bwayne5

A8s are great in adverse conditions, but you've got to plan for what you might encounter--weather, driving style, terrain. The most important mechanical aspect of retaining control are the tires. Regardless of the rest of the car--weight, all-wheel drive, electronic controls, etc--you will lose control if you drive past the limits. And once you're sliding, well, you're sliding.

By definition all-seasons are a compromise and will work OK for average driving in average conditions. The further from average that your driving takes you--again weather, driving style, terrain--the more important it is to 'tune' your car to the needs.

So if you live where it gets cold, use winter tires when it's cold and summer tires when it's warm. The rubber compounds used in each type is designed specifically for the differences in temperatures. If you get a lot of snow or sloppy mud, consider studless snows which have more aggressive treads to further help with traction. In the long run you'll find it's a good investment in both safety and driving experience.

Zatoichi

Don't let the Quattro marketing fool you.

In heavy snow I'd take a rear wheel drive car with snows over an Audi with all-seasons any day.

Zero traction is zero traction, doesn't matter how many wheels you have spinning 4 x 0 is still zero.

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2013 Audi S4 Premium 6sp M - Estoril Blue - Drive Select

oceans

I went for the 40's...I am surprised at how quiet they really are... I guess that's why they are actually "winter performance tires", and not "snow tires"

oceans

I agree.... AND, regarding "cost", if you plan to keep the car for 3yrs or more, there really is no cost as you just extend the life of your "summer" tires by being safe in the winter as well.

mishar

I hate to say, but you are wrong. Rear wheel drive cars on the average have 55:45 weight distribution. So just simple physics says that you need 2.2 times better traction if it is only rear wheel drive. No such winter tires yet.

Brozee

Since summer tires have a lower tread rating and are generally softer; do they not last long at all? Never had summer tires on any car.

So all seasons vs summer and winter tire combos. In terms of length of life.

oceans

To my knowledge, "sticky", or "summer" tires when driven hard have a shorter life span than all seasons by 5 to 8K miles (debatable)... If you intend to keep the keep the car longer than 7 years then the cost will be higher... Not sure if the avg A8 owner will keep their beauty that long. If you are affected by cold weather patterns in your area, will you really compromise safety when you need it most?

bwayne5

Tire choice and driving habits seem to be more critical in my experience. My tire guys were amazed to see I got a whole 11k out of a set of Pzeros on my TT a few years ago, while I had more than 35k from the Hankooks I put on my supercharged Jaguar XF and good tread to spare when I sold it. Take my word that the Jag was driven harder, too. And the Hankooks were less than half the cost of the Pirellis. Go figure, eh?

I've found I get 3 winters (5 months/yr) and 2 summers (7 months/yr) from a combination of the 8 tires. If I was running A/S's I'd be midway through the second set I think, so I think oceans makes two important points: Over three years the cost isn't significantly more, and at what price are you willing to compromise safety? I'll add a third point to this: I think cars are more entertaining with proper tiring too.

FWIW: I'm running Blizzaks right now but prefer X-Ices in the winter, Conti DW's in the summer.

MCFC for life

Thanks for all your responses. I knew winter tyres made a difference but its great to hear that you can get around in all seasons on heavier snow than I get here.

idf

Would have to agree here. Watch any BMW putz around in the snow for proof.

AWD is much more stable and predictable than a RWD car which will slide out at any moment. Having traction directed to non-spinning wheels is a boon.

We had 26" of snow here 2 years ago and I actually plowed my street with my A8. I couldnt believe how good it was in the snow with regular tires.

So no, just no.