'09 C300 4Matic just in for service. Dealer suggested new rear tires because they're getting close to the wear bars. They are correct but the strange thing is: a) the fronts have plenty of tread remaining, b) the rears have even wear, no cupping, etc. and c) the car only has 20K miles and I had it since new and drive it, I would say, conservatively.

Q: Any idea why the rears would be so worn already relative to the fronts?

Given that I want All Seasons (I know all the pros and cons of A/S vs. dedicated snows, debated to death here, etc). I have the stock 17" staggered Conti's and was looking to get the ContiExtremeContact DWS. However, I heard that the 17" DWS may have a slight issue with sidewall stiffness compared to 18", affecting the handling etc.

Q: Is the 17" DWS still good to get or would another tire be better. I'm looking for decent snow performance. I'm also looking at TireRack surveys but looking for opinions here.

 

This is a close one. I have DWS running on three cars, but will eliminate the larger 18" on your request. The driver of one of the others loves them, and has no complaints. But, she is not an aggressive driver and doesn't come near the limits. The driver of the other is aggressive and has noted the loss of steering response and some handling versus the prior Michelins, but is willing to trade off for the far superior snow and rain capability, but wishes he did not have to. So, I think this is dependent on your driving style and how well you deal with compromises. I run the Pilot Sport A/S Plus, but switch to dedicated winters, so I cannot advise on those in deep snow.

 

Thanks for the info. I think if the 17" DWS can meet or exceed the stock Conti's handling, I can handle that. From the TireRack info, I would have to assume they would. Then I can hope I get better tire wear, at least on the rear.

 

That's strange that your rear tires are already worn. I also have an 09 C300 4Matic. The only difference being yours is a 'sport' and mine is a 'luxury', but I'm not sure if that has much of an impact on tire wear? Anyhow, I checked my threads recently at ~38k miles and there was still plenty left in all 4 tires and the dealer never mentioned anything when I had it in for servicing a couple weeks ago.

 

Noka,

I also only achieved 34,000 km ( 21,000 miles) out of my rear tyres . Fronts ran to 45,000 km before great splits showed up on inside shoulder. Would have gone to 60,000 tread wise.

I also wanted a harder tyre so on Glyns recommendation that the farmers in S.Africa. use Michelin HP Primacy , I have put a set on.

I am happy with them so far & I think they have improved my fuel consumption.

 

My old 2008 model C class did 40K (in KM not miles, and had to replace them ) on rear and 52K on front.

Mostly city driving and i drive most of the time like nany but stay in speed limits unlike nany.

 

Thanks for the feedback. It's really strange, almost like the rears are spinning at a different speed than the fronts and in order to equalize, the rears (having less weight on them) might be scrubbing/scraping the road,... if that makes any sense. The have worn really evenly though.

In any case, I think I settled on Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus but unfortunately there is a shortage of rears in my size and it could be several weeks before I can get them.

 

You will enjoy them very much...they are wonderful tires! I've had them for about two years and like the precise steering response and handling three seasons of the year. They will get quieter as they break in, so don't be alarmed if they seem noisy on day 1. Just a word of caution...don't try to rely on them for a Massachusetts winter! One good Nor'easter and you'll be struggling. The difference when those tires come off and the Blizzaks go on is transformational.

 

Thanks for the info. Although more expensive, I am willing to trade a little Winter performance for better handling. Nor'easter: I made it though last Winter with the stock Conti's and I figure the PS A/S have to be better. If there are several inches or more forecast, I'm staying in anyway.

 

I would definitely go with DWS. I have them on a set of 18" rims - no problems here. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING wet/rain performance (best of any tire I have ever had). I feel like I can drive them harder on rain than on dry... As far as vs the stock oem tires, they do have a little more body roll coming around the on/off ramps of the highways, but it really isn't noticeable unless you are a speed demon like me. For reference, I drive about 60mph around the ramps that recommend 30mph. On the stocks you would have a tiny bit of body roll (perhaps a 2/10) with the DWS I now feel a (3 or 4/10) and then they feel strong throughout the turn after the initial bite-down. I have heard people upping the pressure to help with this, but it really isn't an issue for me (if anything it prevents me from driving unsafely) and I would rather have a softer ride by keeping the pressure on the lower end. Other than that I have found no real dry weather differences between 17" stocks vs 18" with DWS.

