princealyy

I am looking to buy a 2012 A7 Prestige Package with all the bells and whistles .. one of which is the 20" wheels and tires

Anyone else a bit irritated by the fact that Audi puts summer tires on a car with all wheel drive?? Doesn't that defeat the purpose once you have to deal with bad weather??

Also why are we not getting a credit for the 19" wheels we are paying for in the Prestige package?

sammy777

My speculation is because winter wheels tend to be nosier especially at higher speeds, since the grooves on the wheel are wider.

As for the credit when you upgrade the wheels, you are effectively "paying the difference" between the 19's and 20's not the full price. At least that's what Audi claims (and all other car makers for that matter). I dont necessarily agree with this justification as the "difference" is so big, it cant possibly be just the difference.

take it from an existing owner of the 20" owner. I payed the "difference" for the 20" and though the look good, I kinda regret doing so, as the drive is now noticeably "rougher" than the vehicle I test drove with 19". There is less grinding effect when corning on low speeds with 19" and they are cheaper to replace. Just my $0.02

princealyy

I guess I am worried about the car slipping in the snow or slush...

The the price of the wheels ... if you have the prestige package there are 19" wheels (rather than the 18" that come standard) that you are being charged for, if you get the 20" wheel with either package, you end up paying the same amount.

I will agree they look amazing, but the way I want my car you almost have to get the 20" wheels.

bmcds4

Myself and couple others here switched to the 20" Continental DWS all season tires in the stock size. You could either sell the summer tires yourself or get some trade in at the bigger tire places. If you haven't bought the car yet try to swing a deal with the dealer to swap to the all season tires. You do not want to drive in the snow with summer tires. Good luck!!

princealyy

It was interesting listening to the sales rep that was telling how ingenious the quattro system was that it could combat the tires slip .... I figure if you have no traction, good luck to the quattro ...

raslam77

I constantly hear the heartburn w/ the summer tires... I have the 20" w/ the stock Yokohamas, and I didn't have any issues last winter--there was a noticeable advantage to the Quattro. Granted, Mid Atlantic Winters aren't that harsh.

aquarian

Loving mine since the beginning. Excellent tires even in heavy snow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76289372@N07/6919728392/http://www.flickr.com/photos/76289372@N07/6919728392/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/76289372@N07/, on Flickr

JoeCaMotto

I just did the same as others, removed my Pirelli P Zero summer tires and replaced them with Continental DWS all season tires in the stock size. They ride smooth and maybe it's just me but I hear less road noise, the Pirellis had 7K on them. I got a awesome deal from my local Audi stealer on the Contis I was surprised when he coated me $80 less than Tire Rack.

Jonro

I live in Florida, so I didn't think twice about summer tires. I bought a Prestige with the 20" wheels. They look and handle great. I've heard that the ride is a bit smoother with the 19" tires, but I couldn't say from actual experience. At any rate, the ride seems fine to me. The only way we'll get a significantly better ride is when Audi switches to the air suspension on the A7. I imagine that's coming to the US soon.

harihoudini

So are you saying I can go on the conti DWS all year round on my 20"s and deal with Mid West snow without needing winters? That would be fantastic...