How's the traction on those tires? I don't even know what they are. Specifically, wet traction is what I'm concerned about.

I have ZR-rated summer tires on the Altima, and I've had a couple scary incidents, slippin' n slidin' after light rains. For example -- it's my fault, I guess, for driving like a dumbpoop -- there was a time when I braked from a normal (dry driving conditions) distance on a downhill, and the car almost didn't stop in time -- less than a few feet away from a crash.

Are you guys extra careful in the rain with the C300 with AMG 18"? How is it driving around? Is the wet grip pretty good? Also, I doubt the C300 has enough power to break traction, even on wet roads, but I'm thinking the C300 should be more delicate than the Altima, especially around the corners, since it's RWD. The C300 is my first RWD car, so I dunno what to expect.

Any scary incidents with those tires?

 

I drove one yesterday in the rain with the 18s on it, and it was fine. This car doenst have enough power to lose traction IMO

 

Speed rating doesn't have anything to do with traction. Plenty of cheap crappy ZR rated tires out there.

The contisport3s were great when they were brand new, but I'm finding wet and dry traction to be steadily decreasing as the miles increase. And I'm only at 3600.

It's easy for me to get ESP trying to accelerate from a stop in the rain, especially as the revs climb. It's worse, obviously, trying to turn and accelerate from a stop.

Stopping is okay wet or dry, but the ABS engages quickly, where other tires I've had I could never get ABS to engage.

I think the tires are fine as long as you're not trying to be boy racer all the time. I'm not used to driving mercedes so the brakes feel weird to me anyway. But the OEM tires, while not being the worst are not the greatest either.

I do have to preface it with I'm spoiled; I've had PS2s for my last two sets of tires.

[edit] Oh and I need to explain it's been been <45F here for quite some time, so it's cold and rainy. I expect that when it gets back up in to the 60s that they'll be a lot better.

 

When mine go, I am replacing with P-zero Neros. Best tires I have ever owned.

 

Yes they are, in just a few more miles I will replace the Contis and I do not have the 18" AMG wheels.

 

It seems like what you were doing is caring too much speed into corners. FWD, RWD, AWD and hp don't matter if you carry too much speed into a situation that needs to share the traction.

ESP and TSC will not let you oversteer if you jab the throttle too much while cornering, and it'll definitely help with understeer as well. But there's only so much the car can to before the laws of physics wreaks havoc.

The stock tires on 18s are not the best nor the worst. I think it'll help if you learn the limit of adhesion and play within the limit. Whatever tire you get, there will always be a scary moment as you get closer to the limit. Whatever tire I put on the car, I always try to learn to characteristics and leave a relatively large safety margin when I drive.

 

Thanks for all the info.

That's just about what I expected from an OE tire, I guess: not the best, not the worst. I just wanted to hear it from you guys.

This is my driving style:

I used to be all about straight line acceleration, redlight racing, and got into a lot of trouble from the age 16~22.

It's been about 5~6 years from my last problematic incident, and in those years I've mellowed out a bit. Now I care less about going straight, but more about going around corners (preferably fast) -- hence the selection of a RWD car, however underpowered.

Don't worry though, I've "matured" slightly in those years -- both my hands are always on the wheel unless I'm shifting. A scary spin-out on a narrow mountain road (read: cliff on both sides of the road) taught me the value of two-handed driving. And now I (almost) always yield to others on the road and in general try to drive like a grandma in even light traffic.

In any case, my area (N. Cal) doesn't see too much rain, so I don't really need too much wet traction. But it is in those few weeks of rain that we see here that I got in trouble before. My friend swears by the Pzero Neros (spelling?), and another thinks the Michelin Pilot SP1/SP2 (spelling?) are the "shiznitos."

Can anyone tell me the difference between those two? I hear the Pirellis are super-light (which is good), but that's all I know about those tires. And my friends are not much help, as they don't do objective comparisons. They go by brand loyalty.

I won't be changing tires until the OE tires are due for replacement. I just wanna know what to buy later

Just for the record, I dunno exactly which model tires I have currently and I can't check right now (I'm in Boston right now for business), but I paid $182 per tire for mine. I'm pretty solidly sure that I got ripped off royally, but even so, I don't think the tire qualfies as "cheap."

 

I'm a big fan of the PS2s because they're extremely light, extremely sticky and quiet. But they do have a softer sidewall than competitors, which makes them a little slower at turn in. The trade off is that they don't transmit as much impact.

Unfortunately they're also bleed out your a$$ expensive.

 

I have the Contis & 18" AMG, like others have said, under normal driving I find it nearly impossible to loose footing or skid/ slide. Even if you slightly provoke it all the aids kick in anyway and save you before you loose it. However you can inflict extreme chaos with the traction aids off and the car will proceed to act like a raped ape under those conditions.

-Ryan