Ride with 19's
 

For those of you with 19" wheels on your E, can you tell me how the ride differs from the sport 17's? I have talked to a few people and they say there is no difference. Hard to believe though.

Do you like it better with 19's or with another size?

The main difference between 17s and 19s is the sidewalls. The shorter sidewalls don’t absorb the bumps in the road as well and that allows you to feel the road better, but it makes for a rougher ride. The shorter sidewalls also will make your car handle better because the sidewalls will not flex as much in the corners as a larger side walled tire would.

ealpha, i have 19 on my car. what you heard is the truth. of course you can feel the difference but not really much. if you don't use the sport mode, the ride is pretty smooth. I'm suggesting to go with 20 because 19 is not big enough for E.

I see. So without the car in sport mode it doesn't feel much different than the 17's? And when in sport mode it is quite more noticable?

Does this do anything to the suspension?

I love it
 

I took delivery of mine with 19's so I cannot compare to a stock car.What I will say is that in Comfort mode the car rides fantastic,alot smoother then my 2000 e430 sport with 18's.In the sport setting the car handles amazingly well.On twists and turns,fast lane changes in and out of traffic on the highway doing 80+,the handling is awesome,the car sticks very well.You will notice road imperfections though,but alot of that is tire dependant also.If you do the 19's you will notice on the street,you will take it easy and avoid all potholes like the plague.I'm very happy with my 19's staggered setup,but where I live 20's would be almost impossible to keep from getting destroyed.I envy those that live where the roads are smooth like glass........

Yes, I agree I think 20's would get beat up in my parts as well. That is good information on the size and driving styles.

One more to add though, what brand of tires does everyone recommend? I hear that it makes a difference, but no clue to what type to get.

Well i got bridgestone SO2 i think they're good enough.

Tire Size Makes a Huge Difference
 

The size of the tires also make a huge difference. I have a staggered set-up and started off with 235/35/19 in the front and 265/30/19 in the rear. In Sport Mode 1 the ride is the way my old 528 drove, but in Sport Mode 2 the ride was very stiff. In any event, you definitely need to be careful of potholes. When I replaced my tires with 245/35/19 and 275/30/19, I noticed a huge difference. Even at Sport Mode 2, the larger tires (albeit only 10 mm) gave a more softer ride since you have more rubber between the asphalt and the wheel. Just my two cents. ;)

I have Michelin Pilot Sports on all my cars,this one included.I love the tires because they have great characteristics in all aspects from ride,to grip to noise level.They are expensive but they are a great tire period.The SO2 is a great tire as well,but I favor the Pilots.:bow:

Go with 20's, the sidewalls will be the same whether or not you go with 19's or 20's. I have 19's on mine with 275/30 rear and 245/35 front. The ride is just slightly worse but if you have the music on you probably won't even notice. One thing is though you have to watch out for potholes and don't curb the car.

I have 20's on mine w/ Toyo (not sure of the brand but they cost me $240 each for my rears)

There is a slight rub on the front when you turn the wheel all the way to each side but it only rubs the plastic.

The suspension works fine with all the adjustment settings

The 20's look better because it eliminates all the space btwn the tire and the wheel well.

I wish you would stop harping on the fact that the Pilot's are the best tires anywhere for these cars!:banned:

I got my car with Continental Conti Contact Sports and I love the ride (Although with 3000 miles on them I am beginning to notice a little road noise.

If you keep it up you are going to cost me a heap of money because if I buy a set of Pilots then I'll have to buy them in 18s and that means I'll have to get new wheels which would probably be the AMG stylin IVs. As a matter of fact if you don't stop I'm going to give my wife your email address and phone number if I can find it, then, look out:wwf:

Hey STK........
 

Did you know that Pilot Sports are some fantastic tires???? :D Haha
With all the little things you did to your car,I see no reason why an upgrade to 18's shouldnt be done.On Tectite it would look so hot,your wife will have to increase "sex nights" for you 2 ,its guaranteed,she will do this :bow: "Oh STK, your an inch bigger and wider now,I love you so much more" :D

Seriously,I love these tires,you will like them better then Continentals,no doubt.And if the misses wants to kick my butt,just remember I'm a 5'11" 250+lb bodybuilder from Brooklyn NY,I can handle her,you,and probably everyone on your block:X
I'm so happy I went with 19's,but for you a more subtle but still very hot/sporty look with 18's is perfect.......did I mention MICHELIN PILOT SPORT????:p

Thanks guys for all the advise, very helpful.