J-Tron

Hi! I got my e-Tron earlier this spring and I am preparing for the colder weather here in the Midwest. I am planning to get winter tires along with a set of wheels. I’m thinking of these wheels which someone has recommended before:

https://www.achtuning.com/hartmann-hrs6-091-ma-m-20x9-0-et29-wheel-for-audi-and-vw/

I’m thinking of getting Michelin X-Ice tires. Does any one have experience with these tires for the e-Tron? My other question is where do you get your get your seasonal tires exchanges done? Do you go to Audi for this? I used to go to Costco for tire exchanges for my previous vehicle. Does anyone have experience going to Costco with their e-Tron? I’m not sure if they are familiar with this vehicle and if that might be an issue. Thanks in advance for your answers!

E39Nutz

is x-ice XL rated? The etron is rather heavy. I used x-ice on my bmw RWD, great traction in snow and icy condition. I have blizzak on my etron, and i run 19” instead of 20”. I dont take my cars to the shop to swap out wheels, i do myself.

b-tron

Hello, a suggestion may be to just hold and see how you like the performance of the current All Season tires and wheels that you have on the car. I live in the extreme Northeast where studded Nokian Haks are the tires of choice in our Winters. That said, I wanted to see how the Etron and Tires performed prior to making the decision you are trying to reach. My decision after one full severe Winter? The car does not need snow tires! (again, that is only my findings and I understand it may be a personal preference for all others). You can always buy Winter tires when you have experienced the current setup in snow/ice. Good luck!

realfan

I live in the Midwest and have had my e-Tron for two winters now. I did not change tires and the combination of Quattro and the weight of this car has given me confidence that I don’t need to swap tires for the Winter season. Just my two cents.

J-Tron

Thanks for everyone’s input. I will consider holding off this winter. For those people who did the seasonal exchange where did you get it done? I did check on the Michelin X-Ice and it is rated as 109T while the all-season Goodyear Sport Eagle I have on now has a rating of 109H. Thanks!

biff2bart

My opinion is that if you are expecting to be driving on ice or in snow, then proper winter tires are a must: for your safety and that of others. The main issue of course is stopping, not starting. Quatro and all seasons will pretty much get you most places, but only proper winter tires will allow surefooted control in adverse conditions.

As others have said, make sure that they are XL rated and you should be OK. Those specific Hartman wheels (I might have been the one who made the recommendation) are rated for the e-trons weight and have performed well for me across two winters already and I'm about to go into my third.

E39Nutz

Amen to this.

JNealCox

Here in Oregon, west of the Cascades, it is not super cold and we don't get much snow, but we get tons of ice and frozen rain, and other forms of frozen precipitation I can't identify. The heavy etron and grippy, studless Winter tires seemed to work quite well last Winter. I was actually surprised at how well the tires held up. Studless Winter tires wear like butter, and with the etrons weight and instant torque, I half expected to see a cloud of tire tread billowing behind me. The tires actually held up pretty well! A plus is that the 19" winter tires, which do not have the "acoustic liner", are quieter than my 20" All Season tires that have that foam liner.

yeamac

I believe it depends more on where you live/drive if snow tires are a must or not. If you live in a mountainous region that sees a lot of snow, or perhaps in the country where county roads may take days to get plowed after a storm, then yes, I'd agree that winter tires are important.

Like the OP, I live in the Midwest. Grew up in the Midwest, and not once in my 35 years of driving have I felt the need for snow tires. (And most of those vehicles were FWD not AWD like the e-tron.) The highway/city road departments salt the roads pretty good and generally do a good job of plowing. It is not mountainous nor even particularly hilly. Anything above a few inches of snow it is easy to wait for the roads to get plowed before heading out. And you always drive more cautiously on snowy/icy roads anyway. So for the OP, I'd second just driving on your all-season tires this winter and see what it is like. That is what I intend to do.

JNealCox

After two particularly treacherous winters, last winter, for the FIRST time, Oregon used salt on the highways west of the Cascades.