Audi Convert

Package looks pretty good, I think. Got the Mich x-ice x3 on some sport edition tire rack rims. Strangely though, the center caps are BLUE!! WTF, at first I thought they were protective shipping covers for the center caps, but I can't seem to remove the blue... Tire rack is closed so I can't inquire.. Why the hell would someone want blue unless they request it. It looks. Awful against my oolong gray. The rims themselves look pretty good and pay homage to the factory 20's.

Sportstick

Great tires and very nice rims....center caps can easily be changed. Not sure where you live, but perhaps a bit early in this El Niņo winter? Your lawn is still green!

Audi Convert

Thanks. Visited family for holiday, out of state, and I am storing my 20's in their garage for the winter, so it had to be done now. Killed two birds with one stone. This is in Massachusetts. It was amazingly mild this holiday.

Audi Convert

Now that I got the 20 inch p zeros off, and Michelin x ice 18 inch winter tires on, I can actually hear myself think on the highway. First trip on the highway with the quieter tires, and I noticed some strange whining noise when accelerating. The noise changes in pitch as I accelerate.

When I first heard it- I was entering i95 and had been using cruise control for a while on i91. I was accelerating to speed. It was very noticable and I thought it was a truck next to me, but when I let off the gas and pressed the gas,and heard it lower and raise its pitch, I realized it was me.

For about 5 miles I "played" with this noise, and worried about it. About 15 min after I heard it, the volume of the noise seemed to have tapered down and became increasingly harder to hear. I don't know what to make of it.

Some notes-


It could have always been there and never noticed it over the roar of the p-zero's. I Filled the car up at with 93 at an Irving gas station before heading on the road.....I've never used Irving before. Could it be bad gas? Maybe it's supercharger whine? Does the a6 3.0t even exhibit supercharger whine? This is my first supercharged car. Why would this whining noise taper off?

Wishing I wasn't so OCD, but if it's normal I can live with it. If not, then obviously I want it fixed by Audi. Can anyone help me figure this out?

Thanks!

KevinGary

I had my winter wheels installed over the weekend as well. It's now time to hope for snow!

Sportstick

Please focus your hope on Long Island!!! We're counting our blessings with this mild start to winter in Michigan!

The approved Tire Rack installer also stores our off-season wheels/tires, and they are five minutes away, so we're waiting for the white stuff to actually start before rolling down there for a pit stop. Coming off all seasons, vs. summers, we can hang in with these sub-45 degree temps.

DanfZX14

I am completely astounded as to how nice the ride is and how quiet the Michelin X-Ice XI3 snow tires are. It was completely unexpected and a very, very nice surprise!!!

Sportstick

Some of that is the softer compound of the winter tire, but most is likely the 2" difference in wheel/tire diameter. The visual benefit of 20" does carry some notable downsides, ride comfort among them, as the shorter tire sidewall loses ability to help absorb undesired road surface inputs. It is not unknown for people to move down in wheel size to improve ride, particularly in our midwest where road quality is often quite poor.

KevinGary

What we call snow on Long Island is called flurries in Michigan!

Worldwidebeagle

Actually Sportstick, its not just the softer compound and size, the Michelin X-Ice is COMPLETELY different tyre type in construction than the P-Zero. The Michelin X-Ice is a NON-performance, long life, eco, soft riding, high mileage, touring grade H rated tire. Some are even T rated. Going from a P-Zero to a X-Ice is like night and day.

I would compare the ride of the XI3 to the OEM Conti Pro Contact- a smooth riding, touring grade tire. I personally dislike both.

In Denver, we have unusual conditions in winter. Cold, but not a ton of snow except the storms. Then it all melts, some slush, bright sun and dry road, 40 deg. What I find appropriate here is a performance grade winter tire due to the mostly dry roads. Of all I have tested, my favorites now are Dunlop 3D Winter Sport and Falken HS449. (Blizzak has a performance winter tire as well, not to be confused with their soft deep snow tires). Both are V rated, performance snows. Currently have the Dunlop's on the A7 and Falken's on wife's A6 C6.5 Avant.

Both transform the quattro traction in winter. yet, both are amazingly responsive on a dry interstate at 75 mph, 20 degrees. I do not think either are appropriate in constant HARSH winter conditions: frequent deep snow. That's when a Nokian Hakka is required.