...and if you go with the 16"s, you can get the factory OEM recommended all seasons for $141 per tire, which is very comparable to a non-runflat price.

Now i understand you can't mix and match, and if BMW shipped the car with the most expensive 17" runflats available, you are screwed if you lose one.

But once they all wear down, you can get MUCH MUCH cheaper 17" oem runflats, that are just as good...for MUCH LESS than $291

Many have added a spare - many threads on this. I added a space saver spare in my MCCS. I pressured my MA until he gave me one. I had to buy the styrofoam block from a MC and the hardware to hold the tire in place. There are other non-Mini spares that will fit.

If this is the case should I just order mine with the no-cost all weather option or keep the runflats. Or should I order with runflats, then buy tires and sell the runflats as new seeing as they'd only have like 15 miles on them.

Opened a can of worms here didn't I? To clarify things here's more info: The car is a Clubman S with 17" wheels...so no spare. (Yes, you can carry a 16" back there and swap tires from front to back in an emergency...lot's of fun on a dark rainy night in the middle of nowhere) For the newbies, a 17" tire/wheel will not fit in the compartment. I don't mix tires so I was stuck with buying the $300+ Dunlop. The car has 9,000 miles on it, I'm not going to throw away the runshits just yet. The dealer charged me $22 for mounting/balancing...that's quite reasonable. I just thought you all should know what it's going to cost you if you have to replace one of these things...I'm just thankful it didn't happen somewhere out there where I could have really gotten taken advantage of.

The detail used to be that the Cooper Spare would not clear the (S) front brake caliper, but would clear the rear. I understand that MINI drivers would carry the Cooper spare knowing that if a front flatted out they would have to switch an OEM S wheel to the front and use the Cooper spare on the rear. So perhaps your new spare could be used if you ever actually needed it. ajm

my idea was to get the all season tires and then remove the back seat, leaving plenty of room for a spare sitting right behind me...would look cool no?

Ok, I guess I didn't realize that the 16" all seasons were $141 and the 17"s were twice as expensive. I guess I probably won't be getting the 17s, I was worried they would ride too rough anyways on our crappy Detroit roads.

I thought maybe on the hood like an older Land Rover...or the roof

If you get an S you get 17s and runflats...because the brakes are larger. Thats a good thing and the wider tires are a good thing. But there is no reason BMW couldn't have made that spare tire compartment 2" wider and fitted a proper tire. I've had 11 BMWs over 30 years and this is the first thing I'd like to see them get sued over. And they put a jack in there? For what?

The non-runflat OEM 15" tire is $79 on TireRack, a little more than half the price of the OEM 16" run-flat tire. Even in a 16" size, the comparable 16" OEM non-runflat is about 1/3 cheaper than the runflat version.

Runflats wear out more quickly, give a harsher ride, have a very short travel distance once flat, are difficult to repair, are harder to find, and cost a lot more than non-runflats. Also, MINI deletes the spare when you order runflats. Yes, you won't have to change a tire in the rain / snow / gloom of night, but if you get a flat over 100 miles from home or the nearest dealer that flat can turn into a real show-stopper. I'll keep my spare and a jack.

I liked my runflats as the distances are so far between places out here that I thought they were a good idea, even with the rougher ride. But I bought a used Porsche Cayenne S this week (for my Greyhounds) from a Ford dealer and noticed that the tires had cracks. I figured it was due to the time it spent on their lot waiting for someone to notice it.

I took it to Discount Tire and ordered 4 Pirelli 19-inch Scorpions. Total cost $1198. I figured I was stuck with the bill, but my husband called the dealership. They looked at the old tires and wrote me a check for $1198. Surprised the heck out of me because they already lost a lot on the sale of the car. However, they back up the safety of every vehicle they sell and did not hesitate once they saw them.

It makes me think though that when the time comes I will buy non-runflats for the Clubman and just buy a fifth tire as a spare. As the boot has a spot for it I would rather do that then pay so much for the runflats. Plus the Cayenne will be costing enough for maintenance. The tires should last as long as I keep the car because it is only for the dogs' transportation and some grocery shopping. The MINI really has the Porsche beat for handling and fun, at least to me.

One thing though, if I ever buy another Mustang, Ford or Mazda, that dealership won me over with their honesty and customer treatment.:thumbsup:

Simple acts like this make a big difference, people remember when you've been treated right!

I like my 18" Pirelli Zero Run Flats, they ride great. I found a screw sticking out from the outer edge of the tread on a rear wheel the other day, pulled it out and didn't leak any air. Caught the screw before it was too late...