pvrick

I am planning on replacing my current Pirelli P zero run flats with Conti Extreme Contact DWS 6 conventional tires. Does anyone have any experience replacing their run flats with conventional tires on the sport package with the 20 inch wheels. Mileage and ride on the run flats is horrible.

Thanks
Rick

Steinhart

I'm planning to do the same, what are you going to do for a spare tire?

pvrick

[QUOTE=Steinhart;6773700]I'm planning to do the same, what are you going to do for a spare tire?[/QUOTE
Probably risk running without one. If I had a flat I would call roadside assistance. Can't find a donut and cheapest wheel.is about $400. Maybe get fix a flat kit for $40.

Steinhart

I'm going to get a spare, roadside assistance would tow it otherwise

ho1105

Got the Continental DWS. Rides far better than run flats and much more quiet. Got a fix a flat kit for $20 just in case.

Steinhart

I'm next....

e_dasani

My 16 S550, with 20" wheels has 500 miles on it, the mileage I am getting is 14.2mpg which I thought is not decent, is that due to run flats? The ride quality, I dont have concerns, it drives quite and nice.

pvrick

Don't think run flats have any impact on gas mileage. My 14 s550 gets about 15 city and 24 highway. I don't like that a $400 tire wears out after 7-10k miles. With the staggered wheel size they cannot be rotated. At least standard can be rotated side to side.

Streamliner

My 2015 has 18" wheels & no sports pkg. I negotiated with the dealer, before I took delivery, to swap out the run flats for conventional tires. I drove the car for 500 miles before bringing it in for the swap. The difference to me was day and night. The ride improved a noticeable amount, but the noise at highway speeds went from screaming to virtually silent.

i purchased an unused W221 compact spare on eBay for around $200.00. I purchased a factory W222 jack from a supplier in Germany, also on eBay. The spare sits on top of my trunk floor. It's annoying, but when I drive out of town, the peace of mind it gives me is invaluable.

Everyone who makes the switch from run flats seems to be quite pleased that they did. However, don't stop there: EVERYTIME you interact with any MB employee, TELL THEM that you are unhappy with not at least having the OPTION to purchase one of their flagship sedans with conventional tires, a jack and a spare that sits under the trunk floor, where it belongs. The new BMW 7 now has a spare as an option. BMW didn't just decide to do this, they responded to customer complaints. So make sure YOU complain.

Steinhart

thank you, I will purchase that spare and jack

what tires did you get?

Streamliner

I have Bridgestone Serenity Plus tires. I've had them on other vehicles over the years and have been very pleased with them. I'm also a big fan of the Michelin MXM4 tires. That said, I'm not sure either tire is available in 20" sizes.

Wolfman

I also swapped the 20" P-Zero run flats with the DWS 6's. Since this is our winter car (convertible for the summer time) here in MN, summer tires were of no use anyway. No-brainier decision.
Ride quality is greatly improved, same as interior noise but fuel mileage is the same, as expected.
I use the Continental Tirefit kit just in case. Getting a spare makes sense if you go for long distance trips but in the city it's completely unnecessary. Having no spare is nothing unusual with MB either; our SL55 in 2002 already didn't have one.

pvrick

How do the Conti DWS 06 handle on twisty roads with their softer sidewall. How have you seen the wear
Thanks

e_dasani

I feel bit lost, maybe I have been missing out on some fun. I have the Goodyear F02R 275/35R20's. I dont have much to compare with, but so far quite content with the ride-quality (interior is reasonably quiet and ride is fine, considering they are 20" and not much rubber there). Would upgrading to Conti DWS 20" really make that much difference? Has anyone had the Goodyear tire as mine?

a13482214704

I am thinking about the same thing, I have the Goodyear 20 inch. A lot of ppl is telling me Goodyear are horrible. My 15 s550 came with 19 inch and primacy all season. I recently bought these OEM 20 inch as a take off. Noticed heavier. Steering. Ride is much harsh than the 19 inch. I am thinking of getting 20 in non run flat like PSS or conti DW ( half price of PSS) just don't know if it will be much different. Since they are 20 inches and not much rubber. Anyone have ideas??

5634MG

Streamliner, why didn't you just purchase the pump and tirefit kit instead of the spare as it eats up so much space? It should give you sufficient mileage for you to visit a shop or dealer.

Wolfman

I wish you were right but the info is not quite correct re. BMW.
While you can add the spare as an option with the new 7 series (and halfing your trunk space as they simply raised the trunk floor by the height of the tire) BUT you can't buy the car with conventional tires. BMW offers no choices.

