Winter Tyres are a must on a rear drive Merc

[Steve_B]

(Continental don't do these, as far as I know, so you're at the mercy of others if Vredestein aren't available, which is the case now).

Just fitted 20" CrossContact Winters all round on the ML, replacing the CrossContact UHP's, and the the difference in the ride quality, let alone the extra grip, is profound.

 

[Peter DLM]

Actually the tyres look pretty knobbly when not full of mud like that.

The conditions there are pretty awful as you can see by his attempt to walk across the track.

[YOUTUBE]36H3N8vJkAc[/YOUTUBE]

What language were they speaking?

BTW, that was pretty muddy!

 

[tylerdurden]

based in Kent. Want winter tyre set up but its almost £900 just for tyres at the moment. That is just too much for me. If I could get a good 17/18 alloy/tyre package for a sensible price I would go for it - but at the moment its extortion.

Should settle down by spring hopefully.

 

[crockers]

I am currently in Northumbria,where we have really been dumped on.A couple of tractor weights,in the rear of my estate(about 120 kgs) seems to have done wonders for my traction.Have E320CDi estate.

Even just making sure you have a full tank of petrol helps .

Hmmmm - think that will make sure he never gets far then...

 

[Sp!ke]

What language were they speaking?

BTW, that was pretty muddy!

Polish.

 

[talleres]

Just fitted 20" CrossContact Winters all round on the ML, replacing the CrossContact UHP's, and the the difference in the ride quality, let alone the extra grip, is profound.

Thanks for the tip. I couldn't find 19 inch Winter Contis on their site when I last looked (should have searched better!).

My Conti Winter Contacts were fitted today. I haven't really tested them (will do soon given the forecast), but the centre told me the chain has the contract for providing winter tyres for the London ambulance service. That was reassuring.

They also told me buying directly from the Continent was the only way to go at this late stage as pretty much all of the UK's stock was used up some time ago.

 

[omega1]

Interesting topic, have just read it all with a nice cuppa!

I really don't understand the initial flaring of the OP who was kindly sharing his experience on winter tyres which I, personally, found interesting.

Prior to my C220 I had always had 4x4 (Changed due to circumstances and fuel economy) and hadn't really considered the eventuality of 'not being able to go somewhere' because of snow and last year got very frustrated when I got in my car and it 'didnt go'! If I left the ESP on everything flashed and the tyres didnt move, if I turned it off, the wheels just spun. It was the first time I wasn't able to get somewhere and I didnt like it!

I would be very interested in finding out how much better my C220 would be with winter tyres as i'm afraid to say it is pretty dismal with (new) summer tyres. Obviously the expense is an issue, but I would also have an issue with storing the tyres during the summer/winter.

Interesting topic...

 

[mercalot]

Mercalot, you did the right thing. I'm in the south, and I know a Merc dealership that offered £990 fully fitted for a set of Continental WinterContact 810s on a set of 18 inch wheels. The price is probably 20-30% higher on 19 inch rims (Continental don't do these, as far as I know, so you're at the mercy of others if Vredestein aren't available, which is the case now).

Depending on your exact spec, you're in the right price range (I suspect you've big wheels for the rear).

Driving in London when the recent freeze occurred was instructive again on 225/45/17 shod summer tyres. A 10 minute journey took 45 minutes. My new Conti Winter tyres arrived this week and will be fitted tomorrow, in time for the weekend's freeze. They'll cost me all of £650 fitted, but that's because of how and where I bought them and who will fit them. There was no stock left in the UK (one outlet had seen a 25 fold increase in demand this year on last year - that tells me a lot), so I bought elsewhere.

Our priority is to be able to get moving if we need to. I'd simply ignore the sceptics on here if I were you. You'll be able to make emergency trips to the GP, hospital, pharmacy, refuel, and supermarkets whilst others around you are trying to get traction off their drives, parking lots, or slight inclines.

Germany mandates winter tyres in winter, and has many more Mercs on their roads than in the UK. There's nothing wrong with your having bought a powerful new car with wide wheels and summer tyres. As far as I know, even if you tried to, you couldn't spec a UK car to be shod with winter tyres at the factory.

So the word is out in the UK on winter tyres. I'd never used them previously as I am usually in Southern Europe for the winter. However, this winter promises to be special, and if you've seen the forecast for the coming week, your £1,000 outlay will repay you yet again, and that's before the economics which have been so well demonstrated by someone else on here.

Talleres, Thank you for your comments.

It is good to hear some common sense and you are correct that i do have big wheels on the back, not 19" but they are still wide at 265-35-18.

I could not manage on snow with the Bridgestone summer tyres (on steep inclines) and the winter tyres have transformed the car and i can go anywhere i need to.


As regards the purchasing of the tyres, one of the reasons for expensive prices at the moment is because lack of supply as we know. One set of tyres is going through a number of hands (swapping bartering and asking favours) so there is more than one mark up at times. Must not to forget profiteering also.

 

[LTD]

Something to consider about the outlay of winter tyres.

Figure the cost of purchase against your insurance excess if you happen to be unable to stop your car and hit something.

Suddenly the cost doesn't look that bad, does it ?

