Tires lasted 4 months which was 4000 miles.
Usually get 18 months out of a set of pirelli p6.
Never buying again.
Usually get 18 months out of a set of pirelli p6.
Never buying again.
Best Tires for the Mercedes Benz SLK
Mercedes Benz SLK drivers have left 68 tire reviews on Tire Reviews, covering 711,809 miles of real world driving. Every tire they rated is ranked below, so you can see what actually works on this car. The numbers include 3 SLK variants, listed further down.
- 68owner reviews
- 711,809 milescovered on them
- 49different tires rated
- 73%average tire score
The quick answer
| Season | Owners' pick | Owner rating | Our category test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Michelin Pilot Super Sport 8.5 Current version: Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 | 93% from 3 reviews | Best Summer Tires |
Highest weighted owner score from Mercedes Benz SLK drivers. Full rankings and the evidence behind them below.
The best rated tires for the Mercedes Benz SLK
Rated only by drivers of this car. Each tire needs at least 3 reviews from the Mercedes Benz SLK to be ranked; the order weights a tire's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.
Summer tires
The highest rated tire in the Summer category for the Mercedes Benz SLK is the Michelin Pilot Super Sport - 93% from 3 owner reviews across 27,000 miles. The current tire in that line is now the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5.
| # | Tire | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5
|
93% | 3 | 27,000 miles | 8.5 |
| 2 |
Nexen N Fera SU1
Replaced by Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
|
93% | 3 | 14,500 miles | 7.1 |
| 3 |
Pirelli P Zero
Replaced by Pirelli P Zero PZ5
|
51% | 5 | 63,000 miles | 8.8 |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tires →
TR Score is the tire's overall Tire Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tire - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.
The best rated tires that fit the Mercedes Benz SLK
The rankings above can only speak for tires a Mercedes Benz SLK driver has already reviewed. These are the highest rated tires we hold that are actually manufactured in the sizes these drivers run - 225/45 R17, 245/40 R17, 245/35 R18 and 225/40 R18 - whether or not anyone here has fitted them yet. They are ranked on the TR Score, which is built from independent test results and every owner review of that tire.
Summer tires
Our highest rated tire in the Summer category, in this car's sizes, is the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, at 9.7 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Mercedes Benz SLK reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
|
9.7 | All your sizes | 2 |
| 2 |
Continental SportContact 7
|
9.7 | 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
|
9.5 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Continental PremiumContact 7
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 245/35 R18, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
|
9.4 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
|
9.4 | All your sizes | 1 |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tires →
Winter tires
No Mercedes Benz SLK driver has reviewed a tire in the Winter category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 is our highest rated, at 9.6 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Mercedes Benz SLK reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
|
9.6 | 245/40 R17, 245/35 R18, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
|
9.5 | 245/35 R18, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Michelin Alpin 7
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
|
9.4 | 225/45 R17, 245/40 R17, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
|
9.4 | 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Winter Tires → Test winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
All Season tires
No Mercedes Benz SLK driver has reviewed a tire in the All Season category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 is our highest rated, at 9.6 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Mercedes Benz SLK reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3
|
9.6 | 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport
|
9.6 | 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Continental AllSeasonContact 2
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 245/35 R18, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Michelin CrossClimate 3
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 245/35 R18, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 5 |
BFGoodrich Advantage All Season
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
|
9.4 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Season Tires → Test winner: Goodyear Vector All Season 4
All Weather tires
No Mercedes Benz SLK driver has reviewed a tire in the All Weather category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Vredestein Quatrac is our highest rated, at 9.5 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Mercedes Benz SLK reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Vredestein Quatrac
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV
|
8.3 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Vredestein Quatrac Pro+
|
8.1 | 225/45 R17, 245/35 R18, 225/40 R18 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Weather Tires →
Fitment comes from each tire's manufactured size list, and the sizes are the ones drivers reported when they reviewed. Check the size, load index and speed rating on your own doorplate before buying - a size a previous owner ran is not always the size your car left the factory on.
How long do tires last on the Mercedes Benz SLK?
Across 11 end of life reviews from Mercedes Benz SLK drivers, a typical set of tires was worn out after 21,000 miles. Half of all worn-out sets lasted between 4,000 miles and 35,000 miles.
Distances are self-reported by drivers whose review marked the set as worn out; figures are medians, so a single unusual report cannot move them.
