HONDO250

Soon after the purchase of my MB GLK250BT ,I was checking the options ,warranty concerning Dunlop Grandtrek Touring 235/50/R19 tires.
The tires are highly rated & because of Run flat technology ,it was a concern.
Pro & con are easily searched on numerous forums,that is given..
My experience with Dunlop have been excellent thus far, shortly after my purchase , there were three snow & ice encounters , traction was excellent.
My main concern seemed to be a major pothole problem in my area, it is late June 2014 & correction of road problems is now being addressed.
Thus far my wheel alignments,rims & tires have survived but a concern is the limited warranty on the tires (GOODYEAR TIRE** Pamphlet)The availability & cost is quite pricy if one tire needed to be replaced. Options are limited with manufacturer's , I did review most of manufacturers through the web.
The MB forum links direct me to Tire Rack. It goes without saying, if a person purchases a Mercedes,one should not worry about any cost., but as a consumer who travels -tires are of great importance.
I would like to find out from other owners ,their experience with DUNLOP TIRES OEM tires& their experience with wear ,traction.

louiet3

2012 GLK350 with 235 45 20 Dunlop GrandTreks 34,625 miles driven with 3/32 still left on the tires. Traction around 33,000 has somewhat diminished.

I will be replacing the tires today with Pirelli Scorpion Asimmetricos because it has higher tread wear rating.

I keep my tire pressure at 34 psi and rotate every 5,000 miles.

HONDO250

Thank you for your response concerning your experience thus far Dunlop Grand Trek
I am aware that your vehicle 2012 GLK 350 4matic,Gasoline..many optional packages
In my research of the Dunlop Grandtrek touring the reviews states the design is combination of traction ,handling combined with Run flat. I have no spare or space to have one for my vehicle. I have found out quickly that similar versions of my MB GLK250BT vary between countries..with my owner's vehicle manual mentioning a space for a spare. The lay-out of area that stores jack,etc is completely different ...info shows a space for portable inflation pump & call for a flat sealant
There are listings for various Pirelli,Toyo & Goodyear as suitable replacements
My vehicle 2014 GLK250BT is All-wheel/diesel and basically has few options ordered,my vehicle was not bought off the showroom lot, rather I waited to have the GLK250BT configured from Germany & reconfigured in Baltimore before the vehicle arrived to the Dealer.Diesel,Winter weather, rain conditions was a factor in my purchase
The issue of the Dunlop GrandTrek being (run flat) did create a sticking point with no-spare.
As for 33,000 miles & a replacement ,it is possible that figure is a good number for the tire.
You are a California Resident , your encounter with snow could be more recreational,rather than a given Seasonal Encounter of my residency in Pennsylvania.
Time will tell in my experience whether that I may need to replace my tires before 33,000.
Prior to my residency in Pennsylvania, I lived in San Luis Obispo County,California...there are some definite differences in the driving experiences.
It will good to know later what your long term experience will be with Pirelli's.

C3Duece

they were the factory tires on my 4rnr...couldn't wait to get rid of them...straight garbage.

iewoals

I had the 19" Dunlop Grandtreks on my GLK also (not run flats). Terrible. Barely lasted 20k.

HONDO250

C3 Duece:
Don't know about the "straight garbage quote"...the MB GLK250BT arrived with these Dunlop tires & thus far they have been good. My question is addressed to wear & life of the tire.
OEM Factory tires are not always bad.From the information I have read these Dunlop's are excellent tires for most...further information states the design matches vehicle...Finding the proper match of all the positives things the driver wants does not always occur.
When these Dunlop start to show less performance than I will replace them with a tire that is good for my vehicle & will perform using term All Season.
I have gotten some feedback off the forum (other sources) trusted mechanics pro &con.
Time will tell what is going to be best....fortunately there are other tires that will be available & last longer.The Dunlop's Grand Trek Touring all seasons are rated for light snow conditions , thus far in history of my driving that All wheel drive in wet road conditions :been great...when the vehicle was first purchased February 2014 there was some deeper snow & they did great...If I was an Alpine Skier ,I probably would put 4 winter tires on the vehicle...not the case.A top rated All season tire will do just fine...

