Does anyone else find the Dunlops poor in the wet? On greasy English roads my C63S like driving on ice when applying power in a bend. Partly down to the turbo/low end torque I accept but are the Michelins appreciably better?

Also has anyone switched to winter tyres and if so, are they transformational?

ie worth the money.

Thanks

 

The Michelins on mine here in the states were horrible in the wet and cold as well. I was sliding all over the place on wet roads at 40F. I switched to Pirelli Sotozeros and they were much better in the wet but the car is still a handful in the snow. The Pirellis certainly make the car drivable in winter around town but I would not venture out too far in inclement weather.

 

Just rest the car for the winter! :-)

 

Really? I have the Sotozeros and I blasted through everything. We got pounded with 2 feet of snow and the car handled great.

 

I have Michelin Pilote Alpin - very good, no problems when driving snow covered roads in the French alps. I have added 4x10kgs lead pigs to the trunk.

 

If you're driving a c63 in the snow/winter, you really need to have two sets of tires. Summers and winters.

Summer I recommend Michelin PSS. Great tire for the road.

Winter you can't go wrong with hakkapeliitta or blizzak tires.

Regardless, I suggest you get two sets of tires. It is definitely worth the money as well. You have a high performance car, no point in having all seasons on there. Mash it in the summer on PSS's and drive with confidence in the winter on tires meant for snow.

 

PurpleHeart

Thanks. Is the difference really dramatic? My C63s spins its rears in the wet with only light touch. On a scale of 0 - 10 where 0 is my Dunlops and 10 would be 4 x4, how would you rate the Winter tyres?

 

The difference between snow tires and all seasons? Absolutely there is a dramatic difference.

Now, I don't have a w205, I have a w204. But I have also driven many powerful cars through the winter months. Now, will you still find yourself spinning the rears? Yes, they wont make it like you're driving on prepped pavement with sticky tires. However, there is definitely a big difference.

Now, not only is there a difference between all season tires and winter tires, but there is an equally large difference between all seasons and performance summer tires. Essentially, by having two sets, you are going to get the maximum available performance in both situations (wet/snow & dry/warm) by having the two sets. Max performance summer tires, such as super sports, are going to give you access to so much more performance that your car is capable of.

On normal cars you can get away with all seasons. I run all seasons on my x5 for example. However, my c63 has super sports because it really needs something like that.

As for rating 0-10 lets look at all three types. And again, this is just me, my opinion, and my experience with a variety of vehicles and sets of tires under my belt.

All seasons: Snow = 4. Wet = 6. Dry = 7.
You're really just get "average" performance across the board. Nothing wrong with that, unless you have a 500+ hp/tq monster.

Snow tires: Snow = 7/8 (in your rwd case). No, you will not rock around the snow like you're in a 4x4. However, you really really do and will notice a difference. As for wet, pretty much same thing. The thing with snow tires is they are made different, so they'll wear quicker on dry summer roads. So you really only want them on the car during cold winter months. As long as you're good about keeping them on at the right times of year you can expect a few seasons out of snow tires. Also, avoid burnouts and really hammering it. Just drive the car like your everyday small sedan.

Summer tires: Dry = 8/9 for PSS (michelin pilot supersports). You really cannot go wrong with this tire for daily use during warmer times of year. They are GREAT in the wet/rain and will keep you pointed where you want to be. However, they are equally as impressive when it comes to when you have optimal conditions to put your foot into the pedal. The car will really wake up on these tires. Keep in mind, the rubber is literally what meets the road. People sometimes underestimate just how vital a tire is and I don't understand why. I mean, like I said, it is what touches the road for you. Wouldn't you want to make sure you have the best of the best and the right equipment for that? I understand a budget vacuum line or fastener or what random little thing here and there. But the tire is a vital organ.

You may ask what is a 10/10 tire. Well, there isn't one for the snow on a c63. Car isn't really meant for snow driving, although it can obviously be done. You'll never find a tire out there that gives you that 4x4 experience in the snow on your 205.

As for your summer 10/10, again, it doesn't really exist for daily use. There are tires out there that will grip better in dry conditions than the PSS, such as a toyo R888. However, when it is even a little damp things can get sideways quickly on that tire. We had a member a long time ago (respected, well known, and definitely knew his way around a c63) who was running R888's going around a long bend on a highway on a cool damp morning. Going around the bend he just gave it a little gas, nothing crazy, and that was the end of the car. On the other hand, dry roads haha good luck keeping up with that monster.

