I just put on Goodyear Eagle F1's and the ride is so much better. I haven't even broken them in yet, and it was raining, so I only tested traction a bit. As good or better the the ContiproContact Runflats, and cheaper.
Maybe once they fix all the winter potholes I'll get some lighter rims next.

 

What about this commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUFCv...eature=related

 

AAA? What a joke. Better off carrying your own tools and a cell phone. I dropped them like a hot rock when my son left his lights on and the "technician" they sent arrived with a portable 12 volt compressor/charger and was unable to open the hood. She suggested a tow to the nearest AAA garage...for a jump! I drove out myself in my pickup with cables and a basic set of tools and had him on the road in 10 minutes. Save your money and get towing service on your insurance.

 

Has anyone noticed the front left wearing faster than the other 3??
Is this because it is the drive tire?

 

probably your alignment.

 

Usually of FWD its the right front that wears fastest.

Alex

 

Alex...30km on runflats is normal for tire wear??

 

Most runflats go 20 k miles or so (32 km) Alignment and rotation, or lack there of will contribute to accelerated wear.

Alex

 

Dunlop Run Flats came on the MINI...lasted about 30k (ran them down to slicks). Replaced them with a set of Bridgestone Potenza G 019 Grids (195/65-16). The ride is a bit more refined (quieter and smoother); MINI still handles like it's on rails. Have justa Cooper and a limited use spare tire, so no worries if I get a flat.

 

i got 60,000 from the original runflats, replaced with the dunlops, and got about 25,000, so not a happy camper.

 

Just a point of information: AAA lobbies against public transit funding and against any attempts to improve fuel economy or reduce tailpipe emissions. Since that's not cool by me (I like being able to take subways in the city and trains to the suburbs!), instead of giving AAA our money, my wife and I are members of Better World Club (http://www.betterworldclub.com/). Same kind of roadside assistance benefits, not quite so cheap as AAA, but they don't lobby against public transit and the environment, so I'm okay with that trade-off. (If I wanted the cheapest things around, I wouldn't be driving a Mini... some things are worth paying a bit more for )

If you ride a motorcycle, another option is to the join the American Motorcyclist Association (http://www.ama-cycle.org/), which includes roadside assistance for all your vehicles with membership for less than AAA!

 

I think the reason for the huge difference in tread life is due to complaints from customers.. In response to these complaints MINI now mounts runflat tires with much higher treadwear numbers, someplace between 400 and 600, significantly higher than the older runflats that only had a 280 rating.

You might have been unlucky and gotten some of the older tires from the dealer instead of the newer tires.

 

Unlucky? Depends what you want. Typically, higher treadwear tires have less grip than lower treadwear tires. So, you trade economy for handling and safety.

Also, many are glad to have their factory runflats wear out so they can justify switching to non-runflats.