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Hello to all, I’ve been running Michelin tires on my 2013 E-350 sedan on the ten years that I have owned it. I usually purchase and have them installed at Costco. The set currently on my vehicle are wearing out well before the warranty period. The tires are rotated and maintained along with front end alignment when required. Im ready to try a different brand. In addition the price of tires has gone up astronomically so I want to make sure I’m making the right purchase. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hello to all, I’ve been running Michelin tires on my 2013 E-350 sedan on the ten years that I have owned it. I usually purchase and have them installed at Costco. The set currently on my vehicle are wearing out well before the warranty period. The tires are rotated and maintained along with front end alignment when required. Im ready to try a different brand. In addition the price of tires has gone up astronomically so I want to make sure I’m making the right purchase. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Perhaps some customer feedback at TireRack might provide some guidance.
This is the single most divisive topic on this forum. Everyone has their own opinion, and no one agrees. Do a search on "new tires" and you will find countless threads.
There are the purists who insist that you replace with the tires that came on the car... Continentals, or Pirellis. (I've had horrible luck with these.)
There are others with experience with "XYZ" tires they have used in the past with their other cars.
There are still others who think outside the box, realizing that tire brands are more alike than different. Tires are tires. And that manufacturers buy their OEM tires based on cost per trainload, not how many marketing fairies can sit on the head of a pin.
All brands wear out before the tread warranty mileage. The key is to find a tire dealer that honors the warranty replacement formula without question. At this, I've had the best luck with Discount Tires, because when the Pirellis, Michelins, Contis, and (Korean) Hancooks all wear out in less than 25,000 miles, Discount Tires gives the most credit toward the next set.
IMO, Japanese tires seem to wear less than the others, are quiet, and grip just as well. I have Yokohama Avid Ascend GTs on my W212. They cost less ($221 ea), last longer, and their replacement warranties are just as good (or better) as the others. But mine is just one opinion, and you will find 300 other (different) opinions here.
You are not telling what conditions you are driving most of the time.
I used to be huge fan of Michelin and loved the 60k miles thread warranty, but that was in California, where 99% of driving was on dry pavement.
They suck badly when I was going skiing and on snowy parking lots I had lot of spinning (ESP turned off).
Than when years ago Michelin priced themselves out of common sense - Firehawks had good sale, so I went for them., so I bought a set and they beat Michelins on slippery conditions hands down. Got honest 51k miles out of them (50k warranty)
For my Sprinter I bought Hancock and they allowed me to drive RWD vehicle with trailer in tow during snow storms.
Now I drive sedan less, so my tires are over 6 yo even with good thread, so I am checking for good deals and Firehawk is again on top of my list.
As stated above, you need to specify what you are driving, your needs/conditions that you drive.... Are you looking summer, all season, performance vs comfort tires? With all things, it is hard to test all tires at once and find the perfect one as none exists. Depending on your needs and budget, you compromise on one area on others. I read people's reviews and it changes a lot based on their previous experience and expectations. I usually go to empirical tested results at Tire Rack and Tyre Reviews as below. Other issue is finding the tire you want at your size and also in stock. Even COVID conditions are gone, Costco has sold out on many Michelin tires for a long while... Tire rack is better, but there is still no stock on popular tires...
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
We put Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 on our W212 wagon, they perform very nicely, will last several years, and I'll be quite happy. Great wet traction but I've never had them on snow or ice. I always get A/S tires, we have two seasons here on the left coast, dry and wet, and my tires usually last 3-4 years.
On my older euro cars (90s mercedes E, 80s/90s Volvos that had /60-70 tires), I liked the Michelin Premiere/Primacy series, also great rain traction, quiet, and long tread life. I also used Bridgestone's a couple times, not the high mileage version but the 'grand touring' version (Potenza?), was reasonably happy with them too. There was a period about 10 years ago when Michelins were hard noisy tires (and their 'Defenders' still are) that lasted forever, I'd rather have a little more traction and smoother/quieter ride. The Pilot AS4 is a 'performance sport' tire, a little stickier than their more touring-centric tires that I used to use...
