Tires for Your E-Class (17s)
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Southern CA
'04 E320 (W211)
Tires for Your E-Class (17s)
I'm nearing 20k on my car, and my front tires are worn down to the wear bars (I rotated too late... @15k) and giving off a horrible howl at hwy speeds. My OE tires were the Michelin Pilot Primacys (245/45WR17) that came with the Appearance Pkg (called Sport Pkg in '03?).
I was wondering if any of you guys have tried any tires other than the OE tires (Michelin Pilot Primacy or Bridgestone Potenza RE050).
If so, which tires and how are they workin out for you? Would you recommend? (spirited driving & no snow driving) Thanks in advance.
[I know... I prolly should've posted this in the Tire Rack forum, but I only wanted responses from the W211 owners...]
I was wondering if any of you guys have tried any tires other than the OE tires (Michelin Pilot Primacy or Bridgestone Potenza RE050).
If so, which tires and how are they workin out for you? Would you recommend? (spirited driving & no snow driving) Thanks in advance.
[I know... I prolly should've posted this in the Tire Rack forum, but I only wanted responses from the W211 owners...]
Last edited by charliek; Jun 3, 2005 at 05:07 PM.
Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: CA
09 S550
I;ve used many other brands of tires on my car.
The best way to do this is go to tirerack.com
They have many ratings and user reviews on every tire.
Just do a search by your model and year and they will give you all tires available by price , ratings and user reviews.
By the way I found this internet store to be very reliable and the cheapest out there.
Every time I need a new set tires I by from them. I bought about 7 different sets in about 6 years from them.
-Andrei
The best way to do this is go to tirerack.com
They have many ratings and user reviews on every tire.
Just do a search by your model and year and they will give you all tires available by price , ratings and user reviews.
By the way I found this internet store to be very reliable and the cheapest out there.
Every time I need a new set tires I by from them. I bought about 7 different sets in about 6 years from them.
-Andrei
Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 241
Likes: 1
From: Rockville, MD
Tires
If you want good all seasons try Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. These tires wear very well and are quiet, they aren't the least expensive, but they are among the best.
I have used Tire Rack and can tell you that they are reputible and have the lowest prices I have seen.
I have used Tire Rack and can tell you that they are reputible and have the lowest prices I have seen.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Southern CA
'04 E320 (W211)
Yep, I've already checked Tire Rack and I've ordered quite a few tires there myself for my dad's S-class. The thing with those reviews though is that there aren't that many for our particular make/model, and some reviews don't seem reliable (ie. reviews posted only after a few hundred miles put on the tires). And I'm assuming that one particular tire may not perform the same for every make/model of car (ie. wasn't there a certain Michelin tire that tracked to the right on certain model Benzs?).
According to Tire Rack, the "Bestseller" for my particular car/wheel size is the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S (Ultra High Performance All-Season). But I don't need an A/S as I don't do any snow driving here in sunny southern CA.
Just wanted to check if any of you guys had any first-hand experience with an alternative non-A/S tire. Thx for the reply tho.
According to Tire Rack, the "Bestseller" for my particular car/wheel size is the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S (Ultra High Performance All-Season). But I don't need an A/S as I don't do any snow driving here in sunny southern CA.
Just wanted to check if any of you guys had any first-hand experience with an alternative non-A/S tire. Thx for the reply tho.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 462
Likes: 3
From: By the City by the Bay, CA
2001 E320 (210.065), Brilliant Silver; 2002 Ducati ST-2, Arrest-me Red
I've not heard that
I've not heard that about Pirellis before now.
I had a set of regular passenger Pirellis on my former car (not performance tires, they were P4000s I think) that, hands down, were the best tires I've ever owned. I can't wait until these miserable Michelin Greens wear out.
You might think about posting up in the tire forum for feedback as well; this is a common theme on the forum.
America's Tire (aka Discount Tire) is an all-round good tire & wheel shop as well and they will deal on packages (throw in a warranty, etc). I like Tire Rack, but the biggest problem with buying tires from Tire Rack is a limited supply of affordable places to get them mounted. I bought the afore-mentioned Pirellis from them, the cheapest of the places they recommended wanted $40 PER TIRE to mount and balance them. Eventually I was able to get them mounted for a decent price (after signing waivers!), but most places simply like to mount what they sell.
Take care and enjoy the new-rubber ride,
Greg
I had a set of regular passenger Pirellis on my former car (not performance tires, they were P4000s I think) that, hands down, were the best tires I've ever owned. I can't wait until these miserable Michelin Greens wear out.
You might think about posting up in the tire forum for feedback as well; this is a common theme on the forum.
America's Tire (aka Discount Tire) is an all-round good tire & wheel shop as well and they will deal on packages (throw in a warranty, etc). I like Tire Rack, but the biggest problem with buying tires from Tire Rack is a limited supply of affordable places to get them mounted. I bought the afore-mentioned Pirellis from them, the cheapest of the places they recommended wanted $40 PER TIRE to mount and balance them. Eventually I was able to get them mounted for a decent price (after signing waivers!), but most places simply like to mount what they sell.
Take care and enjoy the new-rubber ride,
Greg
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Newbie
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, TX
2005 E500 4MATIC Wagon
Michelin PS 2
FWIW, I bought 18" AMG type 211 wheels (staggered) and went with the Michlin PS2's. Luke at Tire Tack recommended the tires and I am very pleased with the ride, lack of noise and overall handling. I only have 2200 miles on the car so I can't comment on wear. I highly recommend the PS2's.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 471
Likes: 1
Tires for 245/45 17
I opted for Goodyear Eagle F1 when replacing my Michelin Pilot Primacys at about 23,000 miles. They are great in wet weather and also handle good in dry weather. Only drawback is noise level when going over grooved roads and bridges. Another good choice would be the Pirelli P Zero Rosso or the Bridgestone RE 050 that you mentioned.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 536
Likes: 4
From: Orlando, Florida
**SOLD***2003 E500
Continental Extreme Contacts
I just put on Conti Extreme Contacts. Very nice tire, excellent in the rain. I do not drive the car to its limits in turns however in straight lines it does see spirited runs. Nice price from the Tire Rack as well.
