Jr425

I was wondering if anyone drove through snow in all seasons vs. dedicated winter tires.. My current summers are almost gone. So I was thinking to invest in all season instead buying winters then summers later on in the year.
Also, what sizes would you guys recommend for winters? Should I stick to the factory set up or go with something smaller? For some reason I feel 285s are a tad much for a winter tire..

Thanks in advance.

falco1000

Not in my CLS, yet, but in a 4matic E350 and a RWD 535i yes. I would suggest only doing this rarely. Think of the snow performance of an all season as you would the spare tire, only to be used temporarily for short distances.

If you live in an area where snow is constantly on the road, i highly suggest a dedicated snow tire and then summers for spring through fall.

M1RAG3

I just bought new Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 for use this winter. These tires are not cheap, and come with great ratings (4+ / 5 on tire rack).

Last week I drove in snow for the first time in the CLS w/ the winters. It was quite scary. Acceleration and cornering were still both very difficult, even with the winters. Braking was actually very good, I will admit. I cannot imagine trying to brake the CLS with an all season tire. I did a combination of highway (covered in snow) and local roads (covered in snow) and my impression is that if I did not have the winters it would have been downright unsafe to drive. All season tires dont do anything in the winter; they are just not built for snow, ice, and low temperatures. If you have the $$$, just get the snow tires.

andy_meng1024

I'm on all seasons now and it's fine as long as I don't drive crazy. Winters definitely help a lot more but all seasons are usually okay.

MAmendola

Live in rural upstate NY. All seasons with 4 matic work very well. I do think dedicated winters are a good investment. I just bought a new set of all season Goodyear eagles. Will see how they handle this winter. Have never had a problem and we get some serious snow fall.

petee1997

I used to buy snow tires before owning AWD vehicles. Now with 4Matic and all season tires I find it redundant to use snow tires. In Ottawa,ON our average total Winter snow fall is 9 feet. I have had AWD vehicles since 1998. Many of those were ML's but I am now on my 5th and 6th car with AWD and no problems for the average storm. Keep in mind that we always must drive more cautiously on snow and ice and I have never been stuck. The final decision, in the end, should be based on your own comfort level.

dwaldmann

Last year (first winter for my CLS) I bought Bridgestone Blizzack WS70s. I went with 245/45-17s all around on dedicated wheels. I was amazed at how well it did in our (Vermont) winter. Granted, last year was not our snowiest, but I never felt out of sorts. While I didn't/couldn't do a side-by-side comparison, I would say it did better than my prior Saabs (I had 99s, 900s, a 9-3 and 9-5) with full winters of various sorts.

That said, I decided NOT to put them on this year for two reasons.
* They are quite squirmy in the dry - traction control kicks in even at 50-60 MPH when you floor it on a straightaway.
* I do have a 4WD pickup available.

So, I will leave the stock Pirelli P6 Four Seasons on and just not drive it if expecting bad weather. We'll see how it goes this year but I expect to sell the winters. I really shouldn't be driving this car in the winter anyways, but just can't keep away from it for 4-5 months...

M1RAG3

I think the car drives "squirmy" because you are running a 17 inch wheel with a narrow (relatively speaking) 245 series tire. I can imagine that the CLS would liquify a lighter, smaller, 17 inch tire easily. When I first got my CLS with the 18x9.5 on 285 series continentals (AMG package option) I was amazed at how much traction control kicked in, I can imagine how bad it is with a 17" and a narrower tire

dwaldmann

Exactly. But if you want maximum snow traction (and I did) that is the trade-off. If I really needed to drive it in the snow I would put them back on and just deal with it.