Nuru

Thanks Dave and triniexr.

I still want a good set of all season tires with retractable studs for snow and ice conditions.

triniexr

Be careful with that, some places give tickets for having studs on tires. They damage the roads.

DaveW68

That doesn't exist. You would need a set of dedicated snow tires in order to be able to stud them. I believe the studs are rubber, so they shouldn't harm the roads. Usually only necessary in extremely snowy climates where there is a lot of snow and ice packed roads all the time due to lack of salt or poor snow removal.


In the upper Midwest where there is a decent amount of snow, but snow removal is OK, a regular set of non-studded snow tires work out great. Most will have good stopping power on ice.

Nuru

Well, there was another brand out there prior to 2011 (QTIRE, but they dropped out of site) , but I did find this concept tire by Nokian:

http://www.gizmag.com/nokian-retract...d-tires/30887/


Studdded


Nokian Tires in Testing

NaslundStarmine

"I had Coopers on an LS400 about 20 years ago. Not a bad experience."

Nice to know.

"Had Coopers on my wife's Odyssey about 5 years ago. Absolute garbage. Got less than 20k miles before the tread started coming apart."

What model? Were they original equipment or did you put them on? Is it possible they were stored improperly prior to your purchase, or possibly old? What kind of warranty did they have?

So between 20 years ago and 5 years ago when did the Cooper Tire Co. go into the sheetayre? Have you concluded they are permanently in the sheetayre? If so, why?

"Read reviews on the tires and the general consensus was stay away from all Cooper tires, no matter which model."

Complete and utter bullshiite. I've provided a number of positive reviews from reputable sources on the specific tire in question...Cooper Zeon...how about you provide some "stay away" reviews? You can't.

"I really don't think you're going to sell the OP into buying that trash."

Makes no difference to me especially if that person buys into your completely unsubstantiated line of BS, their loss.

"But I'm glad they have made you happy."

Thank you.

DaveW68

I could provide you with tons of negative reviews about Coopers (from forums to tire installers to everywhere on the internet....but honestly, you're not worth any more of my time. I'm happy you like the tires on your Lexus.

NaslundStarmine

What a blowhard -- I knew you couldn't. Prime example of waving the internet white flag, "you're not worth my time"....LOL, you're a piker.

DaveW68

I have a few choice words for you too. But since you're a know-nothing newbie, I'll bite my tongue. It doesn't take much to do an internet search to find out all about Cooper tires. You posting a couple of links that support your argument is pretty meaningless since there is much more negative feedback all over the internet about Cooper. Most people who are active forum contributors know how to use Google to find info. You should try it sometime. Or maybe you did and just chose the few that put your argument into a positive light. I have first hand experience with them. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that Cooper Tires are garbage compared to the competition.


You might want to wait to spout off until after you've made some meaningful contributions to this forum.

NaslundStarmine

LOL.....how about you spout out a link to a negative renew, blowhard.

You can't!

Mike5215

Honestly, there's something to be said for buying the OE tires for the S Class (or any car really). The brilliant German engineer who decided what attributes and handling characteristics he wanted in a tire and selected a specific brand, design, sidewall strength, load rating and tread compound probably put a good deal of thought into what the car was going to roll off the line on. The Germans are pretty famous for obsessive attention to detail in their machinery. (It's one of the reasons they lost WWII. I'm not kidding).

I think if you want the best driving experience on an S Class, stay with the OE stuff if possible. If you spec out tires for an S Class on TireRack it will flag the OE tire(s) for you.

I do agree there really is something un-Benz-worthy about the Cooper brand name and I probably wouldn't put them on my S. Also, I'm not sure that Cooper makes a tire for our car with the right load rating (XL), speed rating (Y) and tread life rating (300AAA-the higher the number the longer the rated tread life)

If you do a search for an S Class on TireRack or Discount Tire, even though they sell the Zeon, it doesn't come up in the results. Part of the reason the "good" tires for the S are so expensive is because they have to handle a lot of weight, a lot of torque to the rear wheels and potential sustained 100+ mph speeds. Saving money is cool, and ultimately it's the owner's choice, but the S Class is not a car I'd under-spec tires on.

DaveW68

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/cooper.html


This was the very first thing that came up under Cooper Tire reviews.