Every tire reviewed on the Mercedes Benz SLK
The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 35 tires have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tire | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirelli P Zero Replaced by Pirelli P Zero PZ5 | Summer | 51% | 5 | 63,000 miles |
| Michelin Pilot Super Sport Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 | Summer | 93% | 3 | 27,000 miles |
| Nexen N Fera SU1 Replaced by Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 | Summer | 93% | 3 | 14,500 miles |
| Pirelli P ZERO ROSSO Asimmetrico | Summer | 96% | 2 | 4,000 miles |
| Cooper Zeon CS8 | Summer | 92% | 2 | 41,500 miles |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Replaced by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 | Summer | 92% | 2 | 12,500 miles |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 | Summer | 90% | 2 | 350 miles |
| Toyo T1R Replaced by Toyo Proxes T1 Sport+ | Summer | 87% | 2 | 10,024 miles |
| Kumho Ecsta KU31 | Summer | 87% | 2 | 35,000 miles |
| Continental Sport Contact 3 Replaced by Continental SportContact 7 | Summer | 81% | 2 | 58,000 miles |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 Replaced by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 | Summer | 78% | 2 | 44,000 miles |
| Continental Sport Contact 5 Replaced by Continental SportContact 7 | Summer | 71% | 2 | 1,000 miles |
| Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport 5 | Summer | 52% | 2 | 2,100 miles |
| Pirelli P 7 | Summer | 49% | 2 | 37,000 miles |
Tire sizes Mercedes Benz SLK drivers run
The sizes fitted in the reviews on this page. Each one links to the top rated tires in that size, across every car.
Mercedes Benz SLK variants, reviewed separately
These trims and body styles have pages of their own. Their reviews are already counted in the rankings above.
What Mercedes Benz SLK drivers say
The most recent owner reviews from this car, in their own words.
Crappy tires do not buy, experienced side wall issues on 3 out of 4, similar to Firestone, dangerous tires with huge safety concerns only 10,000 kms on tires
Rear mounted on
300 hp propulsion
They held up very well over 40,000 km
With very regular wear
Right at the end a small piece of 2 cm by three came off at the edge of the rim without impact on the behavior
300 hp propulsion
They held up very well over 40,000 km
With very regular wear
Right at the end a small piece of 2 cm by three came off at the edge of the rim without impact on the behavior
This tire is good,
I change from PS4 to F1A6, and felt much better!
My car had Continental SportContact 5, 225/40 R18 front tires and Falken Azenis FK510, 245/35 R18 rear tires and I replaced those tires with 4mm of tread remaining. These new tires give much, much better grip on wet and dry roads. My car now feels well balanced with lots of 'bite' in the steering. On mixed Motorway, A and B roads these new tires are very quiet indeed, with a little bit of hum at higher motorway speeds on rough surfaces. The tires do feel stiffer at low speeds on poor surfaces, but my usual passenger did not notice a difference. I have not driven in really heavy rain so I cannot comment on aquaplaning behavior.
Far better then the Pirelli, s they replaced grippy quiet very good in the wet A+++ from me
Long story short, I've never been a fan of all seasons but this tire has won me over big time. It's an ideal tire for the occasional encounter with snow and ice and performs extremely well as a cold resistant dry road tire. They feel more like a summer tire and won't kill the fun for more "spirited" drivers. In fact I think they're better then some summer rubber I've been through. I do notice a rather intense wear compared to other tires I've had. Guess that's the price to pay for an otherwise overwhelmingly positive performance. If you're looking for an all seaon tire that doesn't annoy you and has plenty of reserve when the air gets cold and the roads snowed up, this one is a great option. It's also very resilient. I had a run in with a very bad pothole. The tire was fine, it was the wheel that broke. I'll likely put them on again.
On a daily use: as good as any other UUHP tire. Easy to lose grip in RWD but also easy to restore it. Not reliable in rainy conditions but good grip on a track where the tarmac is good and the tire is heated.
On a track: Easy to overheat. When overheated loses grip dramatically. With optimal temperature very reliable on corners and excellent in braking and accelerating. I expected better road feedback though. Unpleasant rollover.
After 6 months, 5 events and 5 track days (and daily use) there was no rubber left. I can not recommend this tire for competition driving on sunny days. I will buy it for my wife's car :-)
Once but never again. Initially fantastic tire, however, more and more noise during a few kilometers and even a front tire became unbalanced. Uncorrectable. Worthless. Better buy second hand a tires than these new.
Well. I’m pretty sure I reviewed these two years ago when I thought they might be near the end of their life... here we go again.
These two pieces of volcanic bedrock were on the rear of my SLK230 when I bought it in 2017 and had approximately 5K and 6 months of use already on them.
Fast forward to today: 26th of August 2020.
Three and a half years have passed, 35000 miles have been slipped/slid/burnt/tumbled through and I’ve have my third MOT with no advisories aside from ‘worn rear tires’. These things are made from armor-grade depleted uranium and hold in the wet as you’d expect being made from a material harder than the compressed center of a dead star.
In dry they are acceptable. In the wet they will continuously try to murder you in an admittedly progressive and slidey fashion.
For the price; I’d put these on any non performance car simply because they’d outlive the driver. For any vehicle with the capacity to do 0–60 in less than an epoch I can not recommend at all.
Drive a Mercedes Benz SLK?
Review your tires and help the next owner choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Every rating on this page was submitted by a driver through the review form on this site, naming the car, the tire, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new ones arrive.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.