What tire did your car originally come with?
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Fairfield County, Connecticut
E350W4
My Sales Rep told me that MB uses either Continental or Michelin for C-class and rarely changes tire brand in the middle of model life cycle - my W203 (US) came with Michelin and I think all W203 shipments to the US had Michelin tire. W204 was equipped with Continental and most likely this brand will remain till we see W205...(in another 7 years). C350 may have different tire vendor though.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Seattle
C-300, XC70, Wrangler
My Sales Rep told me that MB uses either Continental or Michelin for C-class and rarely changes tire brand in the middle of model life cycle - my W203 (US) came with Michelin and I think all W203 shipments to the US had Michelin tire. W204 was equipped with Continental and most likely this brand will remain till we see W205...(in another 7 years). C350 may have different tire vendor though.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
A fair amount of misinformation here, as usual on the topic of tires....
Generally, for mainstream models like the W204 C [WITHOUT the AMG add-ons], the factory will choose 2-3 OEM suppliers for any given size and application. For the US market, that has been primarily Continental ProContacts and Michelin H-rated MXMs. No doubt for the EU market, there are other choices - higher speed ratings, for one thing.
Yes, it's true that for any given time of day during the production run, the tire choice on the factory floor is "random", in the sense that any of the OEM tires could wind up on the car. No, you can't choose. If this is what is meant by "whatever is lying around", then I suppose that's true.
Yes, the brand of the space-saver spare and the brand of the road tires will often be different. The spares are sourced on a different OEM contract.
No, W203s did NOT all come with Michelins. Our '02 C240 had Conti CH95s, which were smooth enough and wore like iron, but were also noisier. Contis seem to have one, and only one advantage - they're cheaper. Cheaper at the OEM level, and cheaper to replace. I would never voluntarily pay good money for a Continental tire - strictly Michelins for me at replacement time.
Our USA '08 C300 Lux built in Bremen in July of '07 has Conti ProContacts, 225/45x17 all around. I am looking to replace them with the latest Michelin Primacy MXV4, and may go "down" to a 16" alternative. Rial now makes a wheel that is a dead ringer for the OEM wheel on our car, in both 16" and 17" sizes, that is hub-centric and uses the same wheel bolts as OEM. I'll be working with Tire Rack to get these soon.
Generally, for mainstream models like the W204 C [WITHOUT the AMG add-ons], the factory will choose 2-3 OEM suppliers for any given size and application. For the US market, that has been primarily Continental ProContacts and Michelin H-rated MXMs. No doubt for the EU market, there are other choices - higher speed ratings, for one thing.
Yes, it's true that for any given time of day during the production run, the tire choice on the factory floor is "random", in the sense that any of the OEM tires could wind up on the car. No, you can't choose. If this is what is meant by "whatever is lying around", then I suppose that's true.
Yes, the brand of the space-saver spare and the brand of the road tires will often be different. The spares are sourced on a different OEM contract.
No, W203s did NOT all come with Michelins. Our '02 C240 had Conti CH95s, which were smooth enough and wore like iron, but were also noisier. Contis seem to have one, and only one advantage - they're cheaper. Cheaper at the OEM level, and cheaper to replace. I would never voluntarily pay good money for a Continental tire - strictly Michelins for me at replacement time.
Our USA '08 C300 Lux built in Bremen in July of '07 has Conti ProContacts, 225/45x17 all around. I am looking to replace them with the latest Michelin Primacy MXV4, and may go "down" to a 16" alternative. Rial now makes a wheel that is a dead ringer for the OEM wheel on our car, in both 16" and 17" sizes, that is hub-centric and uses the same wheel bolts as OEM. I'll be working with Tire Rack to get these soon.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
From: North San Diego Coastal
C300 Sport
A fair amount of misinformation here, as usual on the topic of tires....
Generally, for mainstream models like the W204 C [WITHOUT the AMG add-ons], the factory will choose 2-3 OEM suppliers for any given size and application. For the US market, that has been primarily Continental ProContacts and Michelin H-rated MXMs. No doubt for the EU market, there are other choices - higher speed ratings, for one thing.
Yes, it's true that for any given time of day during the production run, the tire choice on the factory floor is "random", in the sense that any of the OEM tires could wind up on the car. No, you can't choose. If this is what is meant by "whatever is lying around", then I suppose that's true.
Yes, the brand of the space-saver spare and the brand of the road tires will often be different. The spares are sourced on a different OEM contract.
No, W203s did NOT all come with Michelins. Our '02 C240 had Conti CH95s, which were smooth enough and wore like iron, but were also noisier. Contis seem to have one, and only one advantage - they're cheaper. Cheaper at the OEM level, and cheaper to replace. I would never voluntarily pay good money for a Continental tire - strictly Michelins for me at replacement time.
Our USA '08 C300 Lux built in Bremen in July of '07 has Conti ProContacts, 225/45x17 all around. I am looking to replace them with the latest Michelin Primacy MXV4, and may go "down" to a 16" alternative. Rial now makes a wheel that is a dead ringer for the OEM wheel on our car, in both 16" and 17" sizes, that is hub-centric and uses the same wheel bolts as OEM. I'll be working with Tire Rack to get these soon.
Generally, for mainstream models like the W204 C [WITHOUT the AMG add-ons], the factory will choose 2-3 OEM suppliers for any given size and application. For the US market, that has been primarily Continental ProContacts and Michelin H-rated MXMs. No doubt for the EU market, there are other choices - higher speed ratings, for one thing.
Yes, it's true that for any given time of day during the production run, the tire choice on the factory floor is "random", in the sense that any of the OEM tires could wind up on the car. No, you can't choose. If this is what is meant by "whatever is lying around", then I suppose that's true.
Yes, the brand of the space-saver spare and the brand of the road tires will often be different. The spares are sourced on a different OEM contract.
No, W203s did NOT all come with Michelins. Our '02 C240 had Conti CH95s, which were smooth enough and wore like iron, but were also noisier. Contis seem to have one, and only one advantage - they're cheaper. Cheaper at the OEM level, and cheaper to replace. I would never voluntarily pay good money for a Continental tire - strictly Michelins for me at replacement time.
Our USA '08 C300 Lux built in Bremen in July of '07 has Conti ProContacts, 225/45x17 all around. I am looking to replace them with the latest Michelin Primacy MXV4, and may go "down" to a 16" alternative. Rial now makes a wheel that is a dead ringer for the OEM wheel on our car, in both 16" and 17" sizes, that is hub-centric and uses the same wheel bolts as OEM. I'll be working with Tire Rack to get these soon.
Bob
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 19,942
Likes: 192
From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
+1 re Michelin and the Contis are noisy & become noisier with wear. It is less noticeable on the W204 than W203
