GLB35 Ride Comfort
04-24-2023, 03:37 PM
#26
Senior Member
GLB35 OEM 20" and 21" wheels come with Conti SuperContact 6 M0 non run flat summer tires. The performance is excellent, but they are very harsh at 39 psi min for daily commuting in NYC with stiffer AMG shocks. GLB35 OEM 19's comes with RF tires. I have not driven RF tires on GLB35. I had a 2021 GLB250 loaner and that was fine with the RF tires as it was comparable to GLK350 with 19" non-rf Conti tires.
I am driving with Michelin PS AS4 on 19" & 21" and Michelin Alpin 5 on 20". PS AS4 is UHP tire close to Michelin summer tire performance with better braking in wet + the cold weather/snow handling:
Also Tirerack Michelin Tire Test: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=270
I am driving with Michelin PS AS4 on 19" & 21" and Michelin Alpin 5 on 20". PS AS4 is UHP tire close to Michelin summer tire performance with better braking in wet + the cold weather/snow handling:
Also Tirerack Michelin Tire Test: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=270
I don't have a dog in this fight, I'm running stock 18's I believe on my 2020 GLB 250. Its not like cruising around in an E or S Class but its not that bad.
Anyhow, I think another question would be what tires people are running. These cars come with run flats which are in my opinion lean on the heavy and hard side. I noticed a softer ride switching from Pilot Sport S tires back to the stock run flats on my Nissan GTR...had a flat and had to tow the car, so I went run flats again. Anyhow, that is just my opinion on this subject.
Anyhow, I think another question would be what tires people are running. These cars come with run flats which are in my opinion lean on the heavy and hard side. I noticed a softer ride switching from Pilot Sport S tires back to the stock run flats on my Nissan GTR...had a flat and had to tow the car, so I went run flats again. Anyhow, that is just my opinion on this subject.
Last edited by Serhan; 04-24-2023 at 03:52 PM.
04-24-2023, 09:18 PM
#28
Senior Member
Yes, I switch at the Costco tire while I shop. I usually find an appointment within same day or next day. The car came with summers tires and I had to buy winters or A/S for winter... I should have got A/S and done with it esp when we had only 2.2" of snow last winter... Still winter tires are safer with flooding and freezing at my daily commute. In comparison to winter tires, UHP PS AS4 are more responsive in dry roads, similar in wet, and worse in snow/freezing as you can see in above reviews...
05-02-2023, 09:24 PM
#29
Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) MO1 Sport tires on the OEM 19 inch wheels are AWESOME on a GLB35. A lot of roads in my area are in terrible shape but ride the is still comfortable with these tires. The handling and steering response is also much improved over the original Continental MOE tires. The Pirellis are summer tires, not all season and make a little more noise on concrete roads but they make the car sooo much more enjoyable to drive. They should have been factory standard for the GLB35.
05-03-2023, 11:14 AM
#30
These wheels are cast aluminum with Titanium finish at 25lbs/ea with 2000lbs loading limit. I ordered originally Mandrus flow formed wheels, but ET was too agressive, so I switched to these. Still I needed wheel spacers to clear AMG brake calipers with these, so I ended up with ET32 equivalent... I don't know the OEM 21" wheel weight, but 20" Mandrus wheels (flow formed) are around 31 lbs/ea, so there is saving around 6lbs/wheel x 4 = 24 lbs. I am also carrying a Modern spare wheel in my trunk.
The big change is the tires which are at similar weight and same 255mm width. It's been a while since I drove 21" wheels, so I can compare to winter wheel/tires. PS A/S 4 is more responsive compared to Alpin 5 winters esp in dry and 19" is more comfortable to drive with stiffer AMG shocks... However the 20/21" PS AS4 has 9 inches of tread vs 8.5" on Alpin 5 winters vs 7.9" on 19" PS AS4 as you can see more curvy vs rectangular set up with lower profiles. 21" PS AS4 might give better performance on the curves with rectangular set up with higher psi vs 19" have weight savings in straight run. 19" tires comes also with higher weight limit with the additional sidewall.
The big change is the tires which are at similar weight and same 255mm width. It's been a while since I drove 21" wheels, so I can compare to winter wheel/tires. PS A/S 4 is more responsive compared to Alpin 5 winters esp in dry and 19" is more comfortable to drive with stiffer AMG shocks... However the 20/21" PS AS4 has 9 inches of tread vs 8.5" on Alpin 5 winters vs 7.9" on 19" PS AS4 as you can see more curvy vs rectangular set up with lower profiles. 21" PS AS4 might give better performance on the curves with rectangular set up with higher psi vs 19" have weight savings in straight run. 19" tires comes also with higher weight limit with the additional sidewall.
Is that one of those smaller donut spares? Did you order that through Mercedes? I'm seriously thinking about one. The stock run flats are rough and don't do much good when you're traveling.
