dank

I currently have the 2001 E430 Sport. with the sport wheels, and tired. I think they are Performance Rated W tires and i was wondering if it would be neccesary and wise to change to winter tires and/or wheels for this upcoming winter.

I live in New York, and while now there isnt a problem with the snow (no white christmas ) i am not sure that it will last for the whole season.

I have had this car since July and have not had any other experience with such high-performance tires in teh winter. i was just trying to gather opinion on this matter.


thanks,

dank

Chuck

Unless you plan on taking mass transit in lieu of driving on snow covered roads, you're better off getting winter tires. It's not just the getting stuck issue, it's also significantly reduced stopping ability. I briefly used the stock performance tires on my C280 Sport in snow and said never again. They just aren't designed for any type of snow covered travel.

PetersE55

Yes!, definitely get snow tires. I have Pirelli Snow Sports mounted on 17 inch monoblocks and they look and perform great when used with the ESP system.

For what it's worth...

Regards,

Y2KE320

I too have winter tires and live in NY. As chuck said, it's not about getting stuck in the snow but stability and control. Last year I bought the Bridgestone Blizzaks for my E320 and they work great in snow and ice.

Joe K

I would say that you should seriously think about it. I spun out last year in a C280 with the standard Continental all seasons.

This year I mounted Michelin Alpine's on my E430 and a C280 Sport. I tried them out yesterday in a snow covered parking lot. ESP kept me in a straight line. I really don't notice much difference in ride in either car with the snows (Q rated).

I was told that the Blizzaks and Michelin's were very close in performance. For me it was availability before the big snowfall.

Caveat: The tire dealer was surpised that the Continental Contitouring 93H wasn't a perfect all year tire. (He doesn't drive in Cleveland.)