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Before too long I could be looking to buy a new car. My ‘normal’ private purchases are Mercedes/Audi/BMW. For each of these I have (to me) a major concern: the absence of a ‘proper’ spare wheel. The systems provided seem to be of the ‘get you home variety’. What if you need to get to the airport at 4 am with a distance of 100 miles to cover, when your spare wheel system is designed for 50 miles only. With all other owners seemingly accepting this (by purchasing such cars). What am I missing? My experience of motorway services do not provide much comfort. So where am I wrong?
Asked on 25 July 2009 by
Answered by
Honest John
The latest development is RFT, which is the third generation of
runflat tyres, available from around October. Whereas original runflats were criticised for harsh ride and RFT2s only improved it by 5%, RFT3s have improved it by 15% - 20% making ride as good if not better than conventional tyres. They may also be re-usable after having been run for as much as 50 miles with no air in. The downside is slightly less cornering stability than RFT2s. The colossal benefit remains not having to stop to deal with a puncture and therefore not putting yourself in danger on a hard shoulder or a dark road. In the UK, Event Tyres now offers a good range of runflats, at discounts and will come out to the car to fit them.
runflat tyres, available from around October. Whereas original runflats were criticised for harsh ride and RFT2s only improved it by 5%, RFT3s have improved it by 15% - 20% making ride as good if not better than conventional tyres. They may also be re-usable after having been run for as much as 50 miles with no air in. The downside is slightly less cornering stability than RFT2s. The colossal benefit remains not having to stop to deal with a puncture and therefore not putting yourself in danger on a hard shoulder or a dark road. In the UK, Event Tyres now offers a good range of runflats, at discounts and will come out to the car to fit them.
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