Please educate me...

[charansingh]

I have recently acquired a 2009 W212 E350CDI Avantgarde. I find that there is a lot of tyre noise when driving on high speeds and also the ride is not as soft/smooth as I would like.

The wheels/tyres that are on the car right now are the standard that this model came with i.e. 245/45 R17. My question is have you noticed a reduction in tyre noise and/or any improvement in ride quality after switching down to 16 inch wheels/tyres?? if yes - where can I buy the right 16inch alloy for this car and the right tyres to achieve my objective of lower tyre noise and improved ride quality. Many thanks

 

[BillyW124]

I read a thread Re tyre noise on a CLS on here. It may point you in the right direction. Do a search..

 

[developer]

I find the tyre noise more than I would have expected in a premium car, but you're right that smaller wheels and therefore higher profile tyres will reduce the noise and soften the ride.

You may find someone on here will be interested in a swap if you don't plan to keep the 17's

 

[Deleted member 37751]

What brand of tyres are on the car?

 

[GordonTarling]

I honestly wouldn't have thought that wheel diameter would have made any difference to tyre noise. After all, the rolling circumference will be the same. Tread pattern surely should have more effect on noise than anything else, so switching tyre brand/type could make a real difference. The 16" wheels will require a higher profile tyre, so will improve the ride a little.

 

[charansingh]

I currently have Pirreli Zero Rosso tyres. Are there tyres out there which would give me a quieter and softer ride than these without having to go through the hassle of changing the 17inch alloy wheels to 16inch ones?? Thanks.

 

[markjay]

I honestly wouldn't have thought that wheel diameter would have made any difference to tyre noise. After all, the rolling circumference will be the same. Tread pattern surely should have more effect on noise than anything else, so switching tyre brand/type could make a real difference. The 16" wheels will require a higher profile tyre, so will improve the ride a little.

Larger wheels means lower profile tyres which means wider tyres.

The larger contact area with the road surface will affect noise levels.

 

[st13phil]

I used 16-inch wheels and 225/55 R16 tyres on my W212 E350CDI over winter and there was a slight, but worthwhile, improvement in ride quality. The Conti TS830P winter tyres were also noticeably quieter than the Pirelli P7's that were the OEM tyres on the car. Be aware that while the ride quality may improve, handling and grip may reduce slightly if you go to narrower but taller tyres.

The wheels I fitted are 8.0 J x 16 H2 ET 46, part number A2124010202, and are available from your dealer or from alloywheelsdirect.net

 

[markjay]

Conti Premium Contact 2 are generally geared towards comfort rather than sportiness, and on my car made the ride softer (and more bouncy). Which is fine for me. Some may not be happy with the excessive body roll when cornering though.

Other manufactures would have their own 'comfort' series, though these days most seem to be very keen on advertising Sport or Eco tyres but not Comfort ones, so you'll have to do some search.

 

[redbaron]

I currently have Pirreli Zero Rosso tyres. Are there tyres out there which would give me a quieter and softer ride than these without having to go through the hassle of changing the 17inch alloy wheels to 16inch ones?? Thanks.

They had cinturato's on as new which are quieter than P-zero... The conti options is also better.

Im not sure 16's would fit over the brakes on a 350.....

 

[st13phil]

Im not sure 16's would fit over the brakes on a 350.....

They do. See post #8