Run flat tyres

I have a 2017 two eco that doesn't come with a spare from the manufacturer. I'd be interested to see how milage changes with those tires. Is anyone using them?

 

I've had runflats on previous cars... They are essentially a solid tyre, covered with a small air gap (the bit you inflate), and a normal tyre stuck on the outside. The small air space between the two provides only some of the air cushion, sound absorption, and weight reduction, that a normal tyre would normally provide.

I found them noisy and uncomfortable when inflated. When running flat are very noisy (a good thing, so you knew you have a flat I guess) and very uncomfortable. It made my car feel like it was wearing lead boots. I can't really describe it any better than that... they were heavy!

Every person I've ever met that has purchased run-flats, has never purchased a second set, including me.

So the things you'll have to weigh up is... Runflats are harder to repair (many repairers will not touch them as it's very hard to identify secondary damage to the tyres due to their construction), expect to replace the tyre if they get flat and you didn't stop immediately, expect to pay more for them initially, and again if you need to replace them, more road noise, harder ride, reduced economy, but they might get you home with little hassle if you get a flat and only want to drive less than 50 miles, and you'll have some extra space saved. Versus a space saver which uses up some space, has extra weight due to being carried around all the time, is a hassle to swap over if you get a flat, is cheaper, allows you to use your usual normal/quiet/economical/comfortable/(more often)repairable tyres generally, and it gives you time to shop around and get your flat tyre replaced/repaired.

 

My experience with first generation run-flats back in 2005 fitted on our old AWD Sienna mini-van was disaster. Back then they were so rare, the special order tires that can be mounted (or unmounted) only in very few specialized stores (or dealers) equipped with special machine. It was very expensive (over $200/tire) and hard to obtain. They had extremely short tread life (less than 20K miles) with no tread warranty. It was supposed to run even after being flat, but our run-flat could not run after flat. I had to have the min-van towed to a nearest Toyota dealer to put new tires after having a flat on a highway far away from our home. I never regained confidence in the technology, but they are supposed to be much better in current generation of run-flat.

@PT Guy put 3rd Gen Bridgestone run-flat tires on his PRIME, and he seems to be happy with them. Here is his comment in PRIME thread. No spare tire? How to handle flat | PriusChat

 

I wondered too, thinking they'd be a good idea on my last car. What turned me off was that they had the same 80km/80km/hr limitation as a Donut Spare (another article said 150km). Though there is an advantage that you don't have to change it in pouring rain.

I recall that an article said that they use more fuel than a standard tyre - which is worse still than a LLR (which I was also considering on my Diesel Fiesta). It also said that it should NOT be used UNLESS you've got Tyre Pressure Monitoring - which I don't have. And then went on to say that if you didn't have TPMS, you'd know almost immediately with the noise and handling - so whether that's an issue, I'm not sure.

They also said that there is a greater likelihood of it not being repairable if it gets a puncture. I think it also said they're heavier and could affect handling at speed - but that's not really an issue with PRIUS I guess.

And they cost more.

 

I can tell you from experience that running regular (non-low rolling resistance) tires can impact your fuel mileage easily by +/- 10%. So that means easily a 5-6 mpg loss from our experience. There are better and worse tires in the LRR (low rolling resistance) category. If you’re looking for something with different or better qualities- I’d recommend searching http://www.tirerack.com and searching the LLR ecotires and read the owner reviews to make a decision. For me getting good MPG’s is why I drive Prius. Loosing 10% or more on my mpg was/is a huge disappointment.

 

I can tell you from experience that running regular (non-low rolling resistance) tires can impact your fuel mileage easily by +/- 10%. So that means easily a 5-6 mpg loss from our experience. There are better and worse tires in the LRR (low rolling resistance) category. If you’re looking for something with different or better qualities- I’d recommend searching http://www.tirerack.com and searching the LLR ecotires and read the owner reviews to make a decision. For me getting good MPG’s is why I drive Prius. Loosing 10% or more on my mpg was/is a huge disappointment.

 

OP,

This non-runflat LLR tire is made in the 215/45-17 tire size, take a serious look at it.

Better Handling On A Budget ! | PriusChat



Rob43