[smkuma]

I am planning to order 2018 X3.

Please advise your opinion on Run flat tires vs non-run flat tires.
If I make a build order with NON run flat tires (default) option, there is no spare tires ($150) included.
However, if I include the run flat tires option in the build, the system by default includes the spare tires ($150).

By the way, I am planning to order a standard X3 Xdrive.... I do not like a stiffer ride... Normally I do not drive on roads with pot holes...


Which option - Run flat tires vs non-run flat tires, I can go with for the build.

[Slalom]

I am in the minority here. Early run flat tires on BMW's (and Lexus SC 400) resulted in an overly harsh ride. Later, that was largely corrected. If I were driving in an area where punctures were common, I would sacrifice the space in the back and get non-run flat tires and a spare.
My build was for run flat 21". For winter (December to March) I have 20" non-run flat with the mobility kit.
I will keep the mobility kit in the car all year because I figure that being able to add some air in case of a slow leak is not a bad idea no matter what kind of tire I have.
If I were the only driver, I would really rather have a vehicle that was designed to have a temporary spare. However, I am not the only driver. Roadside assistance can take forever, and my wife could not change a tire on something as heavy as an X3. So for her sake, run flats are better.

[BillD1953]

Im pretty happy with the Bridgestone Duellers AS RFs that came on my new M40i.
Very compliant soft ride....and I did order the spare tire kit......

[littleanthony]

We hated our run flats that came with our '06 X5 and our '13 X5. Although the '13 was better, we replaced the run flats on both cars with all season tires before the run flats needed to be replaced.
Our experience with those run flats: they darted around on the highway so much it was almost uncomfortable to drive the cars, having to constantly correct the direction we were going. Gradually increasing the tire pressure helped, and we settled on 4 PSI over sticker recommendations to minimize darting.
However, the 19" Pirelli P7 all season run flats on our new M40 are very very good tires. We keep the tires at 4 PSI over sticker, and there is no darting. They ride quietly and comfortably, and we are hoping for decent tread wear.
We ordered the non-staggered 19" wheels for three reasons: 1) we can rotate the tires for better tread wear 2) we live in North Carolina where we do get snow and ice in the winter (I do not drive my M Roadster in temperature below 35 degrees with the Pilot Super Sports - no grip!) 3) For now, there is a huge void of non-run-flat tires being made for the staggered 20" and 21" wheel sizes for the X3 widths. If we eventually replace our run flats, I want to have some options.
We also ordered the spare tire package to have the option to replace a flat tire.
And no, I do not wear suspenders and a belt at the same time.....

[tur1261]

Be aware that when ordering non-run flat tires the cargo area will be modified to accommodate the spare. I found out the hard way, it was upon delivery - nothing on the BMW website!!! The floor of the cargo area is raised 3" and you will lose the floor tie down rails. 1st image attached is with run flat tires (obviously, no spare), the 2nd is with non-run flat's and a spare under the rear cargo floor area.

[Yizu]

In the Netherlands you only get the raised cargo floor and you will loose the rails when you order a spare tyre.

That is stated clearly in the brochure in the description of the storage compartment package.

I ordered the non run flat because I will purchase the 21’ in the upcoming summer. The 19’ wheels will become the winter wheels next winter.. it was not possible to order the 21’ immediately, here it’s only possible when you order the M40i.

[greg2step]

i decided to order the spare on mine. i may have used the floor anchors once in my F25, and I feel like the lack of spare on my prior 2 BMW's prevented me from going to non-RFT tires.

[Rbrown]

Originally Posted by greg2step

i decided to order the spare on mine. i may have used the floor anchors once in my F25, and I feel like the lack of spare on my prior 2 BMW's prevented me from going to non-RFT tires.

I had exactly the same decision making process!

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by tur1261

Be aware that when ordering non-run flat tires the cargo area will be modified to accommodate the spare. I found out the hard way, it was upon delivery - nothing on the BMW website!!! The floor of the cargo area is raised 3" and you will lose the floor tie down rails. 1st image attached is with run flat tires (obviously, no spare), the 2nd is with non-run flat's and a spare under the rear cargo floor area.

Well, I just ordered a G01 today -- and the hump was the deciding factor.

This will be my third BMW (stretching back to 2006) with RFTs and I guess I have capitulated. Not to the ride, which has always been fine, IMO, but to the cost.

Once, in my then-E90, I was on a college visit trip with my kid in Vermont. On I-91 south of Burlington at 80MPH, the display went nuts warning of low tire pressure.

