"traditional" tires (non-run flats)

[Joe]

I am loving my B, but my biggest complaint is with the tires (Micheline MOE), which I feel are noisy and offer poor ride quality. There is one specific stretch of my daily commute where it just hits exactly the wrong frequency/oscillation where the car rattles and hops (like the tires are not balanced or I'm on hydraulics).

I am so annoyed that I'm thinking of swapping out for "traditional" tires (not run flat, which have stiffer sidewall and contribute to the rougher/louder ride). I figure with range anxiety, I will never go beyond 40 mile radius from my house, so I won't be "that" stranded...

Has anyone else done this? Am I crazy for considering this...? Thx.

 

[JeffRay]

Joe, I was thinking the same thing but decided to live with the ride as my use is mainly urban and I will return car with original tires given expected use. If you do change out, please report how ride improves in any case.

 

[Joe]

JeffRay - how many miles do you think you will have upon return? How worn down will the OE tires be?

 

[JeffRay]

There is another post on Care of Leased car with some good posts by others. I will return car in 36 months with 15K so should be ok. Others you will see indicate need to replace tires by 30K so they suggest switching out for other tires and returning car with original tires.

Since you mentioned it, I am going to look into softer ride regular tires for urban driving.

 

[JeffRay]

Well, on second thought. Went to see my MB mechanic today to replace a punctured tire on my wife's wagon. While waiting for the tire to be delivered to his (small) shop, I asked him what he thought of run flat tires. After he stopped laughing, he said they were no good for urban (vs. highway) driving because they don't give and I would feel every bump on the road. Sounded exactly like my ride for the first 75 days. So I decided that tomorrow, I am going to take a picture of my tires and ask him to price a set of four regular tires (no spare).

Those who are quick will notice that this starts with me dealing with a punctured tire. That happens in NYC at least once a year with tire or rim replacement once every other year. In thinking about it, that inconvenience I am used to handling. The imperfect ride is starting to bother me now that I am dwelling on it. After all, we aren't exactly driving a sports car.

If anyone has already made the switch, I would appreciate your feedback on whether it improves the ride. I am looking at either Michelins or Continentals for all-season comfort ride tires.

 

[wtzouris]

Go to tirerack.com and enter 2014 Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive. Search tires. So many choices in the 225/50 R17 (this is a very common size) -- 121 results. So I would narrow down to most popular, highest rating etc. And look at surveys for traction etc. I personally would look for tires with a load rating (Service Description) of 94 or higher and the XL rating on the Ply (or load range) (due to the higher weight of the B-Class) and LRR (Low Rolling Resistance ) if possible. That narrowed it down to fewer results.

Of the Tire Rack choices, I like the Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology XL, 98V
and the Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS XL, 98W. Probably would go with the Continentals

Alternatively I really really love Nokian Tires, so I went to www.tiresbyweb.com

and I found these:

Nokian eNTYRE Premium All-Season Tires, 98V, XL, $171 each (These are great I had them for two years on a Sienna XLE)

Nokian ENTYRE 2.0 Premium All-Season Tires, 98V, XL, $175 each (The newest version)
This is what I would get in a non-run flat.

of course you will find the tire I am considering, the NOKIAN WR A3 Runflat (All-Weather) tire, $264 each., only 94V

 

[JeffRay]

WTZ, thanks buddy. I have been riding the last few days carefully judging whether the crummy ride is in my head or real. On minor dips, etc, they really aren't that bad. But hit say 11th Avenue south which is a POS, the ride is bumpy. Part of it is the stiff suspension, the other is the run flats. I remember this from when I bought my 1990 BMW 535i with sports tires. Much better with luxury comfort tires Michelin. I am still in evaluation mode as laying out $600 on a leased car driven locally is not a must do.

P.S. One of these days, I am going to get into a fender bender looking right to see your car when I should be looking straight driving up Lafayette.

 

[JeffRay]

Blowing in the wind. I just picked up my wife's wagon ($3200 bill) from the dealer. One of the items was another tire with puncture near the sides, so there goes another $300. I think I will ride with the run flats and see how it goes a little longer in potholed NYC. That is the second tire I have had to replace in 60 days. I suppose these tires could also puncture but potentially easier to patch and keep vs. replace. We shall see over the next year.

 

[JeffRay]

I started the car this morning and the warning came up, Check Tire Pressure. It indicated each of the four tires psi with the left rear showing 29 psi in red. (I wish I could take a picture and post but dunno how to do the latter). Anyway, I diverted to my friendly dealer without an appointment and they had someone look at the rear tire (Jose). In seconds, he said I had a screw in the tire in the middle, not on the sides. Jose also asked if I had tire insurance. I said only for rims and bumpers. Someone said that would likely cover the tires too (with a deductible). The service advisor (Glenn) said they don't recommend plugging run flats (ANYONE HAVE AN OPINION ON THAT?) and said they would replace the tire. Of course, they do not stock this tire in house! BTW, this dealer is owned by MBUSA. And they don't stock it. Anyway, tomorrow, they should have the tire and I will learn if it is indeed covered under insurance and what the deductible is. Geez, if I had replaced the run flats, I would have just had the boys on the street plug it for $20. On the other hand, I would have walked up to a flat tire this morning. (Oh yeah, that is what the air compressor is for in my other car). This is way too complicated for me to figure out. Oh well.

 

[stu1021]

Jeff,
I bit the bullet and replaced my wheels/tires with a set from a 2015 C Class. Even though they are 18" wheels with the lower profile tires the Continental Pro Contact SSR (self supporting run flat) ride noticeably better than the Michelins. Quite noticeable over expansion joints - also less "buzz" at speed. I had the car into the dealer for service the other day and the service manager told me that the Michelins are a special "low rolling resistance" compound and are very hard compared to "normal" tires. I am loving the ride and better handling and I haven't noticed any difference in economy.

 

[JeffRay]

Dealer reported yesterday that the replacement run flat tire was warped and was not able to install with proper alignment. Ordering new one. Service advisor informs that this may be a problem with run flats.

 

[JeffRay]

Since I bought the insurance, the new tire is going to cost me $50 installed. Of course the insurance for tires, rims, and bumpers is an additional $39 per month.

 

[evnewbie]

I just replaced the run flats on my 2015 B-ED with Pirelli P7 AS Plus and the ride comfort is great now. No more jarring rides over small dips and rough pavement. The tire noise seems a bit louder at highway speeds compared to the original Michelin Primacy run flats but the new tires give better traction. The B-ED even more fun to drive now.

 

[JeffRay]

Thanks for info. I assume the car suspension remains firm but with new tires, holds the road better?

 

[evnewbie]

Thanks for info. I assume the car suspension remains firm but with new tires, holds the road better?

Yep, the suspension is still firm but the new tires give more traction when cornering and turning which I wasn't really expecting. The ride comfort and handling (in Sport mode) now feel similar to some of the most comfortable and good handling SUV's I tried like the Acura MDX SH-AWD.

 

[Joe]

After much procrastination and research, I finally got a new set of tires last week. My main criteria: ride comfort, ride noise, and bang-for-the-buck (good value, not expensive tires). I am in SoCal, so I ignored wet or snow. Since it is a 3 yr lease and I kept the OEM tires, I was also not too concerned with treadwear/durability.

I got the Hankook S1 Noble2. Same size, same wheels.

I am very pleased, it is quieter and the ride is better (at all speeds and surfaces). Less jittery, less vibration over certain types of pavement and I can sense/feel the rubber is softer.