What IS the point of Run Flats?

Apples2

JQ. wrote: »

I'd imagine that if you suffer a blow-out at 70mph in the outside lane of the motorway you might be grateful of the runflat not spinning you off into the armco.

I'm not so sure a runflat would stop that. Ultimately it is a piece of rubber, if it is going to rip apart, it will. The runflat is more to do with a standard puncture by going over a nail or something.

I do about 20K miles a year. I walk to work and only take the car if I am going shopping after work.

The majority of my driving is motorways, I dumped my old car with 156,000 miles on it in favour of the 530, within an hour of my standard journey finds me beyond the 50 mile limit for the benefit of the runflat.

On the balance of risk, I have been driving for 25 years, had many punctures but no motorway blowouts. For me, the risk is acceptable.

Appreciate the point of view though

JQ.

and I agree, I'm not prepared to pay 3 times the cost to safeguard against such issues, but as the sidewalls of a runflat are loadbearing you're far less likely to suffer a blowout. However, some people are prepared to pay and that's why they're not totally pointless.

Incidentally my car was a 330d MSport and I think they cost circa £250 a tyre. I just got all 4 tyres changed on my current car for £223 and that's for top of the range Michelin Pilot Exalto 2's. No comparison really.

ailuro2

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

I reckon there are quite a lot of gimmicks about tyres. eg Winter tyres? Give me a break! In the UK??

they give much shorter stopping distances in temperatures of 7 celcius and under - since I live in Scotland, that's a decent chunk of the year.;)

Gloomendoom

Just buy a space saver now and stick it in the boot. Swap to normal tyres when the runflats wear out.

A space saver isn't ideal but at least you can get home on it... albeit slowly!

pendulum

Apples2 wrote: »

I do about 20K miles a year. I walk to work and only take the car if I am going shopping after work.

You must do a hell of a lot of shopping.

Weird_Nev

Agreed, I don't really get the "point" of them.
They have worse ride, cost more, and destroy themselves when you use the "run flat" feature.

I think manufacturers like them because they mean you can do away with the wheel in the wheel well, which greatly increases load space and also simplifies crash compliance issues. It also means that you can fit ever larger alloy wheels to the car without having to worry about packaging to fit the fifth wheel in the cabin space somewhere. Can you imagine the space taken up by a full size spare for an X5 or something?

Gloomendoom

Weird_Nev wrote: »

I think manufacturers like them because they mean you can do away with the wheel in the wheel well, which greatly increases load space and also simplifies crash compliance issues. It also means that you can fit ever larger alloy wheels to the car without having to worry about packaging to fit the fifth wheel in the cabin space somewhere. Can you imagine the space taken up by a full size spare for an X5 or something?

A lot of manufacturers are deleting the spare even if conventional tyres are fitted as standard. All you will find in the boot is a tin of gunk and an air compressor.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mrs G's new car came with a full size spare wheel that matched the other alloys on the car.

mustrum_ridcully

To help the chav's who've nicked your car get away if the police take an interest them (I assume stingers are useless on runflats)?

jaydeeuk1

Space saver tyres are more pointless imo. Imagine a car full of kids and stuff, not an inch spare, off on holiday to skegness. Driving along then suddently thud... tyre now flat. Get all crap out. Change tyres, put flat back in boot. If its a daewoo lanos like my old car, then you'll find the flat tyre won't fit in properly, and raises the lining several inches, and guess what, the suitcases no longer fit in.

And then if its like that Toyota Yaris I had on hire once, no one in a 40 mile radius of Leeds will have a tyre that then fits.

Whoever invented them really needs a slap.

B00st

mustrum_ridcully wrote: »

To help the chav's who've nicked your car get away if the police take an interest them (I assume stingers are useless on runflats)?

The latest type of stinger does deal with run flats. It takes out the sidewall in a way which means that it can no longer support the car.