Just returned from a 4k mi road trip - had two run flat tires fall apart on my ML550 between Memphis and Little Rock. They were OEM Pirelli Scorpions with 20k and about 8 months old (rotated every 5k mi). Was planning to replace them when I returned home since I noticed the wear bars exposed halfway through the trip...apparently that was not the wise thing to do.

So...never buying those again. Tread life is way too short.

Anyways, I had the ML towed 78mi to Little Rock to the ONLY store in Memphis and Little Rock that had any type of 265/45/20 tires in stock (well, MB Little Rock had non-run flat tires, but they were $1805 for a set of 4...not that desperate).

Turns out the only available tires were Nexen N'fera RU5 tires - which I've never heard of. Korean tire company with a 65k mi warranty on a set of non-run flat all seasons. $621 out the door.

I was intending to replace the tires with the Pirelli Scorpion Plus version (non run-flat) at around $970, but I'm going to see how these turn out.

Just thought I'd share. Will follow up after about 10 or 20k mi.

Run-flats on these MLs are...not recommended...

 

Do keep us updated with those Nexen N'fera RU5 tires. I come from 3 BMW prior to our Mercedes and I think I have just about had enough of runflats. They are safer tires, but the drawbacks out weigh the advantages.

 

They're rubbish. But, if getting 20K miles from decent, realtively sticky performance SUV tires was too little for you, I am sure the $620 bargain tires will work really well. Prepare to double your stopping distance and for them to become noisier than a screaming banshee after 2-3K miles. If you put steel locomotive wheels on your ML, they would last even longer. Honest.

While I am not an advocate of run-flats or a brand snob, *DECENT* SUV tires from Continental, Pirelli or Michelin can be had for well under $1K US. Tire Rack has the Scorpion Verde Plus with a 740 treadwear rating that you mentioned for $835 (actually $775 after a mail-in rebate). You don't drive a Hundai Santa Fe - so why would you put cheap Korean junk (which are actually made in China) on your premium SUV seeing as the tires are all that keep those 5,000 lbs in contact with the road?

 

I shared this as a way to let others know how the Nexens work out. Both run flat tires failed in between Little Rock and Memphis requiring an immediate tow - these tires were the only option without stranding me in Little Rock for 4 days to ship in proper tires. Trust me, I checked every place within towing distance in Memphis and Little Rock on a Saturday. I did not have time to wait with family in the car.

I called every single tire dealer in a 200mi span - the Auto Tire Distributor Warehouse (supplies Firestone, Discount Tire and a few others) was the only place with matching tire sizes and weight rating to get me safely back to Arizona besides the MB dealership. And it was these Nexens - $600 for a quick fix was a no-brainer. MB Little Rock told me frankly the Nexens were the better option in my situation. These were a quick fix.

After about 10k miles these will be taken off and replaced with a new 255/45/19 wheel and tire set with Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus tires when I place the order...which is what I intended anyways.

Thought I would share feedback on some cheap tires with the forum. You may be right, or you may be wrong. Either way, it is free (and friendly) feedback.

 

Ah... I apologize. I misinterpreted your post to mean that you had chosen the Nexens because of their cheap price, not because they were the only tires available in the vicinity that had the correct load rating for the car. My bad.

I too am sort of curious to know how they'll fare... but I wouldn't expect much and I'd keep a close eye on them. Not only do they harden and ride like crap after a while, but they also crack and I've seen several cars with them come in the shop with sidewall bulges (cut carcass in the sidewall) where the owners swear they've never driven within three feet of a pothole, let alone actualy hit one. Just a word of caution.

Yeah, the run-flats are not a good option, and buying tires from MB is a rip-off... but you can get actual MO rated Pirellis or Contis (IIRC the MOs have an extra set of plies and more rigid shoulders) from any half-decent tire retailer for half the price they charge at the dealership.

 

If your tires were just worn, I would have waited to get the right tires.

 

Not worn...vehicle disabled

 

Just crossed over the 1k mile mark on the drive back home on the Nexens. I checked the tires - they are made in Korea, not China.

