I am buying an 06 Mini S with Run Flats.

Please tell me why so many members hate this type of tire.

If I do replace the Run Flats with Normal tires, what can you do if
you happen to get a flat but wait for a tow to the tire shop ?

I thought "Fix A Flat" might work, but won't that mess up the TPM system
thats in that tire; or need to replace it due to the mess now all over it ???

Let me know ...........Please ..............................

 

MANY threads on this, like this one.

But the short answers are:
- Stiff sidewalls make for a rougher ride
- patch kit & compressor


I got my first flat on the road in 20 years just the other day. In the middle of nowhere, late at night, and not a good part of town. A key cut a 3/4" gash. I was wishing for the runflats that night. Still have the conventionals on though.

 

TPM system in the '06 does not have sensors inside the tire, so no worries about using the Fix a Flat sealers. Sensors on the '06 measure wheel rotation, not pressure to determine if a tire is going flat.

 

u can by a spare for the price difference of runflat vs normal.

 

run flat are just so fragile. it looks good but yeah normal tires are still better.

 

Common complaints: runflats are expensive, often can not be repaired, have a stiff ride, are noisy, have a fairly short tread life and the harshness and noise increase as the tire gets more age.

I ditched mine and carry a Continental Comfort kit - compressor with slime. I am very pleased with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S PLUS tires - 45k treadlife warranty, good grip wet and dry and quiet. Check out the owner's survey at tirerack.com

 

I pack a slime powerspair kit (http://www.amazon.com/Slime-Powerspa...429463&sr=1-7). The compressor is top-notch, very quiet and fast. Walmart has it for about the same price, iirc.

 

counterpoints

slime and fix a flat and a compressor won't help a 3/4 inch gash . . . if you ain't on RFs you need AAA or a spare. Ditto a complete "blowout"...but here even the RF is screwed.

I know a guy who drove better than 2000 miles on a flat runflat - I don't recommend repeating it - but 'fragile' is not a description I buy.

grippyness and tread wear are subjective and based on individual drivers to a great degree. I had Pir' Euf' on my 02 and got similar miles out of them as I got on a set of YOKO' and later KUMHO regulars of similar tread life and speed rating.

Two 'universal' dislikes of RFs:

1. By nature of their construction (a very stiff side wall) they run much harder than a non-RF of the same size. Some people like a hard ride; MINI thought enthusiasts did. Sadly after the MINI was out for one year the suspension softening began because few liked the sports car ride.... My 7S is a marshmallow compared to my early 02S.

2. A RF is gonna cost more, many times 2 to 3 times more than a similar tire in non-RF. Maybe someday that won't be true but still is today. Many can not rationalize paying more for 2 then they would other wise pay for 4 tires from a similar company, with similar speed rating yada yada. It's why I dropped RFs on my 02 . . .

+++++++
RFs handled correctly can be repaired - I've plugged mine several times. But true, if you run 50 miles on a flat RF it shound not be repaired and since tire repair shops worry how long you drove on a RF there can be debates. Find a nail with no significant PSI loss yet and it is not on the side....patch/plug away.

There is a certain security if dau' or spousal unit is out and were to have the TPMS activate with the RFs knowing they don't have to stop and could continue on to home or a service area in most cases with no ill effect other than replacing the expensive tire. On the flip side my son hit a pot hole in his brand new CUBE on his way to a very important test this last semester b4 graduation.... he felt he MUST continue on to the class and test despite the flat tire. He passed the exam. New tire (not a RF) and also a new rim trashed by a combination of the pothole and driving 10 miles on a flat tire has him out several hundred dollars (bummer when the model is brand new and there's no alternate source for your wheels....). Would an RF have survived? Maybe . .

just some thoughts to chew on . . .

 

We bought ours used from Car Max in Miami. Had like 32k miles when we bought it. i HIGHLY doubt that they, of all places, would have put run flats on it if they had replaced the tires, so I'm assuming that these are the originals.. I just turned over 113k miles on them, on an 03 R50. I keep them aligned and balanced and the air (usually) about 32 psi.

my cousin had an 04 S w/out the run flats.. I agree that my tires are definitely a harder ride, with more road noise, but I like the security of knowing that i'm less likely to get screwed on my 90 minute commute every day.