dk410

New c43 owner here. Love the car so far but hate the roughness in every mode with the runflats that came on the 19 inch multispokes.

I do live in an area that gets below freezing temps in the winter with occasional snow. Would it be a bad idea to go with all seasons as opposed to dedicated winter and summer sets?

And somewhat related, what is the general concensus on size and brand for wheel spacers on these wheels if I'm not planning to lower it. I've tried searching the forums and I've seen so many different opinions...

thanks!

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

If you're changing out tires you can get a beefier looking set and run a 5mm spacer in the rear to sit in a really nice spot. The next size that works is 15mm. I have ran an 8 but wouldn't recommend it as it doesn't leave as much mounting surface as I'd like.

ECSTuning has some (same as Audi fitment) just make sure you get the right bolts. I usually go with H&R.

I'd probably just run the all seasons - there are a few out there that will give even good summer tires a run for their money, otherwise I'd get another set of wheels and tires for a dedicated set-up

dk410

Thanks so much for the reply!

I like your idea of doing the 5mm in the rear with thicker tires. Are there any tires you could recommend?

And I assume you mean a more substantial looking tire as opposed to actual different size right?

AMG_FVR

Have to considered looking into non runflat summer tires? Most members run Michelin Pilot Super Sport's and it totally transforms the car. You can save your runflats when you selling/returning the car if you are leasing.

I would not recommend you to run all season tires as it's a performance sedan and you'll be sacrificing the handling. Also, you mentioned that you live in the area where you get freezing temperatures and all season tires would not be the best route to go.

You should be running proper winter tires instead of all seasons. Hope this helps in your decision.

dk410

Thank you for your reply as well. The snow part is not that important. I have a vehicle for that, but i would still want to drive the c43 in the cold. I was just wondering if some high performance all seasons would be significantly worse than true performance summer tires.

Also for those who go to non runflats, do you just have some fixaflat in the trunk, or just calling mb roadside assistance?

AMG_FVR

I'm getting some Michelin PSS4's in a couple of weeks. I was in the car with a friend who has them and the car totally feels different. I'm gonna keep some kind of quick tire repair kit in the car just in case MB roadside assistance is backed up.

Mr. J

Pilot AS3+ are one of the best AS tires on the market. They also run better than most the summer tires out there.

omg516

This is the route I'm planning on going, I'm willing to forgo some ultimate summer performance for a better ride as well as the ability to drive up to Tahoe in the winters. I'm hoping the difference in ride quality is really noticeable.

Gungaslow

I like the continental dws06 better personality.. I drove my friend c43 with the AS3+ and mine is much better ride quality.. they seem to absorb imperfections in the road better

sayeah

i just changed to AS3+ tires. The ride is still harsh, can't feel any difference from RFTs

omg516

Yikes, not what I was hoping to hear. How about grip and road noise?

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

People have already mentioned the best all seasons I would consider. The continental dws and the AS3's.

I mean using the same OEM spec tires, but different tires fit differently on the rim, some wider than others.

And like others have said, the change to runflats is only a marginal improvement in ride quality. The suspension is the main culprit of harshness.

dk410

These are the other tires I was considering as a buddy of mine has them on his 340i and he really likes them. I'll probably go with whatever ends up being cheaper between the as3 and the dws.

Thx everyone for the helpful replies!

arkadnik

Would disagree with that. My vehicle came with ContiSportContact non-runflat summer tires, they were unbearable, I even had to lower the pressure in tires to make ride acceptable. Also it was way too loud. Changed to Michelin PS4 - thats night and day in terms of ride and sound comfort with minor gains in handling department.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

So you saw improved comfort going from a non-runflat to a non-runflat?

You don't have to agree with me.

The suspension handles abrupt dampening poorly and that is not changed swapping tires. Sure - it is muted but still fairly prominently.

Xtrema

chalk one more believer of PSS. Much better than stock Conti run flats. The only think I like the run flat is they are pretty good between 0c to 10c because while sidewalls are hard, the thread compound are quite soft but wear fast.

Pilot AS3 may be a good compromise, but I still wont go out on those near freezing temp, especially at night.

Mr. J

This^^^!!!

The ride will be stiff no matter what tires you put on it. Anyone who claims otherwise is deluding themselves.
For me, changing out the runflats made the ride a tiny bit more comfy. The big difference was handling characteristics.

The AS3+ perform just as well as the stock Contis in warm temps. More importantly, they maintain the same level of performance in cold temps. They also perform exceptionally well in cold wet weather. Considering that we've had over 50'' of rain here over the last 6 months, the cold/wet performance has made me a fan of these tires.

Mr. J

AS3+ do fine in light snow and ice. If I resided in the colder portions of the midwest or NE I would do dedicated winters, but AS3+ are fine for anything short of a snowstorm. To be clear though, I have driven on them during a snowstorm

Mr. J

The owner of the tire shop I use runs the DWS on his wife's Audi. He likes both and seemed to think that they are both the top tier for the high performance AS tires.

The tests on Tire rack also support this. If I was not able to get the AS3+ I would have gotten the DWS.

arkadnik

seems like we are talking about different things. Sure suspension is stiff and on poor roads its bad. Problem with OEM tires for me was that even on average roads it wasn't acceptable, with tire swap it became "ok", while on bumpy roads ride quality is still poor.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

You took my comment out of of context. Not sure what you expected.

arkadnik

Yuille36

Run Flat tires have extremely stiff sidewalls, to support the vehicles weight in case of deflation. The ride is very rough, and this is the #1 chief complaint. For an all season tire, I recommend Continental Extreme Contact DWS06, their designed for the Dry, Wet, Snow hence DWS.

flagman

Totally agree. I just had a set of DWS06 installed on my C450 and they ride much smoother and quieter than the Conti RunFlats. I don't plan to use these tires year-round, since I have a set of Conti winter tires, but we do sometimes get cold temps before the snow flies and it will be good to know the DWS06 will provide better grip than the stock summers. They are much higher rated for treadwear (560 for DWS vs 280 for the RF's, I believe.) so they should last for the life of my lease.
The runflats are stored and will be re-installed just before lease return. I will not miss them for one minute.

dk410

Looks like the DWS and pilot sport as3 are most recommended.

Has anyone had any experience with the bfgoodrich comp 2 a/s?

It looks like they have good reviews on tirerack and sell for a bit less than the other two...