Glyn M Ruck

There are a number of reasons Benz steering geometry does this.

1) High levels of castor applied for straight line stability & self centering action
2) Reduced turning radius
3) Under lateral loading, the centripetal force will cause more of the tyre's surface to be in contact with the road. (contact patch)

Alex_K

Thank you very much..

300c4

my 2012 had michelin 225f/245r
my 2014 has conti 225f/255r

miche rides little harder than conti
miche has less traction on wet than conti
after 22k miles, miche looked like new....conti has 400mi so i dont know yet

conti ++ DWS is +++

Glyn M Ruck

It is impossible for a Conti SC to have a softer ride than a Michelin PS all things such as pressure remaining equal.

Which Conti vs. which Michelin.

IRIDIUMSILVER

Ok, i'll try to be as objective as possible.

My first W204 C300 came with the all season Continental ContiProContacts they were quit and comfortable i'll give them that much. So when it came time to replace them I wanted something sportier to go with my sport sedan, plus I live in Sunny South Florida, so all season tires aren't a necessity. I did my research(was on a budget) and replaced them with the ExtremeContact DWs they were ok at first, better grip etc., over the OE CPCs but they wore rapidly and IMO didn't offer that much more performance(not as dramatic as i hoped) over the worn(coin test) OE ContiProContacts.

I should've went with the Michelin PSSs, my brother did on his W204 C300 at the same time I mounted the DWs and I was blown away.. talk about a dramatic difference totally changed the dynamics of his car just as comfortable as the CPCs but with amazing grip! I easily took highway on ramps at 10/15mph faster and great grip in the rain and his brakes felt stronger(like he swapped in performance pads etc.) I can go on on.. night and day difference!

My 2nd W204 C250 came equipped with Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season tires and they out perform the ContiProContacts and ExtremeContact DWs in ride comfort and grip.. they're really nice and above average OE tires IMO!

My other brother just had some Pilot Sport A/S 3s mounted on his W212 E350 and all have to say is WoW! Just as sticky and comfortable as the PSSs! but with all season versatility!

So when it comes time to replace my OE Pirellis i'm going with the Michelin PSSs or with whatever max performance tires Michelin brings to market at the time!

Cheers,



p.s. all the above sedans are sport models.

Alex_K

Its seems that Michelin win the fight with the grip..

Rodpwnz

I appreciate your input and advice. (Unfortunately?) I already replaced the front tires with DW this past fall since they were getting low and I didn't want to risk losing traction. Now my rears are getting low and I want something that would last long in the rears since I am such a spirited driver. So I opted for DW in front and possible DWS or DW on rears. I picked front DW because imo, the w204 is a mess of sport and comfort, without truly doing either one well. AND because the C300 doesn't have the power to truly break grip with all seasons. From what I had read, the DW had softer sidewalls, so less response but softer ride. I wanted a mixed compromise tire, just how I felt the C300 already is as a car. From all the responses here and from further reading online, I probably should've gone mich PSS, just like I did for my brother. He's pushing 400 whp though, and I'm doing 185 if I'm lucky. I guess I'll stick with my mistake, and just get a set of DW or DWS for the rear since I live in Cali and there is no snow. In a couple years, maybe I'll get the chance to try the PSS, but they're pretty expensive.

Glyn M Ruck

Grip, noise & comfort on this chassis.

The grip side has been displayed by Porsche time & time again.

F1BHP

It's taken a while but I will give an update of the CSC5 on my sl600 Carlsson 1/10Ultralights front 255/30r20 rear 305/25r20. I have done a couple of thousand miles of fast driving. The road noise is noticeable with the top down but doesn't transfer to the cabin with the top up. The grip is very good on the road and the comfort has not changed from the stock 18" wheels and tyres(this was very surprising). I only managed 3 laps around SPA F1 as my brakes got lunched but I was very impressed with the turn in grip and feel of the tyres. They did show some rolling of the outer edges after the 3 laps however I think my pressures would have gone a little high as I didn't reduce them prior to setting off. I have ordered some PSS to put on for when I return to SPA in September(along with Brembos BBK all around) so I will be able to give a comparison then.

