When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Tire help PLEASE!!! Do I need XL? Pirelli or Bridgestone?
Hi all,
So I hate to do a tire post, but I really need some help since it's about that time for new tires.
I currently have the Hankook Ventus Noble that came with my car, but I have seen several people with the Pirelli Centurato P7 tires on this forum. I was considering those or the Bridgestone Drive Guard Plus at Costco which would be about $200 cheaper.
Any thoughts or feedback that you have would be hugely appreciated. Also do I need an XL tire? I know that on Tire Rack when I put in my 2019 E300 4Matic, the 100H XL came up for it. I am clueless so all advice or experiences would be helpful. I do prefer to stick with a run flat though.
Thanks
Last edited by Courthaven; Apr 5, 2023 at 06:46 PM.
Reason: Title change
Costco rotates between Bridgestone and Michelin on their rebates. I prefer Michelins over Bridgestone and the A/S 4 gets pretty good reviews. But most people hate run flats and they do cost more than regular tires. I think the Pirelli were OE which is you see them mentioned. And I would consider the Hankook 2nd tier as opposed to a Michelin or Pirelli.
yes to XL as it denotes Extra Load Capacity which is required if you load up car with xmas presents to see grandma.
Lol... Great I was getting confused because at Mr. Tire they were trying to tell me that XL was only if I was hauling stuff. I thought something was fishy.
The MB dealer put a non-XL tire on the wagon and checked the load difference in an effort to avoid changing it. The difference was significant and they had to put on an XL tire. Don’t compromise.
yes to XL as it denotes Extra Load Capacity which is required if you load up car with xmas presents to see grandma.
That's not really what it means. Basically means it probably has an extra belt in the tire and can take a heavier load than other tires in the same size. You might be going overboard though because it depends on the rating of the car. There's usually some max weight rating of the car and you need tires that can handle at least the max rating of the car or more. Basically will have a higher load index which are indicated by two numbers and then the speed rating of the tire. You're not supposed to exceed the GVWR of the car as that makes it unsafe no matter how much you want to load up the car. And the drawback of an XL tire will be that it will probably ride harsher because of the extra belt, be more like a truck tire so there's always trade offs. But an XL tire might be able to take better hits and avoid blowouts.
So I hate to do a tire post, but I really need some help since it's about that time for new tires.
I currently have the Hankook Ventus Noble that came with my car, but I have seen several people with the Pirelli Centurato P7 tires on this forum. I was considering those or the Bridgestone Drive Guard Plus at Costco which would be about $200 cheaper.
Any thoughts or feedback that you have would be hugely appreciated. Also do I need an XL tire? I know that on Tire Rack when I put in my 2019 E300 4Matic, the 100H XL came up for it. I am clueless so all advice or experiences would be helpful. I do prefer to stick with a run flat though.
Thanks
I have the P7 on my E300, it is an okay tire, would not replace it with the same if I am changing all 4. The drive guard runflat is known for their soft ride, performance is not quite as good as some other tires, if you drive aggressively, stay away from those. The Continental DWS is great tire in the snow and a good all around performer. As always, Michelin are top tier tires, both Michelin Primacy and the pilot sport 4S are about the best constructed tires on the market.
Also for load index, GVWR seems to say 5280 for that car although you should double check the number, there's usually a placard by the driver's door with the GVWR spec on the door. Anyway 5280 works out to 1320 and that's a minimum load index of 90. The tires for that size range from a load index of 96 to 100 so XL or not shouldn't really matter. As mentioned earlier XL is probably a harsher ride but it's a stronger tire as it can take more weight than a tire with a lower load rating.
I have the P7 on my E300, it is an okay tire, would not replace it with the same if I am changing all 4. The drive guard runflat is known for their soft ride, performance is not quite as good as some other tires, if you drive aggressively, stay away from those. The Continental DWS is great tire in the snow and a good all around performer. As always, Michelin are top tier tires, both Michelin Primacy and the pilot sport 4S are about the best constructed tires on the market.
