Going 4 LB over sounds like a good move. You can probably safely go to 10 over without grinding your teeth too bad. You can play with different pressure settings and find what works best for you. Tire pressure is always a compromise. Lower tire pressures gives you greater tire grip and a softer ride. Higher tire pressures gives you thighter turn-in and lower rolling resistance.

 

Yeah, I got stuck with the Z-Rated Continentals, but it was the same for me. The psi on the sticker was too low - I upped it 4 or 5 as well.

 

A few European coworkers speak highly of Continental tires. After reading the reviews on Tirerack.com and comparing the Michelin Pilot Sport vs. Continental ContiSport Contact tires I question their beliefs. The reviews of the Conti's are terrible and most drivers would not buy them again. They complain about tire wear and road noise. The Michelin Pilot tires got outstanding reviews and most drivers would purchase them again. I also couldn't believe the price difference between the two tires ($229 for Pilots and only $149 for Conti's). Tirerack also catogorizes the Pilot as Max Performance and the Conti as Ultra High Performance.
I HOPE MY CAR ARRIVES WITH MICHELIN PILOTS!!! (late March/early April)

 

a lot of cars i've seen - volvos, bmw, mbs - come w/ contintenal touring contacts. its got to be a decent all-season tire. maybe the conti sport contacts have a better reputation in europe so its not so bad if you get those. my dealer offered to change the tires if i got contis though so your dealer may also.

 

Yeah, I've always believed that Michelines were among the very best. Your European friends may be biased because Continental is a German company with a long history. I must admit though, this is the first time I've ever owned Continentals, so I can't say yet that Continentals are not as good, but from what I've heard so far that is probably be the case.

 

Hello everyone,

Well after six months of waiting my C230 arrived! It is everything I had hoped for and more!

I've had trouble getting up my drive way and was wondering:

Which brand of snow tires to purchase?
Do I need two or four?
Since I have the C7 do I need 17" snow tires?
Do I need to buy new rims for the tires?
Do the metal tips that some snow tires really make that much diference?

Anything else I missed?

Thanks!

Jim

 

congrats on the new car. what options/color did you get?

as for your questions:
i got blizzaks lm22s from tirerack.com
no, you don't need 17" snow tires unless you want to swap the tires on the same alloys
no, but i got new rims anyway - easier to just put them on - steelies but some got cheaper alloys
i don't know about the studs.

in fact, i just put the snow tires/wheels on today. you should read the tire forum & tech forum... heh, just got like an inch of snow today! i'm ready!!

 

The wheel/tire package is the way and I'd go for the 205/55/16 Dunlop Winter Sport M2's as they are very highly rated (on Tirerack.com), not too costly, and still sporty enough for the H speed rating as Young's Blizzacks are as well I think. I've never owned them, but like Dunlop tires and this is what I'd get- on the cheapy steels too- unless a good deal on alloys came along. The wheel/tire package is great because they do the mounting and balancing for you- just bolt the suckers on.

BUT- if you're willing I'd also highly recommend etires.com for the Nokian NRW's which I have on my mr2 and have driven through the brunt of several 12" snow storms on pure white snowpacked roadways with no problem!! No bs. They are classified as all season plus but make no mistake these babies from Finland are very snow capable and little sacrifice in perf.

AND-if you don't mind the sponginess and faster wear of pure winters go for the Hakkapelitta Q's. I've driven these uphill in ~6 inches of powder in a field!! They eat snow but depending on your locale and driving style probably aren't necessary. If you live where it snows 150-200"/year then yes otherwise NRWs.

Downside to the Nok's is that you'd have to get wheels elsewhere and bring them to be installed. If that's a pain for you(I'm not quite sure what I'll do yet because it is a pain) I'd go for the Dunlops.
You don't really want to keep the C7's wheels because:
#1-- Big pain in the butt to switch every 2 seasons
#2-- Are too wide(I think) for a 205 tire - as wide as winters should go IMO.
#3-- Why spend the extra $ on 17" wheels and tires.

And yes you do do do need all 4, don't scimp on that one!!

Unless you live in alaska- I'd side against the studs you won't need them.

Well James that's my 99 cents on a subject I feel strongly about and most people don't take at all seriously enough IMO. Hope it helps!

C230/6speed/orion/C7/changer on the way!!

 

Winter tires is a hot topic in Sweden right now, cause we have a new law forcing us to drive on
winter tires from beginning of December 'til end of March...

In the Swedish edition of Auto Motor& Sport nr 19 they test 8 different brands. Some of them are
Swedish brands and I doubt they are available anywhere else but here. Anyway I include them for
completeness.


These were the tires tested and their results:

-AGI Sarek2: got three stars (of five possible). Good handling on snow, but not very good on ice.

-Continental WinterViking1: four stars. Good handling on snow and ice, but long braking-distance on ice.