You fail to understand that when people are posting their reviews of tires on TireRack, Amazon, or wherever website you see that sells tires online, their reviews are based on initial experience with the tires....or the buying experience. Not many folks are putting up reviews after driving on them for at least a couple of years where the Coopers begin to show their shortfalls and outdated technology. All tires will perform OK for a short period of time. What they do over the long haul is what separates the men from the boys.


And by the way GFY.

Mike5215

Wow. When you take away the negative (one star) reviews for people complaining about not getting their rebates, there really are still a lot of complaints about the tires themselves.

But when you back out one level to the general tire category...there's not a single brand that averages above 1.5 stars. In fact Cooper, with a two star aggregate rating, is higher than Michelin, Goodyear, Goodrich, Yokohama, Firestone, Bridgestone, Continental, & Kuhmo who all get 1.5 stars.

That site is f'd up. My guess is that it's a fake "consumer" site with fake reviews that's actually a marketing webpage operated specifically for "Mavis Tires" (which in a sea of 1 and 1.5 star reviews is the only one with a 5 Star rating and a special badge as a Top Consumer Pick.)

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/index.html

And they kind of got called out for being a pay-for-review site that gives non paying companies one star reviews to induce them to pay a membership fee to become "accredited".

https://www.truthinadvertising.org/c...r-affairs-com/

Still wouldn't put Coopers on my S.

NaslundStarmine

Great info Mike. BTW, Zeon are a W rated tire. If anything other than Continenal ("OE") are considered substandard, by definition slurper Dave's Hankook's and Michelin's must be be languishing with the lowly Cooper's too, right? LOL...

Hey Slurper Dave, you didn't really wager your credibility (or lack thereof) on "consumer affairs dot com" did you? HAHAHAHA!!!!

mrbobby

Personally I find some of these threads becoming vitriolic. Some people are quick to profess their expertise in an overt or implied sense. Whether right or wrong their opponents (people who don't agree) become either stupid or newbies or some other slur.

Maybe I'm naive but I thought the purpose of the Forum was for like minded people to share their love of something, in this Instance, their personal Mercedes experiences. I've learned a lot during my 5 years here and have tried to help others. Do we have to continue being so aggressive?

Mike5215

I'm really not trying to give either side "ammo" here. My personal bias, having never actually owned a set of Coopers and based on nothing other than some admitted brand snobbery, is that they're considered a budget tire and I don't want budget tires on the S.

They may actually be an incredible value, performing as well as other "top tier" brands in the real world, but I think---just my opinion-- with tires you usually get what you paid for.

What constitutes an OE tire on the S varies by model year...Cont's one year, Michelins the next, Pirelli the year after, etc. If you go on TireRack you can read the reviews and get a feel for where a particular tire's weak points are. They may be real grippy but wear quickly, or start smooth but get noisy. If you can find a few reviews from guys who have them on their S, those are gold.

marthyh

All stars, fine shoes but I just would not do a marathon on them.

There is an analogy there with tires.
I would never put this heavy, Top of the line powermonster on sandals either,get Conti's or Bibendums !!

DaveW68

Your credibility, maturity, and character are growing by leaps and bounds with every post you make. All I did was post the very first item that came up on a Google search. BTW, the reviews on that website are real by real consumers. Whether that site is a pay to play review site or not is meaningless to the argument. There are bad reviews of Coopers all over forums all over the internet.


The garbage that we had on our Odyssey that started coming apart at 20k miles were the Lifeliners in case you still wanted to know. Cooper Tires has been sued many times over the years and paid out several $million in damages for wrongful death and accident claims due to their tires. They also manufacture tires in China and India, as well as the US. I know I'd never knowingly put garbage on my car made in either of those countries that could affect its drivability and safety.


Like I've told you twice already....enjoy your Coopers....and stay safe. Perhaps your avid support will cause their stock prices to spike.

DaveW68

She has yet to make any sort of meaningful contribution to this board. Almost all of her posts (the very few she's had in this thread and Mike's) have been full of hatred and contempt. She refuses to accept that there are arguments to be made against a company that she supports because she put some tires on her Lexus that she is happy with at the moment. In Mikes thread she took on the role of an umpire calling strikes and outs. I actually found that one pretty amusing.


