[m@rk]

OK so I bit the bullet and my can is now sitting on a set of Continental Sport Contact 3 "non run flat" rubber.

So having gotten over the shock of having to buy 4 tyres in one hit, I have been criss crossing the Pennines this weekend (Huddersfield to Sheffield to Manchester to Sheffield and then home to the land of no hills) so have had a good chance to throw all types of road at this car.

First of all the car is a lot quieter and the general lumps and bumps in the road are nowhere near as bad for my fillings.

But beyond this, the difference is actually not as great as I was expecting. Yes it is softer but more importantly it is smoother. On a VERY hard turn in you can just about feel the difference but as others have said, the ride is much more fluid.

I have still to try various tyre pressures to see what works for me but I have 2 comments.

The ride of the car is NOT totally transformed

BUT

The car is much nicer to drive and feels a lot more civilised.

[willybeen]

i just got my car.... brand new runflats... im interested to see what stickier rubber will feel like, but im not ready to drop 1k on tires yet. lol.

good to know it'll liven up the ride though

[F31-340i]

What size rims are you running? Apart from the ride, did you notice any change in handling?

[m@rk]

Originally Posted by ///ajd

What size rims are you running? Apart from the ride, did you notice any change in handling?

I am running an E91 335D SE with 17" rims. The tyres I now have on are 225/45 R17 94Y

So the SE is softer to start with however I have still been ultra cautious this weekend not wanting to be caught out because of a change in handling.

However by this afternoon back on familiar back roads I am driving as normal and I can't say the handling is any worse or better. I do feel more in touch with what is happening through the front wheels and the car no longed tramlines like it used to so does feel more planted.

As I said, on a hard sharp turn in (where all the weight ends up on the front offside wheel) the dip does feel more so but there is no loss of grip so I am putting this down to what I am expecting it to feel like rather than it being better or worse.

After all, I am sure if you went from an M to an SE the car would feel very much different for much the same reasons.

[Jeff123]

Hi

Mine was so bad on RFT's, I was ashamed to take passengers in the car in case they critisised it. On bad roads I found that I was zig/zagging, to avoid pot holes etc.

It's OK now.

Jeff

[scotgc]

Im due 4 new tyres aswell ! have decided to go down the standard route and get some replacement bridgestone's ( run flat ) been quoted £870 for them fully fitted by budget. national express wanted £1k and Kwik fit wanted £1200. Havent had the courage to phone BMW and ask how much they would be !

[F31-340i]

Originally Posted by scotgc

Im due 4 new tyres aswell ! have decided to go down the standard route and get some replacement bridgestone's ( run flat ) been quoted £870 for them fully fitted by budget. national express wanted £1k and Kwik fit wanted £1200. Havent had the courage to phone BMW and ask how much they would be !

My BMW dealer only wanted £750 for 19" bridgestones...


















































.....that's just 2 rears mind!

[creepy coupe]

M Sport on 19's to non runflats, that's where you feel your money has been well spent.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by creepy coupe

M Sport on 19's to non runflats, that's where you feel your money has been well spent.

+1 and M sport 18's are a close second!

Having been in a colleague's 320d SE with 17s and RFTs, they're not even half as bad as even my 18's were.

I had to get out and check that they were actually RFTs!

Remarkably the guy didn't even know what RFTs were, I asked him why did he think he had no spare? and he said he didn't know as he'd never looked!

He's had the car for 18months.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by m@rk

......First of all the car is a lot quieter and the general lumps and bumps in the road are nowhere near as bad for my fillings......

......the ride is much more fluid. ......

......The car is much nicer to drive and feels a lot more civilised.....

......I do feel more in touch with what is happening through the front wheels and the car no longed tramlines like it used to so does feel more planted.

Not transformed??? Sounds like it to me.

[HighlandPete]

^^^^

+1 Surely a better car for those changes? To me the biggest changes were fluidity and TOTAL predictability through the seasons.

It will also depend on the age/build date of the car. My 2006 SE on 17" wheels was totally transformed. But... the tyres you choose will also have different characteristics. My first set of non run-flats were Goodyear F1 GS-D3, superb tyre, the current Falken 452, are an even better match to the car's dynamics.

There is not 'one answer' of what to expect, due to tyre changing.

HighlandPete

[Kongen71]

Originally Posted by doughboy

+1 and M sport 18's are a close second!

Having been in a colleague's 320d SE with 17s and RFTs, they're not even half as bad as even my 18's were.

I had to get out and check that they were actually RFTs!

Remarkably the guy didn't even know what RFTs were, I asked him why did he think he had no spare? and he said he didn't know as he'd never looked!

He's had the car for 18months.

