Ultra high performance tires disappointing. Hydroplaning
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ML63
Ultra high performance tires disappointing. Hydroplaning
This spring I got a set of Michelin Pilot Sport a/s 3+.
What a disappointment. I went by the recommendation of TireRack. Those tires are terrible in the rain. They hydroplane like no other. I can’t believe I trust more my Jeep with all terrain tires than the Mercedes-AMG with those tires.
It feels like this whole hype of ultra high performance tires is a scam. They wear out like cheese, which in my experience has been a trade off for good performance but this is just ridiculous.
who is happy with his tires in the rain? What are you running?
What a disappointment. I went by the recommendation of TireRack. Those tires are terrible in the rain. They hydroplane like no other. I can’t believe I trust more my Jeep with all terrain tires than the Mercedes-AMG with those tires.
It feels like this whole hype of ultra high performance tires is a scam. They wear out like cheese, which in my experience has been a trade off for good performance but this is just ridiculous.
who is happy with his tires in the rain? What are you running?
Last edited by turbo 6594; Jul 8, 2020 at 11:12 PM.
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Well why on earth do you have performance tires on a non performance car? Sure you have a AMG but let’s be honest here as it is a large SUV. It does not need them as you found out. I have Michelin all seasons.
Many AMG suv owners seem to make this mistake. Get rid of them and get a good all season tire.
Many AMG suv owners seem to make this mistake. Get rid of them and get a good all season tire.
Last edited by C280 Sport; Jul 9, 2020 at 02:15 AM.
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From: DFW, TX
Ml350 bluetec
High Performance = softer rubber for better on temperature performance, hence faster wear. More rubber less tread for better traction, means not enough channels to funnel water, hence hydroplaning.
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I try to learn from the experts
Well why on earth do you have performance tires on a non performance car? Sure you have a AMG but let’s be honest here as it is a large SUV. It does not need them as you found out. I have Michelin all seasons.
Many AMG suv owners seem to make this mistake. Get rid of them and get a good all season tire.
Many AMG suv owners seem to make this mistake. Get rid of them and get a good all season tire.
Someone else posted a picture of an GLE stuck with two tires on snow and two on dry pavement, and got all kind of excuses about this cars not being suit for those situations. So it’s not an actual SUV, not a performance car like you point out. Is it a minivan in disguise?
When will I drive it? If there is rain in the forecast, take the Jeep, if sunny take the M3 Z3 convertible. 
Anyway, thanks again. I’ll keep searching for the right tire. I have no regrets about the car, I love this thing.
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thank you both for your comments. Like I wrote, I went with the advise of the “expert” from tire rack. As for the SUV comment, I do hope I have an SUV. In Tire Rack decision guide, with the ML63 AMG info, if you click “ ocasional off road” it returns no tires available.
Someone else posted a picture of an GLE stuck with two tires on snow and two on dry pavement, and got all kind of excuses about this cars not being suit for those situations. So it’s not an actual SUV, not a performance car like you point out. Is it a minivan in disguise? When will I drive it? If there is rain in the forecast, take the Jeep, if sunny take the M3 Z3 convertible.
Anyway, thanks again. I’ll keep searching for the right tire. I have no regrets about the car, I love this thing.
Someone else posted a picture of an GLE stuck with two tires on snow and two on dry pavement, and got all kind of excuses about this cars not being suit for those situations. So it’s not an actual SUV, not a performance car like you point out. Is it a minivan in disguise?
When will I drive it? If there is rain in the forecast, take the Jeep, if sunny take the M3 Z3 convertible. Anyway, thanks again. I’ll keep searching for the right tire. I have no regrets about the car, I love this thing.
Last edited by C280 Sport; Jul 9, 2020 at 11:24 PM.
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2019 C63CS
Let's be clear here. The Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is a UHP All-Season tire. That's a relatively new category of wanna-be performance tires in my opinion. A true UHP tire is a summer only tire, such as the Pilot Super Sport or the newer Pilot Sport 4S. The latter is actually phenomenal in the wet. Never had any hydroplaning, but that's on proper performance cars, and not SUVs. Even the Pilot Super Sport does well in the wet, but the 4S is significantly better. Wet performance all comes down to how well the tire can expel water. Wider tires are more prone to hydroplaning, than narrow tires. Tread depth is another factor. The more the tire is worn, the likelier it hydroplanes. Do you have 265/45-20 or 295/35-21? The latter is a really wide tire for the front wheels, so much more prone to hydroplaning. The non-SUV AMG cars typically have a staggered setup with skinnier tires in the front and fat tires in the rear. One side effect of that is the skinnier front tires are less likely to hydroplane, and clear the path for the rear tires.
Last edited by superswiss; Jul 10, 2020 at 12:40 AM.
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Let's be clear here. The Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is a UHP All-Season tire.......... Do you have 265/45-20 or 295/35-21? The latter is a really wide tire for the front wheels, so much more prone to hydroplaning. The non-SUV AMG cars typically have a staggered setup with skinnier tires in the front and fat tires in the rear. One side effect of that is the skinnier front tires are less likely to hydroplane, and clear the path for the rear tires.
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From: DFW, TX
Ml350 bluetec
These are heavy vehicles, ie nearly 6000 lbs. Given that much weight, I do not consider the vehicle a High Performance Vehicle even with the AMG label. The weight and high center of gravity makes it an SUV. The problem with choosing Summer/UHP tires is they were geared towards much lighter vehicles (3000-4000 lbs) or less. If it was me, I would choose All Seasons tires and then buy snow tires, definitely not Summer/UHP tires.
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ML350
I have 255/50R-19 Continental CrossContact LX25 XL on my 2015 ML350. Great in all weather: dry, snow, rain. No hydroplaning in the rain going 85 on the highway. I put on about 40K miles per year and go through a set of tires a year. As said before - heavy vehicle chews up tires.
