bgserve

Hey everyone,

I'm about to lease a new S4 and the car that I have the best deal on comes with the 18" summer tires. I live in Los Angeles, drive about 15,000 miles/year and frequently deal with bad roads, potholes, etc. I currently have a 2014 BMW 335i with the 19" high performance tires and have had issues with rim damage and having to replace tires with bubbles and nails (the run-flats are horrible). It seems that the 18's might give me better durability and a better ride, but I do love the look of the 19's. I'm also concerned that I might lose out on any better performance that the 19's might provide.

Thank you all for your tips and recommendations.

togatown

A lot of us on the East coast run 19" in summer and 18" in winter, but since you don't have to worry about weather, it's really up to your personal preference. The 18" will definitely offer a better ride and perhaps durability, but the 19"'s fill in the wheel wells much better, especially with a little offset to make them more flush.
The only performance aspect related to 18" vs. 19", is that Audi limits the top speed on the 18" supplied models to 135 mph, as opposed to 155 mph for the models equipped with 19" Summer tires, but is that really going to be an issue for most people, probably not.

DrGP

Agree, Go with 19's. The ride may seem more harsh initially. After a week , you won't notice a difference. Living in LA, I can't imagine you actually have REAL pothole like we have back here in the snow belt., BTW, some guys run 20s.

Bobby Kinstle

I'd go 18"s. The tires are significantly lower cost, plus the weigh less and sidewall roll really isn't an issue.

The 135MPH speed limiter is for cars that come from the factory with winter tires. Mine was build with 18's and goes way over 135.