cte430

My wife has had her ML500 for a few weeks now and got hit with some snow last night. I drove it this morning and it seemed OK accelerating/handling in the snow (maybe 4"-6" but the road had been plowed, so packed snow on the roads) but the ABS seems to kick on real easy. Not sure if these tires would be able to handle much more. Although if it was much more, we'd probably just stay home!

Wondering what others have experienced with the stock tires and their snow performance. Will probably get 18" in the spring with a summer tire. Wondering if I should just put dedicated winter's on now as well.

howaboutthat

I punted on the Dunlops for the Connecticut wintertime given the high-performance bias of the tread design (our 350 ML Inspiration ed. has the same wheel and tire set as your ML500). I opted for the Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow tires with the Moda R3 wheels (available from, and recommended by, Tirerack). I also dropped down to the 255 width -- these will fit your stock rims and make a terrific winter set at only about $95, per tire (the 275 width runs much more per tire,for some reason). So far, so good.

Much more peace of mind when the white stuff flies.

Happy holidays, and good luck with your decision!

saturnstyl

I always thought my dunlops sucked. I just developed a new respect for them.
Having just spent the weekend dashing through the snow in an '04 ML350 roadside assistance vehicle, I can say that it was the best experience I have ever had in the ice and snow. The ML was not fazed, braking and steering were virtually normal. As one individual put it, its scary how much of a sense of security these vehicles have.
So I think they are fine for the task, at least on a limited use basis. That said, I am still replacing them with michelin 4x4 diamaris, which is an even more performance oriented tire.

Swiss Nick

Drove home last night in snow, and the SP5000 performed fantastically!! This morning the snow had turned to ice, and again the truck felt very secure.

They get my vote!!

Swiss Nick.