[wheresmy5]

Brand new 528 lease. High mileage lease and I expect to turn it in with 50-60k miles im 3 years. The oem run flats will probably need to be replaced halfway through the lease. What I am debating is whether to bite the bullet now and get top rated all seasons (non run flats), put these oem run flats in storage and put them back on at turn in OR deal with these shtty run flats for a year and a half and buy another, identical set again in 1.5yr and run until turn in. In terms of actually enjoying the car on quality rubber the choice seems obvious but I wonder if running non run flats on a car without a spare is wise... I do travel with my wife and kid on the weekend, albeit short distances (<100mi). Also baked into my choices is the assumption that I must trade the car in with the same oem run flats- is this correct?

TIA

[SonicEndeavor]

You do need to return the car with runflats with at least 4/32nds tread depth left.
Your strategy depends on how much the runflats annoy you and how much you want to spend.
From a ride quality standpoint, set the runflats aside and put them back on at lease turn-in after going through two sets of non-runflats. Most of us put mobility kits in the trunk that contains a small 12 volt compressor and a can of tire slime(if needed). The kit fits in the little storage bin on the right side of the trunk. I also carry a tire patch kit. Realistically, I'll probably just call AAA if I ever have an issue. Some owners buy a compact spare and keep it in the trunk, but that takes us space of course.
If you want to put some wear on the runflats, I'd do that first, then replace them while they still have 4/32nds. Once you drive on a good set of non-runflats, you're not going to enjoy switching back to runflats.

[wheresmy5]

Thanks. Why AAA and not the included BMW roadside?

[cipher5]

I say get a set of tires (non-RFT) and use those, keep the run flats in storage so there's no headache when returning the lease. Keep an M tire patch kit in the trunk for piece of mind.

[SonicEndeavor]

Originally Posted by wheresmy5

Thanks. Why AAA and not the included BMW roadside?

Either one, or Michelin roadside assistance.

[AVIMAX]

I say take go with new tires from the get go. You get to enjoy better tires while keeping the originals for lease return. If you use the runflats for a while first you risk getting sidewall bubbles and you can't return the car with bubbles (unless you have a tire shop flip the tire on the rim before returning). I removed my Eagle LS2s and have Michelin PSS. There is a real difference in smoothness and grip with the PSS tires, but they are a touch louder.

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by AVIMAX

I say take go with new tires from the get go. You get to enjoy better tires while keeping the originals for lease return. ......I removed my Eagle LS2s and have Michelin PSS. There is a real difference in smoothness and grip with the PSS tires, but they are a touch louder.

+1

With rare exceptions perhaps (haven't experienced those myself yet), life's too short to ride on OEM tires On every car I owned so far, improvement was significant once OEMs were gone.

[rabjab12]

ditto all the above. i replaced my run flats and have not looked back. I have the Michelin PSS and love them. don't notice the noise that was mentionied earlier. I like the idea of a patch kit in the trunk, but would call BMw or AAA if I have a flat, etc.

[chrisny]

Get a full winter set (wheels and tires) up for the winter months and that will extend the life of your current set, plus give you better tires for the northeast winter. Your mileage may be too high for that to mean you don't have to still replace the all seasons at some point, but from the sound of it, you might be doing that more than once anyway.

[spuntyb]

My plan is to get Michelin PSS and keep the runflats as my winters. Will lengthen the life of the runflats and minimize how often I have to use them.

[wheresmy5]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

My plan is to get Michelin PSS and keep the runflats as my winters. Will lengthen the life of the runflats and minimize how often I have to use them.

Thought about that, but these A/S run flats make real shitty winters, if you've ever had a good winter set.

Plus that means you have to buy a set of wheels, else keep mounting and balancing on the stock ones 2x per year.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by wheresmy5

Thought about that, but these A/S run flats make real shitty winters, if you've ever had a good winter set.

Plus that means you have to buy a set of wheels, else keep mounting and balancing on the stock ones 2x per year.

Yeah, the mounting/balancing is a bit annoying, but I have a good shop that can do it for cheap for me. The trade-off is I should be able to just turn these tires in at lease end, especially if I do the pull-ahead. Otherwise, I would get a full set of winter tires/wheels and put some non-runflat rubber on your current wheels. As for what rubber, if you still want A/S, the Continental DWS aren't bad, but otherwise, just go for nice summers (eg. PSS) with a fix-a-flat kit in the trunk. I don't bother with the kit, and would just call for service, but that's just me.