When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Before I bought this car--I learned (was told-can't remember which) to expect short tire life (road noise before the tire tread was nearly finished).
I went through every check there was at my local MB stealer--who even replaced some front bearing (under warranty) when I first got this car. There is nothing wrong with my suspension. Again--the NTB guy said that staggered wheel set ups--are hard on tires--and that not being able to rotate them is also a big factor in uneven wear/cupping/feathering (all leading to annoying road noise)
I had original Conti ProContact tires on before and they were so noisy and I was hydroplaning in them!!! I ended up putting on the Michelin Pilot sports and it drives better for me.
I had my original continentals on for at least 30k miles on the rear before they failed me. The fronts never made it past 10k miles as I had to replace them often. Next summer I will likely move up to 19s for summer driving so now this thread has me thinking as my summer tire setup will not be under the rim and tire protection that I have w mb.
Also, my car is 4matic. That means I have a square setup as in not staggered?
then your car has a staggered set up and is therefore prone to excessive tire wear. I knew this going in--but it's still troubling to be replacing tires every 20K miles or less (versus adapting to the road noise)--a contributing factor is that these cars don't have much sound proofing (unlike the S class models)
I doubt I'd ever buy another staggered wheel car. I drove S model Audi's for years which were every bit as sporty as the CLS and typically got at least 40K miles on a set of tires
then your car has a staggered set up and is therefore prone to excessive tire wear. I knew this going in--but it's still troubling to be replacing tires every 20K miles or less (versus adapting to the road noise)--a contributing factor is that these cars don't have much sound proofing (unlike the S class models)
I doubt I'd ever buy another staggered wheel car. I drove S model Audi's for years which were every bit as sporty as the CLS and typically got at least 40K miles on a set of tires
thanks for the info. I will confirm w my dealer on Thursday as I am going in for an alignment since I got lowered. I never knew the cls was staggered.
I have another car that is staggered and tires are directional so I can’t rotate and i haven’t had any issues w that one. Prob got about 20k plus miles on those tires.
I’m ok if these are staggered and if I have to replace tires every 20-30k. I guess thats the price you pay to play. Audi’s are nice but you see them everywhere along w BMW. Not to say you don’t see Mb, but you def don’t see CLSs everywhere you look. Love my cls and for a car that is 5 yrs old still looks modern and performs as well as most newer cars.
you'll be lucky to get 20 K QUIET miles out of any set. I've at about 22K miles on these Michelin Pilot sports and they've been noisy for 5K miles at least
Just finished running some errands--I'm pulling the trigger on a set of Bridgestone Potenza-s---the Tire Rack guy recommended them over the Yoko's they have on sale
Good news is I'm only putting on 9-10K miles a year--(as opposed to the 20-25 I used to drive when I was on the road)
Hardly ever post but figured I can give some guys running Yoko's some info. I have Yoko Advan Sport A/S on my CLS. I've got maybe about 35k miles on them. Well the fronts at least. The rears lasted about 20k. They were badly worn on the inside edges of the tires. Now the fronts are too. My drivers side tire is worse. So, I'm about to throw new Advans on the front next weekend. The fronts made it about 15k more miles than the rear. I just checked the rears today and they are still holding up. Especially since they are at 15k miles and the last set only made it to 20k. I think I have at least 10k left on the rears. I also think I was driving them harder and after the tire change, I have been less harsh on the gas to preserve the tires. But, they lasted longer than I thought they would. I wish this car would wear the tires evenly because my fronts have a lot of tread left on the rest of the tire, just the insides are all worn out. They are worn to were they are slicks on the inside 2 inches of the tire. But the whole rest of the tire still has thick tread, not even close to the wear bars. I didnt use a gage to check tread depth. But I'm happy with the advans. They are a little bit louder nowadays, but not too bad.
I have a 2012 bought in 2016 with 3000 miles on it. Currently have about 21,000 miles on the original ProContacts and 9,000 on the Blizzaks (a necessity in Minnesota). Back in the day, I’d have worn out the Contis, but I guess I’m getting old. They probably have another season left in them, still decent tread, no hydroplaning, and not noisy.
I suspect that, if you drive it like a grand tourer, you’ll get better tire life than if you run it like a sports car. Not that I’m suggesting any of you slow down, mind you. Perish the thought.
