Anthonyamb

Hi to all! I am new to this forum and would like some info on the C32/C55. As I reside in Canada, we get snow in the winter months. I was wondering if the C32/C55 if equipped with snow tires would be able to be driven in the snow? I used to own a E46M3 and it was impossible to drive in the snow especially with its RWD and summer tires. Back then, it was impossible to get snow tires in the right size(18 in.). I traded my M3 in for the S4 but put a hold on my order as there the S4 will be getting a facelift. Despite this, I have not fully accepted the look of the new facelifted S4(in pictures) so I am widening my options. I went to the local MB dealership and saw the C55 and fell in love with it right away. So now it comes down to the ultimate question. Can the C32/C55 be driven in the snow with snow tires? I know it is premature ti ask about the C55 but I figure that the C32 should be somewhat similar?

benzl

Here's my experience with the C32 in snow

My experience with the C32 (stock wheels and tires) is OK as long as they keep the streets clean (ie. mostly clean with occasional thin layer of fresh snow on the gorund). On thin layers of snow, it occasionally slips and skids if you are not feather soft on the throttle and if you dont make slow turns. Be careful and slow down when exiting highway ramps as I almost crashed once.

During heavy snow storms where they are not able to keep the streets clean fast enough, I would advise that you stay at home!!! I was on my way home during one of those times, and I have to drive super slow and even at that slow speeds the car is slipping and skidding bad and the ESP was blinking the whole time like crazy. I was stuck a few times on the roads where there is a slight inclination and had to clear the snow off my tires with my bare hands and ask for help to push the car up the slope.

Of course all this is with stock wheels and tires and I would imagine that it would be more drivable with snow tires on. Hope my experience can help you with your decision.

Anthonyamb

Thanks for the info. If anyone has experiences driving in the snow in their C32/C55, pls let me know.

rguy

Put on relatively new snow tires and you should have no trouble in as much as a few inches of packed snow and will be fine on ice and in slush. If you get three foot windfalls, you should obviously think twice.

Anthonyamb

This is what I want to hear!
Thanks!

viper

I don't know what dealer you went to but be careful when pricing snow tires and rims from them. A friend of mine priced out snow tires and cheap rims for his new SLK at the dealer and was horrified at what they wanted to charge him. He shopped around and got much better pricing. However on his first service appointment they noticed that he had snows tires and realized he did not purchase from them. They have been screwing him over ever since in every way that they can just because they lost an opportunity to make an outrageous profit.

Wiedermann

Hmmm... let me think on that question for a moment...

Mercedes Benzes are manufactured in Germany...

Germany happens to freeze, snow, and all other things related with cold weather...

AMGs are well known in Europe, used there, sold in Germany, blah blah...

I think C32s can be driven in snow...



Wiedermann

lap

Is he in the GTA, just so I can take my $$$ somewhere else!

Wiedermann

4Matics are better than AMGs in snow though...

Wiedermann

viper

No this dealer is in a Canadian city that shares a bridge and tunnel with Detroit Michigan.

lap

tell that to my 1984 BMW318i = the VERY WORST CAR EVER for driving in snow... then again my 1985.5 944 was one of the BEST

Mr. Weidermann, I do agree with you on the c32, as it can be driven in the winter (just get a GREAT set of SNOWs and be prepared for the YELLOW ESP FLASHDANCE ) This will be my c32's 3rd winter season in TO and although it is not as good as my GOLF III was, it works. Sure, i'd like the S4 for 20 days of the year BUT i'd prefer my c32 for the rest of the 245.... :p

misu55

Dude,

Stay out of the snow! Not only will your tires catch a cold, they might catch the flu. With all of the flu vaccine shortages, your tires could DIE.

Stay away, snow bad, very bad.

LOL

Of course you can drive in the snow, as long as you know how to drive a rear wheeled car in the snow and take it easy. Snow tires help immensely!!!

Wiedermann

Mr lap:

I could not agree with you more!... it is VERY true to what you said... all that power, just to drive the car like a golf cart... but you see that in Europe a lot... (driving slow in winter time...lol)

Cheers!

