Another happy General Altimax RT43 customer here. I had them on my '87 300SDL and even driving it at 10/10ths around the Sports Car Course at Daytona they handled themselves well.

My new-to-me '91 350SDL came with some Prime Wells. They're gone as soon as the Pirelli P4s I just ordered come in.

There's that old (very true) saw about 'the most expen$ive car you'll ever own is a cheap Mercedes' .

Very true, I'm a junkyard junkie so I get to see some really nice oldies that were driven 'till they droped then discarded .

I wouldn't have been able to afford one in my twenties, glad I can now .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

There's a reason I don't actually own one of these cars. Just about any 4 cylinder Japanese car from the last 20 years would make a far better daily driver.

When life calms down a bit, the truck is likely getting replaced as well. Just don't have the time or inclination to turn wrenches anymore.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

“Never skimp on anything related to steering or stopping your car; everything else can fail… but those things won’t kill you or anyone else.”

Then again, I’m nuts. I put a set of brand-new Michelin’s on my ‘95 E300D with 413,000 miles and a “patina” on the factory paint that makes it look like it was used as a nuclear bomb test subject. A car that looks like it should have the cheapest possible 'Sum-Ting-Round' brand Chinese grade-B tires from Walmart.

I keep delaying the inevitable sale of that car (and others) but when I do list it, I’m going to advertise it as a set of low-mileage 205/65/15 Michelins mounted on scruffy Mercedes wheels... plus an entire running car for free.

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Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

The Michelin's aren't $600 per tire. That's for a set. Your $50 Douglas tires = $200 for a set of 4 plus about $60 to put them on, plus tire disposal fee plus tax and you're up to about $350. I'm also wondering if those Douglas tires are H rated like they're supposed to be. The Michelin Defenders I had are T rated but Michelin said they would do the job for my car. I don't think other T rated tires are suitable.

Tires are not about cost, no matter what age you are. They are about SAFETY. Saying "I saved $200 on a cheap set of tires" doesn't work well if you get in a car crash because of them and just because you haven't BEEN in an accident doesn't mean you won't be in 2 minutes after getting into your car next time.

Proper tires (H rated in my case or the ...ONE... T rated tire that Michelin said would work on my car) can support the weight of the car and gives the softer rubber that is needed to stop the car in the right amount of time, not to mention handle any emergency maneuver you have to make.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZICIsdz7W0A

I don't deny that there are better tires out there that will help your vehicle handle better.

What I'm trying to say is that tires are not as important as other things when it comes to getting into accidents.

Here's my list of priorities if you want to avoid accidents:

1. Keep a good following distance
2. Slow down when it starts to rain or snow
3. Keep your eyes on the road
4. Don't text while driving
5. Don't drive drunk
6. Don't drive if you feel like you're going to fall asleep
7. Don't drive a dangerous vehicle (old suvs/old pickups/motorcycles)
8. Tires

If you do 1-7 then tires might as well be irrelevant.

However if you don't do 1-6 then no tire will help you

Christuna all true. If one is that worried about handling and stopping distance buy a newer car.

JSBach:

I do not think a single M tire for a 90s mid sedan diesel MB costs $600. Just never mind...