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+1 on the Michelin Premier A/S. We are on a 10K mile roadtrip in our new AR and were very unhappy with the OEM tires. They hydroplaned twice in moderate rain and were always trying to follow the siping in the concrete in the western states. We had them replaced in KC and then drove to Nashville and New Orleans through the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy. What a difference! Quiet, stable and not at all "squirmy". We'll drive home to Florida tomorrow and I'll try to post a 10K mile review once we get the car back from its 10K service.
This post - like some of the prior one is informative, yet aggravating. New OEM's hydroplaning! Audi, please start listening your customers rather than the bean counters. I wonder how many accidents could have been avoided with better tires. Yes, please post a review.
I used to gave a "floaty" feeling on bumpy pavement or off/on ramps at speed... really not confidence inspiring. The OEMs are terrible. That floaty/squirmy sensation, as well as occasional (minor) torque steer, is gone now that I have the UHP Michelin A/S 3+.
The OEM Continental's has the largest diameters at 29.1" in the Grand Touring All-Season Category. Practically all other tires in the Grand Touring All-Season Category (in the allroad's OEM size) have diameters in the 26.x" range.
I think that 29.1" figure is a misprint. Conti offers four versions of that category and size: AO (Audi), MO (Mercedes), TPC (GM), and non-specific. All four are specced at 778 revolutions per mile and the 3 non-AO coded all have 26.7" diameter. It is most likely that the AO code is the same size as the other three.
Add another name to the list of people who just aren't willing to put up with the bad stock tires Audi is foisting on us any longer. My major gripe was the torque steer they allowed at highway speeds, but I wasn't very happy about the excessive tramlining and the squirmy handling either. My last straw was the hydroplaning in light but steady rain on a recent road trip.
I went with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ since I have dedicated winter tires and was looking for a higher performance tire for the summer.
I knew the handling would be much better as I had seen a huge improvement over the stock tires even with my winter tires. However, I was unprepared to be blown away by how big the change was. I almost can't believe how much more I like the car now, and I wish I done this swap two months ago when I took the snow tires off. The torque steer is gone (as it was with the winter tires), the tramlining is back to normal levels, and the grip is amazing. I haven't hit any real rain, so well have to see about the hydroplaning. The noise is a bit higher (maybe 5% more) and the bumps a are a bit sharper (fine by me I have comfort mode if It bothered me).
What I'm most amazed by is how much better the car handles twisty roads. There are a couple of high-speed s-curves by my house and I was able to comfortably do much higher speeds on the new tires than I was able to do when pushing the stock tires close to the limit. I turns out the Allroad suspension is actually really good (who knew). Audi is doing a major disservice to their customers and their suspension engineers by supplying unsuitable stock tires.
If anybody in Colorado likes the stock tires, I have a set available at a deep deep discount.
To those buying upgraded tires, what made you chooses the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 over the Premier A/S or visa versa?
I think they are both nice tires and either one would make a good choice for a replacement. For me it came down to intended purpose. The Pilot Sport is a more aggressive tire but it gives up both longevity and snow traction to the Premier. Since I run snow tires in the winter I chose the sport to give me the more aggressive tire I wanted for the summer. However, I probably would have chosen a different tire if I planned to run them in the snow.
I think they are both nice tires and either one would make a good choice for a replacement. For me it came down to intended purpose. The Pilot Sport is a more aggressive tire but it gives up both longevity and snow traction to the Premier. Since I run snow tires in the winter I chose the sport to give me the more aggressive tire I wanted for the summer. However, I probably would have chosen a different tire if I planned to run them in the snow.
I'm going to get a set of snow tires later for my Allroad later this year.
When you say "more aggressive" do you mean better handling? Do you think the Pilot is loud?
I'm going to get a set of snow tires later for my Allroad later this year.
When you say "more aggressive" do you mean better handling? Do you think the Pilot is loud?
Yes, I meant better handling primarily in terms of how it handles when being pushed harder (off-camber cornering, fast transitions, etc). For example, direct response on the turn-in when taking a line, being able to hold that line, and general predictability as it's pushed harder (not nervous or twitchy).
Loud is sort of subjective. The A/S 3+ is noticeably noisier than the stock Contis, even at city speeds, and it was apparent within a few hundred feet of driving off with the new tires that the noise had increased (it did seem to go down a bit after a few miles). I wouldn't say it's loud as its not intrusive (this is still one of the quieter cars I've owned), but I could see how somebody else may notice the difference and say it's loud. If somebody wants to hear loud tires they should drive my Potenza S-04s.
Two of the trade offs for increasing performance are noise and harshness. You asked about the noise, but there is also a bit more harshness to these tires compared with the stock tires. By harshness I mean you feel more of the road irregularities like expansion joints and lane maker dots. This doesn't bother me, but it might bother others if they were looking for a cushier ride.
For me the performance for the A/S 3+ outweighed the longevity and cold traction benefits of the Premier. I had grown to dislike the handling of the stock tires so much that I was driving my '06 when I wanted to have fun but carry more than the Z3M. I even found myself building a Jaguar Sportbrake. Putting new tires on made me love my car again.
If I recall correctly you came out of a Macan (via an A4 sedan), so I'm going to guess you probably enjoy a spirited but comfortable ride that give you a smile buy doesn't kill your back over every pothole. You'd probably be happy with either tire - they are both great choices.
Yes, I meant better handling primarily in terms of how it handles when being pushed harder (off-camber cornering, fast transitions, etc). For example, direct response on the turn-in when taking a line, being able to hold that line, and general predictability as it's pushed harder (not nervous or twitchy).
Loud is sort of subjective. The A/S 3+ is noticeably noisier than the stock Contis, even at city speeds, and it was apparent within a few hundred feet of driving off with the new tires that the noise had increased (it did seem to go down a bit after a few miles). I wouldn't say it's loud as its not intrusive (this is still one of the quieter cars I've owned), but I could see how somebody else may notice the difference and say it's loud. If somebody wants to hear loud tires they should drive my Potenza S-04s.
Two of the trade offs for increasing performance are noise and harshness. You asked about the noise, but there is also a bit more harshness to these tires compared with the stock tires. By harshness I mean you feel more of the road irregularities like expansion joints and lane maker dots. This doesn't bother me, but it might bother others if they were looking for a cushier ride.
For me the performance for the A/S 3+ outweighed the longevity and cold traction benefits of the Premier. I had grown to dislike the handling of the stock tires so much that I was driving my '06 when I wanted to have fun but carry more than the Z3M. I even found myself building a Jaguar Sportbrake. Putting new tires on made me love my car again.
If I recall correctly you came out of a Macan (via an A4 sedan), so I'm going to guess you probably enjoy a spirited but comfortable ride that give you a smile buy doesn't kill your back over every pothole. You'd probably be happy with either tire - they are both great choices.
Thanks for the detailed reply. Yes, that's me - Q5 -2016 Macan S - 2017 A4 -2017Allroad. And the AR looks to be a keeper. I was am not a guy who "pushes" his cars, but I do like the feeling of a car that is solid and responsive. I don't think its the power of suggestion but I think the OEM's are imparting a little"squishiness" or better put - a lack of sharpness to highway driving. I am strongly considering getting a set of one or the other - maybe in time to get a nice run on a 200 mile trip to the Adirondacks the following week.
06-27-2017, 04:44 PM
