Air Marshall Eldritch

I guess I should have noticed this 7 years ago. Was searching for my lug wrench so I could swap out my winter wheels, when I noticed something odd. I have the sport package, so my wheels are 17", and originally came with Goodyear F1 tires. The spare tire is a nice and clean Michelin Energy 16".
Now why would MB cheap out like that? Or is it a space consideration?

X72

I believe that space is the issue. If you see that your 16 inch tire fits perfectly in the spare tire wheel well, that is the largest tire that will fit. It is a full sized tire which is much better than the compact spare that comes fitted with the W211. I put a full sized 225/55-16 tire for the W211 (I know that the W210 comes with a slightly narrower variant) in my spare tire wheel well replacing the compact spare.

My sister just got a new 3 series; they all come only with run flats and no spare tire at all. These super wide low profile tires that are being fitted on cars are very large and expensive. This means that the most you will find on these types of cars in future years is run flats with a compact spare or run flats with no spare at all.

I tell you this because you may now see how great it is to have a full sized tire as a spare even if it isn't an exact match. Just think of how mismatched a compact spare would be that is limited to 50mph max. You can travel at normal highway speed on your 16 inch spare.

Air Marshall Eldritch

My tires are 235/45/17. Fairly fat, so I can understand the space issue.

It's just that for $4k, I'd be happier with a 5th wheel I could use on a regular basis.

Agree though that this is far better then a doughnut spare. Almost as if the manufacturers thought of ways to discourage use of the spare unless absolutely needed...make it 12 inches tall and paint it school bus yellow. heh heh.

Musikmann

Why so much money RBrenton88? - you must have AMGs on that puppy

Air Marshall Eldritch

Thats what the sport option cost. Wheels, body style, and a badge. The real suspension mods came along at extra cost later on.

But, it's the only one in the state, so why not.

JimPurdy

When did the W211 switch to a compact spare? I have a full sized spare on my W211. The wheel is a special light weight, not to be used for any distance, not to go too fast wheel but has the same bad Conti that came on the other 4 wheels.

patrick_y

The W210 E320 in the garage also came with 17x8 inch wheels with 235/45 R17 tires. We also have a full size spare tire with a 16 inch steel rim.

My understanding is that all W210 E-Class vehicles sold in the US (including those with the $5k sport option) came equipped as such EXCEPT for the E55 AMG which was equipped with an alloy full size spare. It was a 17x7.5 inch spare on an alloy wheel painted black. It's full size, but not full width.

Unless you have the E320 US Version on 16 inch wheels, you will not get a true full size (both diameter and width) spare tire. But at least the tires that come on all US Spec W210 E Class vehicles are full size enough to travel at highway speeds.

The C230 Kompressor Sport Sedan only comes with a tiny pathetic space saver spare. Some are equipped with a no cost optional tire repair kit (there's a special order code). Naturally, I insisted upon the actual spare, although it's a space saver spare, it's still better than nothing at all.

X72

Jim, in our car, when I lift up the floor panel in the trunk there is a small storage space. When I removed that panel beneath the trunk floor that swings up, there lay the compact spare. It is compact by being narrower than the standard tire eventhough the circumference of the tire is probably the same as the full sized tire.

Are you sure you have a full size spare? Continental makes the compact spare also. If it was a regular full sized tire, there wouldn't be the speed and distance restrictions.

With a full size spare tire, the tire fills up the entire wheel well making the panel that used to lay under the trunk floor obsolete.

Most people don't really car about the spare tire. With a compact spare, or just eliminating that spare tire wheel well and using fun flats or some tire goo and an electric compressor means that the manufacturer can show a much larger trunk which people care more about than a spare tire.

Also, the many Mercedes models fitted with 17 inch wheels often come with the larger front disc rotors which means that the 16 inch tires that fit on my car won't fit on those cars.

patrick_y

My C230 has the same set up in the back. The additional storage space is of little consequence, I put my emergency kit there.

Underneath all that is a compact spare.

Ironically, there have been some rumors that Mercedes has been quite stupid with the compact spare. They've said that since the C230 has very large front brakes (13.6 inch brakes up front), the compact spare will not clear the brakes.

Now I haven't had any tire problems, but I doubt Mercedes-Benz would be that stupid. However, when I look at the spare, I do not see how it would possibly fit.

However, the E320 in the family came with 17 inch wheels. I believe the front discs are around 12.8 inches. While I haven't had the spare on the front of the E320, I'm relatively sure it clears it.

uberwgn

Our '02 wagon has a standard tire mounted on a steel wheel.

Our '99 diesel has the oddest spare wheel I've seen. It's a high-gloss, black, 5 spoke wheel and a specialty tire. The wheel almost appears to be made of plastic.

My father's '98 diesel has a 5th alloy wheel + standard tire.

JimPurdy

Ok, I got my cars confused. The W202 was the one with the full sized spare with the ultralight mag wheel. My W210T has a full sized 16" spare on a light weight mag wheel. The W211 has a Conti 17" compact spare with 16" regular wheels.