All Season Touring Tires on C350 Sport?
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
All Season Touring Tires on C350 Sport?
Maybe this should be in the tires section but my question is specifically regarding the tires for the C350 sport sedan.
My 2012 came with the ContiProContact All Season tires which are described on Tire Rack as touring tires. Is this right? I would have expected some kind of performance tires, maybe not summer but something that was not as squishy, vague and noisy.
Are these the standard on the C350? Could I have asked for or request now something more performance oriented?
Thanks.
My 2012 came with the ContiProContact All Season tires which are described on Tire Rack as touring tires. Is this right? I would have expected some kind of performance tires, maybe not summer but something that was not as squishy, vague and noisy.
Are these the standard on the C350? Could I have asked for or request now something more performance oriented?
Thanks.
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'08 C300 Lux Barolo Red Beige Leather P2 MM 18" wheels '84 944
Maybe this should be in the tires section but my question is specifically regarding the tires for the C350 sport sedan.
My 2012 came with the ContiProContact All Season tires which are described on Tire Rack as touring tires. Is this right? I would have expected some kind of performance tires, maybe not summer but something that was not as squishy, vague and noisy.
Are these the standard on the C350? Could I have asked for or request now something more performance oriented?
Thanks.
My 2012 came with the ContiProContact All Season tires which are described on Tire Rack as touring tires. Is this right? I would have expected some kind of performance tires, maybe not summer but something that was not as squishy, vague and noisy.
Are these the standard on the C350? Could I have asked for or request now something more performance oriented?
Thanks.
When I ordered my C300, I knew it would show up with H-rated low bidder tires so I ordered what I wanted from Tire Rack to be shipped to the dealer before the car arrived and they swapped tires before delivery at no cost to me. I then sold the originals on Craigslist.
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
Thanks. I guess I just don't understand then why Mercedes would put sport suspension as standard on a model, to say nothing of the Sport designation in its name, and then saddle it with touring tires as standard. My 350Z and 335i, as befitting more sporting vehicles, both came with Bridgestone summer tires, which were definitely not the cheapest option for either company.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Vehicle manufacturers prioritize:
- Cost
- Low rolling resistance to improve their CAFE rating for mpg
- Generally acceptable ride/handling balance, biased to ride
Some other manufacturers do offer tire options, such as SRTs which come with all season performance tires, but have an OE option for summer only performance tires. In our case, there was no choice unless you happened to get tires from another of MB's OE sourced tires...they use (at least) both Continental and Michelin as far as I know. The Michelins would have been of comparable performance level, although likely better executed than the Continentals.
At this point, you can do what others have done. I discarded my OE ContiProContacts at 2,000 miles for my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus which have performed extremely well, although I am now finding what I would consider early wear on the rear tires (down to 4/32 at 20,000 miles of usage, while the fronts are still 8/32). Tirerack.com also shows that Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS are excellent.
- Cost
- Low rolling resistance to improve their CAFE rating for mpg
- Generally acceptable ride/handling balance, biased to ride
Some other manufacturers do offer tire options, such as SRTs which come with all season performance tires, but have an OE option for summer only performance tires. In our case, there was no choice unless you happened to get tires from another of MB's OE sourced tires...they use (at least) both Continental and Michelin as far as I know. The Michelins would have been of comparable performance level, although likely better executed than the Continentals.
At this point, you can do what others have done. I discarded my OE ContiProContacts at 2,000 miles for my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus which have performed extremely well, although I am now finding what I would consider early wear on the rear tires (down to 4/32 at 20,000 miles of usage, while the fronts are still 8/32). Tirerack.com also shows that Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS are excellent.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 68
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
Vehicle manufacturers prioritize:
- Cost
- Low rolling resistance to improve their CAFE rating for mpg
- Generally acceptable ride/handling balance, biased to ride
Some other manufacturers do offer tire options, such as SRTs which come with all season performance tires, but have an OE option for summer only performance tires. In our case, there was no choice unless you happened to get tires from another of MB's OE sourced tires...they use (at least) both Continental and Michelin as far as I know. The Michelins would have been of comparable performance level, although likely better executed than the Continentals.
At this point, you can do what others have done. I discarded my OE ContiProContacts at 2,000 miles for my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus which have performed extremely well, although I am now finding what I would consider early wear on the rear tires (down to 4/32 at 20,000 miles of usage, while the fronts are still 8/32). Tirerack.com also shows that Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS are excellent.
- Cost
- Low rolling resistance to improve their CAFE rating for mpg
- Generally acceptable ride/handling balance, biased to ride
Some other manufacturers do offer tire options, such as SRTs which come with all season performance tires, but have an OE option for summer only performance tires. In our case, there was no choice unless you happened to get tires from another of MB's OE sourced tires...they use (at least) both Continental and Michelin as far as I know. The Michelins would have been of comparable performance level, although likely better executed than the Continentals.
At this point, you can do what others have done. I discarded my OE ContiProContacts at 2,000 miles for my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus which have performed extremely well, although I am now finding what I would consider early wear on the rear tires (down to 4/32 at 20,000 miles of usage, while the fronts are still 8/32). Tirerack.com also shows that Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS are excellent.
Thanks all.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Thanks. I guess I just don't understand then why Mercedes would put sport suspension as standard on a model, to say nothing of the Sport designation in its name, and then saddle it with touring tires as standard. My 350Z and 335i, as befitting more sporting vehicles, both came with Bridgestone summer tires, which were definitely not the cheapest option for either company.
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I’ve had good luck with Michelin's Pilot Sport A/S Plus during harsh L.A. winters.
