Winter Tyres - 2008 E320 Sport

Mirak

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Snow Tyres

It has been snowing all morning and now we have a good 2 inch of snow, over sub-zero ground.
As I live in a farm house, we park our cars at the rear of the house. The "yard" is concrete and becomes very slippery with any snow or ice. It is also uphill to get out (first snow and we move to parking at the front of the house).

The silly schoolboy in me came out this morning and I decided to go "test" the tyres.
It drove round from the back of the house without any wheel-spin. I then set off down into the valley. After a couple of hundred yards it was clear that all the cars coming up the hill were really struggling. Common sense took over and at the next junction I turned round.
I drove back up the hill without incident, though having to overtake 2 cars that were stationary with their wheels spinning. I then turned off the road and back down the track.

I have no vested interest in selling winter tyres at all. But, I will say they are the best investment I have ever made for my car. The greatest frustration is that the road gets blocked by people that have not the slightest idea how to drive in snow.
 

Borderline

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I have been out and about in my old W202 C250td estate, have had plenty of problems, stuck in airport car park, as well as the normal problems with hills etc. Only had to turn back down one hill. When I bought my car it was fitted with all season tyres, I have not been impressed with them.
My mate lives at the top of a windswept hill in Aberdeenshire, he recently bought a W202 c180.He said it was totally useless on snow and ice, so he has fitted Vredestein Quatrac 3 tyres. He assures that the c180 can now climb the hill to his house better than any of his VW passats or golfs. I will probably treat myself to similar tyres, if I can find any. I am not to bothered about tyre noise as I dont tend to drive this car fast or for long distances. I have to add that I got stuck again today turning into my yard. So new tyres are required, that is till my Subaru comes back from the bodyshop.
 

Mirak

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I have been out and about in my old W202 C250td estate, have had plenty of problems, stuck in airport car park, as well as the normal problems with hills etc. Only had to turn back down one hill. When I bought my car it was fitted with all season tyres, I have not been impressed with them.
My mate lives at the top of a windswept hill in Aberdeenshire, he recently bought a W202 c180.He said it was totally useless on snow and ice, so he has fitted Vredestein Quatrac 3 tyres. He assures that the c180 can now climb the hill to his house better than any of his VW passats or golfs. I will probably treat myself to similar tyres, if I can find any. I am not to bothered about tyre noise as I dont tend to drive this car fast or for long distances. I have to add that I got stuck again today turning into my yard. So new tyres are required, that is till my Subaru comes back from the bodyshop.

Borderline I am really glad you replied to my post.

It takes a lot to impress me and these winter tyres are one of the very few.
For the last 20 years I have driven BMWs and Mercs, all rear wheel drive cars.
I have always hated them in the snow and in previous years I have had a Land Rover or at least a small front wheel drive round the house. This year I don't, so I had to do something about it.

If I also had a Subaru, the Merc would be in the garage and the winter tyres would have their handling parameters fully explored !

If you think about it, "all season" tyres must be a compromise, they cannot possibly grip in sub-zero and then go and perform on smoking hot roads come summer.
 

Iain the gadget

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W208 230CLK W163 ML270cdi
Hi,

I've just purchased a new (second-hand) E320 CDi Sport '08 plate. As the weather is shockingly bad at the moment, I've not had a chance to run it since it was delivered this week.

I'm looking to invest in a set of new alloys and winter tyres. However, I've been unable to get a straight answer out of the dealer as to what Mercedes recommend. So, I intend to replace the standard 18" alloys and summer tyres with 16" alloys fitted with Conti WinterContact TS 830 tyres (215/55 R16 93H).

Can anyone offer any advice if this is a good option, or if I should be looking at another option? Also, if you can make a suggestion as to what I should be looking for in winter tyres, what should I go for, why, and what tyre pressures should I be running?

Any help is most welcome.

Kind regards,
Mike.

Wouldn't 'waste' money on expensive Contis. I have fitted 4 new Kumho KW17's on steel wheels to my C230K and am very impressed. Also, what a lot of people seem to forget is the fact that these tyres are not designed with snow particularly in mind. They are 'cold weather' tyres which will give you a distinct traction advantage over summer or all season rubber when the temperature dips below 7 deg. celsius.
 

Retired

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GL 420CDI
Drove to Bavaria on the 20th Dec. Dreadful weather from Cologne onwards, heavy snow, temp about -6, traffic moving at about 60kph and plenty of hills on the autobahn. Whilst the German authorities are much much better ( more practice and have equipment because it happens regularly) at road clearing, gritting etc. snow was settling significantly and there was much snow, slush and ice.

Saw a few British registered cars, front and rear wheel drive, with, presumably, summer tyres come to a halt with wheels spinning while the locals with winter tyres drove on by.

Winter / cold weather tyres really do work.

Had no problems myself, 4wd for traction and winter tyres for all round braking / cornering ability.
 

Chillers

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05 C220 Diesel Estate
I have read all kinds of stuff on this subject and have come to the opinion that i should invest in a set of winter tyres plus a second set of wheels.

Wheels I have sourced no problem but the tyres are a nightmare, the problem seems to be the rear wheels which are currently 245/40/17 with 225/45/17 on the front, can anybobdy provide any advice as to where suitable tyres can be purchased.

