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BMW 3-Series Run Flat Tires

3108 messages,  Last post on Apr 21, 2013 at 1:52 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Tires

Messages Page 292 of 312

#2906 of 3108 Re: Are the Michelin RFT's better? [Mr_Shiftright] by busiris

Jul 06, 2011 (11:02 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 05, 2011 7:38 pm)
I certainly understand your motives in swapping out the RFT's. The originals on my wife's MINI were also noisy, but the new RFT's she installed in late 2010 appear to be much quieter. I will say again... in a perfect world, a buyer would have the factory option of RFT's or GFT's.
 
I also agree with your opinion of the car. No, it isn't perfect, but then again, anyone who buys a German-made vehicle with the intention of keeping it several years, while at the same time expecting low maintenance costs is, shall we say, a bit delusional...or at least, "uneducated" on German vehicles.
 
For those who abhor RFT's, they have the option of going the M3 route by using GFT's and carrying a small tire repair/inflation pump kit. No, its not as good as a spare, but in most cases will be acceptable.
 
What really cracks me up, though, is the few folks who think BMW (or any carmaker, for that matter) should cater to their specific desires, while disregarding the general market's desires.
 
When I bought my Z4 coupe in 2007, I remember asking my sales rep why there were so few manual BMW's on the lot. His response was that manuals didn't sell, but automatics did sell. I jokingly mentioned that if all the cars they had on the lot were manuals, then they might sell more of them. His response: There are plenty of other competitors in the car business.
 
You get the idea.
 
Another one of his observartions was that, in his experience, most of these same folks that compain about BMW forgetting its roots usually don't buy new cars, but used ones. If they do spring for a new model, its usually "option-lean", which means less $$$ for the rep and the dealership.

#2907 of 3108 BMW sets sales records... by busiris

Jul 08, 2011 (12:57 pm)

Condensed from the Greenville News (Greenville, SC):
 
BMW stated Thursday that it set sales records for both the month and the first half of the year, with volume up 137,000 units compared with last year's production numbers, to 833,366 vehicles (20% higher than the first 6 months of last year).
 
Last month BMW sold 134,432 BMW brand vehicles worldwide, with BMW brand sales totalling 689,861 (17.8% higher than last year). MINI and Rolls-Royce had double-digit gains both for June and the first half of the year.
 
Seems to me that all of these buyers couldn't be in the dark about RFT's. Surely, some of them are intelligent enough to know what type of tire their car has mounted on its rims.
 
Manufacturers produce the products that sell, or they would be out of business in short order.... especially in a competitive environment as automobile production.
 
Whether or not one likes or hates RFT's, its pretty clear that BMW is set on its RFT offerings and isn't going to change directions in that regard any time soon...

#2908 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [busiris] by boston303

Jul 08, 2011 (1:13 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Jul 08, 2011 12:57 pm)
The sheep rule. Form overcomes function. I simply have no interest in such an over rated car. My current 3 series is a total disappointment. As I do advise others on purchases, you can certainly get a feeling that BMW's are not on the approved list.

#2909 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [boston303] by shipo

Jul 08, 2011 (2:15 pm)

Replying to: boston303 (Jul 08, 2011 1:13 pm)
Personally I say form follows function; to that end I'd have no problem buying a new 3-Series of 5-Series, and immediatly swapping out the RFTs for a nice set of GFTs. Kind of a no-brainer.

#2910 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [busiris] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 08, 2011 (2:40 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Jul 08, 2011 12:57 pm)
I'd venture that not one in ten BMW buyers has a clue what RFTs are all about. And if they ARE aware that their car has RFTs, I'd venture not one in 50 could explain what they can, and cannot, do.
 
 (no, they are not solid rubber. No, they are not bullet-proof. Yes, you can destroy them by driving on them too long. Yes, they cost a lot more than the regular tire to replace. No, they don't last the life of the car).
 
 At least with "HD" TV (which we didn't clamor for either) we can SEE the difference----"oh, yeah, I get it".
 
At best, RFTs are like ABS---people really don't know much about it, but it sounds good.

#2911 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [Mr_Shiftright] by busiris

Jul 09, 2011 (6:54 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 08, 2011 2:40 pm)
In reference you your HDTV comment, I think i would have used the 3D-HDTV format as the example.
 
Many who watch a lot of sports know exactly what HD format gave them, and sports over all else was one of the primary driving forces (especially in Europe) for the introduction of large flat screen HD TV. It really was, in large part, demand driven.
 