 

[Stratman]

Something to consider about the outlay of winter tyres.

Figure the cost of purchase against your insurance excess if you happen to be unable to stop your car and hit something.

Suddenly the cost doesn't look that bad, does it ?

And the fact you're not wearing out your summer tyres while winter shod.

 

[rf065]

Prior to my C220 I had always had 4x4
I would be very interested in finding out how much better my C220 would be with winter tyres as i'm afraid to say it is pretty dismal with (new) summer tyres.

I had a Nissan X Trail before the CLK, with winter tyres on, the CLK will go anywhere the X Trail went, but will also go round corners better and brake better that the Nissan could. 4wd is normally an advantage, but in reality on snow & ice on summer tyres, you really only have 4 tyres with little grip instead of two.

Russ

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Something to consider about the outlay of winter tyres.

Figure the cost of purchase against your insurance excess if you happen to be unable to stop your car and hit something.

Suddenly the cost doesn't look that bad, does it ?

Also figure in the cost of the insurance premium due to the modification of your car......

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I think this sums up the whole topic of winter tyres (not just this thread) perfectly:

If I was doing a lot of miles, I would definately invest in winter tyres. When I was driving in the alps, winter tyres made me feel like I had spikes on my wheels, the car never lost traction once in deep snow.

However in this country, where I live and for the amount of miles I do... no chance.. it snows a week or two at most in the average year and I only work 6 miles from home!

So everyones needs are different... I think for anyone who is travelling any distance on a daily basis should definately have set of winter wheels/tyres as its just not worth not having them from a safety perspective.

It's funny, those that have never used them say they don't need to, and those that have them on say they wouldn't be without them.

If you need them you buy them.

You know you need them when you get stuck and can't get to where you need to by other means.

You know you needed them after you bought them.

 

[whitenemesis]

I think this sums up the whole topic of winter tyres (not just this thread) perfectly:

If you need them you buy them.

You know you need them when you get stuck and can't get to where you need to by other means.

You know you needed them after you bought them.

Ah! Grasshopper, wisdom indeed

 

[gIzzE]

My neighbour thinks I am a bit of a **** for buying winter tyres living in Norfolk, he had been driving for nearly 50 years and have never 'needed' winter tyres, even though I only paid £250 off ebay for a set of Dunlop winter sports with 7mm on them and they are now on their 3rd winter. He says that he always adapts to the surroundings and drives accordingly.

However, last week he was coming home and the road was covered and someone coming the other way overtook a parked car, he put his brakes on and although he was only doing 10mph he lost control, his car slid up onto the path and into someones wall, not only has he crunch his car, demolished someone wall he also only just missed someone on the path.

I am sure 20 years ago when cars weighed half as much and they were all on 13" 155 wide tyres the snow was not as much as an issue, but cars are now heavy, wear wide tyres and if you loose it you loose it and there is sod all you can do about it.

I can get round fine on summer tyres, but it is the time when you need to stop quickly that winters matter. Driving on summer tyres on snow is far worse than driving round on bald tyres, you would get nicked for that, but it is fine to let peopler drive round as if they were on slicks. I don't get it?

 

[Dryce]

I am sure 20 years ago when cars weighed half as much and they were all on 13" 155 wide tyres the snow was not as much as an issue, but cars are now heavy, wear wide tyres and if you loose it you loose it and there is sod all you can do about it.

Sack of something heavy in the back and an Anglia or Cortina Mk 1 could go anywhere. (So I've been told!)

My recollection is that the few large FWD saloons in the 70s such as the Princess did rather well in bad conditions as well.

These days a small hatch back weighs about the same as a large 70s saloon.

My recollection is that things started to get worse in snow from the late seventies on. My theory is that this is in part down to traffic density. It only takes a few drivers with problems to impact everybody else and once things gridlock there's no escape for those who can cope. I guess the heavier vehcles from the mid 90s onwards have escalated a bad situation to worse.

 

[gIzzE]

We have got a Toyota Aygo, and that can get around pretty well, no where near as well as the E Class on winters, but it doesn't get stuck, however braking in the Aygo is still hit and miss, if you hit some compacted snow you still slide to a halt. But where as the Merc couldn't get out the drive on summer tyres to Aygo would.

 

[rascalmaster]

Er, sorry to resurect an oldish thread...

Just wondering which are the good MO Spec winter tyres out there?

Am hopefully getting my hands on a set of spare 17" alloys; master plan is to send them off to be refurbed and fitted with winters ready for December ;-)
... Then can send off my current ones to be done;-)

 

[sopgeo]

An interesting thread. Some valid points. I think winter tyres will be more and more the norm as they are in Europe. Indeed they are required by law in some countries. I swore I would buy them after the winter two years ago. Spring came, did I buy them? Did I hell. This year I regretted my economy and bought some. I would like to add one small piece of wisdom. I looked at UK prices, then Irish prices. I bought through a contact in Germany and saved a bundle. Four brand new tyres for a w124 pirrelli 200Euro including shipping. That works out at 50 a corner or in my case 50Euro per child to improve their safety.

 

[rascalmaster]

thanks sopgeo.... is this a commercial contact or a personal contact?...