I'm moving from VA up to Boston this winter, so I'll be buying winter tires for the first time.

Do people tend to leave their winter tires on all winter? Have folks considered leaving the summers on except when there's snow/ice around, or do summer compounds not do so well in the cold?

I have 235R45/17 S-02PPs right now. I don't know how they deal with low temperatures, but the handling is second to none, and I'm afraid I'll really miss that if I stick some cushy 16's on all winter. And winter is, of course, when I'll be getting the highest performance!

Speaking of cushy, what size winter tires would people recommend for an S4? I know I want narrower and higher sidewalls.

Jay

 

Factory recommended size for winter tires on S4 is 205/55-16. There are still no steel wheels available at last report, so factory or aftermarket alloys are your only choice. The selection of wheels is limited, but there are a few.

As far as the tires are concerned, winter tires are compounded with rubber that remains soft at lower temps. Summer tires freeze up, glaze over, and lose traction. Even if the road is dry, cold weather will adversely affect performance of summer tires. So even if you left your PP's on for the winter, you still won't have the handling you love.

Swapping wheels on and off with each change of the weather (and what weather forecast was ever right?) is way too much effort. Put the winter tires on for winter, take them off when winter's over. When the the weather warms up, the roads clear up and you put your PP's back on is the time for having fun. Until then, the main goal is to stay out of trouble.

We've already beaten the snow tire issue to death, and it's only September. There will be 100's or 1000's more postings in the next couple of months. Winter tires that have gotten good reviews include Pirelli 210, Dunlop M2, Michelin Alpin, Bridgestone Blizzak, and Nokian NRW and Hakkapelliitta. Each has its proponents and its attributes, but rest assured that the worst one of the bunch will be MUCH better in the winter than those big fat PP's.

DMoore
'00 S4

 

and could not get the right tire/wheels. Forcing a fit or sacrificing is not a good alternative (especially when $$$ are not saved in the process). I was lucky enough to take the forum advice and buy early (early Oct). Remember Audi has sold a ton of cars since last year and this year will probably be worse in terms of supply/demand.

Don't hesitate, buy your set now and let them sit for a couple of months. Also, if you live in an area where a flat or blown tire is more likely buy a spare tire. I found myself scrambling around mid-winter looking for a tire and you are held hostage at that point. You end up wasting time and money just trying to get a tire you could have purchased hassle free 90 days earlier.

I have no affiliation with any wheel/tire shop etc. . . I am just posting my experience.<p>00 2.7T
17"ATP/Yoko S

 

On both my A4s I'm going back to stock size 205/55-16 from 225/50-16.<p>98.5 A4 2.8 qM
98.5 A4 2.8 Avant qT TWR (The Wife's Ride)

 

Switch over around early December and leave them on until early March.

 

Definately go with a second set of wheels. I would put snows on the stock rims and get lighter rims for the summer tires.

Reggie

98.5 2.8QMS