Wiedermann

Anthonyamb

I would like to thank all the nice ppl that replied my question.
Now I just have to find out how much of a discount (if there is any) I am able to get from the dealer. If things does not turn out right, I'll most likely settle for the present S4.

lap

Life is too short! Buy what you can afford & like. The S4 is a great car as well. The other night I went by an Audi dealership & parked my c32 alongside the competition. They both had their visual strengths & weaknesses but I "personally" thought my c32 was a much better looking car. As I alluded to, I could not justify spending more $$ just so I could have better 'start off traction' on those days where the weather = crap! The only real issues I have encountered with the c32 is trying to start up some sever slopes w/ the wrong tires... then again, the guys behind me were having the same problem LOL

Enjoy what you buy, whatever it may be, as this vehicle should be the best for YOU!

Good Luck!

Anthonyamb

Wise words!

Narcissus

That's bullsh*t, 18 inch snow tires have always been available, of course your M3 wouldn't perform well in snow with summer tires?? a Toyota tercel would be just as bad, if you really had an M3 then you would have bought 16 or 17 inch winter wheels with good winter tires, now if you keep the stock tires on a c32, c55 or c240 you'll never be able to drive in snow, buy yourself some good winter tires and you'll be fine, read your manual and take it easy, with ESP and traction control the car will perform well on snow or ice

cheers

Kev04C320

Just need to be super easy on the gas pedal and thou shalt be fine.

Speaking of winter tires, it's almost time for me to grab some too. Last year (my first year driving in snow), the P Zero Nero M+S sucked in snow and squealed in the summer months.

Anthonyamb

Anyway, thanks for ur response. Back then I was not able to get snow tires in 255/35/18, can I? BTW, I had a set of 19" wheels for my M3 and did want to spent more money getting 16" or 17" wheels and snow tires package. Moreover, I have a second to move around. Now that I am married, we need 2 cars to move around in the winter time.

Anthonyamb

I talked to a local tires store dealer and he told me that with RWD cars, u have to put on snow tires in order for them to be driven in the snow and not all season tires.

Zeppelin

Try getting a 16in rim over the front brakes on an M3

TC32AMG

I live in Canada and have driven in the snow with the C32, first I would never drive in the snow intentionally with summer tires, I have unintentionally with the C32 got caught in a light snow when I bought the car.

If you are going to get a rear wheel car with so much torque I would not cheap out and get all seasons. Get a whole set of snows safety first . That is what I did and the car is fine in snow, albeit not as nice as an S4 as my brother has one.

On ice or har packed glassy snow the car is a little hard to get off the line but it eventually gets there. The traction control and especially the ESP work like a hot damn in the snow. I was testing it coming down a every slight slope turned it off and gassed it a little and the car was all over scared the sh*t out of me, turned ESP back on and did the same thing car drove straight and true.

Finally, you would want to get a narrower set of snows to cut through snow rather than a wide set, look at the rally cars when they race in snow and see how narrow the tires are. I have 225's all around.

Trust me a second set of snow tires is worth the money if you drive quite a bit in the snow.

T

RohithT

A long time ago, maybe 4-5 years ago, Car & Driver did a feature where they took a fwd Audi A6, an awd a6, a rwd E320, & an awd E320 to some proving ground designed to test performance in the snow. They equipped each car first with all seasons, and then put snows on them. While the rwd E320 performed the worst on both all seasons (if I remember correctly, it was barely driveable, though the other ones weren't much better) and snows, the disadvantage was little compared to the fwd a6. Both awd-equipped cars were nigh-near unstoppable with snows.
However, the surprise (at least to me) was that the rwd E320 performed signicantly better than the awd cars did on all-seasons. The difference was quite significant. The moral of C&D's story was that snow tires are more important to drivetrain when it comes to handling and traction in snow.
(I'd provide a link, but I can't find it on C&D's website any more)
Audi Canada may do it differently, but I believe the S4 comes standard with summer tires in the U.S. So even with that car, you're going to have to get winter tires. But even if you get all-seasons on the S4, a C55 with snows will likely be better in the snow.

Anthonyamb

Anthonyamb

In Canada, the S4 also comes standard with summer tires. My plan was to go and buy a set of all seasons for it. Thanks for the info.




I really hope that I will end up buying the C55 and be a regular member of this forum.