Runflat fitted to Style 132 - anyone done it?

[X5Sport]

I have been landed with a complete set of X6 wheels and tyres that have never been used, and am going to have the runflat tyres replaced with Pirelli's to give me a winter set.

This leaves me with a brand new set of Continental Contact run flat tyres which are the same size as those on our X5 (which will need tyres fairly soon). My question is just how badle will it affect the ride of the E53 Sport going from standard tyres to run flat tyres, and has anyone any experiance of it? Obviously if I can re-use these tyres it will save a small fortune, but there will be a downside and I want to know how bad.

We have an M-Sport 330d which has a VERY hard ride, and given SWMBO gets car sick if the ride is soggy in any way, a hard ride is no issue in alleviating that particular affliction.

I gather I can swap the runflats onto these rims with no issue as they are SST (Strengthened Sidewall) tyres which do not appear to need special rims, and the X5 already has a tyre pressure warning system via the ABS (same as the X6) so we're legal from that point of view.

[paulbryson75]

I changed to bridgestone runflats last week. Bridgestone dueller 19s. I changed from pre facelift 19 sport tyres with 'cheap' tyres. Personnaly speaking I am very happy. No difference to ride quality and I would say there has been a drop in road noise as a result of the new tyres.

[X5Sport]

Interesting. I was worried the ride would be so much harder because of the reinforced sidewalls that it would make it 'orrible to be in.

Still awaiting confirmation on the Pirellis and may put these new tyres onto the E53 which of course saves HRH from having to buy a new set.

Thanks for the info.

[pvr]

It costs about £20 to get the tyres put on there, I would certainly try it as they are worth a lot to you - and you probably get a fraction of the value of the tyres if you try to sell them.

If it is really bad (can't imagine), you have only lost £20.

[x555]

I agree with pvr for the sake of £20 you can't go wrong really and how bad can they really be? I have never really heard anything too great about them but then if i had them for free they would go on untill i needed new ones.
It's a bit like the 19" 20" 22" wheels debate everyone has there opinions to make about harsh rides etc but how many commenting have actually had them on there car or driven one with them to make a fair judgement? I'm guessing not as many as have posted about it
I have driven x5's with all three sizes and can honestly say that there isn't that much difference between all three to rant/rave about and the same goes for tyres i have had sveral different types on my x's over the years (and me or mrs x555 don't drive miss daisy around either if you know what i mean )and yes there are some better than others but given cost and wear time they all seem on par in one way or another and unless your Hans stuc (or whatever his name is)they aren't gonna make much difference dropping the kids of at school

Anyway sorry about that op but i seemed to have just gone into a rant myself there but my answer is give em a go

[X5Sport]

Thanks pvr and x555, i guess when you put it like that it really is a no brainer. The wheels and tyres weren't quite free, but at £500 delivered by the dealer was a bit of a result as far as I'm concerned. Given the cost of a set of Diamaris, or a set of wheels from BMW, or evn one of the suppliers of OEM wheels is still more thn I paid for this lot I have nothing to lose.

One thing though. It's not until you have four bl@@dy great 19" wheels and tyres not on a vehicle (to give a sense of context & scale) that you realise just how big and heavy these things are!! And to think I used to think the 185/70 SR13 wheels on my Cavalier were wide