apl175

Will 17" rims fit on a base 2013 W221 S350 Bluetec (without code 950 AMG Sports Package or code 951 Sport-Package USA)? Tired of two cracked rims, three flat tires, one bent rim, the road noise, and the harsh ride of the factory option 20" rims (option code 50R). If I had ordered the car, I would've saved the ~$2k on rims, and gotten splitview or factory rear entertainment instead.

Longing for the smooth quietness of the 16" wheelsI had on my E320 ;-)

Forum posts here suggest they will absolutely not fit, but 17" rims were standard on the W221 even after the facelift for 6-cylinder engine vehicles in the rest of the world. Tirerack suggests that it will fit as well so long as no Sports or AMG package.

Brake disc size in front appears to be 350mm (A2214211612). Various places online suggest that 350mm is the largest size that will fit in 17" rims but with dubious comments saying they will not. Was thinking of searching online for base model W221s that have 17" rims, pulling the VIN and datacard to see if they use the same front brake disc part #.

Thoughts? Or can y'all convince me to just get 18" rims as a good trade-off between hangdling and comfort.

Mike5215

Is it an E350 or an S350? In either event any OEM wheel made for the car will be a direct fit. In the U.S. (where the S350 is a turbo diesel...no such thing as a 6 cyl W221 here unless you count the S400) the base wheel is 18", the AMG package is 19" and the AMG Plus is a 20".

19" is probably the ideal mix of ride comfort and handling, although the 20s don't seem to ride any worse to me and I've had both. 18" is way too much sidewall for a car as heavy and wallowy as a 221 IMO, forget 17's.

DaveW68

My S600 came standard with the 18" wheels. Those had a very soft and compliant ride. I took off the Michelins shortly after I got the car and put snow tires on those rims. For summer wheels, I picked up a nice set of 20's and they handle great, but the ride certainly isn't as soft as the 18's. No way you should try to put 17's on an S-class.

apl175

Thanks guys - apologies for the Typo - *S*350. I'm going to go with an 18" rim - leaning towards some sort of Tire+Wheel Package from Tirerack.

Snippet from the W221 International brochure....showing the standard 17" rim for the rest of the world market.


MY2010 RoW W221 Brochure excerpt.