tulanians

Have an Audi A4 from 2009 that came with Pirelli tires (235/40R18/RF 95Y). I need to change my tires and was wondering if I can replace them with compatible Bridgestone or Michelin tires OR do I need to put Pirelli tires only, for better performance? My driving is mostly city driving and do not drive much in snow.

uberwgn

You can certainly change brand, but the tire should maintain the speed rating and the load rating originally fitted.

Are you sure about that tire size you have posted?

Tire Rack is a good resource for learning what's available. Our forum rep at Tire Rack is Gary.


Welcome aboard!

roger_1

[QUOTE=tulanians;24635962]Have an Audi A4 from 2009 that came with Pirelli tires (235/40R18/RF 95Y). I need to change my tires and was wondering if I can replace them with compatible Bridgestone or Michelin tires OR do I need to put Pirelli tires only, for better performance? My driving is mostly city driving and do not drive much in snow.[/QUOTE

Arguably the best - Michelin Pilot Super Sport. But not for snow.

If you drive in the snow, get snow tires. Save you car, save your life.

jagtoes

Unless you live in Europe and drive the autobahn there is no need to replace your tires with OEM speed rated tires. A good set of all season tires will do just do a little homework on sites like tire rack or equivalent. We select tires for quietness and smooth ride as well as good traction in all weather conditions. Almost all tires are more then adequate for US road speeds and unless you plan to track the car you would be wasting money. Also remember the higher the mileage rating usually mean the harder the tire. We usually replace at 35,000 or every 5 years.

Gary@Tirerack.com

+1

There are many great options available in 235/40R18. You do not have to limit yourself to Y speed rated (186mph) Pirelli tires.

Tires http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR8&...ires/index.jsp

mike9905

Tulanians: If you do ANY driving where you may encounter snow, ice, or cold roads, you should be looking at "ultra high performance all season" tires. The highest performance summer tread tires use a tread compound that gets hard and slippery on cold roads. I've had no dealings with Gary, but I've bought all my tires from Tire Rack for nearly 20 years. There is a wealth of information on their web site, but take customer feedback with a large grain of salt. Many of their customers will review a tire before the bead lube has dried.

TSHong

Buying the right tire depends on your diving conditions, habits, and what you want out of the tire. An ultra high performance tire will give you the best handling and traction but will sacrifice tire life. You can get a higher mileage tire but will sacrifice ultimate grip and handling. So answer what you want from a tire. Most people go somewhere in between ultimate performance and high mileage. Take a look at some all season high performance tires, they are great all round performance with acceptable mileage. Michelin, Goodyear, and other manufacturers make all season tires that almost reach summer performance with 45K mileage warranties.

Audi Junkie

The Conti products, inc General are very good right now. I use Coopers occasionally too.

I have a vid of my Q5 on General RT-43 all-seasons dancing up my steep driveway in over a foot of snow. That tire, driving on snow was almost the same as on dry....read the reviews. Fwiw, wife just got PZero Sotozeros for $112 - $70 rebate in 245/45/HR-17 Worth a look. Were on 225/50 snows right now and it's kind of lame compared to the 245/45....we have the 3.2

Audi Junkie

T-rated versions of some tires promise longer wear, out to 700, with the same loads. Less grippy than a H/V version, but I'll trade more tread left on my carcass verses a softer compound.

ichtus

I am a newbie here, but if you are going to replace tires, def take a look at tire rack.

I just got some winter hakka R2 for winter, and I will say they are great.

As for all seasons, I would switch away from the Ps as the drive is very hard. I have made moves to contis on my A6s I had in the past and the drive is so much better (not as hard and quieter IMHO). I still have all weather Ps on my A4 right now, but will replace them with Contis when they wear.