Are Modern Runflat Tires Finally Good? Normal, RFT and SEAL Tires Compared!

Runflat [RFT] tires have a bad reputation for low levels of comfort, being noisy, and poor grip especially in the wet. But how much of this is down to the fact the tire is a run flat tyre, and how much of it is down to it just being a bad tire?

To find out I'm testing a normal regular car tire against a fourth generation runflat tire with exactly the same compound and tread pattern. This means the the only difference is that the runflat tire has the extra support in the sidewall.

Runflat tires are called different things by various manufacturers:

Hankook: Hankook Runflat System - HRS
Goodyear / Dunlop: RunOnFlat - RoF
Michelin: Zero Pressure - ZP
Bridgestone: DriveGuard
Continental: Self Sealing Reifen - SSR
Pirelli: Run Flat - R F

To make things even more interesting, I've included a sealant tire, which is a normal tire with a complicated sealant material bonded to the inside which seals any small punctures the tire might get in the tread pattern.

As always I'm testing the dry and wet grip of the three types of tires, and perhaps even more importantly, doing extensive noise and comfort testing to see if a modern run flat tyre is now more comfortable than the earlier versions.

I also test whether a sealant tire really can be punctured multiple times, and I test whether you really can run on a runflat tire for 80 kms at 80 km/h.

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Chapters

0:00 What is a runflat and seal tire?
1:31 Puncturing the SEAL tire. Does it work?
2:37 Dry Handling and Braking Testing
6:21 Wet Handling and Braking Testing
7:55 Noise and Comfort of Runflat vs Normal vs Seal Tires
10:44 Running a runflat deflated
14:17 Why you can't repair a runflat
15:01 Hydroplaning, Rolling Resistance, Wear and Price Information
15:46 Safety and Conclusion

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[Bhargav]

We gotta give this man a nobel prize for the kind of info he has put out on this planet!🤩

[andyowens]

Whoever at Hankook supported this test deserves a bonus; THE best advert for both the brand and those products. Sack most of the marketing department, and do this kind of advertising, not the emotional nonsense. It was worth a bent wheel, a few sets of tyres, and the extra engineering to make the special set. I'm impressed.

[givemeajackson]

props to hankook for both making a sealant tyre just for your test and inviting you to their testing facility.

[JJonCars]

I bloody love this channel. No one makes as informative and quality tyre vids as you :) Even just seeing the two tyre walls pushed together gives you an intuitive idea of what goes into the design of a runflat tyre (which I didn't fully understand until now). I'm becoming more of a tyre nerd each day 🤓 it's also fascinating that you can barely notice when they're flat.

My Dunlop Sportmaxx RT2 are 'Run on flat', but for some reason Dunlop never use the term 'Runflat' anywhere. Makes me wonder is there a difference, or is just terminology that Dunlop use?

I also just persuaded my gf to buy some Hankook Ventus Prime 4 for her car - I wasn't pleased to be given a lift anywhere in 4 mismatching tyres :D

RIP tyre bros 😂

[whatever_]

Hankook just got my respect for making a special tire for you to educate us! And that's what earn my money.. in the tyre world were the masses don't understand anything and we are pray to marketing without being able to verify their claim, you're our knight in rubber armour coming to our rescue..thank you

[nxt]

It's great to see manufacturers suportting you in these tests, I just hope that we don't lose you to the industry one day (although I would completely understand such decision).

[Mirceabalea]

Hi Jonathan, I'm so happy your work gets the recognition it deserves and you have these amazing opportunities from the top brands. Great video.

[grvl]

My BMW came with 17 inch runflat tires from 2016. I mounted new runflat tires this january from the same brand (Bridgestone), and the difference is night and day. The older runflats are far less comfortable than the new ones. If you don't do track days and don't have space for a spare, runflats are fine 🙂

[mixworks-de]

Amazing - I'm surprized how well the runflat tire performed. I had a runflat set on my BMW years ago that was not so convincing, good to see they're making progress!

[The_Stronzo]

As everyone mentioned, you’re the most dedicated person I’ve ever heard of when it comes to tyre testing. Fair play man, always top quality content, always great testing with enough information for everyone. One of your best attributes is that you can put it all in simple words. It’s great nerding out on a subject with some likeminded people but being able to take all that complex info and put it down to simple formats such as distances and percentages for everyone to understand is great. Also the production has gone up a notch with that GoPro in the tyre, I bet that was a mission fitting the tyre with it in the way. Fair play Mr Benson, not only you’ve grown a channel to this size you’ll still take the time to reply and go through comments. All the best💪

[tadasstrikauskas]

It is a pleasure to see you being so happy with this test and amazed by such products.

[Youtubedotcomma]

I have genuinely been waiting for several years for this video, it’s arrived you did promise it! Lol

[pmpbuhgm]

Sir, highly appreciate and admire the high quality and richly informative content you are creating through these episodes. Someone once said a quite long time ago that the best present ever to be purchased to any one's car wouldn't be anything better than an appropriate and high quality set of tyres. Thanks to this channel, now I am passionately sharing all these precious information with all automobile owning friends of mine. Pushing them to properly understand how these elements; tyres drastically affect the behaviour of their vehicles and might put the driving experience to an entirely different level.

[ironhorsehero]

Thank you for such a comprehensive very fair test, I’ve had a few BMW’s over the years and always ditched the run flats when my tyres needed changing. Personally I feel the lack of a spare wheel is a retrograde step, having to purchase a new run flat because of a puncture is a real kicking especially if the run flat being replaced has had little wear. Like the look of the sealed tyres.

[John-flwv]

I truly love all your reviews!!!
Given the extra expense and decrease fuel economy I still would not use RFT. However I have been riding road and mountain bikes for many years with sealant and have not had a flat.
That new sealant tire is the way to go, especially since side wall punctures and so rare.
Thank you sir!!

[thefridgeman]

I had runflat tires on my E89 Z4 for almost 8 year and over 80.000 kilometers. They were from Bridgestone and I loved them. No complaints regarding comfort.

[small]

I have to say this was the best video I've seen comparing regular tires to run flats!! Very nice!

[valdius]

Both run-flat and sealed look like a big step up for me. Thank you for your hard work. I am worried about punctures because of where I go with my car

[nitishdhankar]

You have done and showed a great full experiment for the viewers. Love for all the hard work and sharing the knowledge. ❤

[MadmanLink]

This was awesome! So much info, seeing my car doesn't have a spare and just a pump and sealant I've been thinking about run flat. The sealant tire is a solid option. Also to have a tire company just give you a bunch of tires and let you do your best, shows how much they believe in their product.