W213 Run Flat tyres on 20" wheels

[nickpb]

So I'm just in the process of buying a new (to me) 2017 W213 (Is that the S213?)
It has 20" wheels with run-flat tyres which, to be honest, would not be my first choice (or probably second!), however they are on the car so I have little choice as I want the car!
So I have some questions that I would like some help with please:

1. Am I being 'over-sensitive' about the run-flats? When I got my S204 with low profile tyres (my first ever low profiles) I was not over happy and did consider changing them for higher profile, but now I am more than happy with them. The 20" wheels on the W213 though have a 35/30 profile which seems much too low for my liking.

2. Can I remove the run-flat tyres and replace them with normal tyres, and if so is that likely to affect the handling?

3. I guess I could swap the wheels/tyres fo a set of 19" ones (which are the standard tyres for the car). Could I just swap them or is it more complicated?

4. Even if I stick to the 20" run-flats I would still like to get a space saver for the boot (there is a tyre well there in the estate which should be big enough). Does anyone know what size I would need to buy and where I would get one?

Any help/tips would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Nick

PS. I'll have a set of winter tyres and wheels to sell when I get back from holiday. They're Wolfrace Oslo wheels with Kumho 225/45/17 tyres, all with about 7mm left. They fit the C220 S204 AMG Sport (and probably other) model. If anyone's interested, let me know. Location Southampton.

 

[timskemp]

The ride quality on the 213 is a world apart from the 204, I'd suggest you try it before making your mind up. Runflats are way better than they used to be. don't bother with a spare, where will you put the huge rear wheel when you swap the spare in? Remember you have Mobilo so you can always call for assistance!

Which engine is it and does it have air suspension?

 

[nickpb]

That's a good point about the wheel I take off. Hadn't thought about that - doh!

It's the 220 so the 1.9 engine and with the air suspension on the rear axle. I have to admit it was a lot smoother than I expected so maybe I'm worrying about nothing. Looking at the amount of tyre between the road and the wheel is alarming though - I've seen potholes deeper than that.

Nick.

 

[Proeliator2001]

Ride quality on W213 with 19 run flats and the lowered AMG suspension is generally better than my old W212 which was standard SE suspension with 17 inch conventional tyres; that shows a good improvement in design. But it is definitely choppier over broken surfaces. I had a W213 courtesy car on SE/balloon tyres and it was amazingly soft and lovely. I'd gladly swap to SE set up knowing that now. 20 inch is going to be that much fussier over bad surfaces.

I believe there is no issues swapping your conventional tyres as long as the load rating is maintained (and you carry a spare/repair kit and Jack).

My own particular car has some issues with tyres/suspension (destroyed inside edge is tyre, being checked out Monday, and the back feels very skittish in broken roads or those with bumps/dips. It skips alarmingly over manhole covers even at low speed which I think is down to the runflats. It could have suspension or alignment issues, I don't know, but I'll be avoiding them like the plaugue come replacement time.

 

[nickpb]

Ride quality on W213 with 19 run flats and the lowered AMG suspension is generally better than my old W212 which was standard SE suspension with 17 inch conventional tyres; that shows a good improvement in design. But it is definitely choppier over broken surfaces. I had a W213 courtesy car on SE/balloon tyres and it was amazingly soft and lovely. I'd gladly swap to SE set up knowing that now. 20 inch is going to be that much fussier over bad surfaces.

I believe there is no issues swapping your conventional tyres as long as the load rating is maintained (and you carry a spare/repair kit and Jack).

My own particular car has some issues with tyres/suspension (destroyed inside edge is tyre, being checked out Monday, and the back feels very skittish in broken roads or those with bumps/dips. It skips alarmingly over manhole covers even at low speed which I think is down to the runflats. It could have suspension or alignment issues, I don't know, but I'll be avoiding them like the plaugue come replacement time.

Thanks for the replies. I will give them a try before making a final decision. Might invest in some wheel/tyre insurance for some piece of mind though

I read your post about your tyre wear - frightening, and something I will definitely be on the lookout for. I never used to look at the inside of the tyres until I had a big cut on the sidewall of one of my tyres. Luckily I spotted it when I put my winter wheels on but it could have been nasty. No idea how long it had been there.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

don't bother with a spare, where will you put the huge rear wheel when you swap the spare in?

That's a good point about the wheel I take off. Hadn't thought about that - doh!

Surely that shouldn't be a problem given its an estate with a ma-hooooosive rear compartment. You just pop it in the boot until you get the tyre repaired?

You're hardly going to want to keep the space saver on for longer than necessary.

Good luck with the car. Hope to see a few pics when you take delivery.

 

[nickpb]

Surely that shouldn't be a problem given its an estate with a ma-hooooosive rear compartment. You just pop it in the boot until you get the tyre repaired?

You're hardly going to want to keep the space saver on for longer than necessary.

Good luck with the car. Hope to see a few pics when you take delivery.

Ah yes, but you know what will happen - empty boot space, no problems at all. As soon as you have a full boot with passengers, you get a puncture. S*d's law really isn't it, but I do take your point.

