My tires are at the wear bars; run flat all-seasons since I live in Chi-town. The car is my daily driver, and I'm unemployed, so I need to buy decent all-seasons, and I need to do it as cheap as possible. Any cheap alternatives to replacing with the same tires?

 

Check with Alex at the tire rack. He may have some runflats on special that you can get.
Ronnie948

 

If you're asking what I think you're asking, you don't have to replace your tires with runflats. A lot of folks have swapped on 'real' all-season tires ... some don't wait for them to wear out and do it the day they drive it home. Lots of options that are quite a bit cheaper than rf's, and in many cases better riding and/or handling. Just be sure to have a can of fix-a-flat and a portable air pump handy.

 

I just replaced my RunFlats with Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grids $87/tire+Shipping...Great Pirce...Great Tire!!

 

That's the deal for sure. I changed out wheels and tires and the ride is significantly better. It's too bad you're so far away - if you had your heart set on run-flats, I'm selling mine - CHEAP.

 

Just replaced my wheels and tires. Tires are all season yokahamas. About 90.00 per tire. Better smoother ride.

 

Don't forget you have to replace the TPS valve stem too when you have the tires changed. Or so I was told by Tirerack.

 

Check the classified section here on NAM. There will probably be someone getting rid of their RF's to put non RF's on. You might be able to pick up a bargain.

 

Can you elaborate on why you like these? My wife is ready to ditch her 195/55R16 RF's and is looking for a more comfortable ride. Thanks!

 

Is this true? This is the first time I've heard that.

 

I have some previous switching experience, on an '06 330i, which came with Bridgestone RE050A runflats. They were horrendous - rock-hard sidewalls that crashed over the slightest road imperfections, tended to not adhere well in turns on anything but the smoothest roads, and tramlined BADLY (i.e. wandered - hard to keep the car moving straight at speed). I replaced them with Michelin PS2's, and it was like getting a whole new car. FAR more comfortable ride, better adhesion, no more tramlining, and better handling and turn-in. You'll hear similar stories from virtually anybody who has switched from runflats to non-.

I have 16" S-winders & the standard runflats on my new '10 MCS. They're just as horrendous as I remember the RE050A's were on the 330i. The suspension is not particularly jarring, but the tires are. They're also incredibly noisy. I already have replacement tires & wheels on the way, 17" BBS LM's & Michelin PE2's.

If you want to read some interesting numbers, go to Tire Rack's ratings on each tire they sell in your required size. You'll consistently see poor ratings for all the runflats, while the non's score much higher in areas such as noise, handling, turn-in, wear, and "would you buy again"? ratings. One particularly telling tire is the RE050A, which comes in either a runflat version or standard. The "normal" tire is 2nd rated in its entire category.. while the runflat version of the same tire is at the bottom, out of like 24 tires, with horrible scores.

 

Just to double check, I don't need to change wheels to switch to non-runflats? I know with the early generation rf's you needed special wheels, but I thought newer generation tires fit standard wheels. Just want to confirm that's true.

Thanks

 

I'm not aware of any MINI ever using the weird runflats, just the ones which fit on normal wheels. I know personally that 05s had regular wheels. And this is the 2nd gen forum, I know that they all have regular wheels.

 

Thanks!

 

I need to replace my runflats tomorrow, but Im having trouble deciding which tire. I have a 2008 S Hardtop and I live in Philly so I need a all season, does anyone have a preference.
Thanks

 

Remember, the reason MINI put run-flats on the cars was to improve gas mileage (no need to haul a spare), not because they're great tires.

 

Actually it was to run the exhaust. A 10lb donut would be negligible on the mileage rating, plus run-flats probably make up that much (if not more) in extra weight anyway.

 

The impact on gas mileage from not carrying a spare is microscopic. Guess again.

 

Thanks. Yeah, there's no way she would ever want RF's again. I was more wondering what specifically RJKimbell liked about the Potenza G019 Grids.

 

when I bought my rims and tires from TireRack they gave me an option to either re-use my existing sensors or buy new ones. New ones were expensive so I opted to use the existing tp sensors. When I went into Wheelworks to get my wheels installed they said my stock wheels didn't use the sensors and just mounted my wheels. They said that my Mini model used a braking based system to determine tire pressure. Once my wheels were installed I drove for a couple of days, and the tps warning light came on. I reset it, and everything has been fine after that. All I need to do now is to by a tire patch kit for 5.00 dollars and a small compressor and I'm good to go. Much softer and quieter ride.

 

Newer MINIs (I don't know the switchover date) have transmitters in each tire (now required by Federal safety legislation). Older MINIs measured the difference in wheel speed using the antilock brake sensors.

 

I have the same tire and I paid a lot more. Mine were $600 out the door on the car.

 

The early R56 sensors measure wheel rotation speed (no TPS) to monitor a flat. The new TPS sensors started near the end of 2007.

 

I confirm that -- my July'07 MCS measures by rotation speed, and my tires have rubber valve-stems; the slightly-newer-than-mine R56s have the new sensors with metal valve-stems.

I was ready to go with the Grid G019s myself, but made a small upgrade to RE960AS PolePositions; believe it's hard to go wrong with either one.

 

I just had my BIL order me a set of 195/55R16 Grids (he owns his own shop) and he said these tires look very good (both in model and in price). All the reviews I read on Tirerack from MINI owners were very positive except for 1. He quoted me $450 out the door but that includes my family discount.