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It seems so fast. It has already been two and a half years since I purchased the Mercedes Benz w204 C180. In mileage terms, I have done slightly over 40,000km in it and it now needs new tyres. The car came with expensive Continental CSC5 tyres (which recently came up tops in EVO's tyre of the year recently). That tyre was good in the dry, good in the wet and quite quiet on most road surfaces. It was consistent in its grip and its give. It was predictable too and you could give the C180 a shove out of junctions so that the tail would wag a little when turning left or right. I suppose that this is because it is a top dollar tyre. Top dollar prices too.
Anyway, the CSC5's are not indestructible. With all the MRT construction happening around Petaling Jaya where I live it basically meant that the CSC5s which had about 5000-10000km of life left in them died. One front tyre had a bulge. This meant that there was a rupture in the steel braiding of the tyre sidewall. This was most probably caused by entering one of those many potholes that are common sight around the Klang Valley. The rear tyre then suffered a catastrophic puncture. I call it catastrophic as if you took a look at the screwdriver or drill bit that went through the tyre you'd think that someone was out to get me (see above).
So it was an emergency, in some ways. So I had to head over to the neighbourhood tyre shop for a new set. I would have gone over to my usual tyre shop which would stock some Nexen N8000s, which I actually like to use as the best bang for buck high performance tyre out there. But it was in USJ and I was in a hurry. So the shop where I lived was the next best option.
The tyre shop's options were Pirelli P1s or Continental MC5 (max contact 5) tyres (pictured below). I did not want the Pirellis as I somehow read reviews and have a personal bias from long ago that their mid range tyres aren't that good as their PZero range. I checked out Conti's more affordable MC5 as my friend Adlis K, who also runs a W204 C180 Sport Amg has been running this tyre for awhile and did not have any problems to date. It was cheaper compared to the Pirellis too.
Alloys made by German wheel producer Ronal
You see, the C180 that I have runs wider rear wheels. 7.5inches front, and 8.5 inches rear. Fronts are 225 section tyres whilst the rears are larger 245 sections. Rear tyres are more expensive. From the official list of W205 cars brought in by Mercedes Benz Malaysia, only the C180 and the C250 comes with this staggered wheel size. The normal C200 avantgarde or classic comes with 7.5inches all around. I have no idea how MB Malaysia specced up this C180 BlueEfficiency. More to Avantgarde spec with piano black trimming inside and staggered wheels outside. I suppose in terms of high speed grip, fabulous. In terms of tyre sourcing, 245/40/17 is a rare size. It costs more and not many places keep stock. Oh, a lot of the AMG Sport grey imports use this setting too. So be prepared to pay a little bit more. For example - MC5 fronts 225/45/17 could cost RM500 or so, the rears, RM600. If these were Nexens, RM400 or so and RM500 for the rears.
So what I'll do in the next few months is come up with a report and tell you guys whether downgrading to Continental's second choice for the C180 is actually worth it or not. And don't worry. The report would be quite an honest one as I bloody paid for the tyres myself. Now tell me....where else in the Malaysian motoring world would you find such honesty?