Maybe I will go back to Michelin, they have the Primacy tire at Costco for a decent price. For a second I was leaning towards Bridgestone... It is the cheapest of my options, but then some people's reviews scared me saying that it was really noisy. I would prefer a quiet tire, but those commenters may just have a higher expectation.
Maybe I will go back to Michelin, they have the Primacy tire at Costco for a decent price. For a second I was leaning towards Bridgestone... It is the cheapest of my options, but then some people's reviews scared me saying that it was really noisy. I would prefer a quiet tire, but those commenters may just have a higher expectation.
Sometimes if you ask the front desk, they know when the next Michelin sale happens, typically whenever the Bridgestone sale is over. And yeah, noise is in the ear of the listener. People use to complain about loud noise from Michelin A/S 3+ tires but I found them to be normal. Just got Michelin A/S 4 tires and they're quieter than the A/S 3+. I usually have the audio system on so it's not like I'm really paying attention to any tire noise so I don't even really know what means, I think you just turn up the music a little more.
Maybe I will go back to Michelin, they have the Primacy tire at Costco for a decent price. For a second I was leaning towards Bridgestone... It is the cheapest of my options, but then some people's reviews scared me saying that it was really noisy. I would prefer a quiet tire, but those commenters may just have a higher expectation.
Michelin Primacy is a good choice, they really expanded the primacy line. If you like a quiet ride, the Michelin Primary Tour A/S ZP is a nice runflat tire for our car.
Maybe I will go back to Michelin, they have the Primacy tire at Costco for a decent price. For a second I was leaning towards Bridgestone... It is the cheapest of my options, but then some people's reviews scared me saying that it was really noisy. I would prefer a quiet tire, but those commenters may just have a higher expectation.
Never go cheap on tires bcos your life is literally dependent on them when you are driving that car.
First decide if you want a sport tire or a touring tire. Primacy's are a touring tire which are very different from the Pilot Sport A/S 4. Then decide if you want a run-flat or standard tire. I have an E300 4Matic with 19's and Sport package. It's recommened to have sport tires, it compliments the sportiness of the car. I wouldnt recommend putting a touring tire on. It might take away from the capabilities of the suspension and handling. On the other hand if you dont have the sport package then you could put either tire on. It wouldnt take anything away or add much choosing either tire.
I recently purchased Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 and really like them. Its really personal preference. If your just looking for a good deal and dont care to pay extra for Michelins, there are plenty of good options. Just be aware run-flats may be a slightly harsher ride depending on the wheel size. They are also 20-30% more expensive then a standard tire.
Well costwise I am relatively in the same ballpark with all of them. At Costco the Michelin Primacy are only about $130 more than the Bridgestone and thebPirelli's at another place are about another $80 more that the Michelin. So fortunately for buying all 4 tires (on an 48 inch rim), I am only around $200 a part so that doesn't matter to me as much as choosing one that I will be pleased with.
I guess the other component is the XL thing because it sounds like I will need that and right now I only know the Pirelli was an XL load. I assume the others could be.
Well costwise I am relatively in the same ballpark with all of them. At Costco the Michelin Primacy are only about $130 more than the Bridgestone and thebPirelli's at another place are about another $80 more that the Michelin. So fortunately for buying all 4 tires (on an 48 inch rim), I am only around $200 a part so that doesn't matter to me as much as choosing one that I will be pleased with.
I guess the other component is the XL thing because it sounds like I will need that and right now I only know the Pirelli was an XL load. I assume the others could be.
Both the Michelin Pilot and the Primacy are load index 100, which is more than the 90 you need. The XL tires are better built to withstand the heavier load, it is a more heavy duty tire. The Pilot, even though it is 4 seasons, is a high performance tire, which means not as good in the snow and rain as the Primacy. I guess it depends on where you live and what your needs are. In my opinion, the E class sport package is mostly appearance, very little difference in the suspension. I also have a E class sport package and even the P7 is enough tire for everyday use, unless you drive very aggressively or take your car to the track, you will not need a high performance tire in this car.
