snow/winter tyre alternative for c class

[shaun121]

hi i have 255 35R18 94Y tyres on my 2015 c class 220 amg coupe.
iam looking for a snow/winter tyre alternative i have asked at a local garage but have none in stock...in all 94 branches so wondered if there was an alternative i can put on for the winter months.
obviously the car is rear wheel drive and absolutely useless in snow. just wanted people experiences with different tyres and if their alternatives are any better in winter conditions.
TIA

 

[OneForTheRoad]

What size is on the front wheels . Also what sizes are on the fuel flap ?

 

[shaun121]

What size is on the front wheels . Also what sizes are on the fuel flap ?

front are 225/40ZR18

and cap say
205/55 r16

225/45 r17
245/40 r17
225/40 r18
255/35 r18

thanks

 

[Rory]

I changed mine to All Seasons some years ago - and I had to use different tyres front and rear as no-one did both sizes.

I ordered them from one of the European online places and had them fitted when the wheels were refurbed.

 

[shaun121]

I changed mine to All Seasons some years ago - and I had to use different tyres front and rear as no-one did both sizes.

I ordered them from one of the European online places and had them fitted when the wheels were refurbed.

are they better in the winter months?
what tyres are they if you dont mind me asking.
tia

 

[OneForTheRoad]

front are 225/40ZR18

and cap say
205/55 r16

225/45 r17
245/40 r17
225/40 r18
255/35 r18

thanks

225 probably too narrow on the rears . I bought new wheels and tyres for my e350 and put 235 40 18 all round . All season bridgestone evo .

 

[st13phil]

front are 225/40ZR18

If you look in the manual, in the Wheels & Tyres section, it will tell you the permissible sizes of tyres for both summer and winter fitment. Often, although your car is on a staggered wheel setup (rear wheels & tyres wider than the front wheels & tyres), there is a permitted fitting for winter using the same width tyre for front and rear.

As a general principle, taller and wider is the better setup for winter which is one of the reasons people fit smaller diameter rims when they use winter tyres. The downsides to that are that it adds cost and there is also the issue of storing a full set of wheels and tyres. The upsides include cheaper winter tyres (to fit smaller rim diameters), the summer rims don't get ravaged by salt, and there's no need to dismount and remount tyres on the rims at the beginning and end of the summer / winter seasons. Again, in the Wheels & Tyres section of the manual you will find what rim sizes are permissible fitment to your car.

Full Winter (and to a lesser extent All Season) tyres can make a big difference to your ability to keep mobile safely in really cold winter conditions, and in snow can make the difference between being able to keep moving and not moving at all. Only you can decide if that's worthwhile for your own personal circumstances.

One thing that's important to mention is that if you deviate from the approved fitment sizes of wheels and tyres you will need to inform your insurer; if you stick with approved sizes then there will be no issue.

 

[Rory]

are they better in the winter months?
what tyres are they if you dont mind me asking.
tia

Well, to be honest, I don't think I've driven in snow since I got them! It very rarely snows here (Cheshire Plain) - I got them in case I was travelling and got caught out. Merc estates are notoriously hopeless in snow.

I got them some years ago and have Kumho KH21's on the rear and Vredestein Quatrac 3's on the front. In everyday use I can't tell any difference to the Michelin Primacy's that were on before - ride, noise etc are fine, and they've lasted well too although I'm note sure of the mileage - the car is rarely used these days. I did have to do one particualar long run down to the South East 'at speed' in streaming wet weather and the car was imperious.

I have driven wife's Tiguan in snow on full winter tyres. Starting and stopping was almost like driving on dry tarmac. However cornering isn't - you have to be very careful not to get over-confident as the car just slides slideways.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

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[Dryce]

If you look in the manual, in the Wheels & Tyres section, it will tell you the permissible sizes of tyres for both summer and winter fitment. Often, although your car is on a staggered wheel setup (rear wheels & tyres wider than the front wheels & tyres), there is a permitted fitting for winter using the same width tyre for front and rear.

If you look up the cost of a set of winter tyres with smaller rims (non-staggered) then you may well find the cost is not a huge premium over getting tyres to fit your current rims.

Note that the general rule is that winter tyres should have at least 4mm tread to be effective in poor conditions.

I ran a BMW using an extra set of smaller rims with winter tyres - it was a quick sale on gumtree to dispose of them at the start of winter after I changed cars. In terms of cost I think it was wortwhile - my main alloys were kept in better condition and I ended up having the summer tyres last an extra season - and I got something back on the part used winter tyres and wheels.

Having a spare set of wheels makes it possible to change yourself. Though local tyre fitter will normally be happy to swap wheels for you for a nominal fee.

The other thing to note is that a stored set of wheels do take up quite a bit of space.

 

[elan362]

Is it a W205? If so, I think 225/50/17/ V 89 XL are an OEM winter wheel fit of 7x17 wheels, square setup all round.
I have a 2016 S205 c250d premium Pack plus on 18” staggered summer tyres. (245/40/18 on the rear, narrower on the front(225/45/18? (I caan’t remember as i put them in the shed yesterday! ) and my winter wheels are the OEM fitment 17” at 225/50/17
ive got about 4mm on the current winter wheels, but im hoping to get to the alps this winter and im getting new Continental WinterContact TS860 fitted on Saturday as i have chains that fit 225/50/17.

i have staggered Mitchelin crossclimates on my 18” wheels, but i prefer full winters for the snow. And i don’t have chains for my 18” wheels

I found this
UK W205
Winter tyres and wheels
16" 205/60 R16 92H 6.5Jx16 H2 ET 38
17" 225/50 R17 94H 7.0Jx17 H2 ET48.5
18" 225/45 R18 95H XL 7.5Jx18 H2 ET44
Here Question about snow tire sizes. - MBWorld.org Forums

if it is a W204, the 17” winter wheel size was still square at 225/45/17

 

[TrueSpirit]

I had my c63s estate and drove it loads in the snow and it was great on winter tyres. I'd confidently say it was a lot better than an AWD car on summer tyres.
Only times it ever suffered was when the snow turned to ice all over the road where i was parked up once, so the rear wheels spun a lot while I was driving , or should I more accurately say, skating off...

If I could do it all again I'd rather have summer biased all season tyres like Michelin Cross climate + but they didn't do them at the time for my car. If I lived in Scotland I'd possibly pick winter tyres for winter instead of all seasons

I bought some cheapo alloys for like gbp 150 each or something, so extra rims isn't always a bad idea if the budget can stretch a bit