I bought my former 2001 ML 320 with the 18" AMG wheels and 285/60R18 tires. It originally had the BridgeStone Dueller tires, which became very noisy and had a poor ride. The heat here in Houston tends to kill some tires very fast.. Then I changed to Michellin's Pilots, which were pretty good and had 2 sets of them.
When I bought my brand new 2005 ML 500, I was forced to transfer the AMG wheels to my brand new ML 500, and I rode my ML 500 with the Michellin's tires for some time.
I got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, and after finding that the Mercedes Benz of Sugarland dealer (the sales manager (Jeff) is a major crook that replaces parts from new vehicles with used defective parts..!! ) replaced my original spare tire for a totally rotten and unusable tire on my brand new ML 500 and after finding a place that made an emergency temporary fix on the flat tire (because the rotten spare tire was unusable), I was able to slowly limp to a tire place, in Austin, where they only had Falken tires available for my tire/wheel size.
They highly recommended the Falken Ziex ST/Z 285/60HR18 which I installed two of them reluctanly since I thought Michellin's were the best, but for my surprise, it had a great ride, excellent braking, and was very quiet. They were only around $108.00 dollars each; far less than the $240.00+ Michellin Pilot's I had.
I liked them more than my Michellin's, so at the end, I exchanged the other Michellins for the Falken Ziex ST/Z, and I couldn't be more satisfied. They are very quiet, they brake pretty good even better than the Michellins, and never had a problem with them.
Here in Houston, we don't have ice, so I don't know how good they are on slippery ice. I know they are pretty good on rain and perfect for the hot Houston area. These Falken Ziex tires are my tires of choice now...
( I just noticed that I have to change my signature information..)
Good luck..!!
AC
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2005 ML 500
Black, 18" AMG Wheels, 285/60R18 Falken Ziex ST/Z + Bi-Xenons(+ Drew's e-code mod), Yakima roof bars. Former vehicle 2001 ML 320 with 108K miles, when traded, and a large repair/defect history.
I decided to browse the internet for replacement tires for my newly acquired ML55 and boy did I get a shock - They are expensive!
A full set of replacement Dunlop SP9000s cost $309 Each!
I also saw relatively cheaper brands such as Continental and Toyo Proxes for $140 and $133 respectively.
Question is : Are they as good as the Dunlops? And, what tires do you have on your ML?
Please advise.
Thanks,
Farid.
I have Toyo Proxes with 12K miles on them and love them. Paid $514 for 4 out the door, and will buy a second set when these wear out. Truest vibration free tires I've ever owned!
I can also vouch for the Falken Ziex ST/Z. Got them put on a year ago and they ride very well, have excellent wear and are very quiet. The price was rather reasonable too. Falkens tend to be hard to find, but Sears has them and at the best prices I found. Like AC_ML, I can't vouch for their handling on ice, but they seem to do pretty well in wet conditions.
I bought my Michelin Latitudes from COSTCO at $190 a pop with a $60 coupon. The difference between the Michelin’s and the OEM Dunlop’s are quite dramatic. The Michelin has very good road traction and performs well on wet roads too. It's quite and the drive is always a comfort and has warranty of 65K miles.
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) replaced my original spare tire for a totally rotten and unusable tire on my brand new ML 500 and after finding a place that made an emergency temporary fix on the flat tire (because the rotten spare tire was unusable), I was able to slowly limp to a tire place, in Austin, where they only had Falken tires available for my tire/wheel size. 
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