Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Winter Tire Reviews

This article applies to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class w211/w212 (2002-Present).

Many people drive on all-season tires during the winter, but this is a bad idea because those tires aren't flexible enough to handle the low outdoor temperatures as winter tires are. The biggest difference between the two is that winter tires make heavy use of sipes, which are the little slits you see on the tread. When the tire tread is packed with sipes, snow and slush are pushed out to the sides of the tire instead of directly underneath, allowing for better traction and control. Any winter tire would be an improvement from all-season tires, but there's still the question of which winter tires are best for you. This article will provided the most popular brands for the Mercedes-Benz w211 and w212 E-Class.

E-Class W211/W212 Winter Tire Reviews

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80

Price – $706 per set of four

Looks – Directional treads with blocked edges and 3D zigzag sipes

Weight – 27 lbs.

Tread Width – 7.5"

Tread Depth – 12/32"

The Blizzak WS80 is Bridgestone's top of the line winter tire for compacts, coupes, and sedans. It's built with Bridgestone's NanoPro-Tech Multicell compound, which features a hydrophilic coating and bite particles that act like microscopic studs. The compound is flexible enough to handle any form of winter weather (from driving in slush to the snow and ice). The zigzag tread design along with the block edges allows for an easier exit of slush and snow, giving the tire better traction.

The Blizzak WS80 has the best traction on ice and snow. It will also give your E-Class the best stopping power of any winter tire. The only drawbacks are that the tread life won't be quite as long as tires made of a harder compound, and it will be slightly noisier as well as less comfortable than other tires. However, these issues are nothing compared to the benefit of having good traction, even on ice. Recommended for its incredible traction on ice and snow.

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Price – $697

Looks – Directional with three different blocks of sipes

Weight – 25 lbs.

Tread Width – 8.3"

Tread Depth – 10/32"

The Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D is designed to work well in both wet and dry conditions. It's flexible enough to handle low temperatures in dry climates and in freezing conditions. This tire gets its name from the three distinct traction zones, each featuring different sipe patterns. Pulling the sipes along the center provide traction when accelerating and braking. High amplitude sipes between the center and edges provide stability as well as control. Also, the 3D sipes on the shoulders enhance stability on dry roads.

The Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D makes for a great all around set of winter tires that are built to withstand all the conditions winter can throw at them. It performs better in dry conditions than any other winter tire listed here. However, it's capable of handling all but the heaviest snowfall. Recommended for use in climates with variable conditions.

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3

Price – $958

Looks – Asymetric with variable sipe thickness

Weight – 23 lbs.

Tread Width – 8.5"

Tread Depth – 10.5/32"

Michelin's Pilot Alpin PA3 is targeted at owners who want to retain the feel of their performance and luxury vehicle, while offsetting the difficulties of winter. This tire uses a sunflower oil-enriched Helio compounds, and has an asymmetric tread design—wider sipes on the inside for traction in snow and narrower sipes on the outside for better handling on dry roads. It's also built to Michelin's Green X standard of rolling resistance for lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.

Michelin has built an impressive luxury winter tire. It combines quiet and comfort with high traction in winter weather. The harder compound means it will last long before the tread wears down, but this also means it won't have the best traction compared to the others listed. The asymmetric design helps with cornering in dry conditions, and the improved fuel efficiency is also a plus. Recommended for high comfort and performance.

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Price – $767

Looks – Directional with large contact patch and rounded shoulders

Weight – 24 lbs.

Tread Width – 8"

Tread Depth – 10/32"

Pirelli's Winter Sottozero 3 is designed for European luxury vehicles driven in European winter conditions. This tire features a directional double arrow tread pattern that gives it a much broader contact patch, and uses high density 3D sipes for improved traction as well as stability. The dynamic compound was designed to be functional in unpredictable temperatures and conditions. The wide treads also allows the Sottozero 3 to plow through even the heaviest snowfall.

Pirelli offers a very high-class and high-quality set of winter tires. They perform great in any weather condition, even in heavy snow with hardly any trade-offs in dry conditions. The tread design and rounded edges give it extreme performance along with great traction. While not able to stop a car on ice as well as the Blizzak WS80s, this tire does everything else so well that it's considered to be the best in its class. Recommended for its overall high quality.

Related Discussions and Site

• Winter Tires Questions - MBWorld.org
• Blizzak WS60s on ice - MBWorld.org
• Michelin A/S 3 Review - MBWorld.org
• Really Impressed with the 4MATIC - MBWorld.org
• Higher Tire Pressures for Winter Driving - TireRack.com