Feels great to have summer rubber back on the car.
04-03-2007, 05:05 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Feels great to have summer rubber back on the car.
I ended up going with the Bridgestone RE750 in OEM 235/40/18. When I bought the car I really really intended to buy aftermarket wheels and keep the OEMs for winters, but here it is April and I just haven't found anything I like as much as the stock RS6 reps (aside from some really pricey Rennworx, HREs, and Kinesis), so I'm going to probably go the summer with these and re-evaluate in the fall when it's time for the winters to go back on. Obviously I don't want to waste any more money than necessary on mount and balance fees, but I don't want to buy wheels just to buy them, either.
For anyone that cares or is pondering summer tires, here is my logic:
Size: I considered both 225 and 245 widths as alternatives. I eliminated 225s because that's what my Blizzaks are and there just isn't enough sidewall to protect the ride quality on the crappy streets around my house. Plus they looked puny in the wheel wells. I eliminated 245s because I couldn't get a straight enough answer about rubbing issues. There are a *few* folks running this size w/o issues, but I didn't feel like gambling $800 to conduct my own experiment. So 235 it was.
Tire choice: Below is a list of other models I considered and why I did not choose them. I wasn't willing to go less than a UHP rating (by Tire Rack's standards), so all-seasons weren't an option.
Other Bridgestones:
RE050A: too many lukewarm reviews and claims of inferiority to my beloved S03.
RE050A Pole Position: My number 1 choice but alas B-stone skipped us 235 folks in their offerings.
RE01R: Came very close buying these, but in the end elected not to, primarily because I doubt their performance in the rain when compared to other options. Also skeptical of tread life for the price. (yes, I know it's a "extreme perf. tire").
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3: Eliminated because my girlfriend has these on her '04 GLI 1.8t and I've spent enough time with them to know they weren't what I want. Though I found their rain performance amazing when driving 80+mph through a cyclonic deluge in Utah last summer, they became totally lackluster once the mercury got below 60* here in Seattle. Hydroplane resistance was still good but they seem to slip a lot under lateral load at those temps IMO. Also, they seem noisy and coarse to me.
Michelin PS2: Just too much damn money, honestly. Considered them for a moment but couldn't justify the extra $100 per corner.
Pirelli Pzero Nero: I had the M+S version on my B5 and while I thought they were great for an all-season tire, they tramlined more than any tire I've ever driven, and they weren't stellar through standing water. Since the tread design is basically the same on the MP version but w/ different compound, I decided against.
Pirelli Pzero Rosso: Had these on my B5. Wore way too fast, even for their given tread rating. Also too much $$$.
That's pretty much it. Ultimately I chose the 750 for the following reasons, in order of importance:
1. Positive previous experience. My mom had these on her Porsche 968 and I was very impressed w/ how they handled the wet weather. Plus they seemed to have tons of grip.
2. Price for performance. Less than $160 per tire.
3. Tread life. 340 is pretty high compared to some of the other choices in this size.
So there you are. I'll refrain from any reviews until I log 500 miles or so, just to be fair to the tire. I will say the increase in sidewall height gave an immediate increase in ride quality on the way home. Much less teeth rattling. Some (crappy indoor) pics:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/224/imgp0685.jpg">
Decent looking tire IMO.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/224/imgp0689.jpg">
Yay, the wheel arches are full again!
And on a side note, why can't 225 work better on these cars? Avants are made for it! Would make to and from on track days super-simple.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/224/imgp0684.jpg">
For anyone that cares or is pondering summer tires, here is my logic:
Size: I considered both 225 and 245 widths as alternatives. I eliminated 225s because that's what my Blizzaks are and there just isn't enough sidewall to protect the ride quality on the crappy streets around my house. Plus they looked puny in the wheel wells. I eliminated 245s because I couldn't get a straight enough answer about rubbing issues. There are a *few* folks running this size w/o issues, but I didn't feel like gambling $800 to conduct my own experiment. So 235 it was.
Tire choice: Below is a list of other models I considered and why I did not choose them. I wasn't willing to go less than a UHP rating (by Tire Rack's standards), so all-seasons weren't an option.
Other Bridgestones:
RE050A: too many lukewarm reviews and claims of inferiority to my beloved S03.
RE050A Pole Position: My number 1 choice but alas B-stone skipped us 235 folks in their offerings.
RE01R: Came very close buying these, but in the end elected not to, primarily because I doubt their performance in the rain when compared to other options. Also skeptical of tread life for the price. (yes, I know it's a "extreme perf. tire").
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3: Eliminated because my girlfriend has these on her '04 GLI 1.8t and I've spent enough time with them to know they weren't what I want. Though I found their rain performance amazing when driving 80+mph through a cyclonic deluge in Utah last summer, they became totally lackluster once the mercury got below 60* here in Seattle. Hydroplane resistance was still good but they seem to slip a lot under lateral load at those temps IMO. Also, they seem noisy and coarse to me.
Michelin PS2: Just too much damn money, honestly. Considered them for a moment but couldn't justify the extra $100 per corner.
Pirelli Pzero Nero: I had the M+S version on my B5 and while I thought they were great for an all-season tire, they tramlined more than any tire I've ever driven, and they weren't stellar through standing water. Since the tread design is basically the same on the MP version but w/ different compound, I decided against.
Pirelli Pzero Rosso: Had these on my B5. Wore way too fast, even for their given tread rating. Also too much $$$.
That's pretty much it. Ultimately I chose the 750 for the following reasons, in order of importance:
1. Positive previous experience. My mom had these on her Porsche 968 and I was very impressed w/ how they handled the wet weather. Plus they seemed to have tons of grip.
2. Price for performance. Less than $160 per tire.
3. Tread life. 340 is pretty high compared to some of the other choices in this size.
So there you are. I'll refrain from any reviews until I log 500 miles or so, just to be fair to the tire. I will say the increase in sidewall height gave an immediate increase in ride quality on the way home. Much less teeth rattling. Some (crappy indoor) pics:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/224/imgp0685.jpg">
Decent looking tire IMO.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/224/imgp0689.jpg">
Yay, the wheel arches are full again!
And on a side note, why can't 225 work better on these cars? Avants are made for it! Would make to and from on track days super-simple.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/224/imgp0684.jpg">
04-03-2007, 10:29 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
I thought about it, but when I had it done to my B5 the paint cracked a little around the fender arc
and that never sat well with me. I had a reputable body shop do the work and it still happened.
If I end up not being happy w/ these tires I just might resort to that, though.
What car are you putting the 245s on?
If I end up not being happy w/ these tires I just might resort to that, though.
What car are you putting the 245s on?
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