I'm shopping now for tires for my 98 SL. As we all know they're not cost effective, nor do they last as long as we'd like. Just wondering which tires you guys have liked or hated. Who had the best bang for the buck?
All opinions appreciated.
TIA,
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Best bang-for-the-buck? It depends on how you plan to drive the car.

Just some general advice. Make sure the tires you buy are Z-rated and have wet/dry tread (NOT all-season). The tread pattern will have distinct "V" shapes. Anything else would be like forcing an Olympic sprinter to wear a pair of all-leather wingtip dress shoes to run a dash on a rain-soaked track. An SL demands Z-rated tires.

Z-rated tires start at around $100 ea or so and go up to around $300 ea. Unless you plan on racing the car, I'd lean towards the $100 tires since Z-rated tires wear faster than most people are willing to accept. Tires can be a status symbol. If you're the uppity brand name buyer type, get the $300 tires regardless.

 

Hey Lugnut, I use H rated tires which are rated for 135mph. I rarely drive faster . As far as low end tires, Hankook makes great products which last longer than any Michelin's I've owned at twice the price.

 

They don't grip as good as Z-rated. They're not as soft. Top speed isn't everything. H-rated tires also get hot sooner, even below 135 mph.

 

Kumho MX is good value for its money.
or... Toyo Proxes T1-S...

 

What are the tires that go for 100 and what brand for 300?

 

For the $100 tires, get a Sunday newspaper and look for discount tire shop sales. Check the discount auto parts stores as well, like Pep Boys. Sales often have coupons good for a set of four and include free mounting and balancing. If you shop around, you can get a set of balanced and mounted Z-rated tires for $100 each. The brands will be General, Kumho, HoboTires, etc. They're decent tires, though.

I paid just over $300 each for Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. These are the ones they put on the Ferrari Enzo (or used to). They had to be ordered, so there was no discount. The price included balancing and mounting.

 

I would never skimp on tyres - they're the most important part of the car when it comes to staying on the road! Continental Sport Contact 2s were standard fit in '99 and take a lot of beating for all round use and longevity.

 

I wouldn't buy Continentals because I think it would be skimping. I guess skimping is a relative term, eh?

There's nothing wrong with General or Kumho tires, if that's your point... especially if Continentals is your tire of choice. I put all three in the same class. And, there's nothing wrong with looking for tires on sale so you can save some money. Is that skimping?

 

Yes, because more than likely the tires will be old stock. Kumho don't even come close - and if you think putting Eagle F1s on an R129 SL will help then more fool you! Continental make some of the best tyres in the world - explains why Mercedes fit them as OEM equipment.