RafRaf

I've got an extra set of 17" OEM 02/03 A4 rims with summer Continentals (5Km) and I want be ready for the upcoming winter. Should I do:
1) put 17" winter tires on the extra set of 17" rims?
2) get a hold of 16" alloys/metal rims and put on 16" snows for better winter characteristics than the 17"....perhaps switch with someone who's got 16" OEM rims(ie. you buy the 16" winter tires for me and you get my 17" rims without the 17" summer ties)
Yeah I know what your thinking....winter???!!

Jo2

Option #2 sounds better...I'll most likely be doing the same.

ramprat

Then put winter tires on those. Try 205/50/17 tires. It has the same diameter as the 235/45/17 tires. The tire is thinner so it goes through the snow better.

RafRaf

Alloys are as strong as metal rims?

ramprat

I'm not sure, but you will look better driving down the road

feakara

I have a set of 16" I am looking to get rid of email me

MP

The whole point of having dedicated summer and winter wheels is to maximize performance of each set. 17" wheels (or larger) typically require 50 or 45 series rubber (or lower) for our cars, to create a large contact patch - which is great for dry conditions, and bad for snow.

A set of 16" wheels with dedicated, narrow winter tires are better for winter performance, period. In fact, if you're serious about winter performance, you might even consider 15" wheels with studs.

15" or 16" wheels will also give you more options for winter rubber due to sizing (probably 215/55 for 16"). Relatively fewer dedicated winter tires are available in 50 or 45, or lower profiles. Higher profile tires also generally cost less in both summer and winter designs. Low profile dedicated snows can run as much or more than high performance summer tires - something worth considering for some of us.

Of course, 17" wheels do look better, and if you live in an area other than say Alaska or Maine, if you can avoid driving in bad weather, you can probably get by just fine with a relatively low profile winter set up while preserving positive aesthetics.

If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, or if you make frequent trips to the mountains in the winter to ski or whatever, make sure you're getting advice from AW'er who have experience both with the options you're considering, as well as with the conditions you expect to drive in.

I've lived in Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and now New Jersey, and I typically ski in New England every weekend. I am a strong advocate of using a dedicated set of winter tires if you can afford to. Personally, I'm about to convert my OE 16" wheels to a dedicated winter set, and get a new set of 17" wheels for summer.

My pics for snows are the Pirelli Winter 210 Assymetricos (I had an excellent experience with these on my B5), or the Michelin Artic Alpins, which many A4 owners have praised here.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

Avantadrive

DEDICATED winter wheels AND tires: 16" Sport Edition Fox 5's with Dunlop Winter Sport M3's. Small wheel that won't be damaged in winter potholes, excellent snow tire. (Studless, which is good)
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DEDICATED summer wheels AND tires: 18" Sport Edition TK5's with Yokohama AVS ES100 summmer tires.
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The best part about this is that you can switch between summer and winter sets YOURSELF (i.e., without paying someone to change tires) in about 15 minutes or less. Also, you get maximum performance in whichever season you're in.

Jet Jockey/A4 Pilot

Took the words out of my mouth. 15 and 16 inch snow tires will cost less too.