Summer Tires to High Performance All Season
02-02-2018, 12:11 PM
#11
AudiWorld Senior Member
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Every Audi I have purchased, I have immediately pulled the summer tires off and replaced with Performance AS (typically Conti DWS). I typically use DWS for Spring/Summer/Fall, and switch to dedicated snow tires in the Winter. (I have an attic full of stupid summer tires. I wish Audi more often allowed a switch at purchase.)
But, on my TTS, I only used the DWS tires... which were plenty grippy and provided a great deal of performance. I used them in Feb in snow, and in August on canyon roads. If I had to use one tire year-round, I would run DWS for sure.
02-02-2018, 12:24 PM
#12
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I wish I can use summer tires in the summer and winter tires in the winter, but I just don't have any place to store them in my apartment. That's why I'm considering High Performance AS. I'm in NYC and we don't get that much snow. It just gets real cold here and had the experience of using summer tires in the cold and it wasn't pleasant. Obviously the AS won't be as good as the summer, but would it be that much of a downgrade during warm weather?
I like many here have the AS DWS Conti's and they are great, they're just never going to be as good as a dedicated summer tire in the summer.
I'm sure you'd love for us to say you won't notice a difference between a High Performance AS and High Performance Summer, in the summer but the fact is you will. Anyone that tells you so, they're lying to you.
Good luck and have fun!
02-02-2018, 01:48 PM
#14
AudiWorld Super User
The thing about the DWS that has me wondering is that they lose their snow and wet capabilities over time as the tread wears. Snow goes first. If you haven't had the DWS before, they have the letters D, W and S molded into the tread and as long as all three letters are legible you are good to go in all conditions, but once you can only read DW, then they are no good in the snow anymore and once you can only read D, they are no good in the wet anymore either. So my thought is that if you drive them during the summer, you gonna wear off the precious tread layer that gives it the winter capabilities, so then when winter comes around the tire may be worn too much to be any good on the snow. Of course all tires get less capable in anything other than dry conditions as the tire wears, but the DWS seems unique. Either way it doesn't seem a good idea to wear down a tire during the summer months and then enter the winter season with lower tread depth. I do understand your situation, but there are places that can store the tires for you for a small fee.
02-02-2018, 02:28 PM
#15
AudiWorld Senior Member
Sorry to sidebar into a tangent discussion: but... I pulled my DWS's off last fall to put on the snow tires, and the dealer said "these should be replaced, they are getting low tread".. BUT, the "S" still shows on all 4 tires. I didn't pull out the depth gauge, but if the "S's" still show, I am surprised my dealer would think I don't have enough tread!
02-02-2018, 05:01 PM
#16
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
The thing about the DWS that has me wondering is that they lose their snow and wet capabilities over time as the tread wears. Snow goes first. If you haven't had the DWS before, they have the letters D, W and S molded into the tread and as long as all three letters are legible you are good to go in all conditions, but once you can only read DW, then they are no good in the snow anymore and once you can only read D, they are no good in the wet anymore either. So my thought is that if you drive them during the summer, you gonna wear off the precious tread layer that gives it the winter capabilities, so then when winter comes around the tire may be worn too much to be any good on the snow. Of course all tires get less capable in anything other than dry conditions as the tire wears, but the DWS seems unique. Either way it doesn't seem a good idea to wear down a tire during the summer months and then enter the winter season with lower tread depth. I do understand your situation, but there are places that can store the tires for you for a small fee.
02-02-2018, 05:15 PM
#17
AudiWorld Member
I'm driving with my summer tires still. I was so concerned about this after my Corvette Z06 experience. However , I've found they handle pretty well even down to the teens. I haven't and won't take the car in the snow but for everyday driving, they've been fine. Zero wheel slip under hard acceleration but I haven't pushed it in the turns. Actually glad I didn't swap them out based on the way I drive in the winter.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...king/index.htm
02-02-2018, 06:20 PM
#18
AudiWorld Super User
Isn't this the fact with any tire? Any AS will loose its snow capabilities the more you drive it. And only Continental, in this case, give you a gauge.
Sorry to sidebar into a tangent discussion: but... I pulled my DWS's off last fall to put on the snow tires, and the dealer said "these should be replaced, they are getting low tread".. BUT, the "S" still shows on all 4 tires. I didn't pull out the depth gauge, but if the "S's" still show, I am surprised my dealer would think I don't have enough tread!
Sorry to sidebar into a tangent discussion: but... I pulled my DWS's off last fall to put on the snow tires, and the dealer said "these should be replaced, they are getting low tread".. BUT, the "S" still shows on all 4 tires. I didn't pull out the depth gauge, but if the "S's" still show, I am surprised my dealer would think I don't have enough tread!
As for your worn set, maybe you have uneven wear and that's why the dealer says they need to be replaced?
I don't know and largely depends on your driving.
Last edited by superswiss; 02-02-2018 at 11:01 PM.
02-02-2018, 08:13 PM
#19
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02-04-2018, 05:36 AM
#20
AudiWorld Junior Member
Not an Audi, but I have a Porsche Cayman with Conti DWS for winter and Michelin PSCs for summer. Big difference between them, the Conti DWS are slower turn-in and much less grippy on Freeway cloverleaf than the Michelin PSCs. They do start sliding predictable and with audible feedback, but well before the fun-o-meter is pegged. I’m in SF Bay Area but my Dad lives in middle of Nevada where it can get cold. I got the Conti DWSs so I can take the Cayman and visit in winter as long as there’s no snow forecasted (just 5F last trip).
Now that I picked up my S5 SB the Cayman’s cold weather days are over. I’ll swap the Conti DWSs for R-comp track tires, toss them on the roof rack (er, um, “Roof Transport System”) and swap ‘em out in the paddock.
Now that I picked up my S5 SB the Cayman’s cold weather days are over. I’ll swap the Conti DWSs for R-comp track tires, toss them on the roof rack (er, um, “Roof Transport System”) and swap ‘em out in the paddock.