JohnBoyToo

Hi,
We had a nice A6 3.0T as a loaner the last few days and the tech in it is much better than the current Q5 we are considering trading...

One thing I noticed is the sever tire noise from the low profile WIDE tires...

Didn't notice which tires, but since it only had 4k or so on it, assumed they were stock...

Is that normal for these cars ?
SWEET engine in just the A6, is the S6 tuned differently ?

thanks in advance !

DirkM

I had a 3.0T loaner once with the 20" wheels and they were noisy. I was glad that I got the 18" Sport Package. I now got the Conti DWS in 20" and they are much quieter and the ride seems to be smoother as well.

snagitseven

Many new tires, especially those that are wider and low profile, will make more noise when new until they break in, especially over certain road surfaces. Perhaps the demo you drove had new tires and they were not yet broken in. My 19" Bridgestone RE970AS ultra high performance all seasons are as quiet as any other low profile performance tire I've owned once they had a few hundred miles on the road.

That said, high performance tires will generally exhibit more road noise than the typical touring passenger tire - it all depends on your frame of reference. Mine are totally acceptable for road noise.

The S6 come with a completely different engine. 4.0 twin turbocharged 420 hp V8 vs, the A6 with a 3.0 supercharged 310 hp engine.

manishaudi

I have the 3.0T w/20-inch Sport Package and I do not have the tire noise you are talking about.

+1 Snagitseven - good point

Another thing you should consider is that the tires may be close to the end of their life and may need to be replaced. Whenever tires get to that point, regardless of their dimensions, they usually exhibit some signs of wear & tear

EDIT: I am still on the original Pirelli 20" tires that came with my car. I will be replacing them with Bridgestone Potenza S-04's when they need to be replaced.

DirkM

Might be that my loner was in need for new tires, I think it had like 15k miles on the odometer.

BugeyeRX

Loaners are driven hard, could have been curbed during an under steer event.

jperryrocks

My tires have been noisy since day 1. Audi puts the Pirelli P ZERO 20" tires on most of the cars with 20's and they are horrible for tire noise.

One of the worst tires I ever had for noise.

I've been looking on Tire Rack for some replacements.

Chucktown

Same here. I can't wait to wear them down to the point they need to be replaced.

manishaudi

These are my top choice for replacing the Pirelli's:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....dClar=Prestige

Some people have been recommending this Hankook to me, but I have no experience with them : Thoughts anyone?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....dClar=Prestige

Also was considering using an all-season. A lot of people have suggested the Continental DWS, but from past experience I just don't trust them:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....dClar=Prestige

Nyuni

Just curious - what kind of bad experiences? I find them to grip at least as well as the P-Zeros in the dry (I'm not exactly an 'extreme' driver, though I do enjoy utilizing the car's handling ability on onramps and the like), and have unsurprisingly superior wet and snow traction. I had them on a previous vehicle and loved them as well... I'm not trying to be contrary, I'm just genuinely curious as to what made your trust in them so shaky.

They are -worlds- quieter than the Pirelli P-Zeros on the 20"s, I will tell you that. The difference was night and day when I got them put on. The P-Zeros were one of the noisiest tires I've ever heard on a vehicle.