Fear or common sense. At least with a spare tire, I have the option of getting on with my trip. I don't care about the reduced weight savings (and benefit to fuel economy) or the ability to ride on the sidewall of a compromised tire (assuming you're lucky enough to just get a nail). At least give me the option of a spare when ordering. I've had my spare on twice in the last 3 years.

 

If you actually transport stuff in your car, a run flat can only be driven 19 miles according to Mercedes. On my daily trips there is seldom a tire store that close.

Need self protection? Ask the residents of Chicago. There were 762 homicides there last year (more than 10 shootings per day), not counting the suburbs. There were 72 homicides during the Father's Day weekend last month. I take personal security very seriously even when traveling in Canada. I know that Toronto is one of the safest cities in Canada, but there are still places like Regent Park and Mount Dennis that require a heavy dose of security.

Driving a Mercedes is a sign of wealth. It is like waving a red flag at criminals. A few years ago criminals targeted tourists in rental cars leaving the Miami airport. The problem was so great that the State of Florida had to change the unique "leased car" auto tags so they looked like any other auto tag. The takeaway is to be well prepared and stay under the radar as much as possible.

 

It's disappointing we're getting RFT's as standard equipment. Pretty much all my friends who drive a 2004 or newer BMW have replaced their set with regular tires. Even BMW has started to see the error in their ways and are starting to offer regular tires and a spare in the G30 5 series.

Once these Goodyear Eagle Sport's wear out, I'm putting on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and carrying this kit

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product...fType=&from=fn

 

Beware of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. I've had 2 sets of them on my BMW. The first set was replaced for free by Michelin. The tread on all 4 tires wore down to less than the legal depth at a bit over 5k miles. The replacement set didn't do much better. I replaced them with Continentals at 11k miles. So far, so good.

 

Owning and carrying a gun is not a sign of fear, its a sign of a mature, logical thinking, and prepared human. I wear a seatbelt when driving for the off chance that I get into an accident.

I carry a gun for the same reason. If someone threatens my life, I have a tool on hand to equalize the situation at hand. After all, when seconds count, a cop is only minutes away.

I'll also echo what another member said. That a new Mercedes is a sign of wealth and you become more of a target. Also there is a school of thought among criminals that those types of drivers (us) are incapable of self protection and live life paying others to do things that most people do themselves. IE: Oil changes, yard work, manual labor, etc. So they see these "soft hand" men as easy prey and in my situation and many others on this forum, it couldn't be farther from the truth and they are in for a surprise. The Benz we ordered is for my wife and she carries a HK USPc45 as well and will have a 10.5" suppressed SBR in the trunk with a 6 mag slick carrier just as she carries in her Lexus now.

A pistols job is to help you fight your way to your rifle. I review high-end guns and gear on YouTube as a profitable side business and as such we have acquired more guns, silencers, and gear than I can count. So it makes it easy to toss one in the vehicles and use as a dedicated vehicle rifle setup.

We live close to Tampa, FL and with the threat of terrorist activities being so close to the air-force base and with the threat of post-hurricane short term breakdown of society with looting, loss of power, over whelmed local government infrastructure, etc it only make sense to have a rifle in each of our vehicles. Remember the horror stories from Katrina? Be prepared and you'll be able to live a relaxed life knowing you are ready for whatever comes your way.

Here is my truck setup. I keep my full auto MP5 in it now as well as a AR15 and two sets of concealable armor for the wife and I.

 

First off, nice jobs on the videos. They have a high production value feel. I am sure you're doing all that shooting in controlled, safe environments but that video on tactical walls surprised me to see live fire in a house, presumably yours. I kept thinking where's the spackle and touch up paint.

 

lol yeah we did about 5 dry run's where I pointed and aimed the gun for each scene. The MP5 was the real butt clincher lol. I was strangely calm and didn't really care if a round hit the closet door. I think it's because I know the limits of a 147grn subsonic 9mm and knew that it would never make it through my concrete block (I live on woods as a precaution) and if I hit the closet that I could just buy a new door. I shoot 1,000 rounds a week minimum so I think I'm just jaded. lol

BTW I have another large shoot coming up in September, you should try and make it out!

