hunterp27

Well as I struggle to find an answer to this dang A/C issue I am dealing with, I went ahead and ordered new tires for the S8. I got a woefully inadequate 10K miles out of the current set and learned a lesson the hard way. If a tire manufacturer offers you a mileage guarantee, don't be a dope like me and not register your tires with them. I purchased the 265/35/20 Michelin Pilot Super Sports and they are terrific tires but these AWD torque monsters eat rubber. The Pilot SS came with a 30K warranty as a 300AA wear rated tire and I simply forgot to register mine.......now am faced with replacing them after 10K. I don't know exactly how the prorating process works, but anything would be better than the ZERO I will be getting.

This time around I am going with the Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3. This tire doesn't come in a 265 so I am going up to a 275. This doesn't bother me as the Pilot SS's in a 265 looked a little narrow as it were. The sidewall didn't go straight up, it actually tilted inward ever so slightly if you can picture what I am saying. Sorta gave it a import tuner look that I wasn't going for. The 275 might actually look a little better. I thought about the new Conti DWS06 but they were actually more expensive. I have heard a few opinions here regarding this relatively new A/S 3 and they weren't that favorable, but I was looking for a longer wearing tire with a mileage guarantee. I guess we will see how this goes....and I will register these !!!!

Mister Bally

I've found that tire warranties are as useless as battery warranties. That said, I've had decent luck with Michelin PS2&3's on my A8. Even with the ZR Y speed rating. (See my photos for the reason I get the highest rating tires).

A good tire store should work with you on the registration deal. I buy virtually all of my tires from a chain that serves Michigan (Belle Tire. Spent at least$10k with them). I've never had to register my Michelins, they take care of it. The one time I thought about using the mileage warranty on some minivan Michelins that hit the wear bars at 71k vs. the 75k warranty, basically I would get a $10.00 credit per tire but must pay full retail. Thus, I saved over $250.00 not making a mileage warranty claim.

Brozee

I second what Mr. Bally said. I buy all my tires from Discount Tire though. I generally do buy their "warranty". Never once had an issue where I needed to use it. That is until I hit a MASSIVE pothole in my S5 two weeks ago; bent the lip of the aftermarket wheel and sliced the tire. Although they won't warranty any tire with less than a 35 sidewall. Although, they did give me a replacement tire half off, $120.

Either way on my A8's I've owned I probably went through around 6 sets of tires and 5 of those 6 I received a discount and reimbursement on a new set because they never EVER reach the mileage warranty on the A8. Generally this was around $35-$45 per tire (4) that I got a discount off the new tires; which of course I price matched and haggled on as well.

TSHong

I am a Michelin Dealer and you don't have to register the tires for warranty issues. You do have to have document on when they were purchased and mileage. That being said, like all warranties, you have t do your part like rotation, alignments, ect. If you have even tire wear, you should be able to get them adjusted. Call Michelin customer service directly and complain. They will direct you to a authorized dealer to inspect the tires and they will usually do at least a customer satisfaction concession. good luck. If your Michelin dealer told you that they can't warranty the tires because they were not registered, i would not use that dealer again.

hunterp27

Guys,

I need to clear up what I meant by registering for the warranty. I bought the tires online and had them shipped to me and the place I bought them doesn't track mileage for the people they sell to. Therefore, the only way to have Michelin honor their warranty is to document the mileage when you bought them. That has to be done directly with Michelin and I didn't do that. That's what I meant.....

MP4.2+6.0

Separating issues and comments:

1. I don't register tires either, but I know TireRack does automatically. But they don't have mileage as you say. I now realize even if I bring wheels in loose, get mileage documented on the mount and balance receipt somehow. Failing even that, snap a picture of odometer on install, and hopefully time stamp on that is close to tire purchase date.

2. Tire size issue: Yes, not only feel free to switch, but frankly almost affirmatively do so if you are comfortable. I feel those 265's are basically a rip. Perhaps an Audi back room deal with tire co's in certain applications, which I think is anti consumer. Same issue goes on with D4. They use a 265 there (in 40's), with comparatively few choices and high prices. Some choices are essentially obsolete in go forward tires. For example the Conti CS3 found in D4 size. Now basically a CS5 in other sizes, or the more up to date, less expensive, better performing quieter and longer wearing Conti DW summer. (Notice a problem with how everything but price correlates). But DW not available in 265. But it is in 275. Connect dots--Audi probably gets tires cheap OE in first instance, then tire manufacturer skims replace business in these oddball (yes, 265 is oddball as far as I'm concerned market wise) sizes and doesn't offer other choices from superseding models either. Rip off and frankly what seems to me to be anticompetitive behavior. Too coincidental now seeing same thing across D3 and D4 (and related A7/S7 use) and the 265 oddball category.