I think BMW realized that even run flats, a type of tire that no tire shop carries in inventory, can also have complete and immediate tire failure.

Wolfman

PSS as in Michelin Pilot Super Sports?
I you have to ask about choosing performance tires or all season tires, you probably will like the DWS.

A performance tires is a hundred times better for the cars handling than some mushy, master-of-none all season tire.

Don't get me wrong, i like the DWS but it's no match to a PSS. But every performance tire comes with distinct disadvantages; short lifespan, bumpy ride until therubber warms up and terrible handling when the temps go down to 40's

jrpisha

I negotiated with my dealer to replace the run flats mounted on the 20 inch wheels with all season rubber (I chose the Hancock ventus S1 noble2's) before I took delivery. I carry a fix a flat kit in the trunk. The tires are quiet & offer a smooth ride, but they're wearing out pretty quickly.

I'll be interested in your experience with the Conti ExtremeContact DWS 06's. I have a set of the first generation of those on my wife's X5; a good lookin' tire with good traction - but boy are they noisy at highway speeds...

John

Streamliner

One night, several years ago, while driving my Lexus LS430 home on the 405 freeway, in heavy, yet fast moving traffic, I hit something. I don't know what it was, but it shredded my right front, nearly new Michelin tire. I made it to the shoulder and called AAA. As it turned out, a Metro truck came by a few minutes later. The driver made the change and I was home before dinner got cold. If I had not had a spare, the car would have been towed and it would have been several, uncomfortable hours before I got home in a rental car and had to retrieve my car the next day. This incident happened in Long Beach, CA.

Imagine the same situation, while driving with your family through Yellowstone National Park or some other non-metro area in the country, in an S550 with 20" run flats. The tire is shredded. Your tire-fit kit is useless. You call AAA and hours later, the truck shows up. Your car is towed to Earl's Fillin' Station where Earl says something like "GEEZE! I ain't never seen a tar like this un fore! Gonna have to call Omaha in the mornin' & see if they can send one. Probably be a couple of days at least."
So, your wife & kids spend a couple of nights at the No-Tell Motel, battling bed bugs, a giant monkey wrench thrown into your vacation.

No sir. I like to be as self sufficient as possible and I need to feel secure. Any car I drive out of the greater metropolitan areas of the country will have a jack & spare in the trunk. EVERY car maker should at least offer the OPTION of a compact spare and a proper place to store it.

Streamliner

Actually, I am right. I never said that BMW offered the choice of conventional tires, just the option of having a spare.

Steinhart

I completely AGREE with you, and I am amazed that MB, being engineered with so many advanced safety features, has neglected one of the most basic safety devices, a spare tire.

pvrick

I don't think anyone disagrees that having a spare and good tires is far better than 4 run flats. However since Mercedes-Benz doesn't provide the space or options for one and buying one is a minimum investment of $500 requiring storage and or some sort of restraint system in the trunk to keep it from becoming a missile in the trunk.in event of an accident, I am going to take the risk of running without. Getting the Contis today I will post after using them for a few days.

Streamliner

I bought an unused, compact spare out of a 2013 S550 for just over $200.00. I got it on eBay. I think the jack was something in the $50.00 range and I got that on eBay as well. The compact spare isn't all that heavy and if it could become a "missile" in an accident, then so could loaded pieces of luggage, a bag full of golf clubs or any other, relatively heavy object one might put in their trunk.

5634MG

Guess everyone's needs are different.

We rarely venture to non-metro areas; even going skiing, it's quite 'urban' here up north.

I guess I'm just stuck and hooked onto the tirefit kit after an extremely unpleasant situation many years ago when I was young. My mother had a flat inside an indoor parkade and the only thing roadside assistance could do was send a towtruck to either come and replace the spare or bring it to the dealer. However, the tow truck could not enter and refused to park outside and walk in to assist us.

We ended stranded in there for hours and she basically had to pull a lot of she had to pull a lot of strings to finally find someone willing to help her replace the spare.

Needless to say, when they began carrying the pump and tirefit kit, both of us have basically ordered a kit for every vehicle we have that doesn't offer it as standard as well as replacing the run flats with conventional tires. In my case, the tirefit simply fits with my needs since the only flats I get are from nails and screws from construction sites.

Basically what I'm saying that while there is a need for a spare tire, it is not necessarily accessible by everyone. Some people simple can't replace a tire on their own because they might not have the physical strength to do so.

However, options like this should be made available since everybody has differing needs and it's not like it will be an extremely increased cost for MB in terms of tooling for the tray under the trunk.