C63 Winter Tyres

Author
Discussion

NorthernBoy

Original Poster:

12,642 posts

256 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
quotequote all
I got my "Why not get winter tyres" leaflet through from Mercedes recently, so I called them, and asked "How much for winter tyres for my C63".

The nice man at Mercedes went quiet, ten promised to call me back, then, later, called me back and said that they do not exist for my car.

Is he right, or has anyone else found a winter tyre in the standard (19") size for the wheels that the car comes with?

86DA

224 posts

126 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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According to alloy wheels direct

link to page

http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/mercedes_alloy_wh...

assuming there the right wheels 8" front & 9" rear then

DUNLOP SP Winter Sport 3D
Front: 225/35R19 88W XL
Rear: 255/30R19 91W XL

NorthernBoy

Original Poster:

12,642 posts

256 months

Thursday 13th November 2014
quotequote all
Perfect, thanks very much.

Now, and sorry for the supplementary question, they seem to list "winter" "cold weather" and "all season" tyres. Does anyone know which are the ones to go for? I've never bought winter tyres before (I live in Central London, and if there's snow on the road, I just get the train, or motorbike), but want to drive up North for Christmas, and to the alps for skiing, and a C63 in poor conditions on summer rubber is not a great combination.

SwissJonese

1,393 posts

174 months

Thursday 13th November 2014
quotequote all
I'm not sure 19inch alloys would work particularly well with winter tyres as not much space left in the wheel arch.

On my W204 C350 estate I went from the 18inch summer alloys to 17inch because the winter tyres have a deeper tread depth (plus leaving room for snow chains)

The C63 can only go down to 18inch alloys due to the size of the front brakes. If your C63 is a W204 I can see the following is recommended from Mercedes:-
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 MO
225/40 R18 92V

NorthernBoy

Original Poster:

12,642 posts

256 months

Thursday 13th November 2014
quotequote all
Thanks. I'm going to want to fit them on the original alloys, as otherwise the cost is just not worth it.

If that's not an option, I'll just drive gently on my one trip up North in the winter, and fly and rent a car for the skiing.

goldblum

10,272 posts

166 months

Thursday 13th November 2014
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I've got Conti WinterContacts on my E63.

Charliesum

246 posts

142 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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Never had a problem with mine
If you want to hoon then buy winter tyres, if you want to drive with respect to your surroundings then just invest in a roadcraft or similar driving course and adapt your driving, I'm guessing not many police forces use winter tyres (await correction).....
But then I live near the Isle of Wight not Isle of Skye!!!!!

Edited by Charliesum on Friday 14th November 23:43

Alex L

2,575 posts

253 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
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I bought a set of 18 inch AMG wheels from Mercedes last year with Michelin Alpins for just over £2k which didn't think was too bad. The winter wheels for the C63 aren't staggered sizes so effectively you end up with 4 front wheels and tyres on the car.

NorthernBoy

Original Poster:

12,642 posts

256 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Charliesum said:
Never had a problem with mine
If you want to hoon then buy winter tyres, if you want to drive with respect to your surroundings then just invest in a roadcraft or similar driving course and adapt your driving, I'm guessing not many police forces use winter tyres (await correction).....
But then I live near the Isle of Wight not Isle of Skye!!!!!

Edited by Charliesum on Friday 14th November 23:43
So when I'm pulled over in the Alps, and refused access to the mountain, I can just point to my superior driving skills, and they'll let me up?

Dicky Knee

1,026 posts

130 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Anyway, I have used the original rims and fitted winter tyres (although it is an E280 Estate and not a C63). It makes a huge difference in the snow. The car is almost undriveable with summer tyres in the snow. Oponeo or Pneus Online may give you a choice of brands. I have Vredestein winter tyres on mine.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
quotequote all
NorthernBoy said:
So when I'm pulled over in the Alps, and refused access to the mountain, I can just point to my superior driving skills, and they'll let me up?
biggrin



GarethGTR

303 posts

170 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Hi

Off topic a little, but a relevant moral....

Like everyone else at the time, I was stopped from going up a mountain in the Alps by police road block. I pointed to the off-road tyres and the fact I was driving a Discovery 4x4. The Police chap shrugged and let me through. To cut a very long story short - OMG! I was so scared for so long I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. How I did not die is only luck. It was 10 miles with vertical cliffs at 2 MPH and still sliding for 20 yards at a time on the brakes.

On the flip side, I bought winter tyres and wheels last year for my C63 - it was a mild winter and the car was awful on these tyres. Would have been better off with the summer tyres. Did do a trip up the ALps with them though, The conditions were no where near as bad as when I was in the Discovery described above, and the tyres were great - actually unbelievable.
A few non-winter tyre numpties (with UK plates lol) caused hours of tail backs when they stopped for traffic and could not get going again on mountain roads banked by high snow either side of the road.

dvs_dave

8,581 posts

224 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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goldblum said:
I've got Conti WinterContacts on my E63.
Interesting

nitrodave

1,262 posts

137 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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by the time you factor in tyres, fitting and potentially a second set of wheels you could probably pick up a good running shogun with lots of mot and run it for 6 months....

that's what i'd do smile

jackwood

2,608 posts

207 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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I ran Pirelli SottoZero's on the standard wheels of our old C63 and now running Michelin Pilot Alpin 3's, again, on the standard 19" wheels. On the E63 you basically run the front size all round (even on the wider rear rims). It has meant I am now on the second winter with them. What were the rears last year are now on the front this year.
Handling is hilarious. But when it snows I know I'm not going to get stuck. I now put winters on all my cars.

Alex L

2,575 posts

253 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
quotequote all
jackwood said:
On the E63 you basically run the front size all round (even on the wider rear rims).
Same as the C63 winter wheel setup

jackwood

2,608 posts

207 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
quotequote all
Alex L said:
Same as the C63 winter wheel setup
On the C63 I actually kept the summer (staggered) sizing. But that was the first car I ever put on winters and I didn't even read the manual. Just bought and fitted same sizes as the summer set up.

There are usually 2 options for winter sizes in the manual.

Alex L

2,575 posts

253 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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I didn't think about reading the manual, just ordered the wheels and tyre set from Mercedes and keep the 19s for summer use only. Saying that it's not really been cold enough this year yet so still on summer rubber.

http://www.mercedes-benz.inchcape.co.uk/tyres/Cont...