scb71

It is about time to replace my tires and am struggling with whether to just put on some new 18" tires or to swap my wheels. I bought a set of the newer AMG 20's and they've been in storage. I was waiting to swap them until my tires needed replacing - now I am wondering if I want to do it at all.

Please let me know your thoughts if you have done it - would you stick with the 18's or go to the 20's? I know some people will automatically so go with the AMG wheels as they like to trick out their rides but my question is also trying to balance ride and everything else that goes with it. My thoughts are that the 18" tires and wheels probably ride better and surely last longer but perhaps the 20's are not too low profile and they ride pretty good as well.

Please let me know your experience and opinions please.
Thanks in advance!

marthyh

Go for it !!

BUT get a couple of Conti's or Michelins' or you will be sorry..(just too dangerous with lesser quality rubber imho.)

I have recently gone from 17 inch 235x55 Michelin OE-tires to 20 Inch 255x35 all round, Michelin Super Sport ,man what a difference.

Yes,you will sacrifice some comfort and will get a lot more sporty feeling (as far as that is possible for a W221) in return.
The 'road response' is much better and my Benz glues to the curves now.

True if you where to drive a lot with customers in the back fi as taxi or limo, in big cities: keep the 18's their just more comfortable, but when you do a lot of highway with curves and bends go for the 20's.

I use the car in a mixed situation(road wise cities and highways) but would not want to go back as this car is comfortable enough to handle the lower sidewalls.

Plus it looks a lot better with the 20's:

rene_gts

Yeah man, don't even think about it. 20" is the least every S-class should roll around

S_G7

18" wheels are just too small on the S550. I would go with the 20". If the ride is too harsh for you then sell them for the AMG 19" wheels.

Yokohama is also an excellent tire choice.

jadeethan

Here are my 20's on my car...what a difference from stock..from old man's car to shaving like 20 years off the image of the car owner..

scb71

I appreciate all the input thus far. Would you mind sharing more pictures as well as tire sizes if you have them?
I should have researched this more a while ago but want to get a handle on the rubber to rim look as much as I can. I've had really low profile tires before on another car which had them from the factory and from that experience id say I prefer something in the middle. Not a stock Lincoln town car look but also not a low rider look either.
Thanks again

jadeethan

Your rims are nice..i would put them on asap

Here is my car:



It has 255/35/20 in the front and 275/35/20 in the rear. I run a staggered setup but for you 255/35/20 is your tires all around unless your rear is staggered.

With 20's it's going to be a little harsher on bump roads but it's not terrible. On the highway, it's going to be smooth..you also might hear some more road noise with the 20's at least that was how it was for me..but overall it's still quiet....

rene_gts

.

scb71

Thanks for the pictures - nice (and clean ) cars - please keep sharing if you have them. I imagine this may be useful for others as well.

My wheels in question are the MB AMG 20's so they are 8.5 in the front and 9.5 for the rear. The S65 that they are made for uses 255/35/20 for the front and 275/35/20 for the rear. With that said, it appears I could arguable use 255 all around although the lip would look different. A 255/35/20 tire supposedly will fit anywhere form a 7.5 to a 9.5 wheel.

Has anyone done the same tires on staggered wheels or have any ideas on how that would turn out? My car is a regular S550 and not the S65 so I certainly don't need the extra width for the rear. I also don't want it to look odd like I am trying to make the car look like more of a muscle car than it is - at the same time using 255/35/20 all around may look strange in a different way.

thanks again for the input

lylesr33

I have the 20" AMG wheels on mine and I run 255/35/20 in front and the 275/35/20 in the rear and the ride really hasn't changed to me. However, my car came with the 19" AMG wheels with the AMG sport package so that may be the reason I'm not feeling much differences.

ImInPA

I have the stock 18s. The roads in my part of the world devour 20+ inch rims. Sure wish I was brave enough to risk putting on larger wheels.