Randy
Randy
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 129
Likes: 3
From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
I'm on my second set of Pirelli P-Zero Rosso, not staggered. Very quiet, good in rain (yes, it DOES rain in Socal sometimes), and last for me about 23,000 miles. I have them on 17" AMG wheels. Softish ride, which are a good complement to the Eibach springs and Koni shocks.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 397
Likes: 0
From: Sunny S. California
03 E500
Originally Posted by charliek
I'm nearing 20k on my car, and my front tires are worn down to the wear bars (I rotated too late... @15k) and giving off a horrible howl at hwy speeds. My OE tires were the Michelin Pilot Primacys (245/45WR17) that came with the Appearance Pkg (called Sport Pkg in '03?).
I was wondering if any of you guys have tried any tires other than the OE tires (Michelin Pilot Primacy or Bridgestone Potenza RE050).
If so, which tires and how are they workin out for you? Would you recommend? (spirited driving & no snow driving) Thanks in advance.
[I know... I prolly should've posted this in the Tire Rack forum, but I only wanted responses from the W211 owners...]
I was wondering if any of you guys have tried any tires other than the OE tires (Michelin Pilot Primacy or Bridgestone Potenza RE050).
If so, which tires and how are they workin out for you? Would you recommend? (spirited driving & no snow driving) Thanks in advance.
[I know... I prolly should've posted this in the Tire Rack forum, but I only wanted responses from the W211 owners...]
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 0
From: Northern NJ
2014 BMW 550i
Originally Posted by charliek
And I'm assuming that one particular tire may not perform the same for every make/model of car (ie. wasn't there a certain Michelin tire that tracked to the right on certain model Benzs?).
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
From: CT and FL
SL500 E320 ML350
Originally Posted by alewifebp
Yep, that is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S's. Besides the tracking to the right issue, which I experience, they are overpriced in my opinion. Although they have been wearing well. And there is also the Star Bulletin that explicitly states that this tire is not supported.
Maybe I just got luckey? 
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Southern CA
'04 E320 (W211)
Thank you guys for the tips!
Unfortunately, Michelin Pilot Sport 2's aren't available in my wheel size (245/45WR17 - not staggered). (I was actually very curious to see what all the hype was about on that tire.) I was never really a big fan of the regular Pilot Sports as my dad had them on his S-class, and it had a mean tendency to track along grooves on the fwy (in my area at least), which made driving in the car pool lane a white-knuckle experience at times.
Apparently, the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S (Tire Rack's "Bestseller"), has the same tendency to track along the rain grooved fwys here in Southern CA also. Bah.
Conti Extreme Contacts I know are an awesome deal. Tried those on my father's S-class before, but the road noise became extremely loud as they began to wear. The tire shop I go to, said it was because of the design of the directional tread. Maybe because of the heavier load of the S-class also(?) and the grooved fwys in the area.
Hmm, hadn't even considered Dunlops... I'll look into those next time.
I was thinking about either the Goodyear F-1 GSD-3's or the Pirelli P-Zero Rosso's. Although I like to push the car (especially in turns w/DDS on), I began to think that maybe a "Max Performance" tire would be overkill for my E320. Now if I had the bigger engine (zoom zoom) of the E500, it'd be a very different story...
So ultimately I decided on an "Ultra-High Performance" tire... Bridgestone Potenza RE750's. Getting them mounted tomorrow. Supposedly good performance, with pretty good tread wear for a performance tire. Stiffer/harsher ride and more noise though. But at least the Bridgestones have a 30-day test drive warranty. Has anybody tried these on a W211?
Unfortunately, Michelin Pilot Sport 2's aren't available in my wheel size (245/45WR17 - not staggered). (I was actually very curious to see what all the hype was about on that tire.) I was never really a big fan of the regular Pilot Sports as my dad had them on his S-class, and it had a mean tendency to track along grooves on the fwy (in my area at least), which made driving in the car pool lane a white-knuckle experience at times.
Apparently, the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S (Tire Rack's "Bestseller"), has the same tendency to track along the rain grooved fwys here in Southern CA also. Bah.
Conti Extreme Contacts I know are an awesome deal. Tried those on my father's S-class before, but the road noise became extremely loud as they began to wear. The tire shop I go to, said it was because of the design of the directional tread. Maybe because of the heavier load of the S-class also(?) and the grooved fwys in the area.
Hmm, hadn't even considered Dunlops... I'll look into those next time.
I was thinking about either the Goodyear F-1 GSD-3's or the Pirelli P-Zero Rosso's. Although I like to push the car (especially in turns w/DDS on), I began to think that maybe a "Max Performance" tire would be overkill for my E320. Now if I had the bigger engine (zoom zoom) of the E500, it'd be a very different story...
So ultimately I decided on an "Ultra-High Performance" tire... Bridgestone Potenza RE750's. Getting them mounted tomorrow. Supposedly good performance, with pretty good tread wear for a performance tire. Stiffer/harsher ride and more noise though. But at least the Bridgestones have a 30-day test drive warranty. Has anybody tried these on a W211?
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Santa Barbara CA
Land Rover BMW E500 Miata
Avons
I installed Avon 550 A/S, 360 treadwear from Tire Rack. Great price and reviews. Just put 1k miles on road trip. Low noise. Run 33 PSI front 36 rear. The stock Contis had 20k on them, the rears were worn and not worth another rotation.
