![]() ![]() Moving the car slowly with the window down resulted in the crunchy sound of a flat tire and the feeling was noticeably wiggly and sloppy. Hoping it was just low, and not completely flat, we looked at it closely and could see it was definitely flat. A system like this is now government-mandated on all modern cars. ![]() We first noticed the flat when we re-entered the vehicle because the car told us the front left tire was low via the information screen. We learned quite a bit from the experience and hope you find this information helpful if you’re considering a vehicle with run-flat tires. ![]() ![]() During a Sunday trip to a park we had a puncture that gave us the chance to see how a run flat preforms while driving deflated, as well as explore the repair/replacement options and see how they might compare to other road hazard management options like a full size spare or temporary spare. Our impromptu test vehicle was a 2013 BMW X3 xDrive 28i crossover. One-time, conditional convenience is nice, but in the big picture, run-flats are likely more trouble than they're worth.We recently had an unplanned opportunity to put run flat tires to the test. There's a lot to be said for the reassurance of driving on a flat after you've had a puncture, but if you want my advice, skip the run-flats. In the case of a Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop I recently tested, the run-flat tire option made it too crashy to drive daily. The thicker sidewalls not only result in increased road noise, but a harsher overall ride quality. The other big run-flat tradeoff is how these tires negatively affect a car's ride and handling characteristics. Because these tires aren't fitted to most vehicles, many repair shops don't stock them. And if you think you'll find a P-Zero run-flat on hand at any old tire shop, think again. Not having a spare tire onboard isn't the smartest idea if you frequently find yourself in rural settings. What if I had been, say, on Highway 50 in Nevada? Dubbed the Loneliest Road in America, there isn't a BMW dealership within 250 miles. Something else to consider: My incident occurred in a well-populated area of Northern California. ![]()
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