stillwaterS6

Highest I have ever seen as an OEM spec.

Maybe this has something to do with people's mpg.

tenspeed

Those are the pressures if you have a half ton of people/whatever loaded in the car. See the owners manual for lighter loads.

There are several threads about "normal" pressures used and handling/ride comfort experienced.

uberwgn

Still, the ride quality will be punishing for people seated in the rear at that pressure.

gk1

Exactly. Unfortunately it is also the pressure the dealer uses when they "courtesy check" tire inflation. Too bad.
I've found 44/39 to be pretty good for 1-2 people.

subterFUSE

44/39 is what I use.

Michelin Pilot SS.


There's still quite a lot of tire hum unless you are on the smoothest of smooth asphalt highway.

HyperS4

44f/39r Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3

Go123

44/39 is what the 2016 manual says for up to 3 people.

seared

It's important to read the manual carefully. The manual says that the pressures in the table in the manual were recommended when the manual was printed, but if different from the information on the label in the car, to use the label pressures. The only caveat was to ensure that the label tires are the same ones installed on the car. My label recommends pressures higher than those in the manual.

It's also apparent from the manual table that recommended pressures vary greatly with different tire and wheel sizes. There is no one correct pressure for all A6 models.

superswiss

Tire pressure is a compromise between comfort and handling. The normal load recommended tire pressure is primarily for added comfort if the car is lightly loaded, but it does come at the price of softer handling. I personally go with the full load recommended pressure on any car I've owned so far. I prefer the crisper handling over added comfort.

It's actually pretty interesting how they phrase it in the RS5 manual, not sure what it says in the A6/S6 manual. It says something along the lines of if you prefer a more comfortable ride you can lower the tire pressure to normal load for daily driving. It leaves it open based on your level of desired comfort.

gtsl55

I went to my local service manager on this, who was also baffled about the big delta between placard and manual. He confirmed through Audi that the placard is the fully loaded recommendation, consistent with the manual's fully loaded recommendation. I have never seen this on any other car. I am running 44 front 39 rear now, as I have not yet driven the car with more than one person or with a loaded trunk. I have never seen anything close to a 5 pound difference front and rear on any car, but this is my first Audi. This is clearly an effort to tame the understeering characteristics of the car. I guess I will try the fully loaded pressures, but they are radically different and I would expect the handling when driving with me and a briefcase (or one front seat passenger) will not be optimal at all.