3. Solution: As you figured out, just go up to 275. Make sure of course the load rating is sufficient for your S8 spec. Same thing do-able with D4's. 275's have a lot more range of choice, and typically cheaper for same quality too. Besides, you are putting them on a 20 x 9 ET46 wheel. That is identical to the wheel on a W12 or a later 4.2 with the optional sport 20s, both of which use the 275 size. And, the actual (not nominal) width is often identical in tread and sidewall at the "bulge" area , or sometimes the 265 is oddly wider than the 275. It depends on specific tires--look carefully at TireRack specs. At least on Yoko's originally fit on many S8's in 2007, the word was it was just a 275 tire slightly cut down on sidewall height, but not actually on true width. On W12, also basically no speedo error. A guess if you check yours against a GPS app is it may be reading a little optimistic and 27.7" diameter of the typical 275 (instead of 27.3" of 265's) may actually improve it rather than introduce error. You also get a little more sidewall (.2") for a little smoother ride, a tiny bit more rim protection and a little more wheel well fill. All modest but observable.

4. On tire itself. I just got a set to replace my W12 winters that are shot in prep to having car as salable as possible. MY summers were separately pretty worn too. I went with just intro'ed Michelin AS 3 +. Most buyers presumably wouldn't be looking for me to have dedicated snows, but would want quality new tires appropriate for a range of conditions. I ran prior Michelin AS+ at one time, but found it almost unsafe in snow a few times. AS3 tire is well regarded, but likewise was fingered as somewhat of an underperformer (like many others too) in even modest snow, and well below the benchmark Conti DWS, now DWS06. AS3+ is Michelin's answer to that. See TireRack recent test results. DWS06 would have been a bit less, but went w/ Michelin AS3+'s given their typically still better results for dry and wet (non snow) feel and performance.

5. Wear: FWIW, I get about 20K out of summers on W12--Michelin PS2's in past or two sets of Dunlop SportMaxx's . I got closer 30K out of the Michelin AS+'s. But on my C5 4.2, I also saw that if upper control arm (or something similar) issues came up, it could render inner edge of fronts useless in like 5K miles. One time it happened insidiously late in a summer, though a set of winter tires and the into next summer before I picked it up and it had pretty much dusted all 4 summer tires and two of the winter tires but was hidden for a while by the rotations and summer-winter cycles. Replacing upper arms/bushings got wear more back to normal.

richard-tx

Tires that have a lot of dry grip don't last. That is the rule. I know one fellow that bought some tires that were rated for 90,000 miles or so. He couldn't take off without spinning and squealing. When it got wet, he couldn't stop either. They would have lasted for a long long time if he hadn't totaled out his car during a minor thunderstorm. He imitated a pinball between concrete barriers on the highway. He said that when it started to slide, he was instantly transformed from a pilot to a passenger and just had to ride it out.

Drive like it is race day and tires don't last either. Gravel roads eat tires alive as well.

Mister Bally

There's another vote for buying tires on-line, eh? How much did you really save by going that route? I've used Tire Rack once with decent results once. But, I went to the South Bend HQ & warehouse and had them mount 8 tires for me. MP could do the same in Reno if he wants to. Once shipping and independent installer fees come in, the "$300.00 savings" on a set seem to be more like $100.00. Not that good if I can get emergency service/adjustments at the chain near me that has 30+ locations statewide.

MP4.2+6.0

9% plus sales tax might change your perspective a bit. Then there is the "recycling 'fee'"--charged on purchase strangely like another...sales tax...as opposed to at some other point. Or perish the thought, on the manufacturer. I could do it in Reno, but even somewhat lower NV sales tax (assuming they charge then for non-interstate) is still > shipping on a cheaper tire. 250 miles from me day to day, but about an hour from Tahoe.

There are some good shops locally. But when crossing among Dunlop, Michelin and Conti most commonly, harder to find the intersection. No issue if you want 4x4/big truck stuff though. Or a Mustang, or a Camry, or an RX350 or... Good luck finding any snow tire at all here either. Tire places outside of Sierra's hardly even know what they are, and they are special order 12 months a year. Costco has some of the midline stuff, but again on snows they would probably send me to the seasonal decorations aisle.

FWIW, I actually get a lot of my tires on take off OE Audi wheels where the overall cost is hardly more than the set of clean rims alone on EBay, or the tires as new. That's when some of the oddball Audi fitments are handy. And the ginormous D3 and 4 sizes that fit few other passenger cars anyway; the flip side of a small market. D3 takeoffs have long since run their course, but A7/S7 wheels + tires in 20's actually cross over at same sizing as D3 S8. Just need a centering ring.

hunterp27

In terms of savings, if you are buying just one set then you are probably right. I bought a set of tires for the S8 and a set for my wife's Escalade at the same time and I bought them from Discount Wheel Warehouse and used their 90 days same as cash option. so all in all I prolly saved about 400 bucks. they seemed worth it to me.