Any help would be appriciated.

Chillers.
 

Iain the gadget

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W208 230CLK W163 ML270cdi
I have read all kinds of stuff on this subject and have come to the opinion that i should invest in a set of winter tyres plus a second set of wheels.

Wheels I have sourced no problem but the tyres are a nightmare, the problem seems to be the rear wheels which are currently 245/40/17 with 225/45/17 on the front, can anybobdy provide any advice as to where suitable tyres can be purchased.

Any help would be appriciated.

Chillers.
Have you actually got the wheels yet?
Remind me of the car again
 

moosehead

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Your Mercedes
C230/2005/2.5L Avantgarde SE Sport Pack Estate, SLK230/1999 and Volvo XC60/2017 AWD
W203 Sport Pack winter set-up specifies 225/45's x 17's all round so you will need a set 7.5J alloys. I think it's impossible to get a 245/40 winter tyre plus 225's will be slightly better.

I don't think 16" wheels will go on a Sport Pack with the bigger brakes. If you don't have the bigger brakes then 205/55 x 16's are OK. This will probably be a 7J rim.
 

Iain the gadget

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W208 230CLK W163 ML270cdi
W203 Sport Pack winter set-up specifies 225/45's x 17's all round so you will need a set 7.5J alloys. I think it's impossible to get a 245/40 winter tyre plus 225's will be slightly better.

I don't think 16" wheels will go on a Sport Pack with the bigger brakes. If you don't have the bigger brakes then 205/55 x 16's are OK. This will probably be a 7J rim.

MH you are thinking along the same lines as me!:D
 

moosehead

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C230/2005/2.5L Avantgarde SE Sport Pack Estate, SLK230/1999 and Volvo XC60/2017 AWD
You can tell I have the same problems. I can't get near a main road at the moment with the stupid Sport Pack 'Carlos Fandango' set-up plus you are really limited on wheel sizes which rules out steel rims. The only alternative seems to be another set of 7.5J alloys.
 

Iain the gadget

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W208 230CLK W163 ML270cdi
You can tell I have the same problems. I can't get near a main road at the moment with the stupid Sport Pack 'Carlos Fandango' set-up plus you are really limited on wheel sizes which rules out steel rims. The only alternative seems to be another set of 7.5J alloys.
Where are you?
 

Iain the gadget

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W208 230CLK W163 ML270cdi
W203 Sport Pack winter set-up specifies 225/45's x 17's all round so you will need a set 7.5J alloys. I think it's impossible to get a 245/40 winter tyre plus 225's will be slightly better.

I don't think 16" wheels will go on a Sport Pack with the bigger brakes. If you don't have the bigger brakes then 205/55 x 16's are OK. This will probably be a 7J rim.

Under £100 each delivered for the 225/45's
 

Chillers

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Thanks guys, that helps alot, I could have got the 245/40/17's but only from some company in germany and they really did my head in this morning and will take about 2 weeks to deliver if I jump through some crazy hoops first.

I have not as yet got the other wheels, but if all I need are a matched set then life becomes alot easier, thank you.

Oh it's a 2005 C220 estate diesel auto.
 

sonic

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I have been offered a set of early CLK 205/55-16 offset 37 rims.

Will they fit onto the newer CLK 225/45-17 offset 36, & 245/40-17 offset 30.

Also my wifes SLK 205/55-16 offset 34.

I was thinking of using them for winter tyres, I dont understand the offset figures.

Thanks, Phil.
 

Iain the gadget

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W208 230CLK W163 ML270cdi
I have been offered a set of early CLK 205/55-16 offset 37 rims.

Will they fit onto the newer CLK 225/45-17 offset 36, & 245/40-17 offset 30.

Also my wifes SLK 205/55-16 offset 34.

I was thinking of using them for winter tyres, I dont understand the offset figures.

Thanks, Phil.
They should not be a problem at all:D
 

Mirak

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Report

After reading a few reports, it seems that a winter tyre IS in order below 7 degrees.

After a morning on the phone I found 4 Vredestein Wintrac Extreme.
225 55 16, which will leave me with 255 45 17 for the summer.

I cannot vouch for their abilities yet as the snow has all been cleared.

We will see !

I have just spent the last 2 weeks going to work on these new tyres.
The obvious way is on the main road - WRONG ! - It is blocked with idiots, spinning their wheels. It is also blocked with cars that cannot get up drives and cars that have simply been abandoned.
No, I have been using the back roads which have steep hills and no gritting. Once in the town I have been using rat runs which equally have not been gritted.
The only thing that has bothered me has been "clowns" in 4 x 4s on my bumper. They have 4 wheel drive but only 4 wheel braking - Like I have. I was really bothered as to which has the better braking - My car with winter tyres or a 4 x 4 on all season tyres. (Luckily I don't know!)
Anyway, I have never got stuck and again I am parking at the rear of the house.
I would not say that they are "like there is no snow or ice." They do spin up at times on too much throttle, I have also skidded a few feet on compacted snow (ice). Are they better ? - - - The difference is between going nowhere and proceeding reasonably. Between putting the brakes on and waiting (praying) and the confidence that you can stop.

For the last 3 years I asked the main agents about winter tyres - the reply being "no." I was also told "They are all like that in the snow !"
At least they have listened.
 

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