On the other hand, the 3D feature seems to be much more manufacturer driven, rather than responding to a huge demand.

#2912 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [busiris] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 09, 2011 (9:42 am)

Replying to: busiris (Jul 09, 2011 6:54 am)
Well we clamored for HD after we saw the difference (no-brainer) but I don't recall looking at my RFTs and saying "from now on, man, I want a piece of that for the rest of my life!"
 
Yep, 3D is a perfect example of manufacturers wanting you to throw away your perfectly good TV set.
 
Hey, can you guess what PERCENTAGE of *everything* we buy REMAINS in our possession after 6 months?
 
1%
 

#2913 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [Mr_Shiftright] by kyfdx HOST

Jul 09, 2011 (10:09 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 09, 2011 9:42 am)
Hey, can you guess what PERCENTAGE of *everything* we buy REMAINS in our possession after 6 months?
  
1%
 
Since we spend most of our money eating out..... that's probably the case after just two days....

#2914 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [Mr_Shiftright] by busiris

Jul 10, 2011 (7:25 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 09, 2011 9:42 am)
... I don't recall looking at my RFTs and saying "from now on, man, I want a piece of that for the rest of my life!"
 
Up until the introduction of RFT's, I don't think I know of a single case in which a car buyer made a decision to purchase or not based on the tires installed on a vehicle. On the other hand, I have seen folks walk away from a car because of color schemes, stereo set-up, interior options/fabric style, seat style, transmission-engine type/size, etc.
 
Probably because, at the time, spares were standard equipment and the buyer most likely expected to replace the OEM-equipment tires at some point during ownership anyway. He would then get his/her own tire of choice...
 
But, I do remember a time when space-saver spares were becoming the standard, and a lot of older folks were unhappy that they couldn't get a full-size spare. Of course, radials and rotational "dedication" went a long way towards discouraging regular tire rotation (the reason they wanted a full-size spare), which used to be the norm on bias-ply tires. Today, I suspect much less than 50% of car owners have their tires rotated (when its a possibility).
 
BMW just pushed the envelope a bit further, with RFT's and the suggestion against rotating tires, which in models with staggered front/back sizes, is impossible. BTW, it's my belief that the reason my wife was able to get 50K miles on her MINI's OEM RFT's was because I rotated them regularly at oil change intervals.
 
Still, I suspect one of the driving forces that led BMW to offer only RFT's (with a few exceptions) was the gradual reduction of sidewall height. A 30 or 35 series sidewall GFT doesn't allow for much margin in the case of a sudden blowout against wheel damage, but a rigid RFT sidewall does. That's just a guess on my part. But, even with RFT's. there are a high number of damaged wheels, so I can only imagine what it would be if RFT's weren't standard equipment.
 
If I was the "decider", I would always allow the option of either RFT or GFT. It just seems the best solution, and with today's assembly line technology, it wouldn't create any additional headaches for production.
 
However, no one asked me how I would do it...
 
And, judging by BMW's sales, they seem to be handling the issue to, if nothing else... their own satisfaction.
 
On the 1% retention number, I must be way out of the normal distribution range. Other than food and disposables (ie., toilet paper and the like), once I buy something, I usually keep it for years. My wife would gladly testify that I have 2 garages full of stuff I should have parted with 25 years ago...LOL!
 
Then again, I'm not part of the "video-game" generation.

#2915 of 3108 Re: BMW sets sales records... [busiris] by boston303

Jul 10, 2011 (8:23 am)

Replying to: busiris (Jul 10, 2011 7:25 am)
Well, if someone informed you that the tires cost twice as much as other GF high performance tires and that they only last 30% of the life of GF tires I think that equates to a muiltiplier of 6 times more expensive than normal tires.. That wouldn't cause you a double take? I suggest few buyers had any clue of the poor performance and true expense of these tires. Shameful of BMW. Add to that BMW's insistence that you cannot replace the tires with normal go flats and again we have a car once heralded as the Ultimate Driving Machine being relegated to simply just another car with an tires that do not perform particularly well (I will except "M" series) and served up with an automatic transmission for drivers who would prefer to choose a car for it's color and not its performance elements. I know of many people who have purchased a car but had tires swapped out for another choice. Unfortunately that is not a true option with BMW. "Bimmer's" have gone to the "Beemer" crowd I fear...

Messages Page 292 of 312

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