-Gislaved NordFrost : four stars. Good on both snow and ice, and pretty good on dry roads as well.

-Goodyear UltraGrip500: five stars and test-winner. Superior grip on snow and ice. Silent running. Not perfect on dry tarmac.

-Hankook W404: (Sounds like a site-not-found-error...) one star. Short breaking-distance on wet tarmac but noisy and bad on snow.

-Marangoni MeteoGrip: one star. Short breaking-distance on wet tarmac but lousy on ice and snow.

-Michelin Ivalo: three stars. Good grip on ice and snow, good handling in snow, but bad on wet roads.

-Nokian Hakkapelitta2: four stars. Very good on ice, snow and sleet. Not so good on dry tarmac.

Sorry for making this post long, but the article was pretty long and exhaustive... Unfortunately
they didn't test any Pirellis but I know that Pirellis is offered as a "dealer"-option for BMWs
here, so I guess they can't be that bad...
My car is now equipped with Goodyears and I'm very pleased with them sofar...

And yes. Those metal tips makes a huge difference on icey surfaces

 

Good information. If at all possible, get 4 snow tires, not two. The difference in traction between differing tires creates a ready made situation for a spin when grip is lost at one end of the car -- see Tire Rack etc. Narrower tires are preferred because it places more pressure on a smaller area, which is what you need in the snow. The tires with the mountain snowflake symbol are the best. An always remember, there is an egg under your accelerator pedal and that your car has a winter mode for getting started.

jz

 

Hi guys,

I would like to find out if anyone is using the Michelin Pilot Alpin 225/45/R17 winter tires on their C-coupes. What are your winter driving impressions?

 

I don't have experience with these tires (or even these cars) but it is generally best to use narrower tires in winter. Not to mention the no-no of using aluminum wheels in a salty place like Calgary - not good for the finish!

I'd suggest a set of Mercedes steel 16" rims with 205/55-16 Michelin winter tires.

 

I won't dispute anything that Mike T. said, and I still don't have my Coupe, but I do have some experience with Pilot Alpins.

I used them on my previous two cars. While they don't have the ultimate snow & ice traction of some other winter tires, they are worlds better than summer or all seasons. I actually drove in some pretty crappy conditions last winter in my S2000, and I felt quite confident. Left 98% of the SUVs in the dust, I did!

Plus, they give you that H speed rating...

 

does anybody know of the widest tire that will fit on a c230 stock 16 in rim. I want them all to be the same so no staggering. I have 205/55/16. I would like to go somewhere around 225 or maybe even 235 if it will not rub.
Thanks
Tim

 

I've had a set on a 2002 C230 Coupe (w/six speed) now for about 3000 miles. They handle very well but where I live we seem to have been blessed with a mild winter to date so my experience on snow/ice is nil. We still have plenty of winter left. I purchased because of their better handling traits compared to Bridgestones. Plus, I didn't want to hassle with trying to dispose of rims four or five years from now.
I wash vehicles in the winter at least once a week so salt is not a major concern.

 

The 225's are too wide for any serious snow- a little and they'd be OK but so too would a competant all season. Definitely go with the 205/55/16's. May I whole heartedly recommend the Finnish Nokian NRW (H rated) available on etires.com and they are comparable in price to the Mich. I've had these on my mr2 for just over a year now and swear by them, drive fairly aggressively and really miss those harsh riding, noisy Potenza 730's. I'm leaving them on the car this year through the summer in fact- the are a superb all around tire and are very snow capable. Saw more of them in Sugarbush Vermont than I thought I'd ever see and with a 260" average annual snowfall- well that speaks for itself I guess. They are hard to come by in my neck of the woods though- etires you won't regret it and I do accept tips.

C230/6speed/orion/C7/changer - soon and they'll be wearing NRW's next winter guaranteed.

 

Oops - I meant DON'T miss the harsh, noisy Potenzas except for in real ***** out driving.

 

225/50 16's will fit, but make sure you get something with at least a a/a/340 temp/treadwear rating or you'll have to replace them in about 14k miles

 

thanks a bunch

 

hey VoyagerDude....

I live in Calgary too...
I have the Evolution (C7) package... and I purchase a set of Dunlop Winter Sport M2 winter tires (205/55HR16) from Tirerack...
and they are awesome in the snow... hehehe.... we've been having awesome weather here these several weeks though....
just washed my car again today.....

 

Just wondering what size/brand came with the stock non-C7 coupe.

Thanks-
Andrew

 

Michelin MVX HR4 Energy 205/55HR-16

 

With the stock rims you can go up to a 225/50/16 without rubbing.
Just in case you wanted to know.

 

I know...

 

When i get new tires i will get the wider ones, although if i have enough $ at the time new rims are in the pictures aw well