Don't mean to derail the thread but is anyone running Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 and have any thoughts? My CPO 450 came with the Conti ProContacts (non runflat oddly...not sure what happened as I bought the 450 with about 10K miles) and the front tires are cupping badly on the outsides (bad alignment I suspect). I always ran Conti's on my WRX previously and was always happy with them. The ExtremeContacts seem well regarded/reviewed and are $200ea on TireRack right now.
Don't mean to derail the thread but is anyone running Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 and have any thoughts? My CPO 450 came with the Conti ProContacts (non runflat oddly...not sure what happened as I bought the 450 with about 10K miles) and the front tires are cupping badly on the outsides (bad alignment I suspect). I always ran Conti's on my WRX previously and was always happy with them. The ExtremeContacts seem well regarded/reviewed and are $200ea on TireRack right now.
Yes, I have been running Conti DWS06 on my 2013 SLK350 for more than 5 years and done ~100,000 miles (~3 sets of fronts and rears, staggered setup). They are absolutely fantastic, quiet, excellent traction, solid handling, and exceptional in dry and wet conditions... snow, not so much. Love these tires and I highly recommend them.
To stay on point of this thread, I am running Mich Sport 4S on my 535xi. Another very excellent tire setup... expensive, but worth every cent, IMHO.
Last edited by Povitica3; Apr 7, 2023 at 09:59 AM.
2021 Mojave Silver E450, 2024 Black on Black Jaguar F-pace P400, 2011 335d (RIP), 2010 E350 (sold)
Originally Posted by The G Man
Both the Michelin Pilot and the Primacy are load index 100, which is more than the 90 you need. The XL tires are better built to withstand the heavier load, it is a more heavy duty tire. The Pilot, even though it is 4 seasons, is a high performance tire, which means not as good in the snow and rain as the Primacy. I guess it depends on where you live and what your needs are. In my opinion, the E class sport package is mostly appearance, very little difference in the suspension. I also have a E class sport package and even the P7 is enough tire for everyday use, unless you drive very aggressively or take your car to the track, you will not need a high performance tire in this car.
Which Primacy's are you referring to? I see the RF's at 94V on TireRack. Price looks great, very different from the MB dealer tire site, but they haven't been tested by TR yet so I don't have any comparison data.
Regarding some of the other comments, I had the Conti DWS's on my f-pace and they were outstanding at least to start. The wore out very quick - no where near the expected tread life, and as they wore down the performance suffered more than I expected. After 15k miles their wet and cold/snow performance went into the toilet. Great when new 1 year in they still had good tread depth but they performed as though they were done.
Which Primacy's are you referring to? I see the RF's at 94V on TireRack. Price looks great, very different from the MB dealer tire site, but they haven't been tested by TR yet so I don't have any comparison data.
Regarding some of the other comments, I had the Conti DWS's on my f-pace and they were outstanding at least to start. The wore out very quick - no where near the expected tread life, and as they wore down the performance suffered more than I expected. After 15k miles their wet and cold/snow performance went into the toilet. Great when new 1 year in they still had good tread depth but they performed as though they were done.
my mistake, I was looking at the Primacy touring summer, not the all season.
2021 Mojave Silver E450, 2024 Black on Black Jaguar F-pace P400, 2011 335d (RIP), 2010 E350 (sold)
FWiW TireRack customer ratings like the DriveGuards and don't like the Cinturatos. Interesting that the Conti-Pro-Contacts were rated this high as well. The formal test results had the Cinturatos scoring higher. I personally have noticed on my E-class that the Cinturatos are damn loud. I was debugging some CarPlay/AA issues that had my music off and I was surprised at how loud the road noise was, the tires are almost new. Take a look at the results yourselves here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...n&autoModClar=
Plus I recommend looking at the tests - interesting stuff. As an aside, if anyone wanted a GrandTouring non-runflat, the Vredestein Quatrac Pro's are outstanding tires. The best wet traction available, quiet and comfortable and def more responsive than I expected given the touring category they are in. I replaced my Conti DWSs with them on my other car (a supercharged 3.0L F-Pace S so a very sporty SUV) and I absolutely love them. In case you are curious, Vredestein is not a bargain brand tire, they are extremely popular in Europe but they do not market themselves here in the states (look at the # of miles reported)
I agree with the ratings for the most part, Good year runflats are horrible. The drive guard was marketed as a comfortable runflat but many thought the handling was too soft around corners.
