I just had my brakes done on my Honda with 160K miles and is Allen Tire in CA. They also do brakes. I asked if they had run flats in stock and they did not of course and would have to order. The approx. price for 4-16' run falts was approx. $1,100 and also said their experience shows many people on getting 12K miles on the tires. For me, this would be about $2,200 per year just for tires. Is this crazy or not?. Is there anyway to order the 07 MCS or MC without run flats. Another deal breaker. Any suggestions. I know I have asked this question before but I can't get a handle on this. Thanks

 

I personally couldn't wait to dump my OEM Dunlop S5000 runflats when they went south after about 20 k . I know that MINI says not to rotate , but I do(5k intervals) and I now get about 40K per set. I had several sets of Goodrich Traction T/A's and recently went with dedicated snow tires and fun fun fun summer tires: Bridgestone SO2 pole positions. Yep, I had to bite the bullet and buy a donut spare , a jack and a lug wrench , but worth it IMHO. If you drive like a maniac, you can smoke a set of tires in an afternoon. (anyone up for some canyons?)

 

I believe the Mc has standard tires with a spare and the MCS has runflats without a spare .11

 

Here's a copy of my post #16 from your last thread which I believes answers several of your questions:

"The MC has a spare. The MCS does not (and has no space for one), hence the runflats.
You don't have runflats because of the sensor, you have the sensor because of the runflats, because the MCS doesn't have a spare.
You can run conventional tires on the car with no ill effects (and many do), you just need to be ready if you get a flat, to get a tow or a patch kit/compressor or slime to get back on the road.
Runflats are becoming more common, but they are not quite mainstream yet."

The MC comes stock with 15" conventional tires. All 16" are runflat, IIRC.
Some MAY get 12K miles, but that's a pretty low number - it really depends on how you drive. All season will get more miles than summer tires as they are harder.
You can get a set of 16" runflats Pirelli Euphori@ from the Tire Rack for $130 each, $520 + shipping for the set. Conventional tires are definitely cheaper (though you can easily spend more.)
I was concerned about the cost of tires as well. Reality is that you can buy a set of takeoffs (new OEM tires/wheels) for $400-600, so with proper planning, you can run your tires bald, sell the wheels, and install a new set of tires and wheels for less than the price of a set of tires.

 

I have had runflats since 2003 on my MCS. They are all season 17" Goodyears which are on all MCS's with sport package. They are less than $200 each from TireRack. I have 34K miles on them and there is about 10K left. I'm gentle on them, but drive normally. I keep a spare at home since even in Seattle they must be special ordered. I'm not sure what the hang up is regarding stocking them, but the MINI dealer charges close to $400 if you run into trouble. So all in all the performance runflats may provide performance but all seasons will surive much longer. I should add that I don't rotate tires, but I carry a good tire gauge with me and keep the tires around 32lb each.

 

So the rims on run flats only will fit run flats?. If I swap out the tire after they are worn to non run flats, I have to replace the rims as well. Sorry for the trouble but as you can see I am automotively challenged. Hey, I'm second gear.

 

Virtually all rims will fit runflats. The tire has stiffer sidewalls otherwise similar. Go to the TireRack site and check it out for tires and wheels to give you a better idea. You may need to shop somewhere else than Allen Tire. By the way the problem for tire shops with runflats are twofold. First they need modern equipment to remove the runflat and someone who knows how to handle them.

 

You can keep the rims and mount nonRF's on them. My '03 MCS had 16" Dunlap 5000 all season RF's and I put close to 30k on them before buying Michelin NonRF all-seasons.

On my new '06, I had no trouble selling the unused 16" runflats. They had only 20 miles on them and I sold them for $100 each. You need to do a little homework to determine what local tire shop has the adequate equipment and expertise to handle runflats.

 

I think I got it, Thanks to everyone

 

NO. They are designed for runflats. They will fit any similar size (i.e. 16") tire, runflat or conventional.

NO. You can put conventional tires on ANY MINI rim (wheel.)



The R56 MINI has second generation rims which are better suited to the runflat tires (there's an extra hump inside the rim which helps keep the bead seated), but you can definitely put conventional tires on the new rims, as well as the old ones.
You're making way more of this than necessary.
If you get an MCS, you don't get a spare. So you either use runflats, carry a repair kit, or wait for a tow.
OEM tires are expensive. Cheaper aftermarket tires, both runflat and non-runflat are available, and will be even moreso by the time you wear out your first set of tires.

Do you want an MC or MCS? If MC, they are cheaper, the OEM 15" tires are conventional and cheap, so it's not an issue.

 

Here is a picture of the inside of an Slite. You can see the ridges on the inside designed to keep the tire bead set.

 

When I first negotiated for my car I felt the same concern as you. My MA stated that switching my new car from runflats to conventional tires would be no problem.

My research though showed that the 17" Goodyear Eagle All Season Runflats do last closer to 40,000 miles as opposed to 18 - 20,000 that I was reading about in opinion forums on Dunlops (including their all season) and Pirelli run-flats. This year though there's a whole new set of runflats that come on our cars. Their price from Tirerack seems pretty reasonable but when I was researching there wasn't any history available that would allow predictions on tread wear.

There are sites available on both the NAM forum - Tires and Wheels section and on the MINI2 forum - Tires and Wheels section that will help you determine which runflats can be purchased for our MINIs and on which type/size wheels.

It looks like it's best to have runflats if you order a MCS, but if you do your research you can make sure you have the best possible tire/wheel combination for your needs. I went with 17" wheels so I could get those Goodyears (not available for 16" wheels).

 

I used my original performance runflats for spring and summer use. I had a separate set of non run flat snows for winter use. I recently sold my car withh 64000 miles and the original tires were still fine. Don't forget you're only using your tires a half year if you switch to snows. Therefore your original tires with non track use should last many years.

 

Snow tires? Wow, you must be a dedicated skier to put special tires on your car half the year just to drive up to the Sierras for skiing.

Isn't everywhere like California?

 

Nope--but then again, we don't need snow tires here!