Hello patty, I have a Mercedes Clk 430 and I am trying to find the best available tires for my car can you help me, I know the front and rear tires are different sizes but the websites I have been on have so many choices I just do not know what brand is best for my car. Thank You so much for your help!!
Answers from the Automotive Experts
Without knowing the model year of your CLK, I*m not sure what the tire sizes are. But I based my search on the following sizes: Front 225/45-17, and Rear 245/40-17. If that*s not correct, the tires I*ll mention will most likely come in the sizes you need, just check with your local tire dealer.
First of all, you need to decide what type of tire you want - summer vs. all-season, and high performance vs. touring. If you drive in warm weather year-round, then a summer tire is for you. If you deal with the occasional cold temperatures and ice/snow, you may want to consider an all-season tire. The majority of tires for your car are high performance, meaning they are more about crisp cornering and control for sporty driving, rather than the softer, cushy ride of your average sedan. So I*m going to assume you want a performance tire.
Here are some options, along with a pricing estimate, for both summer and all-season tires that will fit the sizes I mentioned above. These are good, quality brands, just with some different options for pricing points.
Summer tires:
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3, about $150 per tire
Continental ContiSportContact 3, about $170 per tire
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, about $195 per tire
All-season tires:
Dunlop SP Sport Signature, about $100 per tire
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, about $175 per tire
Hi Tabatha -
As a rule going with the original equipment is best.
You can look on the sticker on the side of your drivers door to find out what size tires are recommended. Definitely stick with the correct size even if you choose a different manufacturer than what originally came on your car.
Your choice of brand and style may depend a bit on where you are located. If you drive in the snow a lot for example, you will want a tire geared more to that. The dealer will be your best reference for that, they can advise you in the right direction.
It is worth spending the extra money for a good quality tire, though that doesn*t necessarily mean that the most expensive is the best. Really cheap tires can give you more of a headache than the lower price is worth. Stick with known brands, and generally I*d stay away from really sporty tires as they wear faster and can be noisy as they do. Michelin, Continental, or Pirelli are good quality and common choices for Mercedes, and they have good national presence which means if you travel and get stuck in need of a tire you are more likely to be able to find a matching replacement.
So much depends on your driving style. If you use your car mostly as a commuter vehicle, than a harder tire is probably best. If you like to "get on it" *grin* you might want a softer tire.
I hope I was some help, it can be really a very personal decision. But definitely choose a well known and well rated brand.
Good luck!
Bogi Lateiner
http://www.180auto.com/