 

That would be cool. I can only imagine what the outtakes look like.

 

Some one ran out of his antipsychotic.... Seals carry less gear into a firefight. By the time he pulls any of that crap from where its stored the hypothitical bandit that is holding him up at a redlight shot him 10 times in the head with a rusty 22.....

 

Typical ignorant Liberal response. Yeah, cause I keep my handgun under my backseat and don't pay attention to my surroundings lol. While you have your head in your phone at the red light (or while driving) and day dream whilst walking through a parking lot totally unaware of whats going on around you, people like me are ready and awake to the world and how violently capable it is.

I take it you think concealed carry is "crazy" but then again, working 9-5 as an office drone will put you in a false sense of security and close your eyes to the evil in this world, because after all…if it's not on the news, it didn't happen right? lol

I've been a firefighter for 14 years. I'll never forget the 50 y/o woman choked to death with a phone cord (strange enough that she had a corded phone) and her face was cut off….as in some psychopath sat there with a razor and cut her face off the muscles. Never made the news…nothing. We walked right into that scene unaware of what happened because the neighbor looked through a window and said "she looks like she fell" and there we went walking into a Silence of the Lambs horror house.

I'll continue seeing the world for what it is, you can go back to counting butterflies and smiling at every rainbow you see.

 

A slight digression on this thread.
Back to spare tires. So far, I've spoken to the MB service, my friend who owns a repair garage, and the local tire dealer, and I arrived at a dead end.

Is there anyone who knows, or can recommend someone who knows about rims and compact tires specifically for the 2017 e300 sedan.

With my limited computer skills, I've searched eBay and google with no clear cut success.

Sorry for belaboring this subject, but I'd like a spare

Thanks

 

You have to select a spare rim/tire combination by size. There is nothing specifically for a 2017 E300 so shopping by vehicle is fruitless. You need to match the tire diameter to your regular tire diameter as close as possible. Any difference will be compensated by the suspension. The wheel must have a bolt pattern of 5 by 112mm with a center hole of 66.6mm. Typical rim widths are 4 inches. I'd start by looking at other Mercedes compact spares.

 

I would start with the most recent model, prior to yours, that came with a spare, like a 2016 E350. I am pretty sure the spare from that car will fit, but you need to check. In the case of my 2015 S550, I was told by the parts dept. guy at my MB dealer that the 2013 S550 spare would fit. I bought one, but then had the dealer actually check to see if it fit, and it did.

It's a very sad state of affairs when MB tries to block us from having our cars the way we want them.

 

I'd like to think that I am somewhere in between "counting butterflies" and being locked and loaded for WWIII. I pay attention to my surroundings, keep my eyes open and I do know that substantial evil is out there and not just in war zone neighborhoods.

I was under the impression that "full auto" weapons were illegal for private citizens to possess in America. Am I wrong?

 

Thanks UA549. I'll try again with that game plan.

 

Being both and ex soldier (10 years US Army) and a physician, I can assure you that some one that drives around in a car with such an arsenal while living anywhere other than Yemen or Somalia is just a hairs breath from being a paranoid schizophrenic. Having been in the armed forces for so many years, I'm a gun fanatic and own a variety of hand guns, rifles, shot guns, etc. I also have a concealed carry permit. However I don't live in any of the places mentioned above and, in particular, I'm not a tool of the gun lobby. Though I own numerous high capacity weapons, since they are legal, the fact is, there is no need for them in 99% of the world other than as a curiosity and in the hands of law enforcement and the military. The availability in the free market of such weapons rather than making us safer makes us much less safe given that the idiotic idea that the solution for gun violence is more guns is an oxymoron. That's like trying to cure an addict by giving him an overdose.
Having been in the forensic field for more than 20 years I can very easily attest that I have never seen an instance where a "good guy with a gun" saved the day, on the other hand, I've seen hundreds of suicides, homicides by family members, and fatal accidents committed with "legal" weapons. I put "legal" in quotation marks since all guns in the US are "legally" produced and distributed. Guns don't enter the US illegally, in fact, we are the largest exporter of illegal weapons in the world since our gun control laws are so **** poor.
Israel, a country known for its never ending terrorist threat and surrounded by mortal enemies has personal gun ownership laws that make California look like Dirty Harry's nirvana.
Do you feel the need for protection? Fine, carry a six shot revolver or semiauto of 9 mm or less and only after you have been thoroughly vetted by the authorities. Running around with a SWAT team's arsenal doesn't make you safer, in fact, it makes us all less safe given that if you are not a nut looking for an excuse, your arsenal is thousands of times more liable to be stolen and all that handy dandy "protection gear" landing in the illegal market, than of you ever using them to protect yourself or anybody else. Unless, of course, you happen work on the secret service security detail.