The ride is MUCH smoother and quieter, ESPECIALLY at absorbing bumps or little disturbances in the road surfaces (and keep in mind I went from 17" to 18" rims). I have had a set of DWS in the past and they did GREAT in the snow too (but a true winter tire will definitely be a better option for icy conditions if you NEED to drive).

Also, I drive to NYC from Long Island a LOT and drive on the crappy roads. Have hit MANY potholes, some VERY serious, and I have not developed any bubbles or anything like that in the sidewall. I have gotten one bent lip on my rim though (so if that goes to show you, the tire was stronger than my aftermarket rims - darn budget Zinik...)

So if I were you, get the DWS and don't look back. You can afford to have to replace 2-3 DWS tires in the unfortunate event of blowouts or whatever and still not be over the price of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S set for set... Plus, I get about 50k miles on my DWS, as opposed to about 40k on my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (granted these are mostly highway miles, but you get the picture, DWS has better tread-wear).

I had both on my 2003 SL500. The Pilot sport would only get me around with dustings of snow on the ground - like 2" max (granted the car is RWD and a 2 seater) but the DWS got me around in considerable amounts of snow (up to my front bumper). But like I said, I wouldn't recommend driving on ice or freezing conditions with all-seasons. Stay indoors or get winter tires!

 

Is that really you?!?!?

(Please pardon my selective editing!! )

 

I heard the DWS on 17" are not as good handling. There were also complaints of soft sidewall support. Since I cannot get the Pilot Sport A/S for another month or so, I might think about the DWS, even with 17's.

 

Per my original posting, is there any explanation for premature, but fairly even, rear tire wear (e.g. almost down to wear bars at a little over 20K miles)? Would that be a toe-in adjustment?

 

1 if the drive ratio is biased towards the rear, except under slippage conditions, then the rears would wear out quicker.

2 if the tires cannot or were not rotated, then the rears would wear out earlier given 1 above.
3 if the rears had more pressure to counteract understeer - my G500 is a radical example - they will wear out earlier unless rotated judiciously.
I use non directional Tires on my G so I can get long life and have a choice of rotation patterns. My SO uses the same tires on her RAV4, btw. Folks have forgotten the benefits of non directional tires for rotational life, and perhaps rotation patterns cause the dealers handle it. Then they can sell you more tires

 

I didn't consider the rear-biased ratio possibly being a cause. If that's the case, I would expect anyone with the same setup I have to experience the same thing. Maybe others will chime in. I wanted 4Matic (being in New England and no place to store a Winter car and no desire to swap Winter wheels 2x a year). I also got the Sport (staggered setup), so no way to rotate front/back. Maybe next time I'll try to avoid the staggered setup, depending on what the options are and what vehicle I get.

 

I haven't gotten new tires yet but when I do, I will have the alignment checked. If it's way out, I'll talk to my MB dealer, because I didn't do anything that would have changed it. I'm not sure about the theory about different traction front vs. back (i.e. rear-biased), since many manufacturers have such setups and I don't think all of them have premature tire wear.

 

I have about 16.5K miles, and my stock rear tires are almost bald.

 

I have DWS on my 17 inch. I immediately noticed more uneven/unsettle movement over bumpy roads. OEM Conti tires felt more smooth (although noiser). Another way to describe the difference of the feeling is like driving a small car vs driving a big car over the same bumpy road. Hope you get what I mean.

 

i just had the oem contis on my 17 in rims replaced with the DWS last week because of poor wet weather performance. I dont notice a difference in noise. the steering seems more responsive and precise and i am quite happy with the change, but my alignment was also off so the improvement could be due to the alignment fix which was done at the same time. i am also not a super agressive driver so i may not be pushing the car enough to notice more of a difference.

 

How many miles did you have on the stock tires and were the rears more worn than the fronts?

 

I had 22k miles when I replace mine. Yes. Rear always wears faster than front. Its a RWD car.

 

this is a CPO that was new to me in july and i had about 19k miles when i had the DWS installed. the rear oem tires looked more worn when i took a look after bringing the car home, but i just looked at the car history report they gave me and there was a "customer pay" tire replacement at 5000 miles which could explain some diference if it was just the front two. the report indicates "roadside assistance tires" suggesting that not all four were replaced at that time. so the short answer is i dont know yet if the rear wear more quickly.

 

hmc, op's got a 4matic.

 

Followup:
I got the 17" DWS and alignment. We'll see how they do.

 

Should work fine, esp with winter comming. Keep an eye open for a used pair of your front wheels. For next set of tires, you can go non-staggered with non-directional tires, and do proper rotations.

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