2014 Q5 TDI need tire advice (Michelin Pilot SS)
 

Hi,

We're looking to get a new tires for a 2014 Q5 TDI Prestige.

Q5 came with Michelin latitude sport 255/45/r20 101w tires.

Since we live in California, we were thinking going with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They are highly rated and should perform better than the latitudes. They are also a few hundred less and should last longer than the OEM tires.

Has anyone else went this route with their Q5 and can describe if those tires were louder and/or harsher.

We would also be open to any input on OEM or summer type tires since we don't need more performance. There were Hankooks, etc that were a few hundred less than the michelins, but it's hard to compare various tires because most testing was done on sedans. Please post if you have any suggestions or experience with a replacement set.

TIA

I run Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my Cayman and they are a fantastic tire. Amazing grip and response, with decent wear rates. But they are a very high performance tire, I just don't think you can push the tire to the same limits on the Q5.

You mentioned you are not looking for more performance, so the SS may be overkill - there really isn't anything better out there right now. On the wife's 3.0T Q5 I run BF Goodrich g-force Sport Comp 2 tires (same size, 255/45 R20). Close in performance to the SS, but around 40% less and better treadwear. Worth adding to your list.

db

Thanks for the information and the suggestion.

I'm doing some research right now and the BF Comp 2s are a lot less than the michelins. I read that they can be loud (subjective I know). How would you rate the sound and ride for both tires you and your wife are using. You're right about either providing enough performance, but I don't want the ride to suffer too much and the road noise to be noticeably louder than the OEMs. The main reason I've been researching is I worry about 10k down the road how the tires hold up. The 1st set of michelins we're great, but we only need summer tires here and they are $300+ less for a set of pilot ss and the bf comp 2s are another $300 less which is quite a bit.

Again thank you for your input. I hope to have it figured out in the next day or so.

The MPSS are used on the Ferrari 458 Italia if that helps define the target market (Michelin did extensive testing with Ferrari on this tire). To get the best out of them, you need a sports car. I think it's a great tire, but I don't put them on the Q. There are more comfortable, longer lasting and cheaper options. Just 1 guy's opinion...

Regarding noise level, the BFs are not the quietest tire ever, but I wouldn't call them 'loud' either (and for comparison, the MPSS is not actually that quiet anyway). They are maybe a fraction louder than the Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sports we originally had on there but I don't recall it being a shock when we first switched. The BFs definitely handle better IMO, are cheaper, and may even last longer than the Bridgestones. Win win win. They are similar to the MPSS, but cost less and are definitely more comfortable. The only complaint I would have about the MPSS is slight harshness in ride quality, not an issue for what I was looking for in the Cayman (I wanted better handling and wear, only got 5k out of the PZeros!:D). If comfort is the primary driver, you could look elsewhere, but then you will give up something in the handling and potentially price.

Tires are always a trade-off between cost, handling/performance, comfort/noise and wear. If you find a tire that tops all categories, let me know! :)

db

Is it okay to put a sports car tire on an SUV? Won't the loads be different.

In the 255/45/20 sizing they're a crossover tire and the load ratings reflect that.

You can also get the Pilot Sport A/S 3, longer tread life then the Super Sport and almost all of the performance along with all season capabilities if you end up going up to the mountains or something. That's what I have on my SQ5, replaced the Latitude Sports with them.

I run PSSs on my S4 - they're tremendous tires for sports cars and sports sedans, but I wouldn't put them on a Q5 unless it was an SQ5. They're louder and stiffer than the OEM tires, which is the tradeoff for their much better responsiveness and handling.

We had Michelin Latitude Tours on our previous Acura MDX, and replaced them with Hankook RS07s. The Hankooks proved very quiet and comfortable for a lot less $$$ than the Michelins.

Thanks for that and everyone else who provided insight. I've been leaning towards the hankooks because others have also said they are quiet and great bang for the buck. I almost ordered the BFGs but the noise complaints were too much to ignore. It's one of those things that are going to affect the car for 2-3 years and I want to err on the safe side. I am now basically looking at those hankooks or the All season Michelins. Might order them today depending.

Thanks again and please continue to contribute if you've swapped out for different tires on your Q5.

Is it the AS RH07? If so, they have rather poor user rankings on TR. Granted, those user surveys should be taken with a grain of salt.

As for me, when it's time, I think I will replace the oem tires on our Q5 with ContiCrossContact LX20 Eco Plus.

Yes, I'm aware of the rankings on TireRack, but our experiences were very good, or I wouldn't have bothered to respond.

CrossContacts are the OE tire on our 2015 Q5 and they seem nice, but we've only put about 2400 miles on the car so far.

FWIW, the Latitude Tours got quite loud as they aged. Didn't experience that with the Hankooks...