Great forum. Need some advice and recommendations for my '95 E320 Wagon.

16" or 17"? I'll use the current 15" set for snows. I want to upgrade to improve handling, but not sure if I should go to 16 or 17s?

Tires?: for 16s - should I be looking for 225/50/16? For 17s - 225/45/17? My offset is 42mm - what does that mean I should be looking for in replacement wheels? Same, more, less? Tire recommendations for 3 season New England driving?

Finally, anyone have a package for me???

Thanks - HGC

I thought I would post mny response here in regards to your email. 17" wheels will give you a less "touring" feel and more "aggresive" feel when it comes to driving. The lower the aspect ratio, the less the tire can absorb, but at the same time the more sturdy it a tire becomes. So 17" tires will perform better then 16", but 16" will give you a better ride. Not only that, but If you are looking for a tire that will last longer you won't find many in 17" sizes becuase they are all bias to high-performance. You can find some good tires in 16" that will satisfy all your tastes if it includes long tire life.

Here is what I found when I did a new Search on Ebay (exactly what you emailed me)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=302688558
These wheels are 17" OZ Opera which have the classic 5-hole MB design with a more modern look. The wheels comes off an w124 which is the same design as your vehicle. I will say now that these wheels do have a brilliant silver finish, and I agree with the seller that they will not look good on a gold car, as well as some other colors. The tires are a nice choice because they are T-rated (more bias to ride and touring) last long, and preform well in wet weather, but not really well in the snow. But These are not as performance bias as some other tires in the size. These tires are 215/45/17 and will not cause a big problem because it is less then 2.5% off the stock tire size which means you will have a speedo error of that much.

I honestly think that 17" are fine for a wagon, but you might run into a little rubbing if you do not have the proper offset. I know TireRack sells these wheels, and they would be able to give you more detail as to what is better for your car. Either options are a good one, so I wouldn't worry to much. As for the Tires, Ideal 225/45/17, 215/45/17 will work, 235/45/17 will rub.

Also remember that 17" tires will be more expensive and will be more prone to flatting out due to a blow from pot holes or something.

This is one of the reason I would suggest a 16" if you will be doing city driving. in 16" tires, I would suggest a 225/50/16, and you have an options of alot of tires. But when it comes to wheels, I don't think you will be able to beat the price of the one you have found.

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Chirag (Charlie) Patel

99 Mercedes-Benx ML 430 V8 w/custom TV, Video, UHF, speaker system
93 190E 2.6 (4-sale) w/ an amp, equalizer, and CD-changer, integrated w. stock stereo for integrated cellular phone speaker system
2001 C-Class - Maybe (if 190E sells )

The 225/50/16's should actually perform better on an otherwise stock E320 wagon. The reason is that the stock suspension cannot take full advantage of the shorter/stiffer sidewall the 17" tire gives. The greater weight of the 17's vs the 16's may also hurt performance slightly. Not to mention that the wagon rides noticeably stiffer on 16" fare. The 17's may well be overkill. Ask Michael Curcio about his experiences, I know he did a swap to 225/50/16 on his W124 wagon.

Hope this helps...Lee