Promptly swap ‘em for PS2s or Super Sports come spring though.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ort+A%2FS+Plus
Promptly swap ‘em for PS2s or Super Sports come spring though.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ort+A%2FS+Plus
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Thread Starter
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
I’ve had good luck with Michelin's Pilot Sport A/S Plus during harsh L.A. winters.
Promptly swap ‘em for PS2s or Super Sports come spring though.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ort+A%2FS+Plus
Promptly swap ‘em for PS2s or Super Sports come spring though.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ort+A%2FS+Plus
Thread Starter
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
So the Mitsubishi Galante Avis rental I received from the service department has the same ContiContactPro tires. High five!
Time to fill out my Mercedes Benz customer satisfaction survey that I just received this morning.
Time to fill out my Mercedes Benz customer satisfaction survey that I just received this morning.
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2004 Mazda6, 1993 RX7
-------------
Originally Posted by sportstick
Again, the OE formulation of these Grand Touring category tires likely offered them the lowest rolling resistance. Manufacturers will go to great lengths for a tenth of a mile of Corporate Average Fuel Economy to avoid Federal penalties.
.
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
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2012 C300 Lux
Maybe this should be in the tires section but my question is specifically regarding the tires for the C350 sport sedan.
My 2012 came with the ContiProContact All Season tires which are described on Tire Rack as touring tires. Is this right? I would have expected some kind of performance tires, maybe not summer but something that was not as squishy, vague and noisy.
Are these the standard on the C350? Could I have asked for or request now something more performance oriented?
Thanks.
My 2012 came with the ContiProContact All Season tires which are described on Tire Rack as touring tires. Is this right? I would have expected some kind of performance tires, maybe not summer but something that was not as squishy, vague and noisy.
Are these the standard on the C350? Could I have asked for or request now something more performance oriented?
Thanks.
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
The tirerack.com seems to say that Michelin Primacy MXM4 is one of the best in "Grand Touring all season" and H category.
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
I also have a question. I know that a lot of people recommend Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus and Continental Extreme DWS. From tirerack.com, those tires belong to the category of "Ultra high performance all season" and have speed rating of W or Y, while ContiProContact is in the category of "Grand Touring all season" and rating H.
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
The tirerack.com seems to say that Michelin Primacy MXM4 is one of the best in "Grand Touring all season" and H category.
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
The tirerack.com seems to say that Michelin Primacy MXM4 is one of the best in "Grand Touring all season" and H category.
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GMC - Miata - Trek - P-Car
I also have a question. I know that a lot of people recommend Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus and Continental Extreme DWS. From tirerack.com, those tires belong to the category of "Ultra high performance all season" and have speed rating of W or Y, while ContiProContact is in the category of "Grand Touring all season" and rating H.
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
The tirerack.com seems to say that Michelin Primacy MXM4 is one of the best in "Grand Touring all season" and H category.
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
The tirerack.com seems to say that Michelin Primacy MXM4 is one of the best in "Grand Touring all season" and H category.
Although NVH attenuation ranks relatively low amongst my selection criteria (vs. response and traction),
some ‘ultra high performance’ all-season and summer tires also do remarkably well in those areas.
There’s no denying that the ‘grand touring’ MXM4 provides a quiet ride and decent tread life though.
cswang’s disappointing “squishy, vague and noisy” tires can be rectified by judiciously choosing appropriate replacements.
Last edited by splinter; Mar 6, 2012 at 11:40 PM. Reason: typo
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From: Virginia
2012 E350 - Cabrio; 2017 GLS 450
I like my Conti DSW tires. (245/40 ZR17 91W) They have a harness of 540, so that they last longer than the stock tires. I decided to sacrifice a little noise and ride for a longer lasting tire. I can get around 45K miles on my rears. Actually I don't notice much of a difference with the harder tire. IMHO it still rides nice.
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2012 C350 Palladium Sport Sedan
I like my Conti DSW tires. (245/40 ZR17 91W) They have a harness of 540, so that they last longer than the stock tires. I decided to sacrifice a little noise and ride for a longer lasting tire. I can get around 45K miles on my rears. Actually I don't notice much of a difference with the harder tire. IMHO it still rides nice.
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From: Virginia
2012 E350 - Cabrio; 2017 GLS 450
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From: Toronto, Canada
2008 C300 6speed, 2015 GLK 250 2017 E400 wagon
I’ve had good luck with Michelin's Pilot Sport A/S Plus during harsh L.A. winters.
Harsh Winters in L.A. Lmao!! That's priceless. Come to Canada or North East USA. You'll think your in Antartica.
OE Conti's are Garbage period. If you had Mich's equipped you got lucky. If your driving in Snow. No all season tire will give you adequate performance in snow. If you don't go summer tire most are good in rain. Only Drag Radials are crap in rain Good Luck.
Harsh Winters in L.A. Lmao!! That's priceless. Come to Canada or North East USA. You'll think your in Antartica.
OE Conti's are Garbage period. If you had Mich's equipped you got lucky. If your driving in Snow. No all season tire will give you adequate performance in snow. If you don't go summer tire most are good in rain. Only Drag Radials are crap in rain Good Luck.
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2004 Mazda6, 1993 RX7
I also have a question. I know that a lot of people recommend Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus and Continental Extreme DWS. From tirerack.com, those tires belong to the category of "Ultra high performance all season" and have speed rating of W or Y, while ContiProContact is in the category of "Grand Touring all season" and rating H.
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
Aren't W or Y rated tires much stiffer than H-rated tires and thus more noisy?
I know someone else commented on this, and I'm in agreement. When I got W-rated DWS for another car, I was surprised how flexible the sidewall was, as tested by hand off the rim. A V-rated tire, same size but summer rated, had a much stiffer sidewall.
.