The Good:
- Quieter on rough asphalt and very quiet on smooth highway sections
- They absorb small road imperfections better than the run-flats (unfair comparison though)
- Stopping distances have not changed, though I'm a pretty conservative driver.
- Cornering is just okay - Pirellis encouraged more speed through a corner and didn't really roll. With Active Curve, the sidewall roll is noticeable on the Nexens.

The Bad / Questionable:
- 3 of the 4 tires required more weights than the Pirellis to balance out and they still have a slightly noticeable throw between between 60-65; however, I have not checked the round on my wheels to rule out a bent wheel.
- Sidewall roll is pronounced which leads me to think a hard hit on a pothole might actually damage the tire, though I have yet to hit a big pothole.
- Had to stuff a space-saver spare in the back...B&O precludes using the spare well

Overall: Not bad. With very little wear, I have little to complain about. Though any new tire will be improvement over a worn out set of run-flats. The number of weights to balance the tires does make me question the consistency in manufacturing. More useful feedback will actually be at the 10k mile point when they've worn in.

Caveats:
1 - I live in AZ: Dry, flat roads, and temps in the 60s-70s; potholes are not common, though sharp linear cracks and bigger heaves are common
2 - My priorities: quiet, comfortable, predictable (don't need the best grip, but enough to be predictable and safe), and at least 30k miles of safe use
3 - I'm not a spirited driver - I drive for comfort; mostly 2-3hr highway runs at 80mph

 

If you drive a fair bit (20K miles in 8 months is up there) and furthermore they're made in the new plant in Korea, then you may have better luck than most - they may just wear out before the rubber hardens to the point when things get ugly.

You said the old tires "fell apart"... did you ever completely lose air pressure in any of them? If yes, then you could have bent a rim fairly easily. If you didn't and the old tires have always been properly inflated, I highly doubt that you've bent one of the OEM MB 20" rims unless you've hit a massive pothole (which would have cut the tire sidewall in the process). Those are pretty solid and with the 20s there's enough sidewall height (air) beteween the metal and the pavement.

Unless your tires are quite under-inflated, the lack of lateral rigidity is due to the absence of additional reinforcing belts that are present on all of the MO tires. Yes, the extra wheel weights and vibration at speed could be due to quality issues (again assuming that you haven't bent a rim), however it can often be corrected by road-force balancing. Having them road-force balanced at a shop that has the equipment will likely cost you an extra $80-100 in labour though, but you may want to try it. They can also visually check the wheels for run-off (see if they're bent) at the same time while they're being spun. Good luck - and please let us know how things work out.

 

You do know that some Continental and Michelin are made in China and Pirelli is owned by a Chinese company.

 

Certainly. The problem is not that they are made in China - the problem is that they are NEXEN TIRES that could furthermore be made in NEXEN's China plant. The Continental and Michelin plants still build quality tires at their Chinese plants, just like MB builds quality E-class, C-class and GLK cars in their Chinese plant (I don't know if they've retooled it for the GLC yet, but they make the W205 C-class there along with the short wheelbase E-class).

As for Pirelli's Chinese ownership, it's no different from India's ownership of Land Rover and Jaguar for example, or China's ownership of Volvo. I am talking about a specific cheap tire manufacturer whose tires are crap regardless of where they're made, although some plants may make slightly better or worse products than others. Nexen opened a second plant in Korea a couple of years ago that apparently produces somewhat better tires. It also has nothing to do with them being Korean either - Kumho and Hankook are also Korean tire companies, but their tires are at least an order of magnitude better than the Nexens. Both make decent tires - I've used Kumho Victoracers for a number of years on my various P-car track rats, and MB now uses Kumho tires as OE equipment on the G-Wagen.

---

 

Admittedly, their marketing video is on par with a YouTube reviewer. It's an Audi A6 driving on what I assume are Korean roads with a little shaky cam action. And the tire spec sheet on their website is an excel document...were they too cheap to convert to PDF?

They also mention OEM supplier - which searching indicates is Kia Optima / Soul...on pissedconsumer.com. Not exactly a good thing.

If I wind up in a ditch, I'll make sure to share...

 

Crossed over the 5k mi mark - tires are getting noticeably noisier (not enough to warrant immediate removal) and a solid balance has been elusive - at the upper end of what's considered in spec.

