Hi Folks,

So I will be ordering a new car this year and I really like the C43.. Whats holding me back is the lame Staggered Wheel / Tire setup. First off I hate RFT's they simply suck. They don't ride as well, handle as well, cost more and wear out quicker; and you can't really fix them if you get a flat. On top of that MB has chosen to do a Staggered setup..This makes no sense from a practical standpoint since with standard AWD and only 350 HP there's simply no need..It's all show and no go; plus no tire rotation with a Stagger..

I'm planning on the standard 18" wheels since I live in the North East and we have POTHOLES.. 19" are cool if you live in CA or FLA.. Anyway does any one have any idea of how to get a stock C43 18" wheel that will fit the rear? Could I buy a front wheel and add say a 15-20 mm spacer to bump it out??


Thanks All!
Any and all informed options appreciated !

FYI my second choice of car is an Audi S4... Square wheel setup with Non RTF's and even a spare and jack!!!

I think you just talked yourself into the S4!

Not sure what you mean by "Standard AWD", but the C43 sends 69% of drive power to rear wheels and 31% to the front...it's not a 50/50 split.

To my understanding the only way to get a square set up would be to purchase some wheels after you take delivery of the car, or make some sort of an arrangement with a dealer. So yeah, buying another couple of AMG wheels and adding spacers for the back would work.

I don't see why not

So I'm guessing there is no recall on these tires or rims for that matter?

I’m coming from a 18 Audi s5 I had to have lemoned. I got the c43 coupe with the 18’s as well because of ride quality and I live in northeast. Just get the tire and rim warranty. My dealer gave me a good price. Other wise I was gonna get the Michelin pilot sport 4s and call it a day. They do run stiff but I like the ride and car so much better then the Audi s5

On my second C43 coupe and first thing I did on both with was to bin the crappy run-flats for Michelin Pilot Super Sports, night and day difference. No, the dealer wouldn't foot the bill but what is an extra £800 quid on a £60k car!

Hey, I just ordered a 2020 c43 coupe with 18's because I live in NJ. Can you let me know how your experience has been with the 18" runflats? Thanks

Terrible most people swap them out almost immediately

I live in NJ too, once the runflats wore out (also 18"), I swapped them out for Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's and couldn't be happier.

The runflats were OK IMO, but they wore out VERY quickly (Though I do believe that was mainly because they were overinflated, but I really don't know).

The Michelins are SO much better, it's night and day.

I didn't have a problem with the runflats while I had them though (no flats, blowouts, or cracker rims). It's just that the Michelins are so much better.

Seriously?? So 20 mm difference between front and rear is what is going to make you walk away from the Merc? That is just stupid. You obviously haven’t driven the car. If the cost of a new set of run flats and the fact that you can’t rotate the wheels (which means you might have to replace the rears more often but the fronts more seldomly so in the end it is a zero sum game) is what is scaring you, you should probably be considering a cheaper car to begin with!

and yes, runflats are utter sh*t, but just replace them if you really prefer the car.

my last two cars have been rear biased AWD and both had staggered wheel setup, which is great when you have rear biased AWD to keep the rear in check.

I can say for sure, the wider tires in the rear go a long way, I have a 16' c450 amg and you cant accelerate out of a turn at all with traction control on. This car has an even less aggressive 33/67 split compared to the c43 31/69 split. On that note, I'm looking to upgrade wheels and tires. I have the 18" wheel with the 7.5" front and 8.5" rear. I'm looking to move to a 19" with an 8.5" wide front and 9.5" rear. Would put 245s front and 265s rear. Does anybody have experience or recommendations for this? Dont want to deal with rubbing. Is it worth it/possible to go to 10" rear to be able to fit a 275 tire? Anybody aware of issues with prices on performance summer tires with 245/265 vs a more common 255/275 width?

In the same position as Matthew. Let us know how it turns out!