My neighbor just bought a new Mini Cooper and he was telling me over the weekend how they come with run flat tires now from the dealer. It was an extra cost that he paid for but I was wondering how much is it really worth to get them. I mean for most people, if they realize they have a slow leak they will either get the fix a flat stuff or go get a new tire right away. I dont really see the need for the run flats unless you plan on running from bad guys or cops and need to extra insurance in case of a blow out. Am I wrong in thinking this or are they really good to have at any time of day or place for regular street driven cars?

 

I remember reading a few years ago that Corvette owners despised them. They have much stiffer sidewalls (due to the purpose of the 'run flat' tire) and are quite a bit heavier, if my memory is correct.

Louder, rougher, heavier... yeah, it's good if you get a flat, but for all the miles you'll put on them, you may want a quieter, better performing tire. The worse place to add weight is the tires... the outermost rotational mass

 

I would never pay money for them

 

I saw a commercial for run-flat tires that showed the target audience perfectly: a female driving kids to sports practice repeatedly, obliviously, runs over a board full of nails while parallel parking. Even the kid in the back of the car was trippin ballz but she was just la-de-da parking without looking.



If you know you need a warning light so you don't drive through the wall when you park in the garage at home, get run flats. If it's somewhat likely people might be shooting at your tires, get run flats. Otherwise, keep an eye on your tires and carry a can of fix-a-flat for emergency use when you need more than one spare tire all of a sudden.

 

Stocker, you seem to put everything into perspective quite nicely.

 

why not just carry a F-ing spare? Oh yeah, the corvette cant...the Mini can't (not if you want to use the back seats).. So it depends on the kind of car you have. Assuming you have no spare tire, then the cost of run-flats will equal about 2 tows. How often do you get flats? Is it worth spending $150-$300 (or MORE) NOW, TODAY, to save you from possibly/maybe needing a tow truck later? I personally don't think so, but lots of other people do. PT Barnum called em customers...there's one born every minute.

 

Hyundai offers 5 year unlimited mile Roadside Assistance. It's more reliable than runflats.

 

^ if you have phone coverage. I used it 1x when the car was still under warranty . . . HMA hooked me right up.

 

My Tib had 10yr/100,000 mile coverage I think. I used it 3 times, and twice I bypass two nearby dealerships to have it towed 45 miles away to a trustworthy service department. No problems at all.

 

Some of not most run flats can't be patched correctly so you gotta replace em each time you get a nail



That in itself isn't worth the convenience of not having to call a tow truck