Hi Luke,
1) will 98 factory CLK alloy wheels (16") fits 300E ?
2) if they fit, what is the best tire for them on a 300E driven in Vancouver, Canada which rains a lot in winter but no snow

Thanks

Peter

Peter,
They will fit on your car and as for a tire recommendation take a look at the tires I posted under the Alex ... treadpattern thread any of those would be acceptable and the Pilot sports would be the best followed by the firestones ... then the bridgestones ...
Thanks, Luke

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Luke Pavlick
Performance Specialist (ASE Certified Master Tech)
Please, call me to place orders (800-428-8355 ext. 362)
or mention my name for on-line orders
(click banner at top of the page
to visit Tire Rack web site)

I think they might actually fit. Not sure though. Go with a 205/55/16. Go with any kind of Michelin. They are all great. You won't be disappointed.

Daniel

P.S. - I do like three other tires that aren't Michelins. Grin. (Pirelli P6000, Continental ContiSport and CH/CV/CZ90)

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1988 Mercedes-Benz 260E
Euro Headlights
94/95 Turn Signals and Taillights
16" x 7J 8-hole Euro-only (Authentic MB)
Michelin Pilot HX MXM 205/55VR16
Sportline Suspension
Debadged

Michelin is much like Meguiars...if they are not the best in the respective field they are one of the best. Cost no object, you really can't go wrong with them.

That said, you can frequently find another tire that is a solid match for the Michelin in the given application for far less. I'm not saying compromise on driveability whatsoever but sometimes there is another good way.

BTW, conti's just plain suck and suck badly... Never drove a conti I liked. All of them feel "twitchy" (even the touring versions) and frequently they dont' balance as easily/well as the competitors. The touring conti's are very quiet but the ride, handling, and just about everything else is sub-par. Yes, the price is low on them but this is a case of not quite getting what you pay (less) for in my experience. There are too many other good low cost options not to mention a bunch of MUCH better higher cost ones.

Hate to disagree with Daniel again but he is the first person I've ever heard of who likes Pirelli P6K's. Though not as bad as Conti's, certainly another case of "many better options".

Tires are very fickle. Specific vehicles do better than others, some tires are very sensitive to alignment, etc. Also many of these tires give a different "feel" though their measurable traits are similar. Drive as many of these other tires as possible on a vehicle you are at least semi-familiar with. Then go with what feels best to you. Also of note, virtually all of these tires are a compromise of some kind. Figure out which vehicle traits are most important to you and go with a tire that is strongest in those categories.

Hope this helps...Lee

I like the Pirelli P6000. It feels like magic when new. After that, it's a downhill spiral. I only get them when it is all they have in the size I need.

I like the Continentals. They do not balance as well, but are okay for the price. The performance isn't THAT bad either.

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1988 Mercedes-Benz 260E (W124)
Euro Headlights
1994/1995 Turn Signals and Taillights
16" x 7J 8-hole (Authentic MB)
Michelin Pilot HX MXM 205/55ZR16 89W
Debadged

Hi Luke, Daniel & Lee

My 2 questions turn into many more. It seems to me Michelin seems to be leading with Firestones and Bridgestones not far behind.
1) Will a Michelin MXV4 Plus with a 400 rating lasts 2 1/2 longer than a Michelin HX MXM? How do they compare in performance?
2) I have been told many of the newer designed lower priced less known tires are as good as those older higher priced name brand performance tires from 2-5 years ago. Any truth to that?
3) Bridgestones RE730 and Dunlop SP5000 also caught my attention with their tread designs and reasonable prices. Any suggestion there?

Thanks

Peter

[This message has been edited by chupr98 (edited 08-01-2000).]

Interesting observation - I agree with Lee on Michelins over Conti's on any of my cars, but it is really interesting to me that most of the people ride road bicycles with me agree that the Contis (Grand Prix 700x18) REALLY outperform the Michelins for cornering and speed! Maybe their car tire designers should talk to the bike tire people, or else the engineering requirements are vastly different!

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JCE
87 300E, 65k miles
Smoke Silver

MXV4 Plus will last twice as long as MXMs maybe. More like 1.5 probably. MXMs are way nicer tires though.

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1988 Mercedes-Benz 260E (W124)
Euro Headlights
1994/1995 Turn Signals and Taillights
16" x 7J 8-hole (Authentic MB)
Michelin Pilot HX MXM 205/55ZR16 89W
Debadged

Hi, BTW, do anyone of you know the factory CLK wheels (A 208 401 00 02) are forged or casted? I bought the set advertised on your classified section and now shopping for tires.

Thanks

The 2000 ones are cast, pre-2000 are forged.

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1988 Mercedes-Benz 260E (W124)
Debadged
Euro Headlights
1994/1995 Turn Signals and Taillights
16" x 7J 8-hole (Authentic MB)
Michelin Pilot HX MXM 205/55WR16