khaiser

Hello it has been a while since I have been on the MB forums, since I had sold the previous MB, gone to BMW, then Porsche for myself, and now back to a MB C400 for my wife.
The C400 supposedly has all season tires? Is that correct?
They are a staggered set up. Will they work ok for a mid west winter,
or should I get snow tires?
Thanks,

MASSC450

Depends on the size wheels you got...18" yes, all-season...19" no, Summer tires.

Depends on how well they plow & treat the roads in your parts. I'm going to try these stock 18" Continental all-season tires this Winter myself, and if they suck, I'll switch to a performance Winter tire.

khaiser

Thanks, we got the 18inch so we don't have to deal with winter tires..

StanNH

The simple fact is that no all-season tire can provide the same stopping, steering, or acceleration performance of a dedicated winter tire. The compounds and tread designs used are very different, and winter tires will stay flexible and provide greater traction at lower temperatures than all-seasons.

Many people can do fine with all-seasons but, in harsher climates where snow and/or ice are common, winter tires provide a significant improvement in overall traction. An AWD car with winter tires is the best option, but even RWD and FWD cars will benefit greatly in winter driving conditions.

The additional cost and the nuisance of switching wheels and tires are obviously factors in making a decision, but the benefits do outweigh the negatives for many people.

khaiser

I agree, I have used winter tires on a Rwd car and they make a huge difference. However, I have used and currently use Conti all season DWS on my Porsche cayanne S and for the midwest winters, they have worked great!
I will see how the current tires on the c400 work out this winter. When we get very bad snow, everything usually closes down.

c4004matic

If you live where snow is a constant winter companion, snow tires are always the right answer. AWD, 4WD or whatever only assist you in getting going. They do nothing to improve braking turning nor handling. In fact in curves it my even be detrimental since its putting torque on all tires at the same time making them more apt to loose traction when they might have the least amount of friction, this is one of the main reasons the first guys you see in the ditch are the ones in SUV's.
Never use summer tires in the snow. We have had a couple of below 40 snaps in my neck of the woods, my Pilot supper sports have become like rocks, no flat spotting but they sure don't like it and dont perform half as good as they should. In snow they would be utterly useless since they are almost slicks with no sipes to speak of. My snow tires come on this week.

khaiser

Snow is a hit or miss for us. Usually the roads are quickly cleaned up, and if its really coming down hard, they close everything early..
However, I have managed with conti DWS all seasons on my car, but the C400 has conti all seasons, not sure exactly what they are. Are these summer tires?

Takobo

it really depends on the location. All season or summer tires are only good until 7c degree. To me, tires are the only parts that is between your car and the road. the contact area is only as large as a credit card. Why risk your life, and other commuters? No matter if you have AWD, 4matic, 4wd, whatever you name, it won't help you to stop and to control your car with other tires than winter's.

StanNH

Exactly how I feel about it. There was recently yet another car magazine article about the importance of using winter tires in cold and/or snowy regions. That particular article stated that only 35% of cars in these areas had winter tires on them which, to me, is very surprising.

I've driven in cold areas for many years, and have had all seasons and winter tires on RWD, FWD, and AWD cars. I have also taken several winter driving classes. For me anyway, I will never go through a winter driving season without dedicated snow tires on my car. Unfortunately, most people will never know how important that is until it's too late.

Bil

Agree with Stan, I have dedicated winter tire for my cars since 1987.

Up here in the province of Quebec, Canada, snow tire are mandatory from December 15 to March 15 for passenger vehicle registered in Quebec. No matter what you are driving, RWD. AWD,4WD, cars and light trucks must have winter tire identified with the snow flake pictogram

c4004matic

Non OEM. The optional 19 inch rims also have summer contis.