dnickell

I recently bought a 2002 E 320. I know it's not a sports car but I do appreciate a car that handles well in the wet or snow. I've had Michelins most of my life and am partial to them. This car came wiht Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 tires and I've done a small amount of research on them. They evidently are OK, but not rated for snow. I live in the Inland NW of the USA and we generally get less of a foot of snow.

I'd appreciate some comments on the Kumho re., Michelin Pilot Exalto that seems a good all season tire.

Don

jimbo1mcm

Don't know anything about the Kumho, but I do know that Michelin Pilot's are not good in the snow, period. I have Bridgestone Blizzaks mounted on an extra set of rims for my winter use. In addition to the tread design, it is the softness and "stickiness" of the rubber at cold temps that assist in the passage through snow.

dnickell

Thanks for the comments, I'll look into the Blizzaks. I had no problems with the Michelins on the '96 E320, but it was "1 wheel drive" so couldn't really tell. The only real comparison I can make is with Michelins on the Porsche's I've owned, but that's a totally different beast. I do hear you about getting other rims for winter use, other's have mentioned it also. Guess it would be wise to listen. And I imagine someone living in CT and has 2 MBs has had a bit of experience with snow driving.

luxury1

Do a search as we talked about this a lot of times before. A lot of people are using pirelli...

SAguirre

I have dedicated rims and tires for winter on both my Audi and my Mercedes. My Audi has Michelin Pilot Alpine tires and my Mercedes has Bridgestone Blizzak WS 50s. Both cars are AWD and the same size so they are very comparable.

My observation is that the Michelins are totally overrated and are NOT a very spectacular winter tire. The Blizzaks are like glue! However, they are soft and I do get some tire dust on my white car. The Michelins don't dust, but that is because their compound is rock hard (not good for winter/snow driving).

I am sure that the Blizzaks will wear out sooner, but they are well worth it. I am speaking from very relevant personal experience in snow/winter driving. Also, I am no longer a Michelin fan (I used to be). I find that their products are riding on their old reputation and they are not worth the premium.

Steve

dnickell

Now you are getting close to my old world. We lived in Santa Fe, NM for some 32 years and used to backpack in the Weminuche Wilderness. In fact was married in Silverton the second time around. Lived in LA at the time so where would you opt to get married? Las Vegas or Silverton?

After that marriage broke up I lived and worked in Los Alamos and my only car was a '68 912 that I used to go skiing also. Had Pirelli Dogbones on it and they were like glue. Yet on my 1960 TR-3 I had Michelin-X. Of course then you have to start considering suspension. The TR didn't have any by comparison to the Porsche and the '96 MB was rear "1-wheel" drive. This 2002 is a 4-matic and probably will be simliar to our Subaru Outback, albeit a bit more power.

The snow we get in CdA is seldom more than a foot but we do have a lot of black ice. Even though I'm 75 I still drive a bit aggressively so will check into the Blizzak REVO 1, they sound the better of the two.

JRGD4L

I have had good luck with Kumho's in the past but I currently have the Avon 550 16" All Season on my E320. They are very good in the wet and much better thean the Michellin MXV4 Plus Energy's. The Michellins were downright dangerous as they hydroplaned easily. I suggest you take all these suggestions and research these at www.tirerack.com There is lot's of good info and reviews from other E320 owners as well as ratings for dry/wet/noise characteristics.