I've had the C43 for a little over an year now. Within the first few months of owning the car, I took it on a 1000 mile road trip and documented my thoughts here. My thoughts on the car are almost still the same. Bottom line: I just love it. It is a blast to drive and still puts a smile on my face every single time. Just a few things worth mentioning:

The RFTs wore out and I now have Continental DWS 06s all around. The front ones wore past the recommended level at 10K miles and I stretched another 1000 miles out of them. At this point they were almost bald so switched them out for the contis. Surprisingly, the RFTs on the rear still had a lot of life left. I thought I could easily get another couple thousand miles out of them. However, shortly after, had a nail in one of them and the dealer said it can't be repaired. BUMMER! So switched them out for the contis as well. While the ride quality and noise have improved a great deal, I think I am a little less confident while cornering aggressively now. For all my hatred towards the RFTs they actually were very confidence inspiring while cornering. Guess it is a small price to pay for daily driving comfort. Only regret is that I never got a chance to take it to the track or the drag strip - both of which I've always wanted to do - while the RFTs were on. I expect it to be a lot less fun with the Contis. Curios to hear you guys' thoughts on RFTs vs All seasons on the drag strip and/or the race track from your experience.

Another regret- missed out on the AMG driving academy offer. Not so much for the program itself but for the chance to drive on the legendary Laguna seca speedway. It has always been a dream. Will probably get a chance in the future. Until then, have to settle with Forza.

All in all, the car has been pretty reliable with no major issues *Touch wood*. Close to 13000 miles on it. The 'rocking back and forth' is still prevalent but I got used to controlling the throttle to avoid it at most times. Someone here mentioned they had the dealer do a software update to fix this issue but I've had no such luck. My SA keeps saying he doesn't see any updates for my car. Did anyone in the US have any luck with the update?

 

 

I've always found Continental DWS tires having soft side walls that have too much give, that's why I get Michelin's...

 

Well I pondered for a while between the Michelin AS3+ and the Conti DWS. Probably should've gone with the Michelins.

 

I just switched the RF's to the AS3+'s and am loving them.

 

You don't mention if your original RFT's were Summer Performance or All Season? I'd suspect that a Summer Tire even a RTS Summer will stick better than almost any All Season RFT, or not. I also notice that you have the 19" Wheels.. RFT on 19" .. I'm sure its stiff and loud..

If you live in CA, why even bother with all seasons?? Unless you go up north to ski I would have gone with Michelin PPS ..

 

Well I had the Summer performance Pirelli P-zeros. The ride was almost unbearable. And they wore out within 10 K miles. And they cost almost twice the performance all seasons. As a daily driver, the family complained a lot. The suspension is harsh even in comfort mode so the p-zeros were not the only problem. But the contis make it a little better.

 

Nice! Do you notice any difference in traction at all? Especially cornering aggressively?

 

You were able to switch out just two tires? I was under the impression that all tires need to be the same with all wheel drive cars or you could potentially damage the transmission?

 

Huh? From OP "The RFTs wore out and I now have Continental DWS 06s all around."

 

And even so, there would be no issues so long as your changing both sides of an axle. My Conti RFs in the front are about toast, but the rears are still good. I'll be getting new AS3's up front only soon.

 

Yes, I did have the all seasons in the front and RFTs in the rear for a while. Not for too long though. However, I don't think that would impact the transmission unless we are talking major differences in the aspect ratio. The tire specs were the same. I believe the RFTs sat just a tad lower. Maybe couple millimeters which is negligible in my opinion.

 

I hope the AS3+'s are a better choice. I don't hate the DWS's. The ride quality is good but the AS3+'s may be a bit sporty as well.

 

Well, I spoke to my SA again and he still says the same thing. I insisted to talk to his supervisor and he came back and said the same thing. They can't find anything for my car. Is it VIN specific?