I recently bought the yoko advan and I live in Florida so the conditions arent too crazy at least I dont think other than the rain and I’m about 2k miles in, I’m not impressed but then again I’m not upset either bc I gotta set for under 1000 out the door, compared to the others were like 1400 and up which I wasn’t really concerned about the money but I have some other things on the plate and thought I would give them a try considering the sale they had. Now I have a weird sound coming from the rear driver side tire and had noticed it immediately when I picked it up, I took it back and they said the tire was was fine. Now it rides smooth compared to the tires that were on there just the sound is annoying. Also in the rain the traction is terrible.... maybe I was expecting too much but I will be trying a different tire for sure after these wear out. Discount tire is where I got them and they were great and helped me with my Escalade as well, just not fond of the tire. Main reason I got new tires is because the others were really worn and starting to slip and now at the red light I have to really be conscious of how easy I press on the gas almost just as much as the older ones. Not saying that I wouldn’t have the same issues with another tire but I am going to try something else. Just thought I’d share my experiences with the tire
Walked out to my parked car today and noticed excessive wear with some cord showing on the insides of both back tires. This is the second set of OE P-Zeros on the car and I am at 43K with 90% being highway miles. I got 22K out of the first set. I have never really been happy with how easily the rear tires break loose when you are a bit aggressive in acceleration. And I'm not talking off the line. The rep at Tire Rack is recommending that I go with the Michelin Pilot A/S 3+. I have never had good luck with Michelins on tire noise on my wife's sedans. They seem to become real noisy at 15,000 miles. The Indy guy is recommending the Yoko Advans. Given I live in South Florida with all the summer rains, I am not inclined given what I have read here and elsewhere. The P-Zeros did alright in the rain. I run Conti's on my two VWs and like them but I have been advised against them for wear and performance on this car. Any suggestions?
Having just gone through this process--I'll reiterate what I learned/was told. I was told by both my Indy guy (who I consider my ultimate authority) and the guy I used as . my installer NTB that for the past few years--Michelin "isn't getting along with Mercedes" for some unknown reason/s.
I too just went through a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. These lasted about 20K miles--but really less based on the rear tire road noise I was "sufferering" (probably 3K or so miles prior to changing these out). Prior to this--same experience with a set of Continental Conti Pro Contact ("ultra" all season model tires). bought my car used with 34K miles on it and when researching this model and my particular car--I found excessive tire changes had occurred over it's life.
I am convinced that the staggered set up on this model promotes tire wear (some of which may be due to the inability to rotate tires through their life)
This is just part and parcel of this model IMO. One either needs to plan on putting up with the noise--OR--spending $1K or so every 20K miles
The fortunate thing for me is that my road travel days are mostly over--and I am only driving 9K miles per year anymore.
I just put on a set of Bridgestone Potenza all seasons (purchased from Tire Rack--which they recommended BTW)-and SO FAR--they are super quiet and very enjoyable-
-However--I'm not kidding myself--I am confident that within 20k miles I'll need new tires for a quiet ride (if I don't sell the car prior)
Love the car--but this is just part of it's "program" I M O-bottom line is I wouldn't spend any more for tires than the $868 I paid for this set plus mounting and balancing (and a 4 wheel alignment after installation--just to be sure I'm off on a solid footing)
Good Luck
Last edited by citizensane; 01-08-2020 at 04:44 PM.
Walked out to my parked car today and noticed excessive wear with some cord showing on the insides of both back tires. This is the second set of OE P-Zeros on the car and I am at 43K with 90% being highway miles. I got 22K out of the first set. I have never really been happy with how easily the rear tires break loose when you are a bit aggressive in acceleration. And I'm not talking off the line. The rep at Tire Rack is recommending that I go with the Michelin Pilot A/S 3+. I have never had good luck with Michelins on tire noise on my wife's sedans. They seem to become real noisy at 15,000 miles. The Indy guy is recommending the Yoko Advans. Given I live in South Florida with all the summer rains, I am not inclined given what I have read here and elsewhere. The P-Zeros did alright in the rain. I run Conti's on my two VWs and like them but I have been advised against them for wear and performance on this car. Any suggestions?
I run Advans up here in Maryland. I just put a new set on. I like them. They aren't super performance. They will break loose on hard acceleration. But normal driving, they are great. They even grip good in corners. Just dont send a full throttle through the rear or it will break loose. But, they are pretty quiet until about 15-20k. I think no matter the brand, you're gonna wear tires out. I just had my dealer do another 4 wheel alignment last week. They had to install camber bolts. I forgot the term they call it, something suspension repair bolts. Lol they are just camber bolts though. My camber was like over 2 degrees negative. I was eating my old set of tires. The thing is, the last set had an alignment done by dealer when I put the last set of tires on. I always do an alignment when I change tires. And it was adjusted back then. In the year and a half since, the alignment got so out of spec that it needed the camber bolts. Hopefully it will help but I doubt it. Since I had an alignment last year and still ate the tires, I'm pretty sure I'm going to eat through these tires too. I expect 20-25k max. The rears, maybe less. I have a tune on the car now and I'm pretty hard on the rears. My philosophy, knowing my car nowadays, I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on tires I know wont last. I'm not going to go cheap out either and get no Federals or nothing like that. But the Yokohama
Advans aren't terribly expensive compared to the other brands and they are a name brand I can trust. So, I'll burn through these cheaper tires and just replace when needed. If i get some summer wheels, i might splurge for some performance tires to help with grip with the tune. But for everyday, the Advans will be on the factory wheels always and ready to get bolted to the car whenever needed.
Do point out that CLS 550 has only basic front and rear Toe (directional) adjustment OEM. It is all to do with cost cutting and the ever increasing speed of vehicle assembly lines. While experimenting with better qualily tire brands can help reduce the costly, premature edge tire wear......
