Hi all.

I just ordered my S5 Sportback w/Black Optic for July delivery. I live in NY but this vehicle won't be a daily driver as we have a Q7 for that. My question: are the stock 20" tires that come with the BO fine to drive on all winter long as long as there is no snow/sleet or will I need to invest in a second set of wheels/tires? Txs!

I have a 2019 with the 20" black optic wheels. I replaced the stock summer tires with Conti ExtremeContact DWS 275/30/20 and I haven't had any issues for two winters so far.

My S5 with the 19” Cavo wheels came with summer Hankook tires. The prevailing thought is that summer tires should not be driven in temperatures below 40° as the rubber gets too hard to really keep solid traction. I’m sure your question will get lots of replies from other members — but my advice would be to either switch to a good A/S or keep dedicated “season wheels & tires.”

— John

Right. I think it’s manufacturer advice, not just a bunch of us on a forum. It isn’t just about pushing through and stopping in winter slop (though there is that). As John says, the rubber will get hard and you’ll lose grip and stopping ability when the temperature gets below 40 or so, snow/sleet aside.

Txs- when you say to switch to an all-season, do you mean to replace the stock 20" and use all-seasons all year or use all season wheels for fall/winter? I can also swap out the BO package for 19" wheels this week but I'd be bummed as I really like the look of the BO

Switch to A/S tires on your BO 20" wheels you like. You can get a very good A/S tire that performs nearly as good as a summer tire unless you are absolutely pushing it to the extremes.

Thanks! Is that something I can order from my dealer since the car is being built now or will I need to order them after? I'd much rather lose a little performance and not have to poop my pants if I'm out and it unexpectedly snows/sleets.

IF Audi or your dealer offer the 20” in an A/S tire that may be your best route. As I live in South Jersey I see much of the same weather as you do.

I made the choice not to run my 19” wheels and summer tires in the winter so I bought a set of the Audi 18” wheels from a member who had already gone to the after-market wheels that he liked. Consequently, I still have a set of pristine 19” Cavos with summer tires as well as a set of genuine Audi 18” wheels with a set of Michelin A/S for the winter months.

Your answer will depend on what your dealer / Audi is willing to do for you or if you want to keep2 sets of wheels & tires. PERSONALLY I would not recommend just (1) set of wheels and (2) sets of tires as mounting / dismounting wheels multiple times could create a potential problem with a properly sealing tire bead as well as the repeated cost of the dismounting / mounting / balancing costs.

— John

Op, I think you're also specifically asking whether it's okay to run 20s in the winter, and the answer is yes and no. I'm like both you and John, I run dedicated winter and summer tires (like John), and also LOVE the 20" BO wheels (like you). I bought an additional set of OEM BO wheels from a member here for my 2nd season tires.

So, yes 20s are fine to run winter tires on, but no in the sense that they are more sensitive to pothole damage, both tire and wheel. That being said, I've had zero damage in two winters here in Central CT.

Thanks! Did you ever consider running a good all-season year round?

is it ok to run 20's in winter? yes.
is it ok to run the summer performance tires that come with the 20's in winter? no.
well, i mean, you can, but i wouldn't call it safe. either get all seasons or get a dedicated winter set. summer tires when it's cold are bad. summer tires when it's cold and wet, as snow/ice will do in new york winters, are just asking for an accident

Has anyone ever had success getting the dealer to swap out the summer 20's for all-weather 20's before taking the vehicle? Mine won't be ready until July so I have some time.

Negotiations, Negotiations, Negotiations — you should still have time.

Tire “swaps” are easier than wheel swaps as wheel swaps change the build sheet if the dealers do them whereas tire swaps are not considered “changing the build sheet” in the same way as wheel swaps are.

— John

No, I really didn't. I took delivery in the winter time and the car came with summer tires on it, so I had a decision to make (I didn't think to negotiate it at the time). I jumped from a RWD Dodge Charger with A/S to what I would consider a premium AWD car. I figured that with A/S tires I'd be sacrificing performance in the summer months, and safety and traction in the winter months.

I perform the seasonal wheel switch over myself on my Audi as well as two other 4 wheel setups. It is definitely a painful task, but with a impact driver, a floor jack, and having switched from the stock Audi lug bolts/plastic caps to Gorilla Locks it's less painful.

I hope this helps you in your decision.

Thanks- you all have been incredibly helpful. My latest thinking is ill take the car as-is and invest in a pair of winter tires for the same rims. I'm leasing it so not sure it makes the most financial sense but I have a few more months to figure it out. I think the $1000 or so is worth the peace of mind on my first ever performance automobile.

The fact that you're leasing makes more sense in not buying a winter setup. I own and plan on having the car for 10 -12 years, so investing in a winter setup does make sense.
Though, here's a used RS5 winter wheel/tire set w/TPMS; less than 2k miles on set that's asking for $1,000.

Bigpoppaco is buying an S5 - that winter set you linked is using a wheel with a 25 ET (offset), and also a 255/40R19 tyre (not a 35 series). There may be a clearance issue on an S5, and he won't have individual TPMS. Apart from that, it is an attractive offer - the Sottozero Series II (240) are excellent high performance winter tyres, and were the original homologated winter tyre for the B9 RS5.

I'm actually leasing it unless something dramatic happens between now and July when the car comes in.

Sure, I was more commenting on the (un)suitability of those wheels for an S5, vs an RS5.

I change tyres each season, using the same wheels, on both our S5's. Whilst Nikon1's warning on wheel or tyre damage is worth considering, I have never had an issue. Just go somewhere reputable.

I usually keep my cars for many years so it makes more financial sense for me to keep two sets of wheels and tires. With a lease vehicle or if I was someone who jumped from car to car, doing what Glisse does makes more sense. But in either case, the suggestion of “go somewhere reputable” is top on the list.

— John