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After the recent 2" snowfall in Illinois, both my wife and I experienced some scary moments driving our GLC43 with the factory installed GoodYear 20" all-season tires. Traction on fresh snow was very poor .... definitely inferior to the original equipment Continental Crosscontact Sport LX tires on our Audi Q5. I had hoped to avoid buying winter tires for the GLC43, but the snow traction of the GoodYear Eagle Sport All Season tires was simply unacceptable.
For about the same money as the panorama sunroof option, I purchased a new set of winter tires and wheels (and TPMS sensors) from TireRack. Tires are V-rated Pirelli Scorpion Winter NO (Porsche "approved" tires for the Macan). I bought 235/55R19 tires, narrower than the 255 fronts / 285 rears that came on our GLC43, but the same size Mercedes supplies with the 19" wheel option on the GLC300. These are not run-flat tires. The wheels are Rial M10 19" x 8.5" ... manufactured in Europe.
Next time it snows, I will update this post with my evaluation of the Pirellis' snow performance.
If you plan to drive your GLC43 in snow and are debating between the 20" wheels with all-season tires and the 21" wheel with summer performance tires, I suggest that you plan on buying a dedicated set of winter tires and wheels with either option.
Thanks for your review on the tires for the GLC43 AMG. I just put in an order for the GLC43 AMG Coupe, set for late Jan 2017 build. I was hoping the All season tires that comes with the 20" wheels would be good enough, so I didn't need to buy winter tires.
Last edited by SmokinBuddha; Dec 22, 2016 at 12:09 AM.
Well done with the set of dedicated winter wheels and tires. I did the same for my wife's GLC43, but opted instead for a 20" wheel and run flat snow tires from Tire Rack. I went back and forth between the 19 or 20" wheel, but ended up choosing the 20" as we have the 21" wheels currently on the car. I'll post pics once I have them mounted
Well done with the set of dedicated winter wheels and tires. I did the same for my wife's GLC43, but opted instead for a 20" wheel and run flat snow tires from Tire Rack. I went back and forth between the 19 or 20" wheel, but ended up choosing the 20" as we have the 21" wheels currently on the car. I'll post pics once I have them mounted
Can you please let us know which ones you bought? Link? Thanks!
Can you please let us know which ones you bought? Link? Thanks!
Will do, but let me mount them first to check fitment as I don't want to give out the wheel and tire specs that I used unless they fit the car correctly and clear the front brakes.
Also, smokinbuddha im not sure if the wheel specs will be the same for the GLC43 coupe that you have on order?? Am not sure but I didn't think the coupe and SUV shared the same wheel offsets?
After the recent 2" snowfall in Illinois, both my wife and I experienced some scary moments driving our GLC43 with the factory installed GoodYear 20" all-season tires. Traction on fresh snow was very poor .... definitely inferior to the original equipment Continental Crosscontact Sport LX tires on our Audi Q5. I had hoped to avoid buying winter tires for the GLC43, but the snow traction of the GoodYear Eagle Sport All Season tires was simply unacceptable.
For about the same money as the panorama sunroof option, I purchased a new set of winter tires and wheels (and TPMS sensors) from TireRack. Tires are V-rated Pirelli Scorpion Winter NO (Porsche "approved" tires for the Macan). I bought 235/55R19 tires, narrower than the 255 fronts / 285 rears that came on our GLC43, but the same size Mercedes supplies with the 19" wheel option on the GLC300. These are not run-flat tires. The wheels are Rial M10 19" x 8.5" ... manufactured in Europe.
Next time it snows, I will update this post with my evaluation of the Pirellis' snow performance.
If you plan to drive your GLC43 in snow and are debating between the 20" wheels with all-season tires and the 21" wheel with summer performance tires, I suggest that you plan on buying a dedicated set of winter tires and wheels with either option.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I just went to TireRack website and they recommended tire size 255/50R19 for the GLC43.
255/50R19 will also work fine (as recommended by TireRack). MB Canada recommends 235/55R19. See this link.
I subscribe to the narrower is better philosophy for snow tires (up to a point).
Last edited by speedeye; Dec 25, 2016 at 03:53 PM.
Reason: Add more comments
I have a set of 235/55R19 fitted to mine with the "Himalayan" gray wheels and Pirelli Scorpion winter run-flats. Fits and works well and doesn't look weedy at the back (with the arch extensions). Does feel a little firmer than the 19 summers it came with (staggered and non-run flat Michelin Latitude) but absolutely fine.
Yet to test on snow (Europe very mild at present) but have a big ski trip in Austria late Feb/Mar.
Can you please let us know which ones you bought? Link? Thanks!
I mounted one of the front wheels to test the fitment yesterday. They clear the front brakes just fine. I didn't mount them all as it doesn't look like it will snow here anytime soon. I ended up going with the 20x8.5 Advanti Rasato, 35mm offset on all four corners with 255/45R20 Pirelli Scorpion winter run flats. I'll post pics when the weather starts to turn and I need to use them.
Haven't seen anyone post that they have winter 18s on a GLC43.
The usual issue is clearance of the front disc.
Difficult to know without physically trying it.
I played safe with a square 19 set-up.
I was going to buy these from Kunzmann in Germany (and get tyres in UK) but a lightly used set came up on ebay with Pirelli Scorpion "MO" winter tyres (+ the tyre monitoring valves) so bought them instead.
The specs are identical (size, offset etc) to the MB Canada site recommendation and basically the same as the standard 19s front but obviously all-round. However MB do like you to buy "AMG" branded wheels so consequently some sites will say "not suitable for GLC43". However I can confirm that they fit fine as I think will any of the GLC 19 inch alloys available.
Ebay.de is also a useful place to look for "winterreiffen".
The Pirelli Scorpion run-flats I have (which are Mercedes approved) are "H" which is probably the minimum.
There is an input in the Command menu for winter tyres to limit speed - in this case 130 mph - which I assume is how Mercedes acknowledges and deals with the higher max speed of the car.
In practice, I can't see myself driving at sustained speeds above 130 mph even on a clear autobahn so I'm pretty relaxed.
It is one of those unclear area where EU law and UK law don't seem to agree. On mainland Europe it is normal to have a sticker applied when on winter tyres at lower speed rating. Whilst I'm sure there is a winter tyre setting in the GLC as well.
I don't think it is a question of legality but one of suitability - with a potential insurance complication if they could be deemed unsuitable.
Is it illegal to drive on a spacesaver spare wheel (typically limited to 50 mph)?
It is quite difficult to find winter tyres with the highest speed ratings for obvious reasons.
The fact that these tyres are MB approved and there is a speed limiter input in the menu entitled winter tyres would certainly imply to me that MB have deemed them suitable with that speed limit in place.
I wanted to play safe with GLC wheels and approved tyres (knowing that they fit for a start) but plenty of people in Germany and the US simply get a non-OEM package for both.
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