We saw the need to "fix it right the first time" by re instating from the early 90's once again full, precise (ongoing) front Camber and Caster. For the rear Camber (with extra Toe) adjustment.
Essential thereby allowing to adjust tire contact angles - spread load more evenly. Higher edge load also can cause ruptured side walls, rim damage. Front and rear kits at the same time replace the 4 "highest wearing" bushings.
Catering for other than "Showroom Height" conditions encountered in day to day commuting - high cambered roads, wheel squat through load carrying or lowering, fitting wide profile tires/ wheels, curb knock damage. Ability to correctly resolve steering pull
CLS 250-550 front Camber & Caster kit #502916 K $480 CLS 63, 65 amg front Camber & Caster kit #503116 K $480 Rear kit (Camber and extra Toe) all models #502226 K $480
So, to reiterate, my Indy tire guy recommended the Advans. I went to see my Indy mechanic yesterday who was previously the Service Manager for the local MB stealer and also Ferrari and Maserati. He said, the car is prone to eat tires given the staggered fitment. Nothing like the Maseratis, SLs and some of the other exotics that he is seeing 8-10K per set. He said the back especially is prone to wearing the insides as the camber seems to easy get knocked out. 20-25K is reasonable to expect on this car. He likes Bridgestone and runs all is personal cars including his Benz on them. Granted, the Potenza RE980AS are an all season instead of a max performance summer tire but he likes the harder compound. Says I'll get better tire wear and less noise. The Tire Rack said that the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+ are noisier but have better wet traction and the Bridgestones are a bit more responsive but under-steer when pushed. If there is one compliant I have about the handling of this car is it under-steers period. My two VWs ride on rails but this car is horrible on under-steering so I don't think that will be a consideration. I'll make a decision soon.
Well, I decided after going round and round with the tire guys for a couple of days to go with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+s. The cost was $180 more than the Bridgestones and they were emphatic that I would like them better for handling and noise. A flip of the coin and after 20 miles, I hate these tires. They feel like I'm riding on donuts up front. Too overly sensitive on the most minor of steering input going straight down the highway. Despite a four wheel alignment, the car drifted to the right. Rechecked the alignment and they swapped the fronts. After 400 miles, I have a subtle high frequency vibration coming through the accelerator and the floor from the fronts. I could have put the P-Zero OEM tires back on for the same money and would have been much happier.
Well, I decided after going round and round with the tire guys for a couple of days to go with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+s. The cost was $180 more than the Bridgestones and they were emphatic that I would like them better for handling and noise. A flip of the coin and after 20 miles, I hate these tires. They feel like I'm riding on donuts up front. Too overly sensitive on the most minor of steering input going straight down the highway. Despite a four wheel alignment, the car drifted to the right. Rechecked the alignment and they swapped the fronts. After 400 miles, I have a subtle high frequency vibration coming through the accelerator and the floor from the fronts. I could have put the P-Zero OEM tires back on for the same money and would have been much happier.
I would go back immediately and ask for a different brand of tires if you're not happy with them. Pilot Sport A/s tires can be twitchy and that's what you're seeing. In addition, when they are about 1/2 worn they will be really noisy. Marv
We’re confident you’ll love your new MICHELIN replacement tires. So confident, in fact, that we back your purchase with a 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. If you’re not 100% satisfied with your new tires, just bring the tires and original sales receipt back to the place where you bought the tires within 60 days of your purchase and we will gladly exchange them for a new set of tires of equal or lesser value.
Well, I decided after going round and round with the tire guys for a couple of days to go with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+s. The cost was $180 more than the Bridgestones and they were emphatic that I would like them better for handling and noise. A flip of the coin and after 20 miles, I hate these tires. They feel like I'm riding on donuts up front. Too overly sensitive on the most minor of steering input going straight down the highway. Despite a four wheel alignment, the car drifted to the right. Rechecked the alignment and they swapped the fronts. After 400 miles, I have a subtle high frequency vibration coming through the accelerator and the floor from the fronts. I could have put the P-Zero OEM tires back on for the same money and would have been much happier.
I think there is something wrong to check out on your car sir. I'm on A/S 3+ and they put the OEM conti's to shame.
I have 19 inch rims on my cls and I go through them all the time and now my rims have been taking the hits. This happens way too often. Does anybody have this problem? If so, did you find a solution??
I have 19 inch rims on my cls and I go through them all the time and now my rims have been taking the hits. This happens way too often. Does anybody have this problem? If so, did you find a solution??
I would change to 18" wheels so you have more "meat" between your rims and the road. Low profile tires on 19" wheels take a beating damaging tires on the way. Marv
I would change to 18" wheels so you have more "meat" between your rims and the road. Low profile tires on 19" wheels take a beating damaging tires on the way. Marv
They really do no matter how careful you drive! Do you know what is the thickest tire that can be put on a 18” wheel? 255/40-18 and 285/35-18 is the factory size wondering if I can get away with little thicker.
11-28-2019, 02:40 PM