These also flat spot very easily. I garage park every night and feel them rounding out in the morning.

 

Final Verdict - Avoid Nexen Tires - manufacturing just isn't up to snuff.

Details:

After 4 spin balances and 1 road force balance it turns out 2 of the tires have a 'hop' between 62-68; had them spin the tire on the wheel with the road force machine and re-balance, but the two tires won't balance out. Tested the run out on the wheels to rule out a bent wheel.

So, after 7k miles, these Nexens are coming off and the Pirelli Scorpion Verde Plus tires are going on.

Main problem was vibration - both from flat spotting overnight and the tire hop mentioned above. These are just not up to snuff - problems point to manufacturing inconsistency and an inadequate compound that can't deal with the weight of an ML.

No cupping or any other safety related problems I could see, but I can't stand a shaky ride in a Merc. I drive too many highway miles for that.

 

Now that's some valuable data...not just "They're crap".

 

Nexen have great tires. Every SUV burns through tires my friends get 5000 miles on their HiPo SUVs LOL.

The salesmen never tell SUV and truck buyers they will need a set of tires every year, brakes every two years, and more fuel than they ever imagined haha.

A friend of mine bought a Raptor and traded it after 6 mths, $8K in fuel, and $3K in tires!

 

I've been running Nexen summer tires (N'Fera RU5 265/45R20) on my ML350 for 3 years now. Still have 7mm tread left mind you only run them for 9 months, then switch to snows. Never had any issues with these. Only doing about 15K km/year (9K miles) though. But started at 10mm tread so ~30% wear on 45K km (27K miles). Never feel soggy in hard cornering, noise not any issue either. Have run in the Nevada and Cali desert area as well as all rain you can handle in BC, CA.

 

I think buy whatever tires you want. Especially if on the side of the road and need to get home. One maybe able to find tires quality tires for a good price on web site but that does not help you on the side of the road. Not to mention having to deal with passengers who may not understand your desire for a particular tire and only want to get home. Also, no sense of ditching new cheap tires that you had to buy in an emergency, drive them until you are ready or it is convenient to replace them.

I think it interesting that Hyundai Sante FE owners get Michelin and new GLEs come with Coopers. So much for name brand tires on Mercedes

Always Monday morning quarterbacks around

 

You resurrected a 5 year old thread to remind us that some people are so cheap or and/or living beyond their means that they will buy a Mercedes and then the cheapest garbage tires they can?

The tires on any car are the ONLY thing that connects the car to the road, and the difference in tire quality is often the difference between you and your family getting home safe and disaster. I sincerely hope you or a family member don't end up in the hospital or worse because you in your infinite wisdom decided that saving $150 on your awesome NEXEN tires was worth more than their well-being.

 

yadi, yadi yadi

 

It’s been 5 years since I posted this - and some comments disappointingly remain the same in nature. Money was not the issue - availability was. Calling people cheap contributes nothing to the conversation.

I sold this ML550 to another forum member here at 175k miles last year with two sets of wheels and a spare set of tires (3 tire sets in total). 2 sets of Michelin tires and a set of Continental tires.

I’d like to think that sharing high mileage experience after going through over 8 sets of tires is worth something - even if it is about a set of inexpensive tires.

I believe Nexen tires improved in quality since this batch I had. I wouldn’t really take issue with using them now. Wouldn’t be my first choice considering Conti or Pirelli sets can be had for $8-900 for a set - which is a negligible difference from the Nexen set at $700.

The Continental LX25 tires I last used were pretty great. They balanced easily and looked nice. As were the Pirelli Scorpion Verde Plus sets. The Pirellis just had a tendency to get pretty noisy at the end of their tread life. That was the only reason I switched away from them.

The Michelin Latitude tires were a bit soft (19” only), but were long lasting and very comfortable.

A set Michelin x-ice 2 winter tires were phenomenal in 3ft snow storms in NY - and were surprisingly quiet in non-snow conditions. Would absolutely buy those again if I lived in the snow belt.

Tires are important - so buy what makes sense for you.

And don’t mind the pettiness of others judging decisions they don’t understand…