It seems like the selection is getting narrower for 14" tires. I've worn out the Pirelli P4s that were on the car when I bought it. I've been running Coopers on my old Hondas and Volvos and I like the way they feel on those cars.
What would the Mercedes purist want and what would the purist on a budget want?

tirerack improved their 195/60-14 selection from a couple of years ago. Always Michelin for a keeper. I’ve had good experience with Kumho, Hankook and Sumitomo. Better when new than when worn. I read a lot of good things about General Altimax on this forum but one of the few things I improved on ‘83 SD I got from a meticulous member was ditching them for Kumhos. Maybe they aren’t as good when worn either.

I don’t push the car and most of my driving is on dry pavement. I prefer quiet over cornering prowess.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

I used to always spend the money on Michelins but I tried a set of super cheap Milestar tires on my 01 E320 and they actually seem pretty decent. They are smooth and quiet and have great traction in the rain. Only have had them on about 10k miles so far but time will tell.

I've been running 195/70R14 Goodyear "Walmart special" tires. They are sold Walmart exclusively, but the only different between them and other Goodyears is the name. They have treated me well. My neighbor has had them (on a Toyota Camry) for about 5 years and they are a bit loud, but grip and wear well.

I worked at a Walmart tire and lube center for a number of years. The only reason the name is different is so that Walmart can set a price point and not price match to a shop that has them cheaper. If it's a Walmart only tire, nobody can beat the price on it.

I may go for Michelins when I finish my build.

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Milan Brown 1979 240D, rebuilt OM617.952 turbo diesel, rebuilt 722.315 transmission (my only daily driver)

Instagram: @maximed93

I like Michelins and continental.

Too bad I went to the junkyard and got two good year tires for $80, they're barely used, dirty ass hell but new.

Lots of tread depth, faint new tire smell, no dry rotting.

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

mud,and snow tires all year.great for rain too.Buy mine off ebay

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

I used to think that way too. Growing up, if we had a car it rolled on Michelins. Period. Not sure what's happened with them, but the prices have just kept going up and I'm hard-pressed to justify the cost compared to something like a Continental or Yokohama which seem to last as long and hold up as well as the Michelins.

It seems like within the last decade, that "So much is riding on your tires" mentality over at Michelin flew out the window. The last 3 sets of Michelins I've had have been terrible. The ones I had on my Honda (don't remember which ones they were, but they were damn near $200/tire) were so bad, I had them off the car before 20K miles. Been burned 3 times, there won't be a 4th attempt.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

For a car that is driven a lot on the highway I'll always go with Michelin. I have never been disappointed in life or performance. For cars driven less, Kuhmo, Hancook. I've had Bridgestone but was disappointed.

For autocross, Hoosier, though I want to try the Avons. I hear they are as fast as Hoosiers but last for a lot longer.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I got a set of RT-43's for Nancy's Mazda due to the price & good feedback on Tire rack several years ago, they perform well enough for me to have ordered a set for my '87 300D. Have not installed them yet.

I am currently running Goodyear Eagle Sports on W210 rims on the 87 300TDT. They handle and grip well, but I think the ride quality is a little harsh.

Had Conti DWS06 on some cars, guess they are OK, a little harsh like the Eagle Sports.

My dad wound up with Yokohamas (not sure which) on his W210, I was prepared to not like them, but I was surprised to find that they have a great combination of handling, grip, and ride quality. They passed the on ramp test, for sure.

I have never been disappointed with the many different Michelins I have used, but some models are much better values than others. Too bad Pilot Super Sports are not available in old MB sedan sizes, great tires! They don't last very long, though, and have been replaced in the Michelin line up.

I am enjoying tooling around on the streets in a pair of '87 300D's. Am a bit of a tire performance junkie, I am an instructor and do a lot of road course driving near the limit in cars that are a little quicker on many weekends. Grip levels reported on this post are relative to having a little extra handling on the street, track slicks have much more grip than any all season or touring tire.

If I get it out of mothballs, I am going to try a set of the Vredestein 195/65/14 on my 87 BMW 325ic. That car likes performance tires much more than all season junk. So hard to find appropriate performance tires in the old sizes.

If you expereince any snow or slush, the General tires are a good value and offer very good wet and light snow handling. They are quiet for most of their life but only last maybe 40-50k. I've used 4 sets but am going to try the Vredensteins as well for my next set

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Dan
2005 E320 CDI - 246k
1987 300SDL TD05-16g, Herlevi pump, Elbe manifold, 2.47 LSD - 213k
Past: 1987 300D - 264k

What kind of tires do I like? Anything I can get for cheap.

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

You shouldn't skimp on tires, shoes, or mattresses. Too many close calls with crap tires, too much discomfort and eventually pain if you go cheap on the other two.

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Milan Brown 1979 240D, rebuilt OM617.952 turbo diesel, rebuilt 722.315 transmission (my only daily driver)

Instagram: @maximed93

Get bigger wheels. 15" and 16" MB wheels are dime a dozen.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Michelin X-tour tires at Costco are renamed Defenders. I put a new set on my '95 e300 for $365 all in when they had 1c install price and $70 off a set. They give free tire rotations and balancing for life of tire and they are rated at 80k miles. Great, confident ride. Highly recommend!

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-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

Roger this. I went to 15" wheels on my W123 just for a better selection of tires My personal choice is Cooper.