phibe1

Once you mount tires to rims you get them balanced once and then it should be good for a while. This is assuming you have two sets of rims, one with winter tires + another one with whatever

Rusty_Shackleford

As everyone said, snow tires are the answer. I had a set on my A4 and it was better in the snow than 4x4 Tacoma that I used to have.

Get a set of inexpensive rims (or look for used Audi rims from someone who's upgraded their wheels) and you can easily swap them yourself for the winter.

bob m

Does anyone get the tires and wheels from their dealer? I took a look and there are several winter tires available at the dealership?
Are they not competitive with dedicated tire dealers like TireTrack?

Bob

audimaxout

It would be much much cheaper to buy the wheels and tires yourself. Blizzak DMV1 are great tires and excellent reviews on tire rack. Dealership wouldnt carry these tires.

Im running Blizzak DMV1, had no trouble in handling on todays snow storm in nyc. But there seems to be a little slipping when turning into corners.

I dont know if anyone is experiencing this, when I brake too hard I can feel the brakes bumping to a stop. Like a hard vibration on the brakes. this may be the ESP working? but the ESP warning does not show up on dashboard.

bob m

Ok, cheaper, even with shipping? That sounds good! DCH Audi website says they carry them.

Yes, breaking hard there is that loud breaking sound; I thought it was just the anti-lock breaking system?

Bob

audimaxout

yeah I guess it would be the ABS not ESP working. The ABS seems to be really sensitive .

I remember shipping from tirerack was only $50 for a set. Tirebuyer offers free shipping, but they were out of stock. you can check again.

Transfer

Check this out for Audi's winter tire info:
http://microsites.audiusa.com/ngw/12...T_Brochure.pdf
The listed 17x7 with 235/65/17 Dunlop tires is $2500. I believe they also have an 18" and 19" package but expect even more cost. Also dealer will vary.

Do it yourself options include Hartmann/Achtuning, which is not the cheapest but has a good rep and excellent customer service through Achtuning.com
http://hartmannwheels.com/audi-wheels
18x8 wheels will run about $1060 + shipping
235/60/18 tires will run you $625-$770 on Tire Rack
Add ~$100 shipping between wheels/tires + $100 mount and balance at a local tire shop = total to get them on your Q5 is somewhere around $2k and will look a lot better than 17" wheels.

If you want to cut cost more, Power Wheels Pro is a legitimate outfit that has very cheap knockoff wheels but you may struggle to figure out size and in stock availability. I ordered some 18s from them for a Tiguan several years back and they were excellent quality and customer service.
http://www.powerwheelspro.com/shop/index.php?cPath=21

centurion70

It depends on what you want. The standard Audi Q5 winter package includes the excellent Dunlop WinterSport 3D tires, but they are mounted on very plain 17" wheels at a cost of about $2500. Personally, I think those wheels look too small on a Q5. There is also an standard SQ5 winter package (not shown in the linked brochure). As I recall, it includes 19" wheels, but runs over $4500. My dealer also priced out a set of stock 19" Q5 wheels that I like with Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires for $4600.

But if you look around a bit, you might find a better deal. I got lucky and found a set of takeoff wheels on eBay (same 19" style the dealer offered) and tires from TireRack (same Scorpion Winters) for about $2000, including shipping. You can also check Craigslist for local listings, or even ask the dealer and see if they have a set of takeoff wheels from some other customer.

I was also considering Hartmann wheels, but the ones I wanted were on a long backorder from Achtuning. I can also confirm that winter tire stock at TireRack is running short, as another poster noted.

centurion70

By the way, wheel design may not matter to everyone, but it was an important consideration for me. The hardest experience I have had so far with my Q5 TDI S Line Plus was packing away the 20" titanium peelers for the winter -- less than 3 days after taking delivery of the car.

I guess it gives me something extra to look forward to, come April.

John's MTM Allroad

Hi Bob,
You guys have really been hit hard this winter with storms and winter weather. I live in Vancouver, BC, and prepared myself for winter a few months ago and apart from driving in the interior in really bad conditions, it has been frustratingly warm and mild here. I love the Nokian tires that are available, use the 19"WGRs for summer driving, and currently have the MVR wheels with 18"x8" Nokian Hakka 7 245/45R18 studded tires that are amazing in snow and ice. Had to buy a separate set of wheels for these tires at $150 each but it makes swapping them out in March a breeze. KalTires here in Canada only charge $C75 to store your tires so the hassle of keeping the extra set of tires in your garage in no longer an issue.
Enjoy the snow and ice!! Wish I could!!
John