Drive ours all year round. Put on blizzaks and it's been darn good for us. Although wife and I both grew up in the midwest driving RWD cars on ice/snow. My only issue is the low ground clearance makes it easy to high center the 420. I got caught in our unexpected snow storm several days ago and had no problem getting around, passed many a FWD or AWD car that was spinning or stuck. Blizzak's and ASR and some experience makes a pretty decent combo.

At least around here they don't salt the roads. But the sand is more like gravel, and they sand at the first snowflake. Don't know which is worse.

These cars are heavy. So tires that may work well on lighter cars may work miserably. I look at reviews on tire sites and search for the ones that work well on dry/wet and snow pavements. Recently I found that the Continentals ExtremeContact DWS are one of the best. I bought 4 for my son's 99 C230 and the things hugs the road and rarely slips. Of course ice is bad for just about any tire, except the one with studs. Place the transmission mode switch in the W position too. Change back to S when snow season is over.

For you guys that switch between snow tires and summer/all season tires, do you have each set of tires mounted on a different set of rims or do you use the same rims for both types of tires? Switching the tires from one set of rims every couple months seems like a pain in the ***.

I live in upstate NY; I have to 2 sets - studded and summer - and switch them (once in mid Oct and once in end of March). If you like to spend extra bucks and get 4 additional rims, it's up to you, and you probably save on switching, since you can do it yourself.

Generally, I am enjoying it this way both in summer and winter; traction and stability in winter given the studded tires and the weight of the car, is awesome. Even AWD can't beat it nad I leave the gear in S mode.

I put Blizzaks on the stock wheels and my summer tires on my nice wheels. I'll go anywhere in the snow with Blizzaks with no problems.

after one accident, i opted to drive my E320 only during Spring-Fall, otherwise
it's the 83 4wd pickup

Daaaaaaamn, what happened there, Raymond?

the notorious spring perch failure.








jest playin. found that pic on the innernet.

Hey where in upstate NY are you? I live in Saratoga. Spend alot of time in Albany myself. I use my 4Matic as a DD and love it. Will you be at Travers day tomorrow?

Needs to polish his headlights

i'll have it towed up. you start working on the left lens and I'll take the right

Just bought 4 Dunlop Graspic DS-3.
From everyone I spoke to who has driven these cars in the winter (rear wheel drive versions), they are pretty good w/ a good pair of snow tires.

Lets see how this winter goes.

I think that's a transformer!!

I'm anxious to try my MB in the snow. Got new Yokohama all seasons. Never had a 4x4 with actual traction/stability control. This car is sophisticated compared to the old junk I'm used to driving.

The 4Matic system is great in snow. I have a C240 4Matic. I dont like the car and want to sell it but I love its 4Matic system. I want to sell and get another E320/E430/E350 4Matic.

I am tempted to try Winter tires this season such as the michelin x-ice Xi2 or the Continental ExtremeWinterContact or Blizzak. I have never used winter tires.

I have a e430 non 4 matic and with some basic all season tires that need replacing this year.

Last winter the car wouldn't move unless you burned your way out up the driveway.

Do you guys really think winter tires will greatly improve traction up to about at least 50% better? Would like to hear some feedback.

nsupra... Winter tires VASTLY improve traction. We have a '98 E430 Sport RWD and keep Blizzaks on a 2nd set of rims. 17" summer rims and 16" winter rims (a bit more sidewall). Put snows on all four corners. Still, the E430 is pretty **** poor in the snow, but 100% useless with all season radials. Not sure why I didn't think of it previously, but this year will throw one tube of sand in the back of the trunk as well.

The E500 RWD was recently purchased and I will be purchasing snows for it soon. I have done some reading and am going to take some other members' recommendations and trying out some Nokian snow tires. I have used Blizzaks for many years, but you DO need to be religious about getting them off immediately in the dry spring, or they'll burn up quick.

...oh yeah... along with the Blizzaks the 430 will have new front spring perchs this winter as well... the DS blew out two nights ago during my wife's drive home from work.

Nice.

Thank you for your input. i wil more than likely purchase some snow tires. i have heard many good things about nokians, but they are very expensive.

I work in the arctic and on our pickup trucks we usually run skinny tires with lots of siping. Just all seasons, no studs, which at first I found suprising. On a side note, traction on an icy surface actually increases as the temperature goes lower. The ice fractures at sub zero temps and gives your tires extra places to grip, sort of like in road sipes.

My E220D switches from the OEM Michelin Premacy HP 215-55-16" to a set of steel rims with 205-65-15" Pirelli Scorpion ATR M+S tyres during winter.

New member from england saying Hello I am browsing your forum&I drive 320cdi no problem in snow usually I will use box manual&easy on the throttle thanksw derek