I just checked the ski report & it says that chains or 4wd are required to go to the local mountans here in s. ca.

Which should i buy? Where to buy?
any difference between cable & chain?

TIA

go to enterprise and rent SUV

So, the W204 is incapable of making trek to the mountains in the snow?

I don't have any first hand experience with either but when I was in the service we used chains on our trucks during the winter and the rims always got scratched up.

you have to ask yourself is it worth it to take the risk... for me its not... for you it might be, as ron jr said you will probably scratch up your rims... that might be the best case... if you can keep from gettign stuck or runnign off the road

for how cheap a rental is vs price of chains i'd rent a SUV

Well, I'd put my stock wheels back on.. but im starting to feel like its not the best idea. when i rent SUV's usually its around $80 per day, but I have a perfectly good W204 at home that is probably more reliable than the GMC that they rent me... hmmm

i don't agree but thats me... and that GMC Yukon has a bigger sticker price than the 204... so no need to talk about it like its a kia or something

I'd go with the SUV rental idea. Yeah, your C-class would probably do fine, but scratching the wheels with chains, getting it all mucked up with dirty, slushy snow, and you'd have chains to buy and then store somewhere for the remaining 360 or so days that you don't spend up in the mountains.

btw, this is one of the reasons I also own a Jeep.

No offense intended for any GMC drivers out there, I wasnt saying that GMC's cant be more expensive than the C class, I was actually just trying to compare it in terms of reliability, not price.

I dont think there is a correlation between price & reliability, otherwise, ferrari & lambos would never break down!

Wow thats funny, the 12 years we have had GMC's in the familly they have all run well... mercedes... well same amount of time but have had problems, i think most cars and trucks do.

So, even if i were to rent an SUV, (assuming I can find a 4WD one) I would still have to put snow tires on it per caltrans... or else if i rent a 2WD SUV, i will have to use chains... grr.

if its this hard for you i don't think you should be out in the snow!

Speaking as a former skier, I have to wonder just where in a W204 are you going to put the skis, your boots, jackets and all the other paraphernalia that goes along with a ski trip? Are you going to have to buy an expensive MB ski rack plus cable chains? What about the flying rocks and crap splashed up on your expensive new MB? And the snowmelt tracked into the interior?

That 80 dollars will be well worth it, believe me.

We are having snow here in Seattle and in just a day or two, My C300 has become a godawful mess and it will be at least a week before the temp comes up enough to wash it.

If you must take the benz to the snow...
They wont scratch the wheels and install takes seconds. plus no worry of a cable or chain breaking and eating a fender or 2.

Wow, what is that product?
Looks a lot simpler than the usual chain or cable.

Looks a bit like the Spikes-Spider Sport. That product has only 4 arms, and a band of chains laddered with spikes.

Swiss made. Evidently they do work.

The Compact model (other image) runs about $405, the Sport model runs about $445. To operate, you mount a hub on the outside of your drive wheels, then clamp on the 'chains' whenever you need them.

Interesting, I also found a product called the Thule K-Summit which is similar in concept, but I dont think it needs a mounting plate to be installed first.

K-summit video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opugSM6xs58

I have had excellent experiences with Thule products in the past, both of these products look promising.

The video, and other sites, seem to suggest these are 'lug mounted." Does that mean they rachet onto the exposed portion of the lug bolt? If so, they wouldn't work on an MB because we use lug bolts.

Similar price though.

Makes me wonder about the Spike-Spider too.

Oh well, for the ft of snow in my driveway, I've got a Wrangler ...

Yes it does look like a lug bolt will be threaded through the device. interesting though, looks like there are some innovations in the snow chain world.

Yes they need a center kit. And yes they will fit onto your existing lugs. They have this clamp style mounting that secure to your existing bolt heads.
Just remember 18" or larger wheels, can NOT run chains, that what pg 467 says...

Snobootz are also a nice alternative. I'm looking into a pair for my other vehicle.