[Cbew]

I would like to explore changing my 19'' wheels on a 2021 X5 45e hybrid to Non RFT.
Currently, I have Bridgestone Alenza Sport a/s R19 RFT on the car.
Wondering if anyone has done it and what non RFT tires they used.
I would like to keep 19'' wheels in front and rear (if possible).
Thank you in advance.

[jad03060]

As long as you match the size, speed rating, and load capacity, you can put any tire on the vehicle, but keep in mind, there’s no room to store a space with the PHEV underneath the floor, no jack comes with it, nor lug wrench, so if you did get a flat, you’d be stuck at the side of the road until help arrived. I’d want to at least keep a plug kit and small compressor in the vehicle…I do that even with my RFTs, as it should let you keep air in the tire until you can get it repaired versus having to trash the tire if it has been run flat. It’s not easy to verify structural integrity of a RFT…it doesn’t always show up with a simple visual inspection which is why many places won’t repair one, only replace it.

[GerryC]

Go to TireRack and select 'Start Shopping'. Then put in your car data. Go ahead and select runflat in the additional info. That just sets your current wheels as default. You'll still get recommendations for non-RFT tires. Enter ZIP code and select "Tires", then View Results.

On the next page select 19" and View Results. Then go crazy reading recommendations, ratings, and test results. Most people opt for Pirelli, Bridgestone, Contis, or Michelins.

And pick up a tire mobility kit and a plug kit from Amazon just in case.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by GerryC

Go to TireRack and select 'Start Shopping'. Then put in your car data. Go ahead and select runflat in the additional info. That just sets your current wheels as default. You'll still get recommendations for non-RFT tires. Enter ZIP code and select "Tires", then View Results.

On the next page select 19" and View Results. Then go crazy reading recommendations, ratings, and test results. Most people opt for Pirelli, Bridgestone, Contis, or Michelins.

And pick up a tire mobility kit and a plug kit from Amazon just in case.

Great advice right there.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Cbew

I would like to explore changing my 19'' wheels on a 2021 X5 45e hybrid to Non RFT.
Currently, I have Bridgestone Alenza Sport a/s R19 RFT on the car.
Wondering if anyone has done it and what non RFT tires they used.
I would like to keep 19'' wheels in front and rear (if possible).
Thank you in advance.

What is your reasoning to move away from your run flats?

[Cbew]

Sorry for the delayed response.
Thank you very much GerryC!! Followed your advice and found Non RF tires that will be the exact match of what I have now in RF tires. Also, found a spare kit in case I decide to go the NON RFT route (hehe, pun intended).
I just wanted an option in case I wanted to change the tires.
2 years ago I had a pretty big hole in the rear tire (RFT). We were 4 people in the car, plus some luggages. The tire went from 45 PSI to 0 PSI in 2 minutes.
I tried to put air in the tire, but it went out again in 2 minutes.
It was a Sunday evening (of course) so the AAA told us will be a while.
So, we decided to drive our car back home. It was 43 miles away. It took around 2 hours, not on the highway of course, but we made it. We left the car overnight in the garage, and then I took it to the dealership, another 2 miles. I got the tire installed, and there were no damages to the wheel or any other component of the car (suspension, axle, etc).
The manual says you can drive up to 50 miles on a perforated RFT.
So a total of 45 miles on a RFT, and it worked out just fine.
No dissing on the RFT, they worked just as promised.
Sorry for the long story, but just trying to share my experience.
Thank you all for the great advice!

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Cbew

Sorry for the delayed response.
Thank you very much GerryC!! Followed your advice and found Non RF tires that will be the exact match of what I have now in RF tires. Also, found a spare kit in case I decide to go the NON RFT route (hehe, pun intended).
I just wanted an option in case I wanted to change the tires.
2 years ago I had a pretty big hole in the rear tire (RFT). We were 4 people in the car, plus some luggages. The tire went from 45 PSI to 0 PSI in 2 minutes.
I tried to put air in the tire, but it went out again in 2 minutes.
It was a Sunday evening (of course) so the AAA told us will be a while.
So, we decided to drive our car back home. It was 43 miles away. It took around 2 hours, not on the highway of course, but we made it. We left the car overnight in the garage, and then I took it to the dealership, another 2 miles. I got the tire installed, and there were no damages to the wheel or any other component of the car (suspension, axle, etc).
The manual says you can drive up to 50 miles on a perforated RFT.
So a total of 45 miles on a RFT, and it worked out just fine.
No dissing on the RFT, they worked just as promised.
Sorry for the long story, but just trying to share my experience.
Thank you all for the great advice!

Your experience is a great one! My first car with run flats was a 2011 and I hated them, so much so that I replaced them with non run flats and without a spare and drove it for around 40K miles that way. I carried all the equipment to plug a flat on the run and I had to do that twice I hated them due to their noise and harsh bumpy ride. It was like riding on clouds when I replaced them with Continental non run flats.

This X5 has Pirelli Scorpion Zero run flats and they are a vast improvement over the Pirelli run flats that were on my 2011. When it comes time to replace them I will try to stay with run flats even though I used to hate them and I have a spare. So I was wondering what your reasoning was.

[jad03060]

Like many things in life, they evolve. Today’s RFT are a lot better than the original ones. They’ll likely always be a bit stiffer and heavier than a ‘normal’ tire, but the differences are not as great as they used to be. You have to decide if the differences are worth the potential loss of flexibility. The suspension you have can help overcome some of the potential increased stiffness of a RFT over a ‘normal’ one, and that may be enough for many.