ghstudio

I've had the car 5 days, enjoying every minute...and today, for the first time, I found the tire pressure display. I was not a happy camper when it said 48 psi in the front and 42 psi in the rear. So I made my fifth (yes, every day) visit to my dealer, who fortunately is close. The didn't openly admit that they hadn't preped the car for delivery, but they got the message...and they adjusted the tire pressure very quickly. I then took my first drive on an interstate and my impression is that the car is extremely quiet and handles beautifully at up to 85 mph (you just don't realize you're running at that speed), but the OEM run flat tires (this is a diesel car) are creating a lot of noise.

I wonder if I could find a much quieter 245/45R17 tire for the car (at some reasonable price) and I could reinstall the run flats at the end of the lease. I am in florida, so I don't need to worry about freezing weather or snow.

Any thoughts? Any suggestions?

reckrab

The only thing that would concern me is getting a flat and having no spare. My limited experience with run flats is that they are noisy and expensive so finding a cheaper, quieter alternative shouldn't be too hard.

listerone

I'm on my second car with run flats and everything I've heard and read indicates that most people who have them don't like them...noise,harsh ride,etc.Tirerack-dot-com is a well known tire outlet that has a good search feature (that allows you to search only non-run flats,for example)and carries just about every major brand.Never dealt with them so I can't vouch for their integrity.

ghstudio

Porsche's do not have spare tires...they carry an emergency inflation kit....and I am willing to go that same route and take the risk of having to wait.

HBerman

Canadian 2011 BlueTec E-350 do not come with runflat tires. Instead, they are fitted with 17" all-season and an emergency inflation kit. I priced one of these kits and it was around $350 from my local dealer. There is a space in the tire well designed for the kit. It really should be an option in the US spec cars.

Live Oak

I canceled an order for a BMW 550i because I discovered it is available with run-flats only. My research revealed that they a $600 EACH counting balance and mount. The reputation for hard ride and short life were secondary issues.

It appears that the BMW sales personnel are coached to not even mention run-flat unless asked directly. If you ask what tires, they'll give you the numbers . . . period. The run-flat spec is BURIED in the promotional material.