XSeries-forum

[quote="BullyB"]
[quote="JF1980"]
No rattles over bumpy roads or wind noise on motorway?
[/quote]

not from mine  (mine is a 2009 model)
[/quote]

I spoke too soon, mine has just leaked and filled the car with water 

:'( that's what I was afraid of.

My car is one of the first E70s - a 2007 3.0d with the 7 seat option but no sunroof - so I cannot comment on that aspect of your query. 

The 7 seat option comes with uprated rear air suspension, similar to the modification when a factory fitted towbar is specified. It also comes with 111 weight rated tyres on the rear to allow for the extra load. If you have thoughts of adding a towbar or carrying a heavy load then the uprated suspension and beefier tyres are a bonus.  I use run flat tyres as specified and have towed many miles in the UK and Europe without a problem. I'd be very wary of using a space saver wheel on a car this size, especially if loaded for holidays abroad! Remember too that on many variants the front tyres are different to the rears - mine are 255x50x19 107 on the front and 285x45x19 111 on the rear.  I carry two cans of tyreseal and an electric pump in case I need to remove a nail and blow up the tyre before getting it fixed or replaced - though touch wood I've never had to use them.

As far as I know there is no difference in insurance premium - when you find a car that suits you that's something to check with the insurance company.  You may have to find two cars, one with and one without,  and give them the registration number of each because I'd doubt if the staff at the call centre can answer a query such as "Is having a 7 seat option more to insure than a 5 seat option?"  My experience of them is they enter the reg no to their system and then key in information about non-factory-fitted modifications, tracker, value, where kept overnight; as well as all drivers'  personal details, type of use, annual mileage to be covered and the extent of a voluntary excess you wish to carry before their computer generates a quote.

Good luck with the search...

Graeme

Our roof on my wife's E70 was absolutely fine until the garage dropped it and smashed it whilst fixing a problem with the headlining  :blink:

I found my E70 and have now had it for around 3 weeks.  Very happy with her.  As it turns out I ended up without the pan roof or 7-seats.  Guess it's just a matter of waiting long enough for the right one to come along.

Regards a space saver agree it's not ideal but even with run-flats as a last resort I think it's worth having.  Last easter I had a hire car while visiting my parents in the Pyrenees.  Wife and I took a day trip to Barcelona and got a flat whilst there (sidewall not a nail).  There were no tyre shops open anywhere - not even emergency/mobile ones - Spain over easter...  space saver got us back to base.  Dealer told me you can do 150 miles on a runflat despite the official figure being much lower - I'll still feel better having a space saver in the boot as additional insurance.

Hope you're enjoying your new car but before getting a space save wheel can I suggest investigating its suitability in relation to the wheels fitted to your car - and get expert advice.  There have been many threads here on tyre sizes and types (run-flat versus non-run-flat) and the importance of having the same size wheels on an axle so that the transfer box for the X drive system isn't damaged.  For example some space savers are compatible with the 255x50x19 front tyres but not the 285x45x19 rear tyres.