snowykim

I have staggered tire set for my 08 C300 Sport 4matic. Front tires were replaced 6 months ago with stock Conti. Now rear tires have only 3 mm left at 33K miles and guess time to replace them.
I want to try something other than stock Conti and wondering whether I can install different brand like Michelin to rears while having stock at front. If I'm happy with rears, then my new front ones will match rears.
Since it is 4matic, I am not sure whether I can do that though. If I can, can you recommend good four season tires for New Jersey?

Happy motoring!

Sportstick

This is not a good idea, independent of having 4MATIC. The goal is to have well balanced traction at all four corners. With excellent new tires at the rear and marginal Contis up front (they were marginal even when new!) you will accommodate to the traction they provide in the rear for acceleration and cornering, only to find that you have exceeded the capability of the tires in front, resulting in the greater chance of understeer, in other words, turning the wheel but plowing straight ahead. It is almost analogous to running with a running shoe on one foot and a sandal on the other. I strongly encourage you to replace all four tires with a new set.

If you are not using dedicated winter tires, the leading all season tire for the full year, including use in snow is the Continental DWS. Yes, same manufacturer as the mediocre tires which came originally on your car, but these were designed to different standards for a different purpose, and do an outstanding job. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus is also an outstanding all season tire, but its relative strength is dry performance, handling, steering response, and it does well, but not as well as the DWS, in the rain and snow. I have those Michelins for 3 seasons, and take them off when the snow starts to pile up to use Blizzaks, although, oddly, that hasn't happened yet this year in Michigan...a great and mild winter so far!

Scat01

It is ideal to change all 4 at the same time and have them match 100%.

That said, it is NOT required to have the same BRAND on the front and rear axles, sometimes it is just not practical from a financial standpoint. Please ensure the speed rating and size does match exactly, and also make sure to keep the matching (brand) on the same axle (orig Contis front, New Conti DWS on the rear for example).

You will not have a list of issues as stated above, road noise will not increase or decrease over what tire is rated at -There will be NO "awkward handling" either. Bottom line, you will not notice the difference, nor will the vehicle.

To reiterate - It is ideal to change all 4 at the same time and have them match 100%, not required.

Sportstick

This optimistic assessment may be correct if your drive your Mercedes as if it were an Oldsmobile, on the way to deposit your Social Security check.

kevink2

I'd add that you should go beyond the "speed rating" and size for a better match, like performance grouping. As said, often done by those w/o cash to do it right .... not sure how they would be mixed in this MB group.

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AkaSigFreak

Keep them matched.
I replaced my rear tires (OEM Michelin Pilot HX MXM4) with Michelin Pilot Sport AS+, but the fronts still had 75% tread left so I left them. My car drove like crap and under a hard corner, I had so much "push" and understeer I almost had an accident. Let's just say the next day I was ordering the front to match the rear.

grane

Will he hear it if he has direct deposit?

Scat01

Good line grane...

Well I was assuming that "SnowyKim" was not planning on tracking her high performance c300 4matic car anytime soon...For Christ sake, you guys are extreme.

I stated twice that the ideal route to take is to replace all four and have them match. Everything else I said is accurate. If you replace all 4 with a different type are you going to not hear a difference in road noise? Or is it just if you replace 2? Or is it exactly what the tires are rated at as I said? And wtf would you be now "pushing the car" with a different tire brand any more than you would with putting new tires on the rear that match the front ones?

It is not optimal - Is is however complete acceptable to run different brands on different axles - look it up and learn...

Scat01

Correct - now go on tire rack dot com and look at how the road noise for these tires is rated, the DWS is actually rated better than the Conti extreme contact for road noise.

...unless I read tone deaf also, this tells me she will not notice an increase in road noise.

Maybe call one of your sponsors and ask them what they think?

kevink2

You broke my Scat01+1 rule (post #7), jumping performance catagories. Per Tirerack, fwiw, the "Sport AS+" is listed as Ultra High Performance all-season tires, two levels above the "HX-MXM4" Grand Touring all-season tire. The former has large tread blocks for performance, while the latter is peppered with small blocks for comfort.

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Scat01

They are the number 1 retailer for performance tires in the country - Is there any logic to anything you post? Please tell me you are under 25 years of age...

kevink2

Interesting, my experience was that, while winning (in class) two autox seasons in a row, I used different brand tires, front and rear, to move understeer/oversteer around, based on the track. Different than just adjusting tire pressure. I would also tweek my 5 position rear swaybar that I machined and welded with a friend, but designed myself.

I had no problems driving home with mismatched (but same performance grade) tires, usually with a trophy.

In this thread, only one person with experience and specified tires, had a problem due to mixing performance grades, and not due to mixing brands. I mixed brands in same performance grade, and had no problems. That is all the useable input, so far.

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