yankees1

Any recommendation for tires for a 2008 S550 ? I realize that a softer rubber with a 20,000 mile tire warranty/expectation would give the best ride but I am looking for a good tire with a mileage expectation of 50,000 to 65000 mile warranty. Ideas ?

superpop

I have liked my Michelin Pilot 3 AS tires. You are going to be hard pressed to find a long lasting tire with this car because of the weight. They weigh as much as an SUV.

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

I really like the Sumitomos on my S63. 550.00 a set.
They are quiet and the rubber is not to soft or to hard.
I also much prefer to buy new tires every two or three years. I cant stand old hard rubber!

Mike5215

I've heard good things about the Cooper Zeon.

S430Sport

Are yours stepped?

ClasseMiaMadra

Continental extremecontactact DWS 06

ffr2014

+1

Larry1979

+1 for Continental ExtrememeContact DWS 06

DaveW68

Those Contis aren't going to get anywhere near 50k in miles. Probably no more than 10k before they need replacing, especially if they are running staggered. I had them on my M5 and loved them. But they are a low mileage tire.

yankees1

Same size tires all around and since my wife dives about twenty thousand miles per year I definitely want a 50,000 mile tire.

Mike5215

To me, the whole purpose of an S Class is to enjoy the superb (and unique) ride quality. There's really nothing else like it (unless you start getting into Bentley). I've owned 3 S Class over a ten year period so I've bought a lot of tires for them.

My first S involved an endless series of sticker shock moments when it came to maintenance costs. OEM tires were Michelin Pilot Supersports at $1500 a set, so I found some cheaper ones...Sumitomo, Conti DW, etc.

But I discovered that they didn't perform as well and the discounted price didn't make up for it. There's nothing cheap about an S Class as a daily driver, so I'd buy the OEM tire and write off the extra cost to the price of entry. Nothing with a 50k mile tread life on a car as heavy as the S is never going to show it's true potential.

The MPSS is a 35k tire when run square, half when run staggered.

yankees1

My current tires are 255/40 ZR19 100y. As long as I stay with the 255/40 19 can I go with a different speed rating such as just a R rating ?

Mike5215

An R is theoretically stable up to 106 mph. When I had my S it was rare that I did 106 in it, but on long interstate trips sustained runs of 100 through rural areas were common. The car does long hauls so effortlessly it's easy to creep up into the triple digits. Personally I wouldn't compromise a bit on tires for an S, regardless of cost.

GPrime2

I'm gonna put my flame suit on for this one, but I gave up trying to buy great tires years ago, these cars (and most cars with bigger wheels and lower profiles) eat tires after like 10-15k miles so I always go cheap. Currently I'm running a set of Nankang NS-20s that I paid $350 for the entire set shipped, 255/35r20. Are they the best tire in the world? Hell no. Are they surprisingly decent for the price? Yes.

Welwynnick

Nankangs are OK.

DaveW68

I've heard that the sidewalls on the Nankangs are very soft and the tires roll over during hard cornering, which is very disconcerting. I'd be very cautious about putting them on a 4500+ lb large car.

yankees1

I thank everyone for your opinions ! There is an old adage ," anyone that asks you for your opinion is looking for an accomplice " Well, I did make my choice and ordered the tires today ! I just can't select tires for comfort and handling only as our S550 is my wife's daily driver and I don't want to buy tires every 6-8 months. So, I selected Pirelli Cinturato P7 all season plus. from Discount Tires. The reviews on these tires are very good in regard to handling, road noise and comfort and a 70,000 mile warranty. The salesman I deal with at Discount Tires has heard only positive feedback from prior customers who have bought this tire. I'm sure most of you Mercedes owners would be able to tell a difference between this tire brand and the 15000 mile tires that you use but I probably wouldn't be able to. That's the reason I buy Charles Shaw wine as I can't tell the difference from CS wine and expensive wines ! Thanks again !

GPrime2

Glad to hear you made a decision, let us know what you think of them.

NaslundStarmine

Me too, that is a great tire!