HONDO250

You have noted that your tires were not a RunFlat Type?Was your vehicle MBGLK350 4matic or MBGLK250BT Diesel
Was there any implied warranty issued through (Goodyear*) Parent company of Dunlop?Were tires bought after market or did they come with the vehicle at time of sale...I am aware that much of the warranty is for defects rather than tire wear. Looking at the wear rating tread wear in the 240 range, it probably is not surprising that the life is short.Some after- market dealers give additional warranties or do not carry certain lines...
Your response & others to my inquiry has been helpful...I suppose watchful waiting is my only choice before I plan to replace 4 tires at a $1,000 +/_
Since the vehicle came with the tires , I will monitor the tread wear with the possibility that next year the vehicle will not pass an inspection for tires.
Hopefully in the future there will be additional options , I have only a few thousand miles on my vehicle...with the forum's input...replacement is in my future vehicle plan....

iewoals

4Matic. They came with the vehicle. These tires were really terrible. Rode hard like rocks and wore quickly. I replaced them with Michelins last year that are better riding/handling and seem to be wearing much better.

If you stick with runflats you won't have too many options unfortunately.

HONDO250

I visited my trusted "Tire Dealer" *,independent*not part of chain that spend great amounts of money to rope people in.After a conversation,he states all tires are not the same especially with all consumer info on purchasing tires at a cheapest price.For the record , I have purchased all my replacement tires & service from this establishment for 12 years. There are options to avoid the Mercedes Dealer. Since I am a new member of a new Mercedes,a term newbie all the way around... I receive weekly notices of courtesy promotions for free tire rotations & such.I still plan to avoid the Dealer beyond warranty cycles.My experience previously,Some new car dealers find problems that do not exist.A yearly, required vehicle State safety inspection does not have to be done at the Mercedes Benz Dealer...I have not gotten a letter to offer a free State Inspection.
Getting back to tire replacement & not wanting to get Forum Penalty(off subject) , Michelins,others,are on the list for suitable replacement.Firestone(Bridgestone) have advertised their new run flat technology but MB GLK250 is not available,as yet.
My friend just purchased a brand new Toyota RAV4 XLE & guess what... the new car has Dunlop Grandtrek (17's)run flat tires as well.The Toyota Forums probably have their own set of entries as well....about grips,time will tell....

miked807

1) GLK250BT = has 19 inch wheel set ( or 20 inch AMGs package)
MB choice these sizes - maybe so as NOT TO HAVE anything to do with 'substitutes' from Toy'ta etc ,,,, like in RV4 or VW etc. That's they the MB's 17 wheel packages have been replaced in nearly ALL THEIR models now!.....
2) Run-Flats aren't NEW tech'gy. They been around in my Audi s4 model 2001! as factory option! IMHO if you don't leave the normal BIG 'city limits' in your normal driving , I would stick with any of the 'run-flats' I just don't like them with my normal 'spirited driving manner' they suck for grip /traction etc and thus wear out even faster !

HONDO250

My vehicle is 2014 MB GLK250BT with Factory sourced Run flat tires
Following the discussion concerning Dunlop Grandtrek results shown as overall negative.
Those that have upgraded to a non-run flat tire apparently have room for a spare.In my research , I have found that most run flat tires have no tread wear warranty with some as low as 100 AA, that's a short life.
The advertisements from Bridgestone/Firestone new technology run flat tire does not include 235/50/R19
Michelin Zero Pressure (ZP) tires are in short supply & not that easy to obtain.
Getting through the website is not that easy& tire not always available through every dealer.Recommendation is to contact the Michelin Man
I am sure Mercedes Dealers will run a big dollar special , tires at a higher price certainly would be available,of course through a Dealer.
Goodyear owns Dunlop .MB Forum trusted Party (Tire Rack) can provide assistance.
I believe I hit on something through Pirelli Scorpion Verde tire in my size & when I do plan to replace my Dunlop's ,I will consider Pirelli.
Possibly in the next year , within 15,000-20,000 miles range Firestone/Bridgestone, others will have more options. Zero Pressure, PAX technology ,etc buzz words .Hopeful that more affordable options will be available, I like options,choices?

miked807

Yips C3D* ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I Completely agree with ya !

HONDO250

In response, "LIVE WITH IT" "DEAL WITH IT" with few options at this time

rmeier1

While there's limited choice in the 235/50x19 size for run-flats if you go to a 245/45x19
there's over a dozen choices. (displayed at Tire-Rack)
Has anyone tried this size? It has a slightly smaller diameter so the only downside I
see is your speedo being ~ 2% fast.