[Stege]

Having bought it I decided to buy some aftermarket winter wheels and tyres. Aftermarket because Mercedes wheel prices are rather expensive. Checked the vehicle's documentation and it is fitted with 18" x 7J wheels.
Now the problem: I cannot find anyone who makes 18" x 7J wheels with the correct fitting 5 stud 112 PCD and 46mm offset.
Loads of 8J, but when you select them you get messages likebend wheel arch lip front axle,flare wheel covering front axle, andbend wheel arch lip rear axle,-which I am not prepared to do
Anyone have suggestions-apart from buying them from those nice Mercedes people?
Steve

 

[BasilD]

Steve

Mercedes winter wheel packages for the GLA has options for 17", 18" and 19". They include the pressure sensors so no errors appear on the dash. I will have a look for you tonight and let you know what the offset and PCD is.

Something to note some dealers are doing a package prices for the GLA with tyres, which if memory served was not far off aftermarket prices. So deals can be had.

Alternatively you could always try Kunzman whose packages start at 1395 euro with about 115 euro shipping for the 17" with Michelin Alpin A4 MO tyres on.

 

[roytheboy]

Steve, shop around for MB wheels and tyres as prices do differ quite considerably between the different MB dealership groups. I got a great deal on 17” alloy wheels/tyres from MB Beaconsfield, which is an independent dealership near Heathrow (where I also bought my GLA250 4matic). In fact, their price was not far off that asked by some online retailers for non-MB wheels with similar Conti tyres, yet with MB products you know they are going to fit the stubs and clear the callipers. You also know the wheels have been tested properly and you will be covered if you have any problems.
I also found that the 17” MB wheels/tyres were considerably cheaper than the 18” MB wheels/tyres for some reason, which is no bad thing because it is quite usual to fit smaller and thinner wheels (with higher profile tyres) during the winter as they cut through snow better and absorb the bumps better when you hit potholes hidden by heavy rain and snow.
I've been waiting ages for my winter wheels/tyres to arrive in the UK, and am taking delivery on Monday. Once I've fitted them (I'm buying a trolley jack and torque wrench tomorrow), I'll post back with how they feel to drive on (being different to the summer set-up).
BTW, I've gotta say: after decades of driving C-Classes and 190Es, I'm loving' the new GLA250 4matic AMG line, which is extremely comfortable and economical, yet mighty quick when you need to overtake on country roads

 

[[email protected]]

I got 17" Pirelli Scorpion Winter Plus tyres fitted to my Mercedes alloys, I couldn't find a suitable extra winter wheel and the prices for changing/storing is cheap where we are. The 17" tyres also have a high wall with an armoured edge whcih helps to protect the alloys against high kerbs... so far I've been running them for a month and found them to be really good off road and on wet/leaf slime covered roads...

 

[Dan]

It's only about £40 to change all four tyres over from our local independent garage.

 

[roytheboy]

It's only about £40 to change all four tyres over from our local independent garage.

That is clearly the cheapest way to go in the short-term, but you also need to store the tyres, or pay for them to be stored, and the constant rebalancing could leave your wheels looking very messy from adhesive after a few years.

I am expecting to keep my GLA for about seven years, which would equal the cost (tyre changes @£40) of the MB alloys I have just bought. Other things to consider are (1) steel wheels are only about £55 each; (2) even MB alloys corrode after a few harsh winters (at least that's always been the case for me), so by running winter alloys, it keeps the summer alloys much nicer; (3) it is undoubtedly better to run thinner and smaller wheels in the winter if you are going to go anywhere near snow or heavy rain; (4) having winter wheels and tyres in the garage means you can use one or more as a full-speed-rated temporary spare if you wake up one morning to a flat tyre; and (5) a winter wheel and tyre can double-up as a spare in the boot if you are making a journey during which you think a spare could be needed e.g. an off-road or isolated trek.

 

[Dan]

I think I would go for 17" winters. Might not look that good but will certainly perform better (and cost less!)

