I recently went back to OEM Dunlop runflats and love the fact that my car drives like a mini again. Possible I just had crappy tires before but it's back to it's stiff go cart like handling... Sure it's a harder ride but I did not buy a Cadillac.

So anybody else like the runflats?

 

Not sorry to say this but NO. Ditched them runflats & never looked back. Improved handling & ride comfort instantly. Car stopped skipping like crazy going over bad bumps on the road.

 

Love em myself and will never run anything but run flats

 

Most people hate the RF tires because they suck. On top of that, they are expensive! Plus, many tire shops mess up your wheels trying to get them off. Otherwise, they're awesome.

The first mod anybody should make is losing them in favor of a true performance tire.

 

I did not understand until I drove a MINI w/o RF tires. It truly was a world of a difference. The grip was amazing and it rode a little less harsh too. I too resisted the change but my next set will not be a RF tire.

 

I love the runflats, the first year i had my mini i got 4 flat tires they were all nails or a screwdriver tip stuff that would have completely blown out a regular tire. (thank god for tire protection plan) Just knowing that when i get a flat i can get to someplace that will take care of it is huge for me. Yeah they are expensive, but so is getting mugged on the side of the road. I have friend who replaced her mini's tires with just regular tires, while i can tell the difference to me its negligible. Its not like the mini magically turned in to the smoothest ride.

 

Mine always made the car feel like it was going to shake itself to death.

Putting non-RFs on it made it seem like I had tightened ever screw, nut and bolt in the car, and I could hear the radio/ipod and the bluetooth telephone connection. I ran my Rfs for almost 14K miles, and they were mostly worn out - I shipped them to a fellow NAMer for him to put on a car he was selling.

I've had the non-RFs on for better than 20K now, and while there is a bit more whine than when they were brand new, they still have at least another 20K of rubber on them.

I have no doubt that brand new RFs will ride and handle well, but in the long-run I think my car is much better off without them.

I suspect that not many here would go back to them, but, that's all personal preference. No one tire type can fit everybody.

I'm glad your experiencew has been good.

 

Absolutely NOT.

 

I would rather drive on rocks then runflats.

 

Although not a big fan of the RF's, I am also not a fan of changing/plugging/gooing/ a flat tire. At my age (57) I am getting a bit too old for all that. I say to each his/her own.

 

I like 'em. They are loud, and they don't wear for crap, but I like the feel of the ride they provide and the security they give in the event of a puncture. So it's a physical and psychological liking. Some would say that's the beginning of love...

 

Having not driven my new 11' Cooper S without run flats I can't tell how it compares to regular tires. I do however know that compare to my previous car with much larger and wider Pirelli's, they are much noisier and they don't feel as stiff yet more uncomfortable.

To me Mini offer's 4 yrs roadside assistance why not make use of it? In my past experience (and my last car spent more time at the dealer then it did on the road) these things are good.
In my one related tire problems (someone stabbed the tire at Columbia campus parking) the dealer arrive with a loaner before the tow truck came.

 

Personally I do not like them, however they do provide some security for some. I also think i depends on were you live, If the roads you travel are mostly nice and smooth like you find out west, they may not bother you much. In the city you may want the extra protection of the R/F, but other may want the cushion of a non run flat. To each his own I say

 

OMG. Vive la difference I guess.

Tried the Z1? The Dunlop?

For me the runflats were hard as iron and as slippery as soap.

WhaddoIknow?

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

So what do you guys do with new Minis that come with run flats?

Do you just bite the bullet and buy new tires immediately? or Do you drive the run flats for 10 - 15K and then buy new tires?

 

My MCS has the runflats on them, and the ride is so jaring over bumps in the road, it will make the CD player skip. I'm hoping that when they are worn out...a switch to non-runflats will make the ride better.

I want a firm ride...I don't want a ride that feels like I'm riding on a covered wagon with wooden wheels!!

 

The RF on my '06 were moderately worn when I got the car. I didn't mind the rough ride, and I loved the quick turn-in of the STIFF sidewall. However, I replaced them with Non-RF (S.Drives) and I'm pretty happy.