FWiW TireRack customer ratings like the DriveGuards and don't like the Cinturatos. Interesting that the Conti-Pro-Contacts were rated this high as well. The formal test results had the Cinturatos scoring higher. I personally have noticed on my E-class that the Cinturatos are damn loud. I was debugging some CarPlay/AA issues that had my music off and I was surprised at how loud the road noise was, the tires are almost new. Take a look at the results yourselves here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...n&autoModClar=
Plus I recommend looking at the tests - interesting stuff. As an aside, if anyone wanted a GrandTouring non-runflat, the Vredestein Quatrac Pro's are outstanding tires. The best wet traction available, quiet and comfortable and def more responsive than I expected given the touring category they are in. I replaced my Conti DWSs with them on my other car (a supercharged 3.0L F-Pace S so a very sporty SUV) and I absolutely love them. In case you are curious, Vredestein is not a bargain brand tire, they are extremely popular in Europe but they do not market themselves here in the states (look at the # of miles reported)
Good to know because a quiet tire is probably my number 1 objective.
Well one thing that I have learned is that if at the local tire stores everyone has an opinion and sometimes price quotes over the phone are drastically wrong at the same locations.
Also, at Costco the first rep that I spoke with in person had no idea what he was talking about since he was quoting the supposed runflat tire prices and apparently a rep today told me that they don't have any runflat options for me.
However, with that being said I have narrowed down to two choices :
1.The Pirelli Cinturato - at least it's an Moe tire, so I feel good with compatibility
2.Michelin Primacy Tour A/S ZP - probably a littler better. It's not XL though which still has me a little nervous if that's needed or not.
The Pirelli is about $150 cheaper which doesn't matter much, but at least both will probably be better than my current Hankook Ventus S1 tires that came with my original order. Everyone has been very helpful so thanks a lot too.
Last edited by Courthaven; Apr 8, 2023 at 03:22 PM.
Well one thing that I have learned is that if at the local tire stores everyone has an opinion and sometimes price quotes over the phone are drastically wrong at the same locations.
Also, at Costco the first rep that I spoke with in person had no idea what he was talking about since he was quoting the supposed runflat tire prices and apparently a rep today told me that they don't have any runflat options for me.
However, with that being said I have narrowed down to two choices :
1.The Pirelli Cinturato - at least it's an Moe tire, so I feel good with compatibility
2.Michelin Primacy Tour A/S ZP - probably a littler better. It's not XL though which still has me a little nervous if that's needed or not.
The Pirelli is about $150 cheaper which doesn't matter much, but at least both will probably be better than my current Hankook Ventus S1 tires that came with my original order. Everyone has been very helpful so thanks a lot too.
What is the tire size you're looking for? XL doesn't really mean anything, it's just a marketing term. You just need to look at the load index, XL of course will be a higher number, but if both tires have a load index of 100 and one says XL and the other doesn't, they're both basically the same.
Normally I like to avoid MOE, they usually cost more and there are consideration that the manufacturer has that you don't. Namely they want lower rolling resistance so the tire gets better gas mileage at the expense of traction and you end up paying more for the tire that's actually worse. That's basically the reason most people hate OE tires and prefer the aftermarket. You don't really care if you get slightly worse gas mileage if you can get a cheaper tire with better performance. That MOE tire was basically custom made for the manufacturer to meet a specific spec that you don't need to adhere to and anything custom always costs more.
One thing worth mentioning is that OEM runflat tires from recent Mercedes are spec out to ride more comfortably. The tires are softer runflats with a tad bit less sidewall support when there is no air in the tire. Kind of like what the Bridgestone Driveguard did as far as designing for comfort. The Michelin might ride stiffer since it does not have those specs.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