 

[timskemp]

Also, remember that if you don't like the ride on the 20s you should be able to find a buyer for them quite easily, lots of people love the style over the comfort / costs and you could drop to one of the 18" designs.

 

[nickpb]

Also, remember that if you don't like the ride on the 20s you should be able to find a buyer for them quite easily, lots of people love the style over the comfort / costs and you could drop to one of the 18" designs.

That's a good poit although 18" might be a step too far. It comes with 19" as standard. I'll see how I get on with them first.

 

[nickpb]

So I thought I'd give an update on the tyres now I've got the car.

Only driven about 200 miles so far but I'm quite impressed by the ride, especially given the state of some of the local roads. Still feel the bumps but I guess the improved (over my W204 Sport) suspension is taking the worst out, and the tyres are not as hard as I thought. Good impressions so far.

I'm still paranoid about getting too close to kerbs but no doubt that will go with time. Now if I can just find out how to get my speed cameras loaded into Command ........

 

[Deleted member 113659]

What size wheels did you opt for?

 

[nickpb]

What size wheels did you opt for?

I've still got the 20" on there at the moment. I decided to see what it was like before changing them. Slightly cheaper that way

 

[nickpb]

So, an update after some 3000 miles:

Seems like my concerns were unfounded. The ride quality is so good you wouldn't know they were low-profile tyres (until, that is, you hit a pothole!). Quite happy with them now.
Not quite so convinced by the tyres (Goodyear Eagle) - they seem a bit twitchy in the wet when the road is a bit bumpy, but again, maybe time will tell.

Still not sure what to do about winter tyres/wheels yet. With 20" winter run-flats running around £500 each I think I will go for a set of OEM alloys and 'normal' tyres, and maybe even as low as a 17". Who knows?

 

[beaker218]

Hi nickpb
6 weeks ago I bought my W213 from Mercedes of Bristol - 8 months old - 4500 miles. I have 20 inch alloys too with pirelli p zero run flats. The tyres feel great and provide a comfortable ride. However, the rears are down to 4 to 5mm and the fronts are on 6mm. I am concerned that the car may have been driven quite hard to get the rears down to 4 to 5mm. What is your tread down to now you have cover 3k?

 

[nickpb]

When I bought my car it had 7000 miles on the clock. It has now done 10771 miles and my tyres (Goodyear Eagle F1) are about 6mm all round.

You just don't know how it was driven before you got it. My previous C-Class was only 2 years old, yet needed new disks and pads because the previous driver was so heavy on the brakes. This one was a demonstrator and had a few (luckily minor) issues that I missed on handover, which just shows how little respect is hsown to demo cars by the dealers.

All you can do is monitor the depth and see how much, and how quickly they wear with your driving.

 

[sp0okz]

I have the e350 premium plus on airmatic running 20s and i hit a pothole on the A14 and cracked my rear wheel, replacement from MB was £1190 got one from eBay for £350 I was thinking about bigger profiles and removing the run flats Goodyear Eagle F1.

 

[Leejones2235]

Hi,
I am looking to change from a cayenne with 21” no air suspension to an e350 with 20” amg wheels. I too have been concerned about looks vs ride trade off. Am I worrying unnecessarily? Should I go with 20” or look for a car with 19” wheels?- any guidance or comments welcome
Thanks

 

[DaniX]

Hi,
I am looking to change from a cayenne with 21” no air suspension to an e350 with 20” amg wheels. I too have been concerned about looks vs ride trade off. Am I worrying unnecessarily? Should I go with 20” or look for a car with 19” wheels?- any guidance or comments welcome
Thanks

Hey, wondering what was the decision after all?

I have got 20" wheels, got my W213 3 months ago and yet quite paranoid about all the potholes. In fact, it seems to cope well with the ride quality, but got a couple of really bad hits through suspension on smaller surface cracks - can't even call them potholes - rather connections of 2 tarmac surfaces.

Would really be curious if anyone tried to put 40 and 35 profile tyres instead of standard 35/30 and whether they fit non-AMG W213? What is interesting, that 20" wheels on both S class and AMG E63 indeed have 40/35 profile. Also, previous generation CLS had 40/35 profile, wonder why did they reduce it. On the positive side, all the marketing materials of Mercedes advertise these exact multi-spoke 20" alloys.

 

[GavinP]

Most people I know who traded from run flats to Std (MB, BMW) regretted it - the ride improvement achieved was not as great as they were expecting. My E400d 4MATIC estate has those aforementioned 20" multi spokes, fitted with Michelin PS 3 ZP Acoustics with 245/35 front and 275/30 rear. I appreciate Airmatic helps but the ride and handling is way better than my old S211 on 225/50 16 Contis.

 

[nickpb]

I did buy some 19" winter wheels and tyres (still runflats) and that improved the ride quite noticeably. Even though I was impressed with the 20" ride, albeit a bit hard in my view, I enjoyed the 19" winter ride much more.
I've now downsized to an A-Class which, with smaller wheels/tyres, is an even better ride. I do however still have my 19" winter wheels if anybody is interested?