First, they are lighter by a few pounds. Not a big deal on an S, but on a small NA engine, shaving unsprung weight wherever possible makes a noticeable difference in acceleration. To be fair I swapped for lighter wheels at the same time, but still.

Second, they grip much better and never skip when cornering hard on rough surfaces. I never feared for my life on the RF, but the S.Drives are grippier.

The softer sidewall is a trade off. I run them a bit stiff, 37PSI, and the turn in is still very good, although not as twitchy as the RF.

I hear a lot of people who prefer RF cite mugging, getting shot and murdered at the side of the road while fixing a tire, etc. Seriously, where do you guys live? Yikes! I guess it's different up here in peace-lovin' Canada

I carry slime and a compressor in the boot for the unlikely event of a puncture.

 

I don't think the run flats ride harshly or are noisy, maybe it depends on the brand of run flats that the car came with, mine has Continentals. If I can get a good price on replacements, when the time comes, I'll put Continental run flats on it again.

Dave

 

A Vancouver native, eh?



Sorry, couldn't resist.

Now back to your regularly scheduled runflat thread...

 

I still have the run flats on my Clubbie. While I must admit that the ride is a little harsh they have gotten me home twice 30 miles at freeway speed when they went flat. I also have the MINI offered wheel and tire package so when that happened all I had to do was drive to the dealership and they gave me new ones. All of that and I feel kind of James Bondish with them!!

 

While my 2011 MCS was going through the birth canal across the pond, I ordered
a set of non-RF Conti's. They (Discount Tire) credited me $50 for each of those nasty RF's when I drove to the shop with less than 68 miles on my new Mini. My advice is to check with your local tire merchant to see if you can arrange
for a similar deal. It's a win-win situation, IMHO, if you can arrange it.

 

Driving on RFs had about as much finesse carving corners as wearing a pair of steel-toed boots in a competition ballroom waltz.

My RFs were thankfully, albeit ironically, put out of their misery as a result of a (fortunate) fatal inside sidewall puncture by a piece of steel next to a freeway construction project. The tire went flat and rolled off the inside rim. Thankfully it didn't damage the rim at all. It was unable to "run flat". Because of where I flatted on the freeway, it was far too dangerous to change to the spare; I had to get a tow. Took the opportunity to buy a set of performance Michelins and never looked back.

 

Depends on what you're looking for. Name me a high performance car that has runflats. I've heard horror stories about them popping off during a hard turn and just not lasting as long as a conventional tire. Now when I'm saying popping off I don't mean everyday street driving, but more autocross and some type of racing.

But Playing devils advocate here, runflats would be great if you couldn't change your tires, didn't have a spare, or willing to pay a little more for a tire to feel better about not being left stranded somewhere.

Now I own a 05 M3 and all we were given was a conventional tires a can of fix a flat and an air pump. And I'm perfectly fine with that

My friend's S2000 CR was only given those too.

Both performance vehicles just like the mini (in most aspects) both with non runflats

 

From Goodyear website
"The Eagle F1 Supercar EMT is Goodyear’s self-supporting, run-flat Max Performance Summer radial developed as Original Equipment for sports cars, (C-6 Corvette equipped with Chevrolet's Z51 Performance Package and C-6 Corvette Z06), and performance sedans (Cadillac CTS-V). Eagle F1 Supercar EMT tires emphasize dry road traction and handling, and feature Goodyear’s self-supporting Extended Mobility Technology (EMT) to provide temporary mobility even after a complete loss of air pressure while eliminating the traditional spare tire and wheel to allow more storage and luggage space. Like all summer tires, they are not intended to be driven in snow."


A LOT of high performance cars do come with or offer runflats including BMW, Mercedes and even Ferrari . Its the future so you better get used to it. I love em on my mini, they DO NOT provide a uncomfortably harsh ride and handle wonderfully. I can only assume that some of you who hate em so much are running 120 psi in your tyres.

 

There are plenty of reasons to hate run flats, and this is not the least of them...



Look at the key numbers - almost $1000 more for a set of four (!!!!!), and look at the user ratings of each tire. Really crappy score for the run flat, excellent score for the "normal" tire that sells for less than 1/3 the price.