Size: 265/35/R18 97Y (Rear) / 245/40/R18 93Y (Front)
I found the tires wore evenly front to rear, even though the car is rear wheel drive.
From new I liked the tires very much. Due to circumstances, we let the tires wear right down when a rear tire blew out, fortunately at only 30 mph. Lucky we weren't on the Autobahn. We are talking a 2 inch rip here (5cm for those metrics amongst us). The scary part was that the rip formed a small part of a split extending around the entire circumference of the tire near (but not at) the point where the tread meets the side wall. This was invisible from the outside as it was on the inner wall of the tire. I have pictures.
I decided to check the others immediately.
Every single remaining tire on the car had the same problem.
I have made a formal complaint to Mercedes Benz. The tire guy at my local Mercedes Benz garage mistook my concerns for a request for compensation. Whilst this would be nice, I urge you to go outside right now with a powerful torch and check out the inner walls of your tires immediately, particularly if they are high mileage. Look for open cracks where the tire flexes, as described above.
The tire man said he had seen this before many times but never all four tires on one car. He also commented that the Sport Contact 3's were OK. Great.
The tires are being returned to Continental and I am expecting a weasel (FX: Ooops! strike that out, I meant analysis) letter in the next couple of weeks. Yes, the tires were very worn. Yes, there was some usage damage. However this does not excuse the catastrophic failure of the carcasses on a car that is barely 16 months old.
Did I like the tires when they were working? Yes. Would I ever by Continental again? It would be better to ask if I love my family.
Paul.