View Poll Results: Run flats
I don't like run flats
15
68.18%
I prefer run flats
2
9.09%
I don't know
3
13.64%
I don't care either way
2
9.09%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll
Run flats, love them or hate them
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 193
From: US
Hard to say, I'm kinda split on it. My x5 is not a performance car, so it doesn't really matter. I've only ever had run flats on it, both all season and winter wheel sets, but I think it rides just fine. If I keep it until the next tire change, I might put non run flats to see if the ride quality is any different.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,073
Likes: 3,869
From: Maryland
That wasn't quite what I was asking. I know that run-flat-equipped vehicles from the factory do not have a spare. What I meant was, that, if you took the effort to replace the run-flats with conventional tires, did you also buy a new spare (and wheel) with the other four new tires.....(in other words, five tires instead of four)? It's always nice to have a real spare tire, although it can beg the question of where to stow it in vehicles with very tight cargo space.
I have thought about buying temporary spares but I trade cars so often its not worth it.
Yeah like anything else we think are fine/great until something significant happens. I remember reading posts on this topic. A guy said it happened to him in a tunnel. That's definitely rare but keeping you going safely is definitely worth it for me. I was away from home and my tire size was not common so none had it in stock in that whole town. It wasn't a small town either.
My X5 came with 21" Pirelli RFs. They were fine but (I think) started to show some roughness/noise near 15k. I don't know if it was just the tires getting old in general or it was RFs getting old. I did some reading and decided to swap them out with Michelin Non RFs. The ride definitely improved but again I don't know if it was just because the tires were new. Certain cars, like X5, come with adaptive suspension that can make a difference too.
My X5 came with 21" Pirelli RFs. They were fine but (I think) started to show some roughness/noise near 15k. I don't know if it was just the tires getting old in general or it was RFs getting old. I did some reading and decided to swap them out with Michelin Non RFs. The ride definitely improved but again I don't know if it was just because the tires were new. Certain cars, like X5, come with adaptive suspension that can make a difference too.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,073
Likes: 3,869
From: Maryland
I hate Pirellis. With BMW it's a lottery if you get Pirellis or Michelins, and both of my wife's X6Ms came with Pirellis, and I swapped them with Michelins - instant major improvement. I have Michelins on all my cars and bikes. On my X5 I have a set of 19" RF all season Michelins, and a set of 18" RF winter Michelins, and I really don't feel any roughness. Both sets have pretty fat sidewalls, so it helps with smoother ride. The winter tires are a bit noisy, but that's to be expected.
Their all season/touring tires are ok, but their high performance tires don't inspire the same confidence as comparable Michelins, and they develop dry rot cracks within a year.
10th Gear
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
Our 2025 NX350 came with run flats….about the only thing I didn’t like. I immediately bought a correct spare and jack to throw in the back when we travel. I intend to replace them with Michelin CrossClimate tires when these start to show their age. So far the ride seems OK, but only have about 4k on them.
interestingly, our other car is a 2024 Subaru WRX. Although it came with traditional tires, it also had no spare but a bottle of sealant. So I also bought a correct spare for that vehicle as well. I just won’t travel without a spare.
interestingly, our other car is a 2024 Subaru WRX. Although it came with traditional tires, it also had no spare but a bottle of sealant. So I also bought a correct spare for that vehicle as well. I just won’t travel without a spare.
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 193
From: US
I hate Pirellis. With BMW it's a lottery if you get Pirellis or Michelins, and both of my wife's X6Ms came with Pirellis, and I swapped them with Michelins - instant major improvement. I have Michelins on all my cars and bikes. On my X5 I have a set of 19" RF all season Michelins, and a set of 18" RF winter Michelins, and I really don't feel any roughness. Both sets have pretty fat sidewalls, so it helps with smoother ride. The winter tires are a bit noisy, but that's to be expected.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,073
Likes: 3,869
From: Maryland
Thus far I've been happy with Pirellis, RF or not. I think we had this discussion before. People call me (and you?) weird when I said I wanted my tires to also have a good look. And I think Pirellis do look good esp. with thin sidewalls. The best one was Scorpion on my MB. But that could be due to MB's softer suspension.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 602
From: SC
Not a fan either. That's what is on my Plaid with the 19" wheels. Will purchase Michelin when these go.
Intermediate
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 316
Likes: 76
From: New Jersey
My only experience with run-flats is when I leased the GS 450h, which had them as standard equipment.
I did not like the ride at all. But, they did save me when I got a punctured tire on the way to the hospital in New Jersey and was able to go over the bridge and get to Staten Island and ended up changing the tire in the parking lot. Even though it had run-flats, it did come with a space saver spare tire.
After commuting to Staten Island for 28 yrs, I've now been working in NJ for the past 4 yrs. No more bridges to work for me.
I did not like the ride at all. But, they did save me when I got a punctured tire on the way to the hospital in New Jersey and was able to go over the bridge and get to Staten Island and ended up changing the tire in the parking lot. Even though it had run-flats, it did come with a space saver spare tire.
After commuting to Staten Island for 28 yrs, I've now been working in NJ for the past 4 yrs. No more bridges to work for me.
PO of my e-class put bridgestone runflats. as soon as they wore out, i replaced them with standard goodyears and WOW the ride quality was so much better with less noise - granted the factory car was not meant to have runflats in the first place!
