Granite-Granny

My wife just trashed one of the tires on the A3 3.2Q. Instead of stopping when she noticed the flat she decided to drive a mile to a parking lot to leave the car. The tire is shredded. The rim looks okay though.

Is it safe for the transmission to replace only 1 out of 4 tires?

The other 3 tires are pretty worn (1/8th" tread left) and were due to be replaced next spring when I switch from my winter tires back to my summer tires.

Should i replace just the 1 or both on the axle or all 4?

Yeah I know I should probably replace all 4 but I'm a first gen Scotsman so I'm pretty tight.

That brings me to the next question. What should I replace them with? I currently have Continental ProContacts 225/45R17. Which have been decent but they are an all season tire and I don't really need an all season tire as I have winter tires.

From searching here I know people highly recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's but I have a couple of concerns. They are quite expensive and I am worried about how many miles I'll get out of such a soft compound. I'd like my tires to last as long as the Continentals but still want decent performance.

Will the PS2 wear out much quicker than the Conti's?

Any other suggestions for more of a performance touring type summer tire?

Thanks

Steve

JScottC

Sure it's more money, but I think if one tire has a different radius than the others, the differential/haldex sees it as slippage, and wear and tear on those parts have to cost way more than the cost of three tires. You know the old saying, penny wise and pound foolish.

As for tires, I got Sumitomo HTR Z3's for a reasonable price and have been happy with them.

Bezor

doesn't seem like traction is you worry in the least?

Roundel had a review of Potenza G019 Grid mounted on...get this in the club BMW rag....4 door GTi's. Basically, look at the G019 as a super-high performance tire in an M+S package, just becareful that the snow part is only occasionally, and they tended to get very slippery the colder the weather, like a superformance summer tire would.

An_A_car

Don't buy anything more than a year old.

Some shops offer discounts on new (old) tires. Tires have a shelf life of 6 years or less.

m444

Keep in mind, if tires are 10 years old (from date of manufacture) they should be replaced always.

Generally they should be replaced after 6 years to be safe.

I would replace all four, since you will need to do this in spring anyway.

I really like the Pzero nero for normal (non-extreme) weather.

panzrwagn

They are the same tire with different speed ratings.

The Yokos consistently have the best braking and handling of all the tires in their class. 4' from 50MPH doesn't sound like much, but it's the difference between "a close one" and an accident. That gets my business every time. They are also $60 a tire less than the equivalent Michelins and a ton less than the Pilot Sports.

From Tire Rack:

Tires tested:
Bridgestone Potenza G 019 Grid (High Performance All-Season 225/45R17)

What We Liked: Civilized road manners
What We'd Improve: Wet traction
Conclusion: A sporty tire that won't beat you up when the going gets rough
Latest Test Rank: 2nd
Previous Test Rank: Not previously tested

Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S (High Performance All-Season 225/45R17)

What We Liked: Well-rounded performance
What We'd Improve: A small increase in wet grip
Conclusion: A responsive tire for drivers who like to stay connected to the driving process
Latest Test Rank: 3rd
Previous Test Rank: 1st (April '05)

Pirelli P6 Four Seasons (High Performance All-Season 225/45R17)

What We Liked: Balanced handling when driven hard
What We'd Improve: Braking traction in dry and wet conditions
Conclusion: A performance-oriented tire that would benefit from a small tune-up
Latest Test Rank: 4th
Previous Test Rank: 4th (September '03)


Yokohama AVID H4s (High Performance All-Season 225/45R17)

What We Liked: Excellent dry and wet traction with reasonable noise and ride qualities
What We'd Improve: A small improvement in steering response
Conclusion: A well-mannered performance tire with sure-footed wet and dry traction
Latest Test Rank: 1st
Previous Test Rank: 2nd (May '06)

AudiPutz

On an AWD car you should always replace all 4 tires at the same time.
If you have a set of winter tires I'd definitely go for summer UHP tires.
I was just deciding which ones to buy as the OEM Continental ContiSportContact 2s (225/40x18) just died on my 3.2q after 23K miles.
I too considered Michelin's Pilot Sport PS2/3s but the high price and the fact that they melt away like ice on a hot day made me to pick something else. I had the PS2s on my bimmer a few years ago and they were incredibly sticky.
In the end I've narrowed it down to Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2s and the Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs, the latter as an economical option at $111. I just ordered the Michelins from Costco at $185 a piece (everything included) minus an $80 rebate they have right now if you get a set of 4.
To help in my decision I've used a CR test (below) and TireRack's tests. Both came to similar conclusions. CR results are based on wet and dry braking, handling and aquaplaning, rolling resistance, noise, ride and thread life. The Overall Score number is between 0 and 100.
I went for the Michelins because they have the best thread life rating of all the tires below and identical test scores in wet and dry. The Sumitomos scored much lower in the wet compared to their excellent dry results.
BTW CR used an A3 3.2q with 18" wheels for their test. ;-)


SUMMER UHP Overall Score
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 85
Pirelli P-Zero 84
BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW2 78
Bridgestone Potenza RE 050 A Pole Position 77
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 76
Continental ContiSportContact 3 76
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 76
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 73
Kumho Ecsta SPT 73
Fuzion Zri 68
Toyo Proxes T1R 68
Falken FK452 66
Yokohama Advan Sport 66
Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval 65
BFGoodrich g-Force Sport 64
Hankook Ventus S1 evoK07 63
Pirelli P-Zero Nero 62
Avon Tech M500 61
Nitto Invo 59
Nitto NT 555 Extreme ZR 55
Pirelli P-Zero Rosso 50

opl

If you're looking for summer only or performance tires, try the Michel Pilot Exalto PE2. I have them on my new 2009 A3 3.2Q and they worked wonderfully on both dry and wet roads. Especially over the weekend when it rained so much here in Toronto. I had ContiPros on my previous A4 and they weren't that great and they were all seasons. The Michelin's are also very quiet.

eger

These came on my 08 S-line. I am VERY happy with them so far - 15k miles on em