Silver440000

Hello,

I did a forum search regarding winter tires and nothing really popped up. There could be older posts but tires tech changes so often. I am in Michigan and wanted to swap out the BFG’s for a winter specific tire. I have heard great things about Bridgestone Blizzack’s. I am leaning towards them but don’t know any S4 owners that use them to get any feedback from. So really I have two questions:

-Blizzack? Good as I think or not?
-Should I consider a different tire all together type/brand etc? Winter or A/S?

We can get a 12” of snow without warning, so that’s something to consider.

Any opinions would be much appreciated, thanks.

fstr n u

Blizzaks are great for the first 50% wear and then they become less effective. Consider the Michelin Pilot Alpin or a high performance winter tire. Start with a search on Tirerack.com to get some ideas. We have true winter here in Canada with ice/snow for 5 months and i won't buy anything other than Nokian Hak 8 studdeds....where you live a non-studded is likely the way to go.

Silver440000

Hello,

thank you for your response. I did a search as you recommended and have looked at 3 tires now that could be a good fit. I don’t want to go cheap, as you pay for that in the long run anyway. With that said here are the 3:

alpin Pa4 > $1100-ish
Pirelli Sottozero 3 > $900-ish
Blizzak LM-32 > $1100-ish

if the Perelli’s are a solid choice and I save 100-200 on 4, seems like a good way to go. Very hard to find reliable reviews specifically for Audi S4. Seems like Blizzaks are loved and hated 50/50 and PA4 are more expensive. Any insights on the SOTTOZERO’s?

Thanks

LowOrbit

I recommend Alpin PA4s. My S4 handles very well in the snow (live in Sierra mountains at Tahoe) and handles amazingly well for winter tires. If you can spend the little extra, I think it's well worth it.

QS4

I can't say anything bad about Blizzaks! I've had 2-3 sets of them over the years...

When you dedicate your tires to the snow season you are selecting a tire DESIGNED to perform BETTER in cold, snow-covered roads compared to those high-performance summer tires we know & love. Blizzaks et al are at their best in snow but any tire's compromise reveals itself with the company's decision on the rubber compound content and overall tread design, and the absence of snow... You may find a few good YouTube videos that show cars starting/stopping on ice! That should translate well on snow.

Hit the bulls eye for snow performance and adjust your expectations for dry weather winter performance. (Of course, a summer tire's goal (optimal condition) is dry, dust-free roads. Adding dirt/water will expose the better compounds and tread patterns in their ability to maintain traction). Dedicated winter tires use a compound that is better for colder temperatures and a tread that is less likely to lose traction in snow (and ice) compared to All Season or any other tires. Know your winter season, know your summer and winter tires, adjust your driving for each and realize you are running at less than optimum once your tread depth has worn to a certain point... it's time to slow down, or replace. Otherwise, you'll be running better that the average Joe wearing all-season or a less dedicated tire.

Consider -1 or -2 to an 18' or 17" size and reduced width if there will be considerable snow driving, less sliding with narrower tires. I also trust the Tire Rack, appreciate the reviews, and the advice of their Sales Associates. This year I went with Yokohamas - it's going to be a good winter!

sleeper_dave

Blizzaks are great. This year I bought Continental winter contact tires. They were cheaper than the blizzaks and tire rack rated them slightly higher. I think they were about $600 shipped. I bought some 18" Audi SUV wheels (Q7 I think) for winter. Haven't gotten any snow yet so I can't really content on performance yet.