I feel a little dumb asking this question but here it is.... Our 2015 Justa with 17" wheels did not come with RFT. According to the configurator, if you order the 16" or 17" wheels you get RFT, either performance or all-season. We thought we were getting Performance RFT. But instead we got a new Michelin Primacy 3 Green X which is not a RFT. We let our dealer know and Mini is willing to replace the tires with RFT if we want. So the questions are.. do we want to, and if so what tire should we ask for assuming we get a choice.

Yes I've done a ton of searching... on the R56 forum it is a near universal opinion that 'Run Craps' are just that and the vast majority can't wait to be rid of them. At a higher cost, lower mileage, harsher ride, the benefit is not felt to be worth it. Some either get spares and haul them around in the boot, or a patch kit, pump, goo can. Thankfully our car has a spare.

On our test drive the car seemed fine with the RFT. But I've heard they get harsh over time. We talked to Discount Tire and they recommend the RTF but that may be because we were going to buy a road hazard warranty from him it is was about $60 more for the RFT. The dealership actually recommended we go with the RFT. I'm assuming the tires that come off are going to be scrapped somewhere since they have a few hundred miles on them.

Now I've been driving for many years as has my wife and neither one of us has ever had a flat that would have left us stranded somewhere. We've had nails that had slow leaks but I could still drive them to the tire shop or the tire got us home and I could remove it and haul it to the shop. Worst case the car has a spare, and there is always Roadside Assistance and/or a flatbed tow truck.

The reason to get the RFT is for the peace of mind of knowing that you can still drive the car (50 miles) with no pressure. But many times this means the tire has to be replaced. Plus these tires seem to be prone to sidewall blisters/bubbles.

I can get a new Michelin Pilot Super Sport significantly cheaper than a Pirelli P7 RFT.

My wife feels she is missing something she paid for by not getting the RFT and she is leaning towards getting them. I think the non-RFT that are on it will be just fine if not better in the long run.

So are you happy with your RFT? And if so which tire and size do you have? If you had non-RFT and a no-cost option to replace them with RFT would you? Which one???

Pirelli Cinturato P7?
Hankook Ventus S1 EVO2?

Thanks in advance

 

I'd leave the Michelins on there and forget about it.

 

I switched out on my R50 MCS. Made a MAJOR difference as I also purchased new wheels. The wheel weight and RF tire weight was 58lb. that's unsprung weight. I switched to a 12lb. wheel and Yokohoma AV8's. Total weight was ~28lb. Handling difference was night and day. I believe if you are going to non-RFlats, you will also need new wheels as the sensor is on the original wheel. Putting non-RFlats on the stock wheels will not work as the wheel will throw the sensor. I currently have the Pirelli All Season Cinturato P7's and they are OK on my 2015 MC. I also have a spare and may ditch them for Non-RFlats in the spring.

 

BTW, those are fantastic tires. Best I've ever owned for all-around driving. The ratings at TireRack will tell you this too.

If I had half an excuse I'd switch out these horrible HANKOOK pieces of trash for a set of these.

 

Er...90% of drivers here have dumped runflats....
You can use the same rims...
And a cooper should have a spare....look...get AAA or a tow IMO...
But runflats, at a cost of about $150 each, lasting about 30,000 miles, and riding like rocks can be installed on any standard rim....choice is very limited....and if the tire is damaged...you might wait 3 days for a replacent tire to be shipped in.....they are better than they were...but are still not as good as regular ties...get very loud...and ride HARD.

 

Are you sure the came rims can be used? Thought the run flat sensor was attached to the rim and would throw a code....I would definatly prefer to use the stock rims if I could....

 

Stock rims work just fine with non-rft's! You'll be fine!��

 

Same sensors used on runflats as non runflats...
Cars with runflats had sensors YEARS before cars without runflats...for (hopefully obvious reasons)....
Same rims too...

 

Thanks!!

 

Rocket man,


Look at the Michelin web site... it indicates that the Primacy 3 is available in a RFT configuration. 'Zero Pressure' in Michelin speak. Observing that MINI/BMW is committed to RFT tires on all vehicles with 16" or larger rims it makes sense that you might actually have a RFT tire on your ride. The initials ZP in all of the gogbilty-gook info on you sidewall would verify this.


The Primacy 3 is not an all season tire but in your part of the country that may not be an issue. Have the dealer actually look at the tire. It might be a non-RFT. Goofier things have happened!


