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'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
Originally Posted by mcorliss
Got the Pirellis in stock sizes. The sidewall is crazy soft. Hate driving hard with them on. Wish I had square with a better tire. Be forewarned if you are considering a set.
Which Pirellis? They released a Sotto 3 this year, which looks a lot more aggressive (more snow oriented) than the Series 2.
Have you checked your pressures? Don't trust your installer to set them properly. The bozos in my shop delivered them on my car with 30/30.
Some of you guys have unrealistic expectations of snow tires. Snow tires are exactly that -- tires that are designed to work well in the snow. A couple people appear to expect race tire performance in the dry from tires that are not designed for that purpose. Using the same logic we all could be complaining that P-Zeros perform terribly in the ice and snow.
2008 Saab 93 TurboX SC (BSR stage 1)/2014 E63 S Wagon (Rebellion Tuned/Renntech Sport Mufflers)
Good question... Not a lot of good info on the differences between the 2. By looking at the thread design the R2 seems a more dedicated ice tire and the 8 a more dedicated snow tire (probably why they offer it in a studded version to go get the maximum of traction on ice.)
Both of them are more dedicated winter tires compared to performance winter tires like Sottozerros and PA4. Tradeoff is handling characteristics are probably better with Pirrellis and Michelin. We had snow today and the hakka 8 is totally confidence inspiring in the snow. On the dry it's a different story and I will have to behave on onramps otherwise the tires are going to be toasted in 2 weeks!
'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
I agree with kart... the 8 has larger voids between the tread blocks and the R has more sipes. So the 8 (nonstudded) should do better in the snow and the R better on ice.
The Nokian website does a poor job of comparing tires, but the R2's page mentions the word ice more frequently than the 8's product page. So infer what you want.
I agree with both of you, and yes Nokian's site does not give much info. I usually prefer a better ice tire, but I know the Hakka 8 will do the job as they are both rated as the best winter tires with a 10/10 (from my tire guy's reference site)
Which Pirellis? They released a Sotto 3 this year, which looks a lot more aggressive (more snow oriented) than the Series 2.
Have you checked your pressures? Don't trust your installer to set them properly. The bozos in my shop delivered them on my car with 30/30.
After installation, the car was service at my dealer and pressures were brought up to spec. It's definitely not the air pressure. Yes...I have the newest ones from Tire Rack.
Some of you guys have unrealistic expectations of snow tires. Snow tires are exactly that -- tires that are designed to work well in the snow. A couple people appear to expect race tire performance in the dry from tires that are not designed for that purpose. Using the same logic we all could be complaining that P-Zeros perform terribly in the ice and snow.
This not my first pair of snow tires, just my worst pair. I get snows for every car, and it is my 4th AMG in a row, so it is definitely not my first performance car. I have had high performance german cars for the past 30 years...and much better handling snow tires. I've had incredible luck with prior Dunlops and the most recent Blizzaks. I should have gone with one of those with a square setup.
However, the fact of the matter is that Pirellis are just plain terrible...period! I shudder to think of how bad they are going to be on actual snow!!
Last edited by mcorliss; Nov 20, 2014 at 07:28 AM.
'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
Originally Posted by mcorliss
This not my first pair of snow tires, just my worst pair. I get snows for every car, and it is my 4th AMG in a row, so it is definitely not my first performance car. I have had high performance german cars for the past 30 years...and much better handling snow tires. I've had incredible luck with prior Dunlops and the most recent Blizzaks. I should have gone with one of those with a square setup.
However, the fact of the matter is that Pirellis are just plain terrible...period! I shudder to think of how bad they are going to be on actual snow!!
If they're the Sotto 3, then you're the first person to try them on this forum. Tire Rack offers both the Sotto II and Sotto 3. They aren't the same tire.
When you say "Pirellis are just plain terrible" you really should be specific, as the next reader who comes along isn't going to have the foggiest idea to which model you are referring, and there are gobs of positive reviews in this thread about the Sotto II's.
But I must admit, I cannot fathom how you are correlating a winter tire's performance when being pushed hard in the dry to how they will perform in the snow/mix.
Ive had plenty of snow tires which were rubbish in the dry, which performed tremendously in winter. It also works the other way around, too.
Regarding tire pressures, I wouldn't trust even a dealer to set the proper tire pressures, TBH. You should have 45FF 42RR in those tires, cold. Those are not the same pressures as the standard summer tire.
'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
Useful reference information:
This is the tire pressure table from inside the gas flap on my 2014 E63S.
Top line is normal driving conditions. Second from the bottom is normal conditions with winter/snow tires:
Pirelli Sotto II. Which is what was available last year. IMO a very good performer in both warm (wet and dry) and cold (dry and snow).
The newest tire from Pirelli, the Sotto 3. Obviously much more aggressive than the other model. Voids are larger, block patterns more aggressive, siping more like you'd see on a more traditional winter/snow tire.
'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
Here are the Pirelli marketing blurbs for each tire:
Pirelli SottoZero Serie II
The ideal choice for sports cars and top end vehicles, balancing performance, safety and respect for the environment. The asymmetric tread pattern is divided into two distinct elements. The inner area expels water effectively whilst the external area, with its more rigid and spaced blocks, ensures high levels of grip on snow.
