i need a set of 4 tires for my 08' c300 4matic and im confused as to which ones should i buy. I have narrowed it down to 3(4) and i need all your advice/suggestions to hel;p me pull the trigger.

1. Bridgestone Pontenza RE970 AS pole position- great reviews on tirerack, value for money but it's uni-directional, which means i cant rotate in my staggered setup.
2. Michelin Primacy MXM4- Indy shop recommends this. ok reviews and expensive than Bridgestone
3. Conti extreme contact DWS- mixed reviews
4. Michelin Pilot sport AS plus- was in the running earlier but someone here on the forum did not recommend it.

I would really appreciate if you can share your experiences about the tires.

I just bought some Nitto Motivos. Do some research on them, they are getting good reviews (DWS-comparable), but they are a new tire. I've had them mounted for 2 days, but so far they're pretty good. Looking forward to seeing their wet and snow performance!

I recently installed a set of Conti DWs and I'm very pleased with them because they are quiet and have a decent ride.

The Conti DWS is a bit soft and squirmy and when I was talking to a Tire Rack rep when ordering my DWs, he indicated I would not be happy with the DWS because of the softness. The DW is not directional so can be swapped side-to-side.

There have been reports on another MB list of short tire life with both of these tires, on the order of 12-13K miles which is poor considering the costs.

I'm not sure what your priorities are....ride, handling, noise, etc. The Potenzas do have great test results and reviews which might be good enough to make it worth skipping the savings of rotation. The DWS are softer and not as sharply responsive as DW, Potenza, or Pilot Sport, but depending on where you live, they are the best all season tires which might have a chance of doing acceptably in a moderate winter if you don't want to change to winter tires. They are quiet and comfortable, and if you don't push them too much, do just fine for handling. I have them on my wife's E350 in the 18" size and on my daughter's Accord...both very happy drivers, but not demanding of "performance".

I think highly of the Pilot Sport A/S Plus which I've had and replaced with the same on my car. They offer an excellent combination of ride and handling, and are reasonably quiet after the break-in period. I don't run them in winter...I usually switch to Blizzaks, although they did very well last year in our unusually mild winter which never reached a point for me to make the switch. The MXM is a touring tire and not in the same performance category as the other three. That might suit your needs if you strongly prefer comfort and quiet...they are good at that task.

Thanks Sportstick for your reply. I want best of both world - low noise & comfort but responsiveness and good wet/snow traction. I live in MA and do need to keep in mind the snow. How important is it to rotate tires? What if i keep up with alignment instead?

I wouldn't worry about tire rotation too much on a 4matic. On an RWD or FWD car front-to-back rotation makes some sense since the drive axle wears out tires much faster than the other axle, but 4matic wears them fairly evenly.

As for tires, if snow is a concern, then DWS will probably be your best bet. And if you're not a super aggresive/race driver, they'll be just fine during summer as well. I put them on wife's C300. I wasn't able to test them in snow yet as last winter there was very little of it and I don't drive her car often, but the tires handle all other road conditions very well, IMO.

On my 530i, I have Bridgestones RE960 A/S (predecessor of RE970), and their snow/winter performance is outright terrible/scarry. They're great summer tires though, as I have dedicated winter tires/wheels for this car anyway. Supposedly they've improved winter traction on the RE970 a little, but I wouldn't expect any miracles.

Hmm... the snow performance for Bridgestone sounds concerning. Tirerack has best snow traction rating for them in their AS tire category.

If you are in Massachusetts, I personally could not understand trying to get by all year on one set of tires. The rubber compounds and tread patterns of even the best winter performing all season (DWS has historically taken this award), are not designed for more than light snow. The rubber starts to freeze hard once you get into the low 40s. You should probably develop a plan around two sets...great all seasons such as the Potenzas or Pilot Sport A/S Plus which will let you get deep in to the Fall/early winter, and then once snow starts (and you get some wicked Nor'Easters in Massachusetts!), switch over to Blizzak WS70s on their own rims. At the first thaw, probably March, get back on your 3 season tires. The winter tires will typically go 3-4 seasons this way. The tirerack.com local installer may even have a program for storing them for you the rest of the year.

Dont know if i would prefer 2 sets of tires.

I get that, but it's not really something to think about as "preference". The stopping distance differences alone should be quite compelling, and possibly life-altering for you and whomever you aren't able to avoid. Unless you can stay home when the roads have snow covering them, the single tire set strategy may be sadly regretted one day.

Can i get the Blizzak WS70 225/45R17 for both front and rear? Will they fit the rear wheels?

Your best solution is four 215/50-17 to get a narrower contact patch, which is superior in winter. Order them already mounted and balanced on low cost rims. Ship to a local tirerack.com installer near you, who likely can store your off-season tires the rest of the year, and the seasonal change is a 10 minute, 20 lugnut event. Done. That's about as easy as it gets.

Sportstick- Can i run these wheels/tires on my c230k sedan? we just had our first snow storm up here(CT) and i think i'll do as you recommend and get a second set.

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/pts/3397696363.html