Sorry if that is a lot to read, I just stress to people that your tires really will make a difference. I understand if you don't want to spend $1600 to have two dedicated sets, and that's fine and your choice. Driving on average tires can and has been done on c63's plenty of times. But if you really want to unlock your car, especially in the summer where your car is meant to be alive, then two dedicated sets is a must. Without it, you're leaving a lot on the table.


TL;DR (Sparknotes if you didn't read all of that)... Yes, the difference between running all seasons vs two dedicated sets for winter and summer is dramatic.

 

I think there is some misunderstanding in this thread. From what I understand, it seems that OP is actually only concerned with driving in the wet, not the snow. He is wondering if snow tires have better wet performance than summer tires.

Am I getting this right?

 

I went off of this. Whether or not running winter tires was worth the money. I didn't fully understand the original post, but went with it.

Also, I tried to hint at the fact no tire is going to be perfect in all conditions. However, as far as wet roads on warm days, I mentioned the PSS tires are great. However, in the cold, not so much.

That's why having two sets of tires is the optimal choice. Even if it doesn't snow where you live, but the winter months are cold, PSS tires will struggle. You really don't want to drive on them (with top end performance expectations) below say 40F. Then switch to snow tires which do better obviously in snow, but also just cold conditions.


However, going off what you said... "He is wondering if snow tires have better wet performance than summer tires." Yes and no. You don't want to drive on winter tires in the rain when it is 70 degrees. You also don't want to drive on summer tires in the rain when it is 35-40 degrees.

It just sounds like he is in a seasonal climate and it's relatively cold right now. If there is no snow, then a snow tire may not be worth it. However, if there is snow then it definitely is worth it.

Before I go further, OP -- does that answer your question? Or did I go in the wrong direction?

 

Purpleheart, that was a fantastic and informative post. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I have Blizzaks for my C63 and it gets me thru the snow. They are not spectacular in that there is plenty of slipping and sliding, but they get you from A to B. Without them, the car would be in the garage for the winter. I would not drive thru deep snow with the C63 but it is fine going over plowed roads, or just 2-3" of snow.

 

For your next set get nokian hakkapeliitta r2's. They don't wear as fast as blizzaks, first of all, so they'll last you much longer (maybe 3 full seasons depending on how much you drive). Blizzaks are good, but their compound makes them wear more quickly when there isn't snow on the road.

Not the same car, but I had the hakka's on my audi rs4 and I could literally do anything and everything I wanted in any amount of snow. Yes, I had that car sideways in a parking lot with 18 inches of snow throwing massive rooster tails over it, but, when it was time to leave I just drove like it was 70 and sunny.

I've had both blizzaks and hakkas. Prefer hakka's, but like you mentioned, the blizzaks will get the job done. Like I said though, in a c63 you'll never find a tire that makes you invincible on the road like you're in an audi/subaru or awd suv.

As for my experience in snow, well, I just got over a foot in the past 12 hours and supposedly it's going to keep snowing for another 5-7 hours.

cheers

 

Purple Heart

Yes, thanks. Very useful

What's your best pick for just wet roads?

 

Pretty much what I've listed so far, just depends on the time of year. Like wet / cold and winter I go with hakka's. Wet, but warm and spring/summer I'd go with pilot super sports.

Where do you live so I get a better idea of the climate you're dealing with? You don't have to give me your address here, just looking for a general area

 

Aside from tread patterns that perform better on ice and snow, proper winter tires also have different rubber compounds that remain pliable in cold temperatures. All season tires get hard at 7C or lower.

 

Purple

Thanks again.

I'm in Southern England so predominantly cold wet or greasy roads.

 

Yeah, that's a tough one. Move! Ha, no in all seriousness I'd still stick with a PSS. Obviously it is going to be dry there often, and that is when that tire will wake your car up. However, as long as you drive like a normal human being and keep your foot out of the gas in bad weather, they'll keep you on the road.

Again, that is when the temps are 40F+. Below that and you just have to be super careful.

Another tire you could consider is continental. I've had some ExtremeContacts that I took through a dusting of snow and they worked great. Or extremecontactDWS (Dry, Wet, Snow) which is an all season but on the higher end. Won't be a snow tire in the snow, or a summer tire on dry pavement, but is "above average" when it comes to year round performance.