At this point she seems to fit the definition of a troll. I hope her attitude changes and that she can make some meaningful contributions to the board. Most of us are here to learn and enjoy.

mrbobby

"Learn and enjoy" is where I want be. We've given her and others an explanation of how it is in life and on the Forum, the next step is up to her and her ilk.

NaslundStarmine

"Your credibility, maturity, and character are growing by leaps and bounds with every post you make."

LOL...as if a douchebag like yourself is the arbiter of "credibility, maturity and character."

"All I did was post the very first item that came up on a Google search."

A complete, utter, and blatant lie...and you want to cite "credibility"? Google "Cooper Zeon tires review" and your fraudulent source doesn't appear until the middle of the 3rd page. HAHAHAHA...jeez you're making this easy!

"BTW, the reviews on that website are real by real consumers. Whether that site is a pay to play review site or not is meaningless to the argument. There are bad reviews of Coopers all over forums all over the internet."

Bullsheeite. You can't post one legitimate example. Every review of Cooper Zeon's is positive for the first 2.5 pages of a google search until your fraudulent and completely lacking in credibility site appears...LOL.

"The garbage that we had on our Odyssey that started coming apart at 20k miles were the Lifeliners in case you still wanted to know."

Well that's a bummer for you....but doesn't mean the Cooper Zeon's aren't a great tire. Were they OEM or did you buy them yourself? What kind of warranty did they have? How was it handled?

"Cooper Tires has been sued many times over the years and paid out several $million in damages for wrongful death and accident claims due to their tires."

What a bunch of BS. You are out of your mind.

"They also manufacture tires in China and India, as well as the US. I know I'd never knowingly put garbage on my car made in either of those countries that could affect its drivability and safety."

There are three countries listed there, which of "those" are you referring to? And, exactly what tires do you have on all your cars right now?

"Like I've told you twice already....enjoy your Coopers....and stay safe."

Thank you.

"Perhaps your avid support will cause their stock prices to spike."

You think so?

DaveW68

If I prove my points....would you agree to leave this board forever and troll elsewhere?

Mike5215

Nas, you seem like a bright guy and you're certainly capable of giving as good as your getting. Dave is also a very bright guy and is a productive, informed member of the forum. Ultimately you'll need to make peace and/or stay out of each other's way. The longer this goes on the harder that will be. My recommendation, just resist the urge to re-engage and let the thread dry up and die.

wilassasin

I currently am running 20" Michelin Pilot AS-3's which I loveeee the performance, however I would not recommend this tire for snow conditions. Also on the 20" profile I have already replaced two due to damage from minor potholes, they definitely don't absorb road hazards all that well.

NaslundStarmine

"If I prove my points....would you agree to leave this board forever and troll elsewhere?"

Good to know we agree your assertions are completely unsubstantiated.

NaslundStarmine

Thanks Mike.

What I find laughable is a guy had one set of Cooper tires 5 years ago he wasn't happy with and somehow makes the leap that all Cooper's "are complete garbage" and suggests doing "an online search if you doubt that".

Neither statement holds up.

I personally own the Zeon tire and have had an excellent experience. I've also proven that an on-line search reveals a long list of complimentary reviews from legitimate and respected sources.

Dave cites some sketchy obscure website that as you suggest looks like a fake site for Mavis Tires and then lies about it being "the very first thing that came up under Cooper Tire reviews."

Yet he says I'm the troll? LOL.

I'm comfortable with my position here.

Interestingly a buddy of mine at the club has a top job with one of the largest tire distributors in the world. I bumped into him over the weekend and asked him a few questions...he said Cooper, Hankook and Continental all make very good tires. His company distributes Hankook and Continental but not Cooper, he did however say Cooper manufactures a private label tire of theirs.

I read what you said earlier about only wanting to put "premium" tires on your S....while I don't buy into that premise at least your position is honest.

You know what would be fun is to do some blind testing on these tires and see where things shook out. If you participated in such a test and let's say the four brands were Michelin, Continental, Cooper and Goodyear....and at the end of the blind test Cooper were your top choice -- would you still go pay more (for a lesser tire) simply to have a different name on the side?