[Andy B366]

Hey there folks, I'm new to this forum and new to BMW. I've just purchased a 2019 540i with the M-Sport package for my wife, picking the car up in a week or as. What an awesome car!

The car comes with run-flat tires. Our experience with this type of tire has not been good. My wife has a 2017 Cadillac CTS with run-flats (245/40R18). For the first year she had the car we lived south of Boston, no issues with the tires, but for the last three in Central Massachusetts. Since moving here she's had 13 flat tires, mostly due to the ample pot holes that open up year round. I know, just drive around them, right? Well as it turns out this is fairly common for run-flats in New England with both the CTS and ATS, many posts about it on various forums. The current tires are Bridgestone, but she's had Michelins and Continentals as well. Fortunately she has the tire protection plan.

So my question to the 5-series community: If you live in New England, or any area prone to pot holes, and your car has run-flats, how have they held out? Has your experience been similar to my wife's with her CTS? Most of the CTS drivers ditched their run-flats for conventional tires, would you do the same with a 540i?

I'm not sure of the exact size of the tires on the 540i, I know they're 19x8 and they appear to have more sidewall than the CTS.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[DealBMW]

Originally Posted by Andy B366

Hey there folks, I'm new to this forum and new to BMW. I've just purchased a 2019 540i with the M-Sport package for my wife, picking the car up in a week or as. What an awesome car!

The car comes with run-flat tires. Our experience with this type of tire has not been good. My wife has a 2017 Cadillac CTS with run-flats (245/40R18). For the first year she had the car we lived south of Boston, no issues with the tires, but for the last three in Central Massachusetts. Since moving here she's had 13 flat tires, mostly due to the ample pot holes that open up year round. I know, just drive around them, right? Well as it turns out this is fairly common for run-flats in New England with both the CTS and ATS, many posts about it on various forums. The current tires are Bridgestone, but she's had Michelins and Continentals as well. Fortunately she has the tire protection plan.

So my question to the 5-series community: If you live in New England, or any area prone to pot holes, and your car has run-flats, how have they held out? Has your experience been similar to my wife's with her CTS? Most of the CTS drivers ditched their run-flats for conventional tires, would you do the same with a 540i?

I'm not sure of the exact size of the tires on the 540i, I know they're 19x8 and they appear to have more sidewall than the CTS.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Im in NJ, the roads here are better than those in NYC, but still are pretty bad. My 540 came with 19" rims and Continental run flats. So far so good, I only have 5k miles on my car though. I think you should be fine

[Marior20]

I live in New England, wheel/tire insurance is a must it pays for itself .

[Joe-BMW33]

Fellow Bostonian here, South of the city, then Beacon hill, now North in Wakefield. My only car with runflats was my last 5 series, an F10. I went though 9 runflats in 2 years. South of the city, in the city and north of the city. Thank God I had wheel and tire insurance. They just don't compress when you hit a pot hole, by design because they have such a sturdy side wall to be able to "runflat". They also ride hard as hell because of this.

My G30 was optioned with summer softy non runflats. Such a smooth ride. I run summer rubber all year and shut it down for the winter. Ditch them or get wheel and tire insurance.

[stryder011]

Northern NJ and the roads are just horrible. Feel your pain. Running on RF's and just had my two fronts replaced this past week. Have had a car for about 8 months now and around 6000 miles. 20" Pirelli's; if road is good I don't mind the ride they feel soft and ride is smooth.

But majority here advise to go with non run flats. Plus get the wheel/tire insurance, its a must have in these areas.

[Andy B366]

Thanks for the advice, folks. Sounds like a similar experience with our CTS.

My 2013 CTS had conventional tires, never had any problems over the same time.

Probably going to ditch the run-flats.

[kring]

Sounds like you purchased, but if you leased it just make sure you keep the runflats, they require you to turn in car with like tires on window sticker or they ding you nearly $2K

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Andy B366

Thanks for the advice, folks. Sounds like a similar experience with our CTS.

My 2013 CTS had conventional tires, never had any problems over the same time.

Probably going to ditch the run-flats.

Good move. Drive around on the rock hard runflats for a bit just so you know what a difference non runflats make.

[HerkHealer]

Originally Posted by Andy B366

run-flat tires.

6 days ago I swapped my GoodYear Eagle F1 runflats out with Michelin PS4S tires. It's literally night and day difference. The non runflats run so much smoother, quieter and grip like crazy.

Get rid of that crap and enjoy a smoother, quieter and better overall ride.

[jsf721]

I live in NY. Either get insurance or a second set if your handy. I am on my 7th blow out and 2nd rim.

[HerkHealer]

Originally Posted by jsf721

I live in NY. Either get insurance or a second set if your handy. I am on my 7th blow out and 2nd rim.

When I bent my passenger front wheel, I thought I hit an IED. It was so F'ing LOUD and VIOLENT. The 20" wheels and low profile tires with light weight wheels are a recipe for pothole disaster.

[stryder011]

Originally Posted by HerkHealer

6 days ago I swapped my GoodYear Eagle F1 runflats out with Michelin PS4S tires. It's literally night and day difference. The non runflats run so much smoother, quieter and grip like crazy.

Get rid of that crap and enjoy a smoother, quieter and better overall ride.

So how do you carry a spare ? Since my car has RF it didn't come with one and don't see any space in the trunk where I could put one.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by stryder011

So how do you carry a spare ? Since my car has RF it didn't come with one and don't see any space in the trunk where I could put one.

You can either buy a spare kit from a place like FCP Euro or get a plug kit, mini compressor and jack. I picked option 2 when I went to regular tires on our F10. I have since gone back to ROF's (on the F10) as I hated the non-ROF's.

We have Continental ROF's on our 2019 540i and I will probably stick with them when they wear out. Then again, our roads aren't all that bad here in So Cal.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by stryder011

So how do you carry a spare ? Since my car has RF it didn't come with one and don't see any space in the trunk where I could put one.

Even though I have a spare, it will never leave my trunk. If I get a flat, I'm having it towed to the dealer. I have W&T insurance. Unless you take long road trips in remote areas, roadside assistance to the dealer is an option. Honestly, I've seen so many pictures over the winter where people blew out a runflat on a pothole where the tires/wheel isn't drivable on which defeats the purpose of a runflat.

[jsf721]

I ordered my car with the spare tire kit, its a steal at 150 bucks.

Total shame they don't include it on cars anymore.

The run flats are a nice feature but I have needed my spare to get home on 3 occasions in the last 3 years of ownership.

Originally Posted by stryder011

So how do you carry a spare ? Since my car has RF it didn't come with one and don't see any space in the trunk where I could put one.