FYI for those complaining about comfort, you could probably improve ride comfort by switching to non run flat tires. My studded winter tires are more comfory than my summer run flats.
05-03-2023, 01:47 PM
#31
Senior Member
I had the donut with GLK350, but mine came from modern spare as full size with thinner profile tire. You can also buy the donut tires from older MB models thru eBay/junkyard, eg GLK350 has the same size tires as GLB so the GLK350 donut+air pump should work... Modern Spare full size spare:
https://modernspare.com/product/2019...e-kit-options/
As far as I know, all GLB35 AMG comes with non-RF summer tires for 20"/21" wheels in US. Only 19" wheel comes with RF AS tires although there was one GLB35 19" AMG summer tire was which was for sale in ebay. Yes, winter tires has softer compound and feels more comfortable compared to summer and AS tires. Switching from summer tires helped as recommended by MB service, but the biggest comfort difference for me was going down from 21" wheel non-RF tire with min 39/35psi to 19" wheel non-RF tire with min 35/32psi (plus the spacers which might help some). I have not driven a GLB35 with RF tires. I had a loaner GLB250 with RF tires and felt similar to GLK350 with non-RF tires. GLB35 AMG has stiffer body/shocks and lowered 6" clearance compared to 8" with GLB250/GLK350.
https://modernspare.com/product/2019...e-kit-options/
As far as I know, all GLB35 AMG comes with non-RF summer tires for 20"/21" wheels in US. Only 19" wheel comes with RF AS tires although there was one GLB35 19" AMG summer tire was which was for sale in ebay. Yes, winter tires has softer compound and feels more comfortable compared to summer and AS tires. Switching from summer tires helped as recommended by MB service, but the biggest comfort difference for me was going down from 21" wheel non-RF tire with min 39/35psi to 19" wheel non-RF tire with min 35/32psi (plus the spacers which might help some). I have not driven a GLB35 with RF tires. I had a loaner GLB250 with RF tires and felt similar to GLK350 with non-RF tires. GLB35 AMG has stiffer body/shocks and lowered 6" clearance compared to 8" with GLB250/GLK350.
Cool, i don't have the larger brakes, so that isn't an issue for me.
Is that one of those smaller donut spares? Did you order that through Mercedes? I'm seriously thinking about one. The stock run flats are rough and don't do much good when you're traveling.
FYI for those complaining about comfort, you could probably improve ride comfort by switching to non run flat tires. My studded winter tires are more comfory than my summer run flats.
Is that one of those smaller donut spares? Did you order that through Mercedes? I'm seriously thinking about one. The stock run flats are rough and don't do much good when you're traveling.
FYI for those complaining about comfort, you could probably improve ride comfort by switching to non run flat tires. My studded winter tires are more comfory than my summer run flats.
Last edited by Serhan; 05-03-2023 at 01:52 PM.
06-22-2024, 03:58 PM
#32
Newbie
20" wheels with the OE summer tires are comfortable enough on certain roads. It's hard to ask this question without considering the quality of the asphalt in your area. There are definitely some places I would not want to drive my GLB 35 for a ride comfort point of view. Smooth new pavement is great though.
06-26-2024, 10:28 PM
#34
Super Member
20" wheels with the OE summer tires are comfortable enough on certain roads. It's hard to ask this question without considering the quality of the asphalt in your area. There are definitely some places I would not want to drive my GLB 35 for a ride comfort point of view. Smooth new pavement is great though.
You have Manufaktur Patagonia Red? What's the difference between Manufaktur Patagonia Red and Patagonia Red?
Yesterday, 12:29 AM
#35
The 19 inchers on the GLC come with 55 profile tires on a width of 235 mm, while the 19 inchers on the GLB come with only 50 profile tires on the same width. So 12 mm less sidewall to absorb bumps which is likely making the difference between an absorbent vs bumpy ride.
Yesterday, 08:17 AM
#36
Senior Member
Thicker tire profile helps. Also softer winter UHP tires feels better than AS UHP tires. Conti summer UHP tires might be the worst. However, the difference is AMG suspension. GLB35 turns corners better than 2024 C300 loaner I had and C300 is nearly on the ground and both are at same weight... I had also GLC300 loaners both versions. 2022 GLC300 was like a boat, very soft suspension, so you don't feel the road much...2023 GLC300 feels better, but it is a heavier car. C300 was the most fun, but still it doesn't match the GLB35 performance. That is why Motor Trend has a figure 8 tests for the cars to differentiate the performance of the cars as MT says it is easy to make a faster car but it is harder to make it compliant for road curves:
https://www.motortrend.com/news/best...rformers-3095/
https://fastestlaps.com/tracks/motortrend-figure-8
https://www.motortrend.com/news/best...rformers-3095/
https://fastestlaps.com/tracks/motortrend-figure-8
Last edited by Serhan; Yesterday at 08:40 AM.