My personal experience is that the chassis/suspension of the F56 combined with improvement of RFT tires in recent years has negated much of the dislike for RFT for cars that are primarily used for transportation and touring. Autocrossing and track days are another matter entirely!

 

In the size tire for the 17" wheel, 205-45-R17, the tire only comes in a non-RFT. Michelin Tech line and Mini agree, it is not a RFT. Yes I don't understand why they put this tire on the car when all other 17" tires are RFT. Even the dealership agrees in their training they would have expected a RFT on every tire other than the stock 15" rims.

I agree when we drove the 2014 with 17" wheels the car felt pretty good and none of the expected harshness of the RFT was there. Of course it was just a short test drive and I've heard they can get louder once some miles have been put on them. If it were me I think I'd keep the non-RFT but it is my wife's car and I'm trying to help her decide.

Thanks for all the feedback

 

" Observing that MINI/BMW is committed to RFT tires on all vehicles with 16" or larger rims..."

Visit the UK site to observe an entirely different policy. Even on the S models run-flats are an additional cost option.

 

Equipping a car with runflats has more to do with
1) does the car have a spare...coopers do in most cases, and the stock tire is s 15...
The optional rim is THE SAME TIRE/RIM COMBO as the stock 16 or optional 17 on the s...
So too keep things simple, any rim that might go on an S, with no spare, gets a runflats...
Things have recently gotten more murkey...BMW/MINI now lets folks in SOME combo's ditch the runflats as an option....kinda funny...you let mini keep $800 worth of tires, and they give you $500 worth of replacents at no cost....
It is all about the $$$....if they can make some folks happy and make more $$, they do it....

Some places REQUIRE a spare or runflats...just as car getting delivered to some places get a medical kit, triangles, or manual dipping headlights....and mini/BMW is slowly getting better only giving you WHAT THEY MUST to cut costs....early gen1 cars often got all the stuff that some places in europe required....but slowly the extra "non-required" items have been reduced.....
Heck for a few years only us mini's got duel mode inflation airbags and in tire psi sensors as opposed to the rpm based sensors due to us laws....

 

On smoothly paved roads, the run flats might feel okay to drive on and the turn-in feel adds to the responsiveness; however, once you drive over rougher roads, it is hard to hear the radio or have a conversation because of the noise. Also, any grooves or bumps on the highway can be quite unnerving when unexpected because the car will jump or tram line while going at highway speeds. It feels like you are wrestling with the steering wheel.

When I bought my MCS, I had the tire and wheel package and ended up using it 4 times for the 1st year for nail punctures, but I found it to be such a hassle because the dealer is 80 miles away then it took over an hour each time to get it changed (the first time was 3 hours because they had to wait for the insurance to authorize it). I ended up getting Michelin PSS and I love these tires. I love them so much that when I traded in my MCS and they had about 7k miles on them already, I had the dealer swap out the RFT on my JCW with the Michelins. Moreover, since getting the non-RFTs, I have not had a nail in my tires and driving the same route to work. If you ask me, the RFT are more prone to punctures probably because they are much harder.

Hopefully, you decide to keep the non-RFs, I'm pretty sure they will keep your wife happier.

 

WHAT HE SAID! +1! I have a 2010 MCS and carry a full sized spare on longer trips (more than 100 miles-beyond AAA towing range) and it fits upright in the boot or lays down on the forward folded rear seats. Love those MPSS tires. We don't get snow or ice, they are fine in the rain. What an improvement versus the Conti run flats.

 

I kept the stock 17" RFs on my 2007 MCS until they wore out at about 28k miles and replaced them with non RFs at half the price. I have RFs on my new JCW Coupe (see my sig). Yes, I thought the ride became less harsh with the non RFs, but to me it's not a deal breaker. And my new RFs ride better than the old ones IMO. To me the big advantage is you don't have to carry that spare. I need the boot room so I didn't have one, just pump/goo (never used). They don't get harsher over time and they aren't noisier, they just ride a little harsher. I had mine fixed twice for nails too, for free at Discount Tire.

 

Thanks everyone, we decided to keep the non-RFTs. We're going to pick up a Road Hazard warranty at Discount Tire this weekend. We decided that if she ever has a flat she is going to call 'Husband Road Side Assistance' who may then call 'Mini Road Side Assistance' or come get the tire and take it to DT for a fix or replacement. OR... use the spare.

Motor on!