Hated the new OE continentals that came on our wagon, very noisy.
Every time I've tried cheap brand tires, I was reasonably happy when they were new, but by the time they were 50% worn, they were awful, so I'd be replacing them way early and they'd end up as expensive in the long run as the more expensive tires.
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
oh, I've had Costco bust lug nuts twice and damage a rim once, and deny responsibility, I will not get tires there anymore. I go to a locally owned tire store that has a great reputation. Might cost a few $ more but they are surprisingly competitive, and their crew have been there a long time, and are very experienced, they take care of your vehicle.
Hello to all, I’ve been running Michelin tires on my 2013 E-350 sedan on the ten years that I have owned it. I usually purchase and have them installed at Costco. The set currently on my vehicle are wearing out well before the warranty period. The tires are rotated and maintained along with front end alignment when required. Im ready to try a different brand. In addition the price of tires has gone up astronomically so I want to make sure I’m making the right purchase. Thanks in advance for any advice!
All I can say is stay away from the big names. The bigger the name the more expensive and less quality you get. Michelin is the WORST!!!...in my opinion.
They all jack up the prices for no real reason other than WE STUP CONSUMERS pay the floated prices. This is going on with everything right now. It is all "COVID-related" that really has nothing to do with it.
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
yeah, by all means, put the cheapest discount store house brand chinese tire that you can find on your MERCEDES BENZ. after all, its round, black, and made of rubber, they must all be the same!
I have been using Michelins .If you want a different brand Continental DWS . I have not used them as of yet but I have heard nothing but good feedbacks on them .My 2nd W212 FL came with Goodyear . They are very comfy too but I want to replace them with Michelin Pilot Super Sport 5 as well
Go by the UQWT or whatever thingy to compare tires mileage and grip.
Ensure proper load capacity tire Regular or XL.
Then go shopping
Whats more important to you?
performance track day car?
Long wear?
Wet and/or dry grip?
etc.
I do suggest that if you travel all over country or away from home to have them installed at large tire store so, if you need help when away from home they will be where every you are COSTCO, SAMS, GOOD YEAR etc etc.
If you stick around the house and never venture away much then I stick with the local tire guy .... as they tend to offer better service..
And for some dayum reason I have had gotten my tires from Dealership: once because they had good sale and I caved money.
Second time was double blow out on Saturday and they were only game in town for having my 2 tire sizes.....
PS Staggered tire sizes SUCKS for trying to get good deals and finding replacements.
Here are tire racks choices,
Then these
I chose the Sumitomo's because my buddy gets a deal as he has 20+ plumbing trucks he buys for, there good in the snow and I have had great luck with milage and performance, I paid 105.00 a tire, so no_brainer for me, I have not noticed any difference from the Continental DWS 06 and previous models of that tire.But take notice the Michelin is in fifth place, but any in the top ten should be considered
Last edited by pierrejoliat; Mar 13, 2023 at 09:13 PM.
yeah, by all means, put the cheapest discount store house brand chinese tire that you can find on your MERCEDES BENZ. after all, its round, black, and made of rubber, they must all be the same!
I actually did that years ago on W211 wagon. The cheap Chinese tires were not only much quieter than Michelins but had good grip on dry asphalt and LOOKED GOOD.
I did not drive them on slippery conditions thought.
If you are on market for trailer tires, all top recommendations you can buy in USA are made in China.
I've had many different tires through the last 10 years but i'll tell you what i've liked the most.
Michelin pilot super sport (summers) > continental DWS06 > Michelin pilot all season 4 (currently what I have on) > continental contiprocontact
michelin summers were definitely my favorite and surprass any all season but sucked to drive under 40F which has become more often in atlanta. The DWS06 i liked waaaay more than my pilot all season4, but the reason I switched to the pilot AS4 was the great costco warranty on tires. In my new area I needed the extra free warranty for all the nails and pot holes. Definitely miss the DWS06 but I once didnt have the diacount tire warramty and replacing them was a lot.
