The dealer only lists two oe options and neither of them are particularly well-reviewed on tire rack. I am using primacy MXV4's but I immediately noticed an increase in road noise versus the run flats that were originally installed on my vehicle. I now have 30k on the tires and I'd like to go with http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Super+ Sport&partnum=445YR7PSSXL&vehicleSearch=false&from Compare1=yes but I am not sure if they would fit the 17 inch wheels on my vehicle. Will only Mercedes OE recommended tires fit or can I purchase and have the Pilots installed without issue ???

You can go with any tire that is the correct size. 245/45/17.
The Pilot Super Sports are a high performance summer tire that has a decent ride. It is not all-season and should not be used in snow or near freezing temperatures.

The pilot sport AS3 is the All-season version and is a good tire.
The Continental DWS is also in this class and is quieter and better in snow, but doesn't handle as well in performance situations.

Continental contipro contact are OE and avalable Labeled MO (Mercedes) on the tire, these cost more than than same non MO labeled tire.
There is also a Continental conti-procontact with ECO tech that is cheaper and may give better MPG.

I'd get the Pilot Sport AS/3 or DWS for all-season.

I seriously appreciate the quick feedback! Would you still recommend the Pilots if snow isn't an issue (I live in San Antonio)?

I just installed Nokian Z-Line 245/45-R17 with American Racing Maveric wheels. By far quietest ride of any tire I have had in any car so far.

Michelin MXM4's all the way. Put a set on my wife's 2010 E350 and they are wonderful!

This is tough. . .

PilotSuperSports (PSS) are the best all around max performance summer tire IMO. They are found on lots of Porsche, Corvette, AMG cars. Probably overkill on an 17" E350 - I'm going to admit here that I'm a total hypocrite and ran them on my old diesel. The PSS are going to perform better than the AS3 when driving at "the limit" in dry weather over 50F.

The Pilot Sport AS3 are going to last longer, and perform noticeably better in sub 40F weather than the PSS. These a more practical choice.

These are both winners so buy what makes you happy and feel confident behind the wheel.

I get my other "shoes" from San Antonio - here is my dog modeling my Luccheses.

The Michelins on my E350 are far quieter and better riding than the Continental DWS I had on my BMW.

As does Car and Driver and Consumer Reports. The Continental DW (as opposed to the all-season DWS for snow) is also highly rated with the professional reviews saying it is quieter and a more comfortable ride than the Michelins but does not corner as well as the Michelins. (You need stiff sidewalls to corner well but stiff sidewalls mean a slightly stiffer ride.) However, the Continentals are about 1/3 less than the Michelins.


I've had the MXVs on my wife's Hyundai and they are decent cruisers but no performance match for the PSS or AS which are not much more expensive.

First of all MXV4 is an outdated tire.

For 245/45/R17

Get Michelin Primacy MXM4 if you want comfort and best MPG
or if you like some all-season grip then go with Pilot Sport A/S 3

I personally would get the PS A/S 3 since you have a diesel and you are miles ahead of everyone in terms of MPG already.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....odClar=BlueTEC


Pilot Super Sports it is... The tread isn't exactly the longest-lasting (a fair tradeoff considering their performance) but they rank the highest in terms of handling and road noise...

This is totally off topic but would you guys trust a diesel mechanic to install a fuel filter if I order it via Amazon and bypass the dealership altogether? The price I am being quoted for an fuel filter change is nuts (350) considering it's a 60 dollar part and an hour job.

My experience with Michellins is that they are nosier than some other brands. Consumer Reports used to do a good job of comparing noise and comfort of different tires, but not so much lately.
For me, comfort and quiet are bigger factors than performance. Almost any tire will perform well on an "E."

El Cid - what tires are you using? Has anyone used these http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....odClar=BlueTEC - the Continental PureContact with EcoPlus? They have better reviews than the MXM4's (higher marks for noise and comfort) and a very long tread life?

I'm using the Michellin 17" MXV's that came on the car.

No matter what tire you choose, remember one thing, NO ONE MAKES A QUALITY TIRE LIKE MICHELLIN.

I have had every brand of tire imaginable, Bridgestone, Falken, Hankook, Continental, Goodyear, No Name Brand, Cooper, Pirelli, Dunlop, YOU NAME IT.

Nothing beats Michellin. Oh and Super Sports are fantastic tires.

Audi,

you seem to believe that Michelin is the only good tire maker and you certainly have the right to believe so.

I found this very interesting net page:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...-Tyre-Test.htm

It has tons of tire test information and looking thru this Michelin does not seem to be as good as you advertise.

I have mentioned about Nokian zLine tires before and by this net site it seems to compare pretty well against anyone else. You can find it by clicking "By Tyre Brand" on the right top corner and then scrolling down to the "Mid Range Brand Tyres". Nokian is not considered as a premium tire maker as they are not known in the world much at all but they make seriously Premium Tires. The best part is they are lower cost than most of the brands discussed here just because they are not known other than for the excellent Winter tires they make.

I bought the zLine tires for my staggered setup first but just a few weeks ago went with 17" to soften the ride a little bit. Lost the staggered setup but that does not bother me. At least I can now fully rotate the tires that the staggered setup did not allow.

These are extremely quiet and comfortable tires with very good handling.

Plenty of alternatives to Michellin. While Michellin does have some advantages, it is also very costly compared to others. Some Michellins also tend to ride harsher and noisier. I replaced Michellins with Dunlops in the past and noted significant reduction in noise and improvement in ride comfort. Plus, I saved money.

I live in the town where Michelin USA is located. Many of the Michelin guys that I talk to consider Bridgestone as their biggest competitor in terms of technology and quality. All of my cars (except the E350) have Uniroyal Tiger Paws (either touring or sport versions) and they have been excellent. Uniroyal is owned by Michelin and benefits from their quality and technology (but at a lower price point).

I have the continental DWS tires for about 3 weeks now and after driving in a couple of snowstorms, I can these are much superior to the OEM continental tires my E550 came with.

I ended up taking a risk to save $300 bucks. I bought a set of four Continental Pro Contact Eco Plus tires with uniform 95% tread life from a wholesaler on Ebay. The seller in question only has 28 negative reviews out of 28,000 so hopefully I made a wise purchase. I will have the dealership mount and balance them at $30 a tire and hopefully I can eek out 60k miles with them.