I pulled off and, so 'nuf: a nail. BMW Assist offered to tow us back to Burlington but I decided to make it back to central Mass. on the RFT.

You gotta drive slow -- but these things really do work. They cost a fortune to replace, nobody will repair them (they won't take the risk that you did what I did) and they have to be ordered (few stores keep 'em in stock).

But when you see the value of not being stuck on a highway with a flat or, as in my case, when my wife is making her way to or from the hospital she works at in terrible New England storms in which a flat could be life-threatening, it's worth it.

Plus, I think BMW added the limited-service spare to the car as an ugly afterthought. They are design-driven and when they make something this ugly, it's a message to buyers.

I went with the RFTs on my G01.

[Mark House]

I may just purchase a single spare run flat tire to keep on hand. That way I wouldn’t have to order a tire if I needed one quick but not necessarily carry one in the car.

[todd hollander]

Originally Posted by tur1261

Be aware that when ordering non-run flat tires the cargo area will be modified to accommodate the spare. I found out the hard way, it was upon delivery - nothing on the BMW website!!! The floor of the cargo area is raised 3" and you will lose the floor tie down rails. 1st image attached is with run flat tires (obviously, no spare), the 2nd is with non-run flat's and a spare under the rear cargo floor area.

THANKS, I just changed my order to non-run flats!

[kozzi]

No doubt that at this point non-RFTs are superior to RFTs but that gap is quickly closing. The 20" PZero RFTs I am riding on now are a 100x better than the Continental SSport 19s I had in 2011 and the 20" PZeros I had in 2015. The ride quality is so good, I have regrets I did not opt for the 21s.

My family, in multiple situations, has been fortunate not to have to deal with punctures far from any chance of getting road side assistance in a timely fashion. For the sake of other drivers and peace of mind, I will stick with RFTs.

[dbm2645]

I opted for the RFT's due to previous experience using the Porsche tire sealant on a nail puncture. Needless to say the tire didn't seal and I had to pay $200 for a technician to remove the sealant from the wheel. Total for new tire + labor was $850.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by Mark House

I may just purchase a single spare run flat tire to keep on hand. That way I wouldn’t have to order a tire if I needed one quick but not necessarily carry one in the car.

Unless your get lots of flats (I've had three in four years on three different cars), this might not be as convenient as you think. Tire stores, at least those in major metro areas, can get a tire in a day or two. Some BMW dealers have stock (at list, of course plus $140/hr shop rate to scratch your rims).

But tires expire. After five or six years, they are dangerous and cannot be used on a car. (Check the DOT number to find the year and week of manufacture.)

So if you don't use the tire until the fourth year, you have a tire with most of its tread that will have to be replaced before it becomes worn.

[WallyF]

Since the spare tire causes the trunk area to be raised 3 inches, what happens to the folded down rear sears?

Are the rear seats level with the trunk area or 3 inches lower?

Just found a picture of the folded down rear seats. Looks like they are lower.

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showth...ight=Oil+chang

Wallyf

[BillD1953]

Good question...I'll take a look

[edcrane]

Originally Posted by dbm2645

I opted for the RFT's due to previous experience using the Porsche tire sealant on a nail puncture. Needless to say the tire didn't seal and I had to pay $200 for a technician to remove the sealant from the wheel. Total for new tire + labor was $850.

Fix a flat is truly last resort; not for a situation where you can get a tow in an hour or so. I have tow coverage from Geico, and wouldn’t use fix a flat anywhere in NJ, since there are always tow trucks around.

[j1980mac]

If I were looking for a more responsive/lighter steering feel, what tires should I go with?

[ContactPatch]

Originally Posted by j1980mac

If I were looking for a more responsive/lighter steering feel, what tires should I go with?

The one and only: Michelin Pilot Super Sport or the new PS4.





Some eye candy...

[j1980mac]

Originally Posted by ContactPatch

The one and only: Michelin Pilot Super Sport or the new PS4.





Some eye candy...

I've been looking at the PS4s! I'm wondering if they'll cure the heavy steering wheel in the X3 M40i?

[AndroidRobot]

Originally Posted by j1980mac

I've been looking at the PS4s! I'm wondering if they'll cure the heavy steering wheel in the X3 M40i?

Your steering is heavy? Mine is really light except in sport where its a little heavier. What tires/wheels do you currently have?

I'm running factory wheels with Pirelli P Zero AS + tires

[nyalpine90]

which rft tires comes with 19" 698M?