I have run Michelins on my W211 and W212. Having said that my wife's new to us KIA Niro EV has come equipped with Kumho's and they seem to be surprising nice tires. With 13k miles they are quiet smooth and have good dry traction, haven't run them in bad weather yet so don't know about the wet traction yet
The thing I like most about the Michelin's is their advertisement: " You have a lot riding on us!"
I've seen enough tire threads on the highway shoulder to be reminded that tires do fail.
Lesson learned, I have done a 360° spin at highway speed at 10Am on Monday... I'm not game to trust marginal tire brands.
I've had 4x sets (16pcs) of defective Costco Michelin's with chunking pieces parting out, on 2 different Acuras.
Since then I've found excellent service at "America's Tires". A nationwide chain with a set of Continentals for sunny California Benz Driving
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Mar 13, 2023 at 10:35 PM.
I’m a Michelin fan myself, only brand on both of
our cars. We only do all season tires because we get all 4 seasons. Michelins don’t seem to harden up when freezing outside like some other experiences I’ve had in the past on other “all season” tires.
i will say, when i had my VW GTI and had the computer flashed which took it to nearly 400lbs of torque on a front wheel drive car that weighed little more than a coke can, the Michelin Pilots were the only tire able to handle it. That is widely known in that community for the MK7 GTIz. The OE Pirelli’s would just break loose in any gear under 5th.
If you drive in the snow, you will be very pleased, Ive had them for decades, I'm in the snow belt, we get 100 inches average, but I've had them on five of my cars and recommend them to anyone who asks. best in the snow and ice! If I was in Phoenix, I might choose differently, also I get such a deal on the Summitomo's HTR PO3's, their great in the snow as well, but as I said that's a priority in the snow belt unless I want to change to snow tires for the winter, which I don't.
Last edited by pierrejoliat; Mar 14, 2023 at 09:45 AM.
I just replaced a set of Pirellis that were on my 2016 wagon with a set of Falken FK460 All Seasons. They ride substantially better, are quieter, and almost half the price of the Pirellis. I got a deal from a friend and paid $575 for the set shipped, but you can grab all four from Tire Rack for $700.
I've been driving on DWS06+ or the America's Tire SRS+ on Mercedes which is their bespoke version made for them by Continental or their previous equivalent for the better part of half a decade. The Michelin AS4 is the only tire that really compares.
The UHP stuff can be kind of loud but they roll very smooth and the traction is unreal. You're welcome to come see them on the E550 if you're anywhere close to me.
For the record it really won't matter where you buy tires, they're all obligated to sell the tires for a certain price so buy them based on service. The America's Tire on Stevens Creek will take me within 15 minutes of me showing up and my car is done in 1.5 hours, and they actually always have tires in stock. I like my SRS+ a lot I'm actually fairly hard on all my vehicles and they wear evenly.
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
I guess the Contis I've run were the OE ProContacts or something, and i hated those, noisy, harsh. Can't say I ran the DWS06, but the michelin pilot sport as4s were a HUGE improvement over the factory stock Contis.
Last edited by Left Coast Geek; Mar 16, 2023 at 04:10 AM.
I guess the contis I've run were the OE procontacts or something, and i hated those, noisy, harsh. Can't say I ran the DWS06, but the michelin pilot sport as4s were a HUGE improvement.
Yeah those were gonna be really hard wearing and kind of loud at 80k tread life warranty lol
I think the 980AS, AS4, DWS06+, Pzero AS, and Goodyear Exhilirate are all pretty close in performance but top two are always AS4 and DWS06+ on the customer cars. The DWS has better wet performance, the AS4 has better dry braking/subjective handling, but it's minutia.
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