morris39

I am already thinking about tires for next summer.OE tires are 235/35-19 Conti ContactSport 5P and have 4mm (or 5 in 1/32") thread depth left.The tires handle great, ride well enough but are too noisy on anything but very smooth roads.I have 2 sets of 18 " rims. On one set I have Mich X-Ice 225/45-18 winter tires. I am very satisfied with these tires, they are much quieter and smoother than the Contis and handle well enough on dry roads for non winter conditions. I am looking at the following choices in the below DIY table :
Type Brand&Size Tire Height Increase- inch Guaranteed Life - K miles
Summer/ Michelin Pilot PS4S 245/40-18 0.63 20
A/S / Michelin Pilot Sport A/S+ 225/45-18 0.75 70
A/s / Pirelli P Zero A/S+ 245/40-18 0.63 50

I am leaning towards the Pirellis because of reportedly lower road noise. Ultimate grip, life and cost are not the deciding factors for my driving.
Your experience/advice will be appreciated.

Flying Scotsman

I have the Pirelli P Zero AS plus on my S3 235/35/19 and find them a good compromise and preferred them over Conti DWS-06 that were shod on a previous car. Noise is subjective but I find mine A OK

morris39

Thanks FS, useful datum point. Have you had experience with Ultimate Performance summer tires on the A3? As I bought my S3 (25k Km) with 19" Contis I don't know if the noise changed with tire wear. Some claim that noise does not increase but I don't believe that if the taut guitar string/ low thread is a good (enough) analogy. BTW the cost saving of 18" vs 19" pays for the rims.
Surprised that there are no opinions re driving satisfaction difference with high performance summer vs. A/S tires. First Audi, so I'm learning.

Flying Scotsman

The car was shod with Pirelli Pzero high performance summer tyres and they were marginally quieter than the A/S plus. That is not surprising as they have a higher wear factor than the summer version. Also they were AO Audi factory spec tyres which I believe are designed to be a wee bit quieter. All in all I am very satisfied with the A/S and they will last a heck of a lot longer. I was quite surprised at how quickly the factory summer tyres were wearing after only 6 months prior to me putting on the A/S on

jeff968

When I told my dealer I wanted to get a Vegas yellow S3 he had to locate one at port. It was equipped with the no cost all season tire option. The tires are the Pirelli Cinrurato P7s. At first I wasn't happy about them. I would have preferred the summers. But after having the car for 8 months they are a great tire. Excellent performance characteristics. They look to be wearing well too. I will probably get them again when the time comes.

morris39

Am I correct to assume your tire size is 225/40-18? Some comments on Tire Rack claimed mediocre wet performance. Do you agree? Do you live in a dry climate (as I do)?

jeff968

Correct on the size. I feel they perform fine in the wet and I live in CT about an hour out of NYC.

morris39

Narrowed choice to Pirelli 18” both all season . So 245/40 P7A/S + or 225/45P Zero A/S+. The P Zero has narrower footprint, higher sidewall (101 vs 98 mm) and more aggressive thread. The P7 is likely a smoother/quieter tire but maybe not as good in the wet. However it has a longer wear warrantee so may retain initial performance a little longer. Opinions? Does the difference in footprint matter for street use?

I lean to the P Zero.

morris39

OK so "nobuddy knows nuffink" or the question is not worth asking. The attached links clearly show the difference in the thread pattern between the 3 tires.Is it significant enough to account for the ride/noise quality?

Flying Scotsman

I would suggest that the P Zero A/S with a 45 profile and a width of 225 would be quieter and offer a more comfortable ride than a 245/40, due to contact width and the lower profile of the P7.