Because they suck and BMW will flat bed your car to dealer for free. Doesn't matter for me. runflat or not, the tires I run are never carried by anyone. They have to be overnighted by Tirerack. So even with runflats, I still have to drive to a dealer an get another car.

M

I will never put myself in a situation where a flat tire could end my trip, or cause a 4 to 24 hour delay. Crazy.

Spare in the trunk, have a new tire drop-shipped to where I will be tomorrow or the next day....

I kept the spare out of my 2008 X5 Sport with 20" wheels and now carry it with my X5 M becasue it did not come with one. Does anyone know if it will fit my M or becasue of the different hubs will it no work?

X5M uses different hubs sizes front and rear. So it will work if you get a flat in the front, but not the rear.

So did anyone find out where to buy one of these, or are these available in Europe only?

Also, do normal X5's (ie. e70 with sport package) have different hubs front and rear also, or just the X5 M's? Basically wondering if I carried an extra front wheel, it would work either in the front and rear as well.

The first pictured option would be ideal, as the rear-view camera would still be functional...

They are available from BMW Australia. Here is the accessory PDF.

http://www.bmw.com.au/com/en/owners/...el_carrier.pdf

The carrier mounts to the frame of the hitch, so you need a hitch as well. It includes lighting, and park distance sensors. It keeps the same back-up camera. It obscures part of the rear window. The license plate space is Euro sized, not North American sized. And, it is rumoured to cost $3000, but I haven't seen a quote so you would need to check. Add in shipping costs.

X5 hub sizes are the same front and rear, unlike the X5M. They are not the same as the E53.

I have third row seats, and would love to get rid of the run-flats.

It seems like the most practical solution (aside from finding an OEM X5 spare) would be to sort out a space saver-type wheel option that would fit in the rear, and mount a space saver tire that compresses a little when not inflated/in use (my allroad has one).

Something like that would potentially fit in the cargo area. Sure, it would take up some space, but for the most part it wouldn't be a big deal. Put it in a nice bag and find a way to secure it to the side frame (i.e. standing up, mounted to the side).

For those who don't understand the hatred for the runflats: Reducing the unsprung weight and rotational weight improves suspension performance, increases fuel economy slightly, and improves acceleration/braking performance slightly. Most importantly, it smooths out the ride a good bit, and makes everything the car does 'better'.

That said, it's not worth risking a flat unless you have a spare. Even if the space saver spare costs $400, run-flats are usually $100 more per tire, so the spare pays for itself up front.

Like I said, I would not miss the run-flats...

Got a question for you Treeboy (or anybody else who might know).

I've got an order in for a new 35d. No production date yet, so I'm thinking of adding the spare. I would probably leave it out normally (ie driving around town) and only put it in on a road trip where you might be a ways away from a dealer or suitable replacement tire. At $300+ for the spare wheel kit (plus mounting/balancing), it's probably cheaper to spec the truck with the spare ($150) and then source the black carpet. What else comes out after you installed the spare kit?

BNW option # 300 - Spare tire
 

This is the spare tire option..........Space Saver Spare............ It's not a donut, yet it is for limited mileage/speed........but much better than a donut......