please advise on what the tire ratings mean, ie:H,T,S.
I need info on 1984 380sl 133,000mi, one driver car used around town only. Rarely in excess of 65mph. Want 4 new tires and have gotten mixed answers on what I should buy.
THANKS!!

I'm not a tire man but I'll say H is best for your vehicle.

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MB STARS Master Guild Technician,17 years MB tech
14 years independent shop owner

"H" rated tires are rated to go up to 130 mph. I believe "S" rated are good for up to 118 mph. I don't know off hand what "T" is good for. If you go to http://www.tirerack.com, you can find out what is recommended for your car. Also your owner's manual should list it. My father has a '85 300D and his car calls for 195/70-14. I don't remember what speed rating they are. My '80 300SD calls for, oddly for the car's size, 185/70-14. Which are "S" rated tires. Since you said you rarely go above 65 mph, you don't need to spend good money on "H" rated tires. I bought my tires at a STS tire center, they are Continentals and they ran about $48 a piece. Since you do alot of around town driving, you may want to get a tire that has a long tread life. Just due to all the turns you probably take, versus straight-line highway driving. Hope this helps.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

Charlene,
I am glad to see you finally found the site! Welcome! You might ask the "wheels and tires" forum folks also.

I believe that the 205/70/14 are the correct tire size for your car first of all. Now The speed-rating is meant for judging the speed capabilities on tires. However it also is directly related to the performance capabilities of your tires. The ability to handle heat and traction are what characterizes the ability to make a tire more stable at higher speeds. So in general, the higher the speed rating the better, but it gets to a point where u start loosing ride quality as well as wear quality and all-season capabilites. So the perfect balance depends on the car.
I honestly wouldn't buy an H-rated tire for your vehicle, because its not going to be that beneficial to a tire that is as tall as your with the much sidewall flex.

If you were to buy an H-rated tire, I would only get the Michelin Energy MXV4s, but at $99 I don't see the extra $$ being worth it.

I would consider the Yokohama Avid T4 because they are warranted for 60,000 miles and also offer very good performance for a T-rated tire. At $43 a tire form TireRack, great bang for the buck too.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/yokohama/yo_avidt4.jsp


Also, talk to Luke from Tirerack, let him know what you are looking for, and what you have been recommended, he will help you out.

Good Luck.

[Edited by Chiragp on 12-04-2000 at 09:32 PM]

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Chirag (Charlie) Patel
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