Originally Posted by BobMar46

If getting rims you might be better off with 18" rims. That will give you some more rubber between the road and rim. Tires on the 18" will be a different aspect ratio so total diameter will be the same. Therefore there will not be a difference in shown speed on the speedometer.

On my car I keep the 19" on all year but run Continental DSW 06 tires. Living somewhat south our winters are usually not as severe. For the size needed if wanting all season, not wanting to pay for a second set of rims or have to change the tires twice a year, those can be a good compromise. Most posters who have them have been very happy with them. I am.

That said, true winter tires do have better traction in heavier snow and when the temperature really drops. You probably have both of those. The ideal is a separate set of winter tires and the 18" rims would give you somewhat better protection against potholes. Cost of a rim/tire replacement is not inexpensive. I have been there more than once.

If you decide to go the rim/winter tire route Audi offers them as do companies like Tirerack.com. There may be Canadian alternates to Tirerack. I just mentioned them because there is hardly any after market rim and tire available in North America that they do not sell. They will ship to an installer. I am not trying to do a commercial for them, but only suggesting them as one choice that will probably have what you are looking for and that will be less expensive than Audi.

Originally Posted by Vancity88

Very good points here. I'm now looking for 18" packages and they are not cheap as we need a new set of rims. Audi dealerships in Vancouver sell the 18" packages for $2700 all-in but with lower end continental tires which for winter tires I prefer Pirelli and Micheline. And the wheels are super ugly !!!

The lowest price I could find for a descent after market wheel which somewhat looks good on S3 and either a performance Pirelli or Micheline AP4 winter tires, with mounting/balancing/shipping/taxes is around $1900 Canadian. I could choose a cheaper tire but as we don't get snow, mostly rain and cold weather, I want a tire with good handling in rain and dry conditions and also minimal road noise.

Now I'm looking to find a used 18" wheels on Craigslist and get the tires from Costco which hopefully can save me around $200-300.

Originally Posted by BobMar46

If getting rims you might be better off with 18" rims. That will give you some more rubber between the road and rim. Tires on the 18" will be a different aspect ratio so total diameter will be the same. Therefore there will not be a difference in shown speed on the speedometer.

Originally Posted by Civuck

Thanks for the follow-up - I will likely move ahead with the 18" rims with winter tires... just need to take delivery of the car now.

Originally Posted by Vancity88

Audi dealership sell 225/40 R18 for winter tires, but my local tire shop says they are too small and not good and I should get 245/40 R18. On tirerack and other online tire shops websites they all suggest 225/40 R18 for me. What should I do?

Also I'm stuck with Micheline Alpina PA4 or Pirelli Sottenza 3, almost at the same price point but probably better rebate on the Pirelli ones.

Originally Posted by BobMar46

The first number is the width of the tread. Your existing 19" tires are 235 width. 225 is width of the 18" OEM all weather. While TireRack does show 225 40R 18 as main choice for your car they do show some brands making a 235 40R 18. 245 might be OK from a clearance standpoint in the wheel wells but I would want to make sure about that before considering.

While I suggested the idea of 18" rims as offering the best protection from pot holes, if pot holes are not an issue in your area staying with 19" could still be an option. For that matter you could just get a set of 235 35R 19 tires and have them changed as needed. You could have a bunch of mounting and balancing done before you got to break even on the extra rims.

Originally Posted by BobMar46

The first number is the width of the tread. Your existing 19" tires are 235 width. 225 is width of the 18" OEM all weather. While TireRack does show 225 40R 18 as main choice for your car they do show some brands making a 235 40R 18. 245 might be OK from a clearance standpoint in the wheel wells but I would want to make sure about that before considering.

While I suggested the idea of 18" rims as offering the best protection from pot holes, if pot holes are not an issue in your area staying with 19" could still be an option. For that matter you could just get a set of 235 35R 19 tires and have them changed as needed. You could have a bunch of mounting and balancing done before you got to break even on the extra rims.

Originally Posted by cjacS3

I have S3 with performance package 19" rims and live in PA, during the winter months
I switch to 18" rims with Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32. We get a few snow storms but
the main reason for the winter tires is for freqeunt temps < 40 degrees. This setup has worked great for me, plus saves winter wear and tear on 19" rims and mileage off stock 19" Continental summer tires

Originally Posted by Vancity88

How these tires perform in dry or rainy condition ? How about their noise ? I had Pirelli before and they were good but way too noisy. Thats why Im leaning towards Michellin now cuz they perform really good in dry and rainy weathers + very minima noise.