Krakenjack

I want to 100% chalk this up to tires, but i wanted to confirm here before doing so. I've got a set of Michelin pilot sport 3 a/s plus on my 2014 AWD E63s Wagon. Even in comfort/eco, I even feather the throttle on some icier conditions, coming from a dead stop, the back just steps out like a mustang pulling out of cars and coffee. I mean REALLY stepping out.

And, while driving on slippery conditions, it doesn't feel as secure or settled. I live in Buffalo NY - we get snow. I've wintered a S550 mustang and it wasn't as, I don't want to say sketchy, but …. sketchy.

I also have an AWD Alfa Romeo Giulia and that is perfectly fine in the snow (running all season Bridgestone), prior I've had a G37xs and ford fusions. Same thing, they were all happy in the snow.

I am going to try to keep the tires on, and as I said I'm fairly sure it's the tires that are the fault here, they're new from June when I purchased the car, and I wanted to try to get a year on a set before I had to go out and get wheels and tires for winter and then separate tires for summer, so I had them throw the All seasons on.

NoVAe63s

That sucks. I put on the AS3's as well to help with snow as I didn't want to run two sets. Haven't had any real bad snow to test them yet but was hoping they'd at least help from sliding into a ditch. Sounds like they're barely better than summer rubber.

Krakenjack

honestly it feels like summer rubber on anything that isnt wet pavement.

maw1124

Below 40*F on any wetness, all seasons are all “sketchy” with that kind of power. Maybe even 45*. I don’t know how winters would perform but that’s where I cut off on all seasons. On my Allroad 4.2 with about 360h/310tq I can get by, but not the S55 with over 500hp/tq. Ain’t happening.

maw

thesaintusa

The E63s 4matic with winter tires does just fine in snow. It is incredible easy to engage the TC and I prefer to drive with the TC off. My favorite car in the winter was my Subaru STi on winter tires and it was a beast in the snow. Very comfortable driving without TC or stability control in the snow. Turning off the TC in the E63 makes it much more fun to drive, just remember that it weighs a lot, and once it starts sliding in a direction that you don't want that it will keep going that way.

I run Nokian Hakka R3 winter tires and they are great in snow/ice/slush and above average in wet/dry conditions. The car definitely has understeer when you exceed the limits when in a sweeping corner, and unless you enter with a touch of oversteer you will just plow. But if you are not expecting it, you will plow into a curb, or spin out if not able to balance the car with a touch of oversteer. Best advice, save the rally driving for the rally drivers.

The E63s with winter tires is a capable winter car but the tires can easily be overcome no matter how good they are.

Drive safely, keep the traction control on.

Krakenjack

Yeah... I've been doing the "drive like your grandma is in the back seat in her Sunday best with a crockpot full of gravy on her lap and you're on your way to Easter dinner" approach instead of my much more usual "it's just snow people, move."

But I also know AWD does not mean it'll stop as well as it goes. I've seen plenty of dumbasses in stis in ditches on the 90.

thesaintusa

Put on a set of winter tires and you will enjoy the winter driving

FWIW my E63 is my winter car and it does great. When snow gets DEEP I take the Jeep.

shekmark

When I had my 997 911 4S , I kept reading how great they are in snow with winter tires. I had a winter set and you know, I thought it was terrible in the snow. Maybe coming from Suburbans and Denali etc, tainted me. They were beasts in snow. I just put Vredstein’s on my car. Will see. I don’t have the power of the E63, but it’s likely still easy to overpower in snow.

PeterUbers

did you need to drive your Porsche 911 in the snow cuz it was a daily driver?

Seattle E63S

With proper winter tires they are very capable. I have Michelin PA4’s, and use it all winter long as my ski car. Never had any issues. It obviously doesn’t like deep snow, and you have to remember the awd is a fixed 30%/70% - F/R split and it has almost 600 HP. It’s never going to be a Subaru or Audi.

shekmark

It wasn’t my daily driver but I got caught a couple of times driving home. My plan was to drive it all winter on and off as long as there was no salt put down or it washed away. Is the E53 a fixed 30-70 as well? Is that what 4matic+ means? This car is my daily driver.

PeterUbers

https://www.mercedes-benz-ottawa-dow...btleties/82087

van_rider

Interesting thread, when I purchased my 2015 E63 it came with Michelin AS 3’s, and I thought “great, I’ll be able to at least get by in the winter”… I live in Vancouver so we might only see a day or two of light slushy snow. Well, we got a small dump of 3” of snow a couple years ago and sure enough the AS3’s barely got me home. Couldn’t do ice at all. I was white knuckled the whole time. They had lots of tread and were just NOT performing at all, I’m talking using main roads with some packed slush/sleet at this point. I had an older set of Sottozero’s on a used set of AMG rims that I had left on the wheels, thank god I did, I swapped wheels and the car was a tank! I think the AS3’s barely cross the threshold of being actual all season tires.

PeterUbers

My Conti DW06's were reasonable in the snow and I had then when I tuned my ecu and tcu and got a sub 3.0 second 0-60 with them (with 1ft rollout)

_KO_

I got Sottozeros for mine (haven’t put them on the car this season yet) but last year it was a beast in the snow (Michigan).

I actually gotta sell an extra set (minus 1 tire) I have sottozero 3s for a CLS63

shekmark

Update. Snowed in Jersey Thursday night, and woke up to 5 inches on the ground and a Labcorp appointment at 8:30 AM. Got to try out my new (to me) car with its new Vredstein Wintrac Pros. It was awesome . These tires are really great. Funny, though I was expecting it, this Benze with snow tires was much better than my Rubicon with all terrain Duratracs ( which are considered good in snow). I was barely slipping even when trying to.

Krakenjack

yeah i had sotto's on my mustang and it was great


im 99% sure its these **** tires lol...

thesaintusa

The Vredstein have great reviews Glad you like them

Agree that the E63 with winter tires will easily out perform the Jeep with Duratracs. I have Nokian LT3 on our Wrangler Sahara which perform quite well in the winter, and I always chuckle when people place the Duratrac on a winter pedestal as a great winter tire. The Duratracs are ok in deep snow, but cannot be compared against a winter tire.