E350 Cdi Sport Winter Wheel / Tyre Advice

[Chappie350]

Hi,

I'm new to the Mercedes scene and after a bit of advice on winter wheels.....if this has been covered off previously then apologies.

I've recently purchased an E350 Cdi sport saloon. I'm thinking about purchasing some winter wheels and tyres now ready for next winter.....thinking behind this is I may get them cheaper now coming out of the winter season.......bit like buying a convertible in October I suppose!

Anyway can anyone answer the following for me:

1. Has anyone run winter wheels and tyres on the E350 cdi and if so what worked......wheel sizes, tyre make etc? Did it make a big difference in snow, ice?

2. Can I run 17 inch wheels on the sport model giving the right clearance on the front brake callipers.....e.g. Will the Avantgarde wheels fit?......will 17's work better than 18's

3. Is there anything else to consider such as wheel bolt sizes, offset etc etc?

4. Anyone recommend a good place to source them?

Thanks

Colin

 

[st13phil]

1. Has anyone run winter wheels and tyres on the E350 cdi and if so what worked......wheel sizes, tyre make etc? Did it make a big difference in snow, ice?

I ran 16-inch wheels with Conti WinterContact TS830P tyres on my E350CDI Avantgarde and they made a massive difference to the car's driveability on snow and frost / ice.

2. Can I run 17 inch wheels on the sport model giving the right clearance on the front brake callipers.....e.g. Will the Avantgarde wheels fit?......will 17's work better than 18's

I know for certain that the 16's won't fit on the E350CDI in Sport guise, but I believe that the 17's from the Avantgarde will (although you will need to verify that). If you look in the Owner's Manual there's a whole section on approved sizes for winter wheels and tyres. The advantage of running 17-inch wheels of uniform width are that:

1. The tyres are cheaper
2. You can swap fronts to rear and vice versa when you mount them each winter, thus giving you even wear across the set of tyres
3. They're narrower / higher profile works better in snow

3. Is there anything else to consider such as wheel bolt sizes, offset etc etc?

Like I said, check the Owner's Manual as that has all the info you need.

4. Anyone recommend a good place to source them?

If you want genuine MB rims and want to buy new, then a Main Dealer is about your only option as Alloy Wheels Direct are no longer listing MB alloys. Remember also that if you're buying new, MB offer some pretty competitive winter wheel and tyre packages.

If you want used, then eBay (and in particular search for German sellers as there's normally much more on offer than in the UK), or place a wanted ad on here.

 

[Chappie350]

Phil,

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply and advice. I've heard the Continental winter tyres are really good so will keep a look out for them.

I've seen the wheel and tyre sets you refer to on ebay from the German sellers and there are a couple of uk options on there as well.....would prefer MB original wheels vs aftermarket if I can get them at a decent price so this looks like a decent source.

I'll have a good read through the owners manual as you suggest and maybe give my local main dealer a call as well.

Thanks

Colin

 

[MDC250]

You would be surprised just how competitive a dealer can be sometimes. I picked a full set of OEM wheels/winter tyres from Gumtree virtually brand new but dealer was only a few hundred quid more.

 

[st13phil]

I'll have a good read through the owners manual as you suggest and maybe give my local main dealer a call as well.

Regarding answering the question about 17-inch wheels fitting or not, it may be worth asking the OP from this thread as he had access to another car with the Avantgarde wheels which he intended to try?

 

[tonysmb]

I can't make any comment about specific wheels / sizes for the E-class, however, I did pick up a set of winter wheels (steel) / tyres from an MB dealer last year for an A class. They were advertised on a well known auction site, some time around Aug if I recall correctly, and at a good price.

It wasn't my local dealer but I was happy to travel at the price they quoted.

Several dealers advertise on the same site, and one of them did have a set of alloys/tyres for the E class (coupe, which I also have) at the same time. 17" I think, but I just use the A if the weather's bad

 

[Chappie350]

Regarding answering the question about 17-inch wheels fitting or not, it may be worth asking the OP from this thread as he had access to another car with the Avantgarde wheels which he intended to try?

Thanks, I've just dropped a reply to the attached thread so will see whether that worked out for them.

Colin

 

[Chappie350]

I can't make any comment about specific wheels / sizes for the E-class, however, I did pick up a set of winter wheels (steel) / tyres from an MB dealer last year for an A class. They were advertised on a well known auction site, some time around Aug if I recall correctly, and at a good price.

It wasn't my local dealer but I was happy to travel at the price they quoted.

Several dealers advertise on the same site, and one of them did have a set of alloys/tyres for the E class (coupe, which I also have) at the same time. 17" I think, but I just use the A if the weather's bad

Thanks Tony, there looks to be quite a few sets for sale on the auction sites, just want to make sure I get the right size......my thinking is that I might get a better deal at this time of year.

Colin