FEATURES Asymmetrical tread pattern: internal area FUNCTIONS Inclined grooves to increase lateral grip and reduce noise BENEFITS Snow traction and riding comfort
FEATURES Asymmetrical tread pattern: external area FUNCTIONS Longitudinal grooves to reduce aquaplaning risk Two ribs to increase tire rigidity BENEFITS Safety on wet surfaces and enhanced handling in the dry
FEATURES Patented I.B.S. technology for sipe construction FUNCTIONS Increased contact area even on irregular roads. Increased tire rigidity BENEFITS Improved grip for traction and braking performance. Stability for improved handling
FEATURES New Temperature Dynamic Compound (TDC) FUNCTIONS Excellent handling and grip in dry and wet conditions BENEFITS Safety and enjoyment when driving in autumn and winter weather conditions
Pirelli SottoZero 3
Combining work of car technicians and the experience of our research team, WINTER SOTTOZERO™ 3 is the new winter tyre developed for the next generation cars that allows drivers to enjoy best possible performance without compromises in all weather conditions.
FEATURES Directional double arrows pattern design
FUNCTIONS Increases the number of blocks
BENEFITS Higher Traction on Snow Condition
FEATURES 3D sipe technology
FUNCTIONS Increase the stability of the tread pattern, optimizing the footprint
BENEFITS Improved handling on dry road condition, reducing the braking distance
FEATURES Higher sipes density
FUNCTIONS Increase snow cacthed
BENEFITS Better grip on snow road condition
FEATURES Wider grooves
FUNCTIONS Improve water expulsion
BENEFITS Excellent wet handling and braking performance
FEATURES Functionalized compound
FUNCTIONS Proprieties consistency at wider working temperature
BENEFITS High grip all Winter weather condition
Hey guys, I’m new to the forum. I recently bought a 2012 E350 4Matic that came with Continental Pro-Contact tires. I live in Arlington, Virginia (D.C. Metro area) and looking into getting some new tires. I heard the Continental tires can be disastrous on ice/snow conditions. The weather in my area is a crapshoot – ‘winter’ can be a mixture of sunny, icy, or snowy days; the percentage varies by year.
I’ve used Michelin tires for the past 20 years so prefer to use them versus Pirelli (unless, folks have some really bad experiences due to the weight of the car).
I’d like to get your thoughts – especially from those that live in my area: 1. Winter (Pilot Alpin PA4) or all-season (Pilot Sport A/S 3) 2. All-around (245/40/18) or staggered (best set up?) 3. Speed rating?
Thanks.
2008 Saab 93 TurboX SC (BSR stage 1)/2014 E63 S Wagon (Rebellion Tuned/Renntech Sport Mufflers)
The PA4 in a square setup should do the job in your kind of weather. I would not put A/S since you have dedicated summer tires... Go with a true winter tire and you wont regret it when you need to drive in snow/ice conditions.
'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
Originally Posted by ucla95
I've never seen a passenger car call for such high pressures. 51 psi? wow
That's for autobahn-type usage.
But yes, the E63S has some very high recommended pressures, in general.
Higher pressure up front is also unusual. Owners will end up with some improper pressures if you don't double check the work of the people who are paid to know better
The PA4 in a square setup should do the job in your kind of weather. I would not put A/S since you have dedicated summer tires... Go with a true winter tire and you wont regret it when you need to drive in snow/ice conditions.
Definitly get proper Winter tires and drive with some peace of mind.
You never know what's coming in the winter time, the guys in Buffalo just found out the hard way !
If its the only winter car you have, there are a lot of decent studless snows that wear OK on cold pavement.
I personally have a truck for occasional crazy weather. As a result, I can put AS3's on for wet and cold weather (6-months a year).
The big advantage of the AS3s is that they work very well in the cold and wear far more slowly than the Pirelli or Conti stock summer tires. Its not scientific, but I feel like the AS3s handle as well or better in 50 degrees on the street than the Pirelli/Contis, and certainly better in the cold rain.
2014 E63 AMG Wagon, 2011 Porsche Spyder, 2014 C7 Stingray, VW TDI Cup Street Edition
finally getting a chance to try the Nokian R2s. They work great, no push in turns, give it throttle and they bite , stops real well. Nokians are not new to me, and you can't beat um
My wheels are stuck at the UPS depot in Buffalo (obviously that's the least of the concerns in that area). Tires should arrive soon. I'm hoping there's not too much inclement weather in New England this weekend...
I went with Pirelli SottoZero 3 on a new set of AMG forged wheels off of a 2012/13. I called on the michelin tires that fit but I was told by tire rack that the allocation for this year is already filled and they probably wont even be seen in this country. not ready for this storm, so she will stay in the garage for now.
Light snow/rain where I am today in NY. More expected later on. Went with Michelin PA4's squared. Good in the rain, see how they do later today. No issues with the CLS550 rims.
going square seems like a really short sighted idea. the germans are meticulous and would not have staggered the car if they thought you could just run square. for the 100K+ i paid for the car I will not mess with the quality ride or suspension design. When it snows enough I take my 350 diesel out and have fun.
'14 E63S, '13 G550, '06 E320 cdi, and a bunch of other stuff.
Originally Posted by s3w2s1
going square seems like a really short sighted idea. the germans are meticulous and would not have staggered the car if they thought you could just run square. for the 100K+ i paid for the car I will not mess with the quality ride or suspension design. When it snows enough I take my 350 diesel out and have fun.
Fret not, those meticulous Germans fully endorse running a square setup for winter use. It's right there in the owner's manual (page 410 for MY2014). They suggest either 255/35-19 all around or the stock FF255/35-19 & RR285/30-19.
Simply expect reduced rear grip in the dry with the square setup.
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