superangrypenguin

I see that there is no dealer around me that sells a winter tire/rim package for the W222. there's simply too few S class owners around here, and like all of my dealer contacts have said, 99.9% of S class owners are too cheap to even put on snow tires (don't get me started. This is beyond STUPID where I live).

All W222s come with staggered 19" rims at the very least (they go up from there). I'm curious, if you run a dedicated set of snow tires/rims, what did you do? Buy a OEM set through the dealer? Buy the rims yourself through the dealer and then buy tires? Or do you just white knuckle it?

Thanks

1bad540

I put 20" amgs that I run the continental dws 06, all weather plus snow. I keep them on all year.

superangrypenguin

Interesting. That is not an option I thought of.

Any major downsides? Wear? Noise? Does it really give you enough confidence on the crappy days of winter?

Interesting

Ultra high performance tire testing (snow) vs Performance winter tire testing (snow)

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...r.jsp?ttid=230
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...r.jsp?ttid=181

Results for Grand Touring tires (snow)
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...r.jsp?ttid=188

carsnob

1bad540

Its been fine for me on 2 s classes on the same brand tires. 3 Ny winters. Ive even tried to get the car sideways and it was planted.

Buddyk

Hakka 8 Studded winter tiers, There are no better winter tires I don't think. Haklapellita - forget all the Blizzaks etc.

Use the same AMG 5 spoke rims - just have the tire guys change the rubber over and store them for $100 per season,

1bad540

I guess it depends how much snow were talking. Im in Nyc 15-20 mins from Manhattan. Were not driving in snow for 2-3 days in a row. But we do get snow. I feel more than confident with the car on the dws.

superangrypenguin

My issue with the Hakkas has been that it feels like I'm driving REALLY drunk when it's dry out and when the tire is new. The tread is all squirmy.

My other issue is that it's VERY difficult to balance. I could never get it balanced perfectly, even going through 10 tires and using roadforce balancing.

That said since then I have swapped to performance winters, and I do wonder why the hell I even bother sometimes!

superpop

I have had great luck with Michelin RFT MXM tires. Running 19" AMG Staggered set up on my S550. 4Matic makes a big difference and you have to remember that these cars weigh as much as a full size SUV.

superangrypenguin

Yikes!!!

I run the Michelin MXM4 tires (non RFT) on my vehicle now. As Tirerack testing confirms and their owners report, the tire performs very poorly in the snow/ice. I can certainly attest to it. Unfortunately (and respectfully) that tire will not cut it in my winters here. The weight of the vehicle, to your point, is a major concern in stopping. Anything that will help me decelerate quicker (by way of increased u (mu)/e.g. friction) is a big plus for me.

Accelerating isn't an issue. Turning is sort of an issue, but braking with the MXM4 tires will surely ensure this penguin is dead by next winter.

johndong888

On my daily, Gwagon, I run two sets of tires. Bring them in to the dealer every season to swap. Pain in the *** but hey, all the tires fit in the G.
In my sports car, I run two sets of wheels, much easier as I do the swap myself. Still a pain in the *** to put away above the garage door.

@1bad540 setup is most ideal. Swap out the high performance oem runflats for all season. Really depends on your region. I wouldn't do this where there's heavy and occasional snow. NJ/NY is fine, we get it like only a handful of times a year.

1bad540

Btw I have switche d wheels and tires for years, at one point i had at least 5 sets of extra wheels in my garage maybe more. I have a nice low pro quik jack a big breaker bar and cross wrench... It does get annoying tho.

carnut1

My car also has 20" non run flat all season tires. I use bridgestones because they have very strong sidewalls (good for a heavy car like the S class). I just took my car out of storage (I don't use it in the spring and summer), along with my Range Rover which has Nokian snow tires (best winter tire I've ever used). When the snow comes the Range Rover is the go to car. Where I live it can take a couple days after a big snow storm before the plows come through and I cant wait that long. The S class would never get through but the RR (with Nokians) has never let down. I never understood the Z rated tires they put on these cars. They are not sports cars and never will be.

absent

On my last S- Class ( S63), I had Vossen custom rims with Pirelli Sottozero 3, currently, a set of OZ rims with the same type tires on my S8.
I swap wheels (would not switch tires only as frequent changes destroy the seal) religiously at the end of November on all our cars (even Range Rovers or G-Wagens).
.....and yes, already have a set of rims (OEM) for the Lusso and waiting for Tirerack to ship Blizzaks RFT for them.