On my previous E91 18" with Michelin SP (RFT) a piece of metal went through the side of the tyre -> €350
Now on my 2 month old E92 335i M with 19" Bridgestone RFT both tyres on the right side bended probably due to pot holes.

Looking forward getting these RFT's off!!!!!! There is a reason why BMW delivers the M3 with non-RFT

[Wh|t3R@bb|t]

As always, reading this thread with interest. I am currently in the process of changing my tyres (phone in hand and currently ringing all the local tyre dealers). But deffo thinking of going to Non-RFT's. However I think I am already on non-rfts.

Already had a quote which was £715 for 4 Continentals CS3's from Kwik Fit (I did shout Ouch as I had already been quote of £450 for Falkens).

I think I am going to go with the Falken 452's as lots of guys on here seem to rate them.

Worst of all....and stand by your beds for this one...I am having to put the 335d up for Sale so need to have some nice rubber on for the new owner. Will put full sale post up next week as car is due in for service first. :-(

[RichJ]

£715 for 4 continentals SC3 seems very cheap?

[Kongen71]

Originally Posted by Rich Jones

£715 for 4 continentals SC3 seems very cheap?

I just got a quote for 19" Conti SC3 for €966 non-rft - so it's seems very cheap.

[Kongen71]

Originally Posted by Wh|t3R@bb|t

As always, reading this thread with interest. I am currently in the process of changing my tyres (phone in hand and currently ringing all the local tyre dealers). But deffo thinking of going to Non-RFT's. However I think I am already on non-rfts.

Already had a quote which was £715 for 4 Continentals CS3's from Kwik Fit (I did shout Ouch as I had already been quote of £450 for Falkens).

I think I am going to go with the Falken 452's as lots of guys on here seem to rate them.

Worst of all....and stand by your beds for this one...I am having to put the 335d up for Sale so need to have some nice rubber on for the new owner. Will put full sale post up next week as car is due in for service first. :-(

How can you not know if you are on RFT? You need a spare tyre or repair kit if you don't

[rogerxp]

What always amazes me is how BMW got it so wrong with the RFTs. I had a 56 E92 335i on 19s RFT (which was actually fine strangly) then the 06 E90 330d on 18s RFT (which was shocking so ended up on Falkens) and now the X3 on 19s RFT which is once again terrible but virtually new tyres all round to am putting off replacing them.

My point is, I've now got an E46 330i, on 18s non-RFT, and the ride is head and shoulders above all of the latest BMW offerings. The ride is firm but extremely compliant (only have to dodge the biggest of pot-holes now) and it corners like it's on rails.

It's only now that I've taken this 'step-back' that I've realised how the RFT have really stuffed up the majority of newer BMWs ride and handling - it's staggering really.

So there's the answer, save money on not changing the tyres and buy yourself a 7 year old Beemer instead

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Rich Jones

£715 for 4 continentals SC3 seems very cheap?

18" or 19"??

My set of staggered 18" Conti3's were £600 home fitted / balanced / valve from Event tyres.

19" are about £800 from same place.

[Oli]

Wait till a cold wet day in the winter and hit a rut mid corner, it will show up then. I have not driven a 3 series on SE suspension, but it is obviously softer then the Msport, so that would help as well

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Oli

Wait till a cold wet day in the winter and hit a rut mid corner, it will show up then. I have not driven a 3 series on SE suspension, but it is obviously softer then the Msport, so that would help as well

And more.... BTW, we assume SE suspension is softer, it is, but with RFTs it can translate to jitters, a sort of jiggle and such a strange feeling that it is neither comfortable or sporty. Just a total mess. In a lot of instances the M-sport suspension can control the car much better, feels more comfortable, but when used on poor roads, translates to a hard and crashy ride. But again we have a build date issue. Original E90/1 cars were not at all good.

HighlandPete

[m@rk]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Not transformed??? Sounds like it to me.

OK let me rephrase

It does not feel like a different car.

It does feel like a better car.

And as others have said, on the 17" rubber, the RFT are going to be nowhere near as bad as on a 19" I am sure so maybe that explains for the difference not being as great.

Of course, once I get used to these tyres I am sure the next time I in a loaner from the dealer, I will suddenly realize what all the fuss is about.

But I have a trip down to South Wales in the morning so again, plenty of tarmac to get a feel for things. I have raised the pressures a bit (still within the plated value) as well so will report back.

But the important thing (and this is what made me think long and hard before changing) is that the ride is not ruined. I had the concern that the ride would end up being TOO SOFT and the car would be spoilt. This is simply not the case.

[seanblee]

I'm ditching my RFTs on 7th May I've gone for the new ContiSportContact 5P all round on my 18" wheels - 235/40 on the front and 255/35 on the rear.