My '15 S came with runflats and of course no spare. I promptly replaced the runflats with good conventional Michelins and began carrying a plug kit and 12v pump - which fortunately I haven't needed to use.

However, it seems to me that an even better solution might be to carry a compact tire/wheel and a jack and lug wrench. I know a flat front tire would require extra work, but also I know that some flat tires cannot be successfully plugged. What bothers somewhat is that there's no good place in the car to store these items. The spare wheel will not lie flat in the trunk and might become a hazard in a collision or even hard cornering. (Also, they're expensive).

So, what's the answer - spare tire or not? Thanks.

 

After careful consideration I decided that a spare in this car is not worth the hassle. If slime won't do it then AAA or similar. Meanwhile I still have the RF's and won't change them out until they are done.

Basically I'm too old to be patching tires on the side of the road.

btw - you could probably rig up some kind of strap down for a spare but it takes too much space in a tiny boot.

 

when shopping for our clubman i came across a CPO with the spare tire kit.

because it was a CPO run flats where fitted but they left the spare tire kit.

i have thought about getting the spare tire kit and will most likely do so.

i have AAA and have had to wait up to over an hour for service.

i would rather swap the tire and deal with the tire later.

joel

 

The Clubman has a lot more real estate to handle spare! I'd have one as well in that car.

 

ah, i suspect you are right!

i only looked at clubmans.

of the vehicles we have the clubman has the lowest capacity in the boot end

the 2015 prius V while not as big as the 1988 and 2000 4runners is quite capable of moving STUFF!

could an under inflated spare fit in the little minis?

maybe pack a high quality pump?

joel

 

Agreed. I too am too old w/ herniated and bulging spinal discs. I cannot change a tire nor even do a patch kit should I get a flat (w/o suffering weeks of back pain and immobility). Crouching and reaching tears me up.

I replaced my RF's w/ Conti Extreme's for weight saving (w/ a set of new wheels) and the extra whp and torque they provide. Figuring I can use roadside assistance should I need a flat repaired. W/ hurricane Irma and the amount of roofing nails on the streets and the lack of services during this event, provided a reality check.


I have since re-thought my choice and will switch back to the lightest RF tire I can find. Dunlop seems to have one that matches the Conti's weight (19 lbs for a 17" tire), but has a horrible wear rating. I will look at a compromise in weight for the peace of mind the RF's provide.

 

When I switched to non run flats on my 2013MCS, I bought a spare.
Around the greater LA area, I did not carry it around. AAA out here is fast enough, and there are enough Americas Tire Store around (Thats where I bought the tires).
I have AAA Premier, up to 100 mile tow.

Outside of LA, I would carry the spare, so I could at least get to a major metropolitan area to fix or replace.

 

I carry a Green Slime Kit and have roadside assistance with two different providers. I'm too old and beat up to be changing a tire now anyway. I changed the run flats for Goodyear F1 A/S 215/45X17 the first week I owned the car. Still have a set of like new run flats in my storage building if anyones interested.

 

Having lived in Central Florida for 20+ years, I would not change back to RFTs. I have regular tires on both my F56 JCW and better half's R55 Clubman S. No regrets even after Irma. Dont go back too quickly.

I had a 2015 X1 lease with RFTs, and while they were not bad, I would never live with them again. First, it is almost impossible to find replacements unless there is a dealer nearby. Even then, you may find yourself replacing more than one tire because they don't have the same tire in stock. In three years, I had to replace two RFTs due to damage and another two when I turned the car in because they were mismatched. BTW ... I also learned that a badly damage RFT cannot be driven on for more that a very few miles.

One the R55, we have run regular tires since 2010 and never had to replace a single tire prematurely. Not to mention the improvement in ride and handling was significant.

As for spare, we both carry emergency kits, but the primary option is AAA.

 

I have a tire repair kit too, but my plan has always been to carry a spare wheel & tire in the back with the rear seat down should we take a trip in the JCW because I just don’t trust anyone but myself or my Independent BMW mechanic with my cars! As for tires, I have the P7 runflats on the 18” two tone cup spokes and my car came that way so I’m not in any hurry to swap over....purely economics since runflats are not cheap tires and I’m ok with them for now....yes, if I go to non runflats I will probably kick myself for waiting so long but with only 1,000 miles on the car right now I plan on keeping runflats with a spare wheel & tire for emergencies.

 

I have 17's, 205. Would you mind sharing your Michelin model, how you like the ride compared to run flat, and a link to the 12v pump?!

Thank you

 

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 205/45R17, (April 2015). I'm very pleased with these tires but I installed them at 252 mi. so I have little memory of the original runflats. The 12v pump and plugs and plug tools are from Walmart or Amazon, Slime brand.

 

I switched to Michelin PSS, F the run flats. I have AAA, so I'm not so worried around town, but I bought spares from Detroit Tuning for both my F56 and my wifes R59. I just stick it behind the seat when I go out of town. It doesn't move at all. AAA is going to do you no good when you blow out tearing up the mountain. And I'm not putting that slime crap all over my new OZ racing wheels. Small jack and torque wrench/socket under the rear floor space.

 

I haven't had a flat in twenty five years, AAA works for me.

 

Had my car in for tire repairs (3 leaks, one sidewall blowout) with the stock run flats first 10k miles of the cars life. 27k since on the Michelin's with no issue. My only worry is having an issue when I'm in the middle of nowhere, where I drive the hardest.

 

Im sayin Buh-bye to the runflats tomorrow and getting some Firestone Firehawk All Seasons. They have good ratings, do fairly good in snow give a quiet and smooth ride from what I hear. I already have a slime kit, plugs and a compressor in the boot. However I would feel better with a spare donut for long trips. So now the hunt is on for a spare donut.

 

No kidding, spare fits behind the driver's seat without taking any additional space. Might need to grab one of those for non-RFT season.

--Matt

 

Yeah fits nice and tight. My back seats are always down anyway for our 4 legged kid. Unless you need the seat all the way back, its not in the way at all.

 

Im 5'11" no way i can get one back there, my seat almost touches the rears cushion.