 

[roytheboy]

I thought the 17" wheels wouldn't look as good but they arrived today and look fine when stood next to my 18" AMG summers (the standard five-spokes) on the car. The higher profile tyre doesn't seem that noticeably different, but then again the standard 18" wheels aren't particularly low-profile either. If this warm weather keeps up, I can see these wheels staying clean 'till next year!

I have to say, having always run low-profile sports tyres before, I'm really liking the more comfortable ride of the GLA. I'm not missing the jarring one bit.

 

[[email protected]]

I only have my car for 4 years (leased company car) but if I decide to buy it when the times up then I'd buy new alloys straight away to refresh the look (in four years time the after sales accessories market should be full of goodies)...

 

[Dan]

I thought the 17" wheels wouldn't look as good but they arrived today and look fine when stood next to my 18" AMG summers (the standard five-spokes) on the car. The higher profile tyre doesn't seem that noticeably different, but then again the standard 18" wheels aren't particularly low-profile either. If this warm weather keeps up, I can see these wheels staying clean 'till next year!

I have to say, having always run low-profile sports tyres before, I'm really liking the more comfortable ride of the GLA. I'm not missing the jarring one bit.

That is the other issue (without tempting fate) although I've been waking up to colder mornings the temperature has been getting up to 18c during the day here.

 

[roytheboy]

That is the other issue (without tempting fate) although I've been waking up to colder mornings the temperature has been getting up to 18c during the day here.

Yes, I was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt a few days ago; last night the temperature dropped to zero degrees! Given that the threshold of effectiveness is 7 degrees, I guess the new winter boots are going to have to go on this weekend.

 

[roytheboy]

If you are wondering what the MB 17" winter wheels for the GLA look like (these were the only ones available when I bought them), here's a before and after view. The different lighting makes the rear wheels look quite different in size but looking at the fronts you can see that the difference between 17" and 18" wheels is not that noticeable. Obviously these wheels are not nearly as high quality as the AMG 5-spokes, but considering the price that I paid from MB Beaconsfield, I don't think they're too bad. By the way, if you need to buy a trolley-jack, bear in mind that you'll need one with a good range as the GLA has a high floor and big wheels. I can confirm that this Jack > https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-ctj2250lp-2-25-tonne-low-profile-trolle will lift the wheels the necessary couple of inches off the deck, plus the handle doubles up as a wrench, which saves cash if you don't already have one. This torque wrench is also very good > https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht141-1-2in-drive-torque-wrench

 

[roytheboy]

In theory, the higher profile tyres on the 17" winter wheels should give a ride that is slightly more bouncy, and that leans more into the bends. In reality, I cannot notice any difference whatsoever beytween the 18" summer and 17" winter wheels.

 

[roytheboy]

I've now taken the winter wheels for a longer test and pushed the car quite hard on the poor conditioned B roads in my area. I can report that the tyres are a little more noisy than the summers due to the more blocky tread pattern, but as far as grip and feel goes, they handled whatever I threw at them with ease. The car felt even more well planted than my previous v6 with its low-profile sports tyres. I continue to be impressed with the GLA's handling but note that I have the AMG-line suspension and steering set-up, and the 4matic system.

 

[[email protected]]

Have read the GLA US owners website and they're buzzing about how the GLA handled in the recent snow storms... seems that both 4 wheel drive and 2 wheel drive are very good when combined with snow tyres...

 

[Paramaniac]

How long did you have to wait for your winter tyre package from MB ?been waiting nearly six weeks for mine!

 

[roytheboy]

I started enquiring when I ordered the car but they took ages to be sent from Germany into the UK. Unless you are getting a particularly good deal, I would give MB Beaconsfield a call as they will also deliver them for about £50, which was still cheaper than I found elsewhere without delivery. They got their GLA winter wheels a few weeks ago now so they might have more in stock. As hard as I push the car in the slippy winter conditions, I haven't yet detected so much as an inch of movement (loss of traction) from the winter tyres - a good investment me thinks