Forty Gs

I have a 2013 S4 with the sports diff pkg. I ran the OEM Pilot Sport A/S 3s until there was hardly any tread left on each tire. Since the 3+ has replaced the OEMs, I went with the new 3+. The drive home was horrible. The car feels like a boat - body roll on corners, wiggles like jelly on the straights, etc. The car handled like it was on rails before, and it has just under 55K miles on it. I'm not sure if they over inflated the tires, or if they need to be broken in, or what, but there is a huge (negative) difference in performance. Has anyone else had an issue like this?

Forty Gs

I should add that they are size 255 35 ZR19

plat27265

Isn't there a trial period for new tires where if you are not satisfied with them, you can return them in exchange for something else?

Also, new tires need to be broken in for, at least, 400 kms or 250 miles. New tires will not be as grippy as worn-in tires.

Forty Gs

I believe so, I just can't believe how bad they are. All reviews I've read rate them extremely high. I also read posts saying tires take 500 mi to break in. Obviously, I can't wait that long to return them. I'm going to check the PSI in the morning. Was just curious if anyone's had any similar issues with these or any other brand new tires.

Transporter208

I but 20's 3+ on my car last summer and love them. I run all four at 36 PSI and did not experience the issues your having. You might try to bump up your PSI some and see if they tighten up. Good luck.

AForePlayin'03

What are your tire pressures at? I believe the recommended pressures are 39 lbs up front and 33 lbs in the rear. Also, what is the outside air temperature? I have A/S 3's and they tend to tramline more when it's cold.

Forty Gs

You are right on. I checked this morning before leaving for work (approx 35 degrees out), and they were each set at 41 psi. I noticed the recommended pressures that you mentioned are in the owner's manual, and I did a quick adjust before leaving. It made a big difference, but still not as good as the old tire. The manual says new tires need 350 mi to break in, so I'm going to trust the manual and hope that w/correct psi and properly broken in tires, things will be back to normal. I purchased a digital pressure gauge and will set each tire per the manual. Thanks for all the responses.

Transporter208

My performance and feel with these tires might be that my car is a bit heavier than yours hence the difference in factory recommended PSI, 44f/46r. I run 36 on all fours because from my experience I get good wear and smoother ride at those pressures. Running at the recommended pressures results in a much stiffer ride with this heavier car. In your case, I might bump your pressures up some over factory recommendations to give you a better performance ride.

Bobby Kinstle

I just put a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my car about 2 weeks ago and I love the heck out of them. A little road noise but drives on rails and has Kung Fu Grip.

superswiss

Couple of thoughts here. Break in is one factor. New tires do take around 500 dry road miles before they feel right. That's what most places say and it lines up with my experience. Secondly, you went from almost worn tires to 10/32" tread. You can feel that. All this tread is adding flex to the tire. A tire's dry handling performance increases as the tread wears. Best handling is when they are about worn as most of the tread flex is gone by then. Thirdly, the rubber of all-season tires still hardens when the temperatures drop. They are frankly not much better than summer tires in this regard. They can take a little bit colder temperatures than summer tires, but not much.