Has anyone upgraded to 18" wheels on a 2000 S500? Any difference? Can I expect poorer performance on snow?

I don't have 18" on mine(W140), but I have driven one(W140, W220) with 18". And I would say they look VERY cool on the car(Both), but newer style(Aero, 5 spoke)looks better on W220 than Monoblocks.

The ride suffers a little, but I feel that W220 suffers a bit less than W140. Maybe it's the Air-Susp. that just works too well....

Anyways, if you do change to 18", tell us how it goes....

Happy Motoring...
Andy Kuo

The air suspension gives you more tolerance for a stiffer wheel/tire combo. Have seen various ultra-low profile stuff on W140 and W220's and both can look very good or very cheesy. Depends too much on personal taste to point specific fingers. Snow traction will depend more on tread design/compound and tread width. For better snow traction you want to stay at OEM size or go narrower so the tire can cut through the snow rather than having to plow over/through it. There are some ultra low profile snow tires out there but my advice would be to stick with OEM all season tires or snow tires over the winter then do the swap to low-profile "summer"/performance tires in the spring. The salt and less frequent washing that usually go along with winter are more harmful to your rims. If you are going to run 18" ers most of the year you'd be better off lettting the winter wear/tear fall on the OEM setup.

Hope this helps...Lee

Thanks much.My car is being built today and I keep going back and forth in my mind on the wheels. My wife drives a 320 CLK cabro. (1999) and I really didn't like the look of the wheels so I upgraded to the AMG from the 430. What hurts is you get NO $$ crdit for the wheels or tires you take off, even though they are unused. Is it worth it on the s500? I don't know. Those 16" tires look so small and fat...I'll probably end up going with the 18" but I need to torture myself first. Thanks again.

If both cars are going to see snow, then, use the OEM rims(fit with either snow tire or 4-season tires, depend on how much snow) for snow, as Lee has suggested. That way, you won't let those rims sitting in the garage.

Happy Motoring...
Andy Kuo

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<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
<LI>Moonstone Grey/Black Leather
<LI>Blue/Red Headlights
<LI>Xenon-Look Foglights
</UL>

ICQ#26950002
http://drive.to/akry

This is some info on two new 18" wheels for the W220:

5-Hole Cast Wheel:
18x8.0 245/45R18 part #B66470547, List $620

AMG Cast Wheel, Style I:
18x8.5 245/45R18 part #B66031012, List $565
18x9.0 275/40R18 part #B66031013, (rear) List $620


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<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1998 MERCEDES-BENZ E430
<LI>OBSIDIAN BLACK/BLACK
<LI>XENON H.I.D.
<LI>DEBADGED E430
<LI>AMG CHROMED TIP DUAL EXHAUST
<LI>CARLSSON 1/6 CHROME (PLUS 1) WHEELS
</UL>