Dunlop SportMaxx RFT vs. Michelin Latitude HP

[SpeedR]

For those of you considering replacing your Dunlop Sport Maxx run flats...

I replaced my Dunlop run flats with the Michelin Latitude HP's 2 weeks ago, so for what it's worth, here's my review so far.

POSITIVE

Ride comfort: Greatly Improved - My X is like a different car. My wife cannot believe that I only changed the tires. The Michelins are MUCH smoother than the Dunlops. The jarring from expansion joints is gone, as is the somewhat choppy ride on asphalt roads with a lot of patch work.

Noise: Greatly Improved - As you fellow E70 owners know, the Dunlop RFTs are noisy on certain pavement types. With the Michelins, what noise? Much, much quieter ride.

Straight Ahead Handling: Improved - The Dunlops seemed to tramline a little, making long freeway trips somewhat tiring. The Michelins track rock solid - straight and true with no effort.

Other Positives:
-> All Season vs. Summer only.
-> 440 tread wear vs. 240 on the Dunlops
-> If I get a flat, I can get it repaired anywhere. Not so with RFTs, most shops will not repair.

NEGATIVE

Cornering: Slightly Decreased - OK, there had to be a catch, so here's the first one. The cornering with the Michelins is not quite as crisp as with the Dunlops. If you use your X for very aggressive runs on the twisties or track very often, the Lat. HPs are not for you. If, like me, you use your X as a daily driver, but like to drive spirited in the turns, you'll be OK with this slight performance penalty.

Looks: Slight Decrease - While this is subjective, I like fat tires. This is why I opted for the 20" wheel option in the first place. While the Michelins are the same operating size as the Dunlops (275/40-20 front, 315/35-20 rear), the tread width - where the tires contacts the ground - is 1 inch narrower on the Michelins. On the rears, you cannot really notice the difference, but on the fronts they look smaller. Dunlops 275 tread width is 10 inches (same as the wheel), but only 9 inches on the Michelins.

Also, the tread pattern on the Dunlops looks more aggressive.


Overall, I am very happy with the swap and I enjoy driving my E70 much more now - except for the occasional high speed run down Mulholland Drive, but that's what the M is for.