Good and Bad Tyres

[Macjo]

I have to renew all four tyres on my SLK as the fronts are thin and they are all slightly perrished as they are the 6 year old original Continentals. Only covered 19K since new! It has AMG 17" wheels with 225/45s on the front and 245/40s on the rear. I was thinking about putting Bridgestone Potenza RE050 's on. Does anyone know any good or bad issues about this choice?

Peter Mac

 

[gpilko]

Hi Peter

I know that this isn't exactly answering your question, but if you try www.mytyres.co.uk, they give reviews and ratings for the different tyres. I've used them a few times and there service is excellent.

Just put in your tyre sizes and they'll come up with a wide selection.

HTH - Guy.

 

[Tony]

Tyre choice on an SLK is fairly important, because it's very poor in low grip situations (like snow, because of the rear drive and front engine, plus fat wheels) and it doesn't insulate you from tyre noise, especially at the rear. I replaced the rear tyres on my SLK with Bridgstone S03s only to find that they are completely useless in winter - and I mean completely useless. Apart from that they're fine. RE050s will be a bit better in this respect. If you're not going to be using it in snow I'd suggest that you think about Goodyear F1s. If you want a reasonable all round tyre Uniroyal Rainsports are very good, if you don't mind not having the brand name. They're reasonably priced too. If you want a tyre that's looks good (and performs well too) have a look at the Vredestein Ultrac. They're beautiful. Remember that the difference in price between the likes of Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgstone stuff and the mid-range tyres is NOT reflected in better performance. All these tyres will perform to the highest standard.

 

[sgregory124]

Have to say, Bridgestone RE050's are top notch, up until recently I had 4 on my C36 (same sizes as your SLK), excellent in the dry and pretty good in the wet too.

Winter performance is ok but then when the road is like a sheet of glass you're just not going to find a tyre that works anyway. Plus they are original equipment on an Enzo from the factory (if you like that sort of thing!).

Just changed the rears to P-Zero Rosso's and they are just as good, although I expect to have to change them in under 10k miles (the RE050's lasted about 12k).

Just my 2 penneth....

Simon

1997 C36 AMG

 

[mlc]

Hi,

this could be me being stupid - as normal - but I thought that P zeros were Pirrelli, Ive used them for the last 5 years, so is that different to a "P-Zero Rosso's"?

Mark

 

[sgregory124]

Hi,

this could be me being stupid - as normal - but I thought that P zeros were Pirrelli, Ive used them for the last 5 years, so is that different to a "P-Zero Rosso's"?

Mark

Yep P-Zeros are made by Pirelli

Simon
1997 C36 AMG

 

[Tony]

Winter performance is ok but then when the road is like a sheet of glass you're just not going to find a tyre that works anyway.
1997 C36 AMG

Depends what you mean by "works". I think it's pretty unacceptable when a tyre has zero traction in 2" of snow as is the case with S03s. The original equipment P6000s will get you home in these conditions provided you're careful. S03s won't get you out of the car park. It's reflected in the hopeless snow rating SO3s have in mytyres - anything above 5 is useless. The RE050 looks to have excellent ratings on mytyres, but I'm afraid I won't be getting Bridgestone again.

 

[sgregory124]

Depends what you mean by "works". I think it's pretty unacceptable when a tyre has zero traction in 2" of snow as is the case with S03s. The original equipment P6000s will get you home in these conditions provided you're careful. S03s won't get you out of the car park. It's reflected in the hopeless snow rating SO3s have in mytyres - anything above 5 is useless. The RE050 looks to have excellent ratings on mytyres, but I'm afraid I won't be getting Bridgestone again.

I must say, I can't disagree about your 'won't get you out of the car park' comment as I was left high and dry early this year with S-03's all round when we had that cold snap (having to borrow a friends A4 Quattro to get home).

But I suspect it had a lot to do with big 3.6 litre heavy engine in the front and no weight at the back also. But I don't think any kind of tyre is going to get your very far in a car like mine when theres more than a couple of inches of snow on the ground :cry:

Simon
1997 C36 AMG

 

[Tony]

Yes they will. Winter tyres will virtually eliminate the problem, but you would need to change for summer. All season tyres (such as Goodyear EV2) would also work OK. Some of the summer tyres are also driveable in snow even with rear wheel drive front engine. It's the out and out sports tyres like S03s, for one, that just don't work. The rubber compound doesn't work at low temperatures.

 

[angus falconer]

Tony is correct - only winter tyres really solve this issue.

For the record brand new Continental Conti Sports plus 2" of show last year made my C43 as much use as a chocolate teapot.

However my friend's 2003 M3 was even worse (I could at least make it up a gentle incline - he just went backwards).

Motto; if it snows, work from home

OR get a Nissan 200SX with slippy diff and go drifting :twisted:

 

[philharve]

Useful website

I know that this isn't exactly answering your question, but if you try www.mytyres.co.uk, they give reviews and ratings for the different tyres. I've used them a few times and there service is excellent.

Just put in your tyre sizes and they'll come up with a wide selection.

HTH - Guy.

Hi gpilko

I liked the website.

REGARDS Phil

 

[SLinKyjoe]

For my 2 euro's

I always get michelin's they seem to me to be the best all round, rather than good at one and mediocre at other bits.


guess what the slk has.......bridgestones......thats 10000miles and a new set all round then.

had a car with p-zeros on that lasted 9k miles. replaced with michelin pilot sports and got 25k then sold the car.

 

[peterchurch]

Depends what you mean by "works". I think it's pretty unacceptable when a tyre has zero traction in 2" of snow as is the case with S03s. The original equipment P6000s will get you home in these conditions provided you're careful. S03s won't get you out of the car park. It's reflected in the hopeless snow rating SO3s have in mytyres - anything above 5 is useless. The RE050 looks to have excellent ratings on mytyres, but I'm afraid I won't be getting Bridgestone again.

It's funny how two people can have totally different views on the same thing. I had an MR2 mkiii (mid engine, Rear wheel drive) and in that time had two sets of potenzas and a set of P6000...

First things first I agree that S03s have no grip in snow...
BUT it snows maybe three/four days a year...

The rest of the year I hammered my car round some of the wetest winding roads in the UK (the 2 was my daily drive and I clocked just under 70K in 2 years) I thought that the bridgestones gave awsome performance throughout that time and abuse ... The only reson I changed to p6000s was because I was given them for free

On a bend that I would take at around 60 - 70 mph, on bridgestones the P6000s lost all grip at 40 - 50 (no fade, or warning!!) I only just recovered the car in time to get it out from under the wheels of an on coming tanker, my daughter was in the car next to me at the time....

I really would not recomend P6000s for anything more than a shopping trolly ...
I got 20 - 30K per set of hard driving on the Bridgestones, while there were Yokohamas that other drivers struggled to get 10K out of...

Lots of people recommended Toyo proxies as well. But If you don't want Continentals then my money would be straight on the Bridgestones...