Alex_K

i will waiting for your review again when you compare them..

Cosworth2000

Stick with your Run-Flats Continental

Alex_K

Its not Run-Flat, they are Continental Sport Contact3..

Glyn M Ruck

Run flats suck.

Genjet

Just went through shopping for tires (2007 ML 350). It had Continental Positive Contacts that went almost 65,000 miles. I went with the Michelin Latitude HP because I liked the brand and used them before. Research also showed they were also original equipment on the ML.


Michelin has served me very well on my Durango, Jetta, and MBZ 190. I've found BF Goodrich to be a nice riding and wearing replacement on another 190, a Pontiac Grand AM I owned and daughter's BMW 325i.


Best advice is to be an educated shopper and buy from a place that is nearby if possible to take advantage of free repair, rotation/balance. In the case of Costco where I bought mine, it included free nitrogen fills.


Set of four out the door was $886 which included the $70 rebate. Talked to Discount, NTB, Sams and Costco, compared prices and brand choices both in person and online.


I've dealt with all of them at one time or another but this time Costco seemed like the best all around deal. The Latitude HPs were in stock, but not shown online, so a trip out there in person got me the exact tire I wanted. After the first rotation now and we're very happy with the set so far with about 10,000 miles on them.

Alex_K

Thank you for your advise. Is nitrogen fills better for our tires?

JPc300

BIG TIME!!!

Yes. Nitrogen is worth the money. 1. It helps with prolonging tire rot (keeps moisture out). 2. Tires are naturally porous and the molecules of nitrogen are larger compared to just air which keeps your tires at a constant pressure. 3. Also being that it keeps them at a constant pressure it helps with wearing of tires evenly and also help with fuel economy.

Genjet

I agree with JPc300, and also did extensive reading on the subject and also spoke with some tire representatives. I concluded if the initial cost is not too much, it is worth trying and seeing if it does make a difference.


Not sure if I would have bought the nitrogen but it is included in every tire purchase at the vendor (Costco in the US). Also, when I take it back for the free balance/rotation, they add more as needed.


We may be splitting hairs here comparing the two, but overall if you keep a close eye on maintaining the proper tire pressure and keep the set rotated and balanced, you probably won't notice any difference.


Since this is the only vehicle I've used nitrogen in, I'm keeping track to see if there is any noticeable difference.

JPc300

IMO it all really boils down to if the cost Vs the hassle of keeping up on your tire pressure. Also Average cost of filling with nitrogen is about $10 Per tire. At 40 bucks it's just worth the savings in fuel per year. You prolong the life of your tires and you don't need to worry about checking your tire pressure every so often. It pays for itself.

SCTinkering

I don't want my tire to live very long as they are the crap-tastic OEM Conti Pro Contacts.

Alex_K

I will try nitrogen to see the advantages.

Pete7874

Nitrogen in street tires is one big scam. Sure, there may be some miniscule benefits, but the primary benefit is someone getting extra money from your wallet.

Here is a long time tire industry veteran's quick summary on this:
http://www.barrystiretech.com/nitrogeninflation.html

JPc300

Have you ever heard of "don't believe everything you see online". well this is one of them!!

Pete7874

Yup. I am applying this notion to everything you wrote in this thread.


The guy that wrote the summary I linked to is a well respected professional and I know his credentials. I have no reason to believe he's wrong. On the other hand, I have no reason to believe you, especially that you haven't posted any evidence to confirm your statements.

JPc300

LOL! That's Ok. You're entitled to believe what you wish to believe. I work in the automotive business and have been doing it for 18 years. I have no need to prove anything to you. I just add my input and whom ever feels they want to apply it, good for them otherwise, like i said before your entitled to believe what you wish.

This is as much as I will amuse you.

Pete7874

That's great, but are you a tire engineer?