You chose the wrong guy to call a liberal pansy

 

FINALLY some common sense.

 

There are far more arms on the street in Israel than in the US. IDF forces are required to be armed in public even when wearing civilian clothes.

One doesn't need a personal weapon when one is provided by the government to about 20% of the working population.

 

Statistically more of us will die because of what is in our pantry than someone else's gun safe (or the guns on the street for that matter). Not sure about stats on spare tire related deaths though...

Labels don't do anything except divide us. We have more in common than we think. And if we need to start dividing people up into groups, let's start qualifying based on body odor unless it is no longer politically correct to talk about body odor. I can't keep up anymore.

 

In fact the IDF cannot be armed in civilian clothes only the police can. Very few non military people are armed, and although you see people in uniform everywhere the great majority of those aren't armed either since most are reservists going about their personal business while in uniform. The overwhelming majority of armed security in Israel is obviously and openly armed usually a barely shaving young man or a young woman toting an well worn M16.

 

IDF reservists are allowed to be armed when wearing civilian clothes and are required to be armed when in uniform in accordance with their command.

 

Called Smith motors, an MB dealership in Haverhill, MA last week. Parts manager ordered the part 213-400-06-00 out of stock in Germany. This is for a 2017 E300 4Matic. Tire and rim.
This is the only dealer who would place an order for me. He "escalated" the request for what it's worth.
They will ship it to me for $17. We live in a neighboring state.
Not holding my breath here.

 

This is not at all surprising. When I got my 2015 S550 and discovered that it had no spare, I started searching. There is a part number for the spare in Germany, but U.S. dealers cannot or will not even admit that the part exists. They cannot or will not order it for you. You spend $120K+ on a BIG, luxury sedan and the manufacturer—who has found it necessary to not only remove the traditional jack, tool kit & spare wheel/tire—but to also ELIMINATE THE PLACE to put one, should an owner desire to provide their own! Honestly, every time I think about this, I think I should have bought a Genesis G90! So, complain, complain, FUxKING COMPLAIN to everyone at your MB dealer and write a letter to MBUSA. This is madness and idiotic.

 

You're right. I've already called MB USA. They were useless. The parts manager from my dealership actually told me that the only option was to buy a full size rim and tire. I was shocked. He did not even mention ordering it. The parts guy at Smith was encouraging. He said the part was not discontinued, just out of stock.
I called a dealer in Greenwich, CT who had one; but, the price was over $400. He was glad to sell that one or order one for me.
I hate the ride with the run flats. Too much noise and vibration. I've got another 5-8k or so left on the originals. Hoping for some word by then. Keep up the fight.

 

I ended up determining that a compact spare from a 2013, W221 S Class would fit. I found an unused one on eBay for around $175.00. I also found the factory jack & tool kit on eBay, from a supplier in Germany. I used them in my 2015, then moved them over to my 2018 S560 when I traded. The spare takes up a lot of trunk space, but I have peace of mind on longer trips. I also ditched the run flats and put on Bridgestone Serenity Plus conventional tires. I now drive “THE” best riding car on the planet.