[MMBMR]

I have ~700 miles on my 2021 228i GC, I must say the ride is harsh, every ripple / slight payment crack is felt and heard, man hole covers will jar my teeth. Also, the Bridgestone Turanza LS100 run flat tires are so loud that driving about 75 is uncomfortable (225/40 R18 92H).

I live in Florida with great roads, I'm not new to BMWs, understand they favor handling over ride quality, but the harsh ride of this model is surprising. I also have a 2013 135i M-Sport convertible with 18" wheels, without run flats; had the same two women in the back seats of both cars for 2 hours each on the same route, both said without me asking that the 228i ride was rougher and louder than the 135i and they were happy to get out of the 228! That's saying a lot given the cramped back seat, very sporty ride of the 135i

Checked tire pressure, all are set at 35, the iDrive and door card recommend 39, I'll try that but expect raising pressure will make the ride even worse.

What are others experiencing?

[Olddriver60]

When specifying my 2021 218i Sport GC auto I toyed with upgrading the standard 17” wheels to the 18” option, but after reading various reviews I stuck with the standard 17” wheels with 225/45/R Bridgestone Turanza T005 (non run flat) my decision was predicated upon the reports of much better ride and less harshness with this wheel tyre set up compared to the 18” wheel & tyre option.
My previous car was a 2018 F30 318i with 18” mixed width Bridgestone potenza run flats and whilst I liked the looks I didn’t appreciate the harshness and stiff ride especially on some of the road surfaces around where I live so I can empathise with your experience, I would recommend you look into changing tyres to a different tyre brand of non run flat, Michelin or Goodyear all get good reviews

[J-RO]

I have a M235i with 18 inch run flats. I don’t seem to have the issue you are describing.

[cukeuk]

Get rid of the run flats, they have harder sidewalls thus are known for a harsher ride. By some star marked ordinary tyres instead.
You could also lower your tyre pressures a tad as BMW run them very high..

[J-RO]

Originally Posted by cukeuk

Get rid of the run flats, they have harder sidewalls thus are known for a harsher ride. By some star marked ordinary tyres instead.
You could also lower your tyre pressures a tad as BMW run them very high..

Good point regarding tire pressure. BMW recommends 39 lbs both front and back on my vehicle. Too high in my opinion.

[Murat Aydinoglu]

I live in FL as well and have m235. I agree with the pressure try to keep 35-34 and i think 39 is pretty high. As for runflats man its a give and take... They do ride very hard and specially curves. For non flats i remember i think in this forum some folks said bimmers dont like due to suspension settings but i dont remember anybody complaining going to no non run flat.
cheers

[MMBMR]

Thanks everyone. I'll likely switch to non run flat.

[KillaKhoa]

i have 19s. Definitely harsh. You feel everything. Looking to step down to 18s and reg tires to be honest.

The M235i however is night and day. it had the 554m 18s on it. The ride was very nice. Stiffer and absorbs all the shock. Got me looking into the KW V3 as an upgrade.

[J-RO]

Originally Posted by MMBMR

Thanks everyone. I'll likely switch to non run flat.

Remember to purchase a tire Jack kit if you are taking that route.

[ryanr623]

As others said i do not have that issue. 2021 228IX. Mine rides great. However not sure if i have the run flats or not, never looked to be honest. I'm assuming i do not.

[cukeuk]

Originally Posted by Murat Aydinoglu

I live in FL as well and have m235. I agree with the pressure try to keep 35-34 and i think 39 is pretty high. As for runflats man its a give and take... They do ride very hard and specially curves. For non flats i remember i think in this forum some folks said bimmers dont like due to suspension settings but i dont remember anybody complaining going to no non run flat.
cheers

We have don't have run flats in Europe, Bridgestone Turanza t005 are the norm in the UK and on my car..

[MMBMR]

Been trying different pressures and found my best ride a lowest sound at 39 - 40 lbs, still much louder than standard tires but now tolerable.

[cukeuk]

Might be helpful https://www.national.co.uk/information/run-flat-tyres

[SteveSFO]

Had the same issue with harshness, noise and especially trammeling. Replaced the tires with Michelin Pilot Sport AS4's. Whole lot better now.

[ReallyRadams]

I have the 228xi with the 18’ wheels. I don’t find the ride to be too harsh but the tires are definitely hard and loud. I live in Florida as well and have nice roads in my area. I was on the highway recently for the first time and they were humming so loud. This is my third BMW all with run flats and they are probably the worse tires I’ve had. I mean turning in parking lots they make a weird noises.

[MMBMR]

I solved the problem by selling the car.

For me, the car was not what I expect from BMW, not a bad car, just not what I expect for the cost premium. My neighbor just replaced his 2019 230i with the 2022 230i and feels the same way.

Happy with my 2013 135i M-Sport, plan to keep it forever.

[MugatuJag]

Hey there I have a 2022 228 I X Dr. with about 5000 miles, and I’m coming from a mini Cooper S 2019 with run flats so maybe I’m biased because that car was loud but my car is very quiet. I have the same tires as you and I don’t have Any drone and the ride is very pleasant. I did happen to put some five dollar Walmart pillows underneath the storage floor in the trunk, merely because I was taking them out of the same spot in my mini Cooper where I had put them to alleviate some road noise. It’s a cheap solution but I think it probably helps, you can buy some quality noise insulation products similar to Dynamat on eBay /Amazon and perhaps line the trunk area with it I’m sure that will help. As others have said any run flat tires are going to be pretty loud/ and have a harsher ride due to the reinforced sidewall, so definitely swapping the tires to Michelin pilot sports is going to be beneficial, both for ride and handling and noise reduction. Of course they are very expensive tires but well worth it, once my tires get a little worn I will most likely replace them and swap these back on before I return the car on lease trade in��

[Jaydzin]

I recently swapped out my FRT’s to Continental non-RFT on my 2021 228i xdrive after the 5th sidewall blowout in 2.5 years. I was beginning to experience PTSD anytime I heard or felt a bump! The city can be brutal with all the potholes! I immediately noticed a significant difference, smoother ride, road noise is minimal compared to the RFT. I would highly recommend making the change!

[snaimpally]

When I bought my 2011 335i, I got rid of the run flats and got Conti DWS tires. IMO, the best tires I have ever owned. I plan to get some DWS for my 2022 M235i once the current tires need replacing.

[RGM330i]

I guess it is all relative. I come from a series of Porsche Caymans........by comparison both my 2022 and 2024 228i GCs are reasonably quiet even with the run flats. I will however, replace them eventually with Michelin AS4s for improved handling.

[Wilt]

It is relative. Ask my wife...she will tell you that my last car 2011 328i (without sport suspension and with RFT) was far harsher than my current car 2021 228i xDrive Gran Coupe (without sport suspension and with RFT). She finds the 2021 acceptable, while she objected to the 2011...I would never have put up with the 2021 M235i with 19" wheels and RFT that I test drove!
All were noticeably harsher than my 2001 328i with sport suspension and go-flat tires.

[dbr9tifosi]

You should swap out 225/40R18 tires with 225/45R18 tires. I did and it made a massive difference. The ride was smoother and more enjoyable overall. My 228i was equipped with 225/40R18 Bridgestone Turanza LS100 and it was junk. Rode hard and felt like low profile tires. That set lasted a week until I switched.