Bruce,

I have an E55 and considered it for 'snow duty'.

IMO the problem is the availability of functional snow tires.

With the E55 you get the bigger AMG brake rotors which means you must stick with 18's. Even though there are 18" snows available, with that wide foot print the tire tends to 'float' over the snow pack instead of bite down into it. Also, the snows I saw that were available in 18" diameter were 'performance' oriented and as such didn't have a real aggressive tread pattern-they were more of an all-season design.

In addition, the front engine/rear drive configuration also contributes to reducing traction in snowy conditions, unlike a front/front or rear/rear combination where there is a good portion of weight over the drive wheels.

I ran the brides CLK430 with a 225/16" Haka type Q snows and it behaved better than a 4WD pickup I had. Only snow banks would stop it. Got to the point where I left the truck home when it snowed!

The same car with wider snows ( and 17" rims) was only marginal.

I think you'd be in the same boat with any high performance vehicle that fits bigger rotor sizes which require bigger rims for clearance. Even AWD won't help.

What you need is a snow tire which is at least a "minus 1" in fitment. Taller tires, narrow/long tire contact patch (although not smaller due to the principle of floating bodies). Its been my experience that once you get past the 225 -235 cross sectional width, snow tire performance degrades.

YMMV.

Regards,
BD

 

I was looking for something roomy and comfy for the family and clients etc. A friend has an EVO and it's perfect for the winter but I need more room. Regarding wide snows I use 245/45/18 Dunlop M3 Wintersports on the S8 and it was pretty much unstoppable but anything wider and I would be skiing on top of the snow. I'll check out the new series A6 with the 4.2L V8. I checked out the MB E500 4-Matic which was ok but the lease amount was a joke, actually much higher than a new Audi A8. I was hoping for something other than another Audi but nothing else really fits the bill. Thanks for all the input.

 

Bruce,

The Mercedes leases are a joke. Last time my father got a car, the E500 lease cost more than the BMW 745i. He went with the 745i, of course. He's ready for a new car, now. How do the Audi A8s lease? Will the facelifted A8s with the new grill be available soon? How is Audi ownership in general? TIA

 

Rob, I have an 02 S8 and it's been trouble free. Routine maintenance is free. It handles ok for such a big car. For a new A8 a 3 year lease is somewhere around $1000/month. My friend had a MB S500 and now drives the new Audi A8 and loves it. Audi's fit and finish is really first rate, I am looking for something different because I've had 2 Audi's and I'm ready for a change. For the winter there is no comparison, the Audi is unstoppable. The new grill I believe will be on the cars this winter.

 

I think the new S8 will break here shortly. Maybe you should wait a bit. What about the new Maserati?

 

Red Devil, I'm going to check out the Maserati but I think I want something that will be more reliable for everyday use and 4 wheel drive. I have a little time so I am going to wait and see what the new S8 is like.

 

Why not buy a used Cayenne turbo, luxury, fast and with winter tires would be awesome in the snow. You can find used ones 70 to 80.