Tire Replacement -- yep!
11-14-2017, 06:04 AM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Tire Replacement -- yep!
We have about 12,000 miles on our 2018 SQ5 Prestige, 20" OEM wheels and "standard" tires (we believe they are summer only).
Note: We ordered the SQ5 with the "standard" tires, knowing this would not hobble the top speed -- but, the reason we did this is if you order the "all season" (no charge) tires you do not get tires that are in keeping with the spirit of "S-ness." The A/S option comes with H rated GT "performance" tires -- they have less stiff sidewalls and due to their composition are, in our opinion, the opposite of performance tires. Our dealer does not have any explanation why these tires are used on the A/S optioned vehicles, but they often provide a gentle "urge" for their customers to select this option because they want "happy customers" -- the summer only tires are stiffer, stickier and do keep with the spirit of "S-ness" but they live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse, er, carcass.
The OEM tires, Continentals not available on any US website I can find, are summer tires, they really start to devolve when temps (average) drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
The OEM tires, even in moderate temperatures, have a relatively short life-span, most people will find the tires shot before the second oil-change rolls around -- especially if you have the optional 21" tires.
Here in SW Ohio, the overnight lows have dropped to the upper 20's -- even though the daytime highs have been in the mid to upper 40's.
In response to all of the above (and we've had 33 Audis with hundreds of thousands of miles experience) we started researching what might be a suitable all-season tire, knowing that we rarely have much snowfall this far south in Ohio. We narrowed our choice to three tires: A Continental (DWS 06) Extreme Contact, a Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, and Pirelli PZERO All-season Plus. Our size tire: 255 x 45 x 20".
The dealer recommended the Continentals and they sell them (we had put two sets on our 2014 SQ5 in nearly 94,000 miles). They gave us a price within $50 of the TireRack.
So many folks "swear" by Costco for name brand tires -- and we are Costco members -- so we thought, "what the heck" let's get a quote. Prior to going to Costco, we watched TireRack videos and read both test reports and customer reviews for all three of the tires noted. At this time, the Michelin noted above comes out #1. Costco does not sell Continentals or Pirellis. Thank god they sell the #1 Ultra-high-performance all-season tire. One other thing they do: If you buy your tires from Costco and the supplier (Michelin) lowers the price within 30 days, Costco refunds the difference.
Naturally, the above-noted tires in the size we need are "special order" (story of our lives). We paid for the tires, it took one-business day for them to come in. They will be mounted this coming Saturday as the temperatures continue to remain cold and as the miles keep piling up, we're ready (a little early -- perhaps 2,000 miles, maybe less) to bid adieu to the OEM shoes.
If you believe Consumer Reports and The Tire Rack, the performance of the Michelins almost belies their being classified as all-season tires. Indeed, Michelin seems to actually have created an ultra-high-performance tire that is good in cold weather and OK even in light/moderate snow. This describes Cincinnati perfectly. Our one or two "big snow" days annually, we will still likely be able get into the office on the Interstates which are typically plowed and treated.
What we've experienced from Audi (the dealer thinks the decision is made in Germany) is a lack of understanding of what many (perhaps most) Americans want (or at least do). What many of us do is use one-set of tires year 'round, we do not keep two sets of tires (or wheels with tires mounted) for the two main (tire) seasons, summer and winter. Are the Michelin's the highest performance tires that could be mounted? No. However, the designation as UHP (and the tests that seem to support the classification) does provide most of us in the more northern climates with an excellent "compromise" tire.
I don't know if Audi actually monitors AudiWorld and Quattro World, etc., but if they do, my request is that they give strong consideration to offering one of the three tires noted above as the "all season" option and that they do not limit the top speed of the SQ5 if the A/S option is selected.
If you are in a certain "weather band" (geography) in the US and you are wondering what to do, know this:
The OEM tires are not designed to work in cold weather or in snow -- they are meant for temps above 44 and for dry and wet surfaces -- not snow, slush, or ice. If you want a long-lasting year round tire, any of the three noted above will fill the bill; and, they are quiet pretty much right up to the end. The Continentals are -- the voice of experience here -- perhaps the most "comfortable," but you may not find them adroit performers compared with the other two. We're looking to the Michelin's to provide an ability to "carve" nearly at the level of a summer high-performance tire and to easily out perform the Audi chosen all-season GT tires.
We'll report back after we get a couple thousand miles on the Michelin's -- which will take about a month or so.
Note: We ordered the SQ5 with the "standard" tires, knowing this would not hobble the top speed -- but, the reason we did this is if you order the "all season" (no charge) tires you do not get tires that are in keeping with the spirit of "S-ness." The A/S option comes with H rated GT "performance" tires -- they have less stiff sidewalls and due to their composition are, in our opinion, the opposite of performance tires. Our dealer does not have any explanation why these tires are used on the A/S optioned vehicles, but they often provide a gentle "urge" for their customers to select this option because they want "happy customers" -- the summer only tires are stiffer, stickier and do keep with the spirit of "S-ness" but they live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse, er, carcass.
The OEM tires, Continentals not available on any US website I can find, are summer tires, they really start to devolve when temps (average) drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
The OEM tires, even in moderate temperatures, have a relatively short life-span, most people will find the tires shot before the second oil-change rolls around -- especially if you have the optional 21" tires.
Here in SW Ohio, the overnight lows have dropped to the upper 20's -- even though the daytime highs have been in the mid to upper 40's.
In response to all of the above (and we've had 33 Audis with hundreds of thousands of miles experience) we started researching what might be a suitable all-season tire, knowing that we rarely have much snowfall this far south in Ohio. We narrowed our choice to three tires: A Continental (DWS 06) Extreme Contact, a Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, and Pirelli PZERO All-season Plus. Our size tire: 255 x 45 x 20".
The dealer recommended the Continentals and they sell them (we had put two sets on our 2014 SQ5 in nearly 94,000 miles). They gave us a price within $50 of the TireRack.
So many folks "swear" by Costco for name brand tires -- and we are Costco members -- so we thought, "what the heck" let's get a quote. Prior to going to Costco, we watched TireRack videos and read both test reports and customer reviews for all three of the tires noted. At this time, the Michelin noted above comes out #1. Costco does not sell Continentals or Pirellis. Thank god they sell the #1 Ultra-high-performance all-season tire. One other thing they do: If you buy your tires from Costco and the supplier (Michelin) lowers the price within 30 days, Costco refunds the difference.
Naturally, the above-noted tires in the size we need are "special order" (story of our lives). We paid for the tires, it took one-business day for them to come in. They will be mounted this coming Saturday as the temperatures continue to remain cold and as the miles keep piling up, we're ready (a little early -- perhaps 2,000 miles, maybe less) to bid adieu to the OEM shoes.
If you believe Consumer Reports and The Tire Rack, the performance of the Michelins almost belies their being classified as all-season tires. Indeed, Michelin seems to actually have created an ultra-high-performance tire that is good in cold weather and OK even in light/moderate snow. This describes Cincinnati perfectly. Our one or two "big snow" days annually, we will still likely be able get into the office on the Interstates which are typically plowed and treated.
What we've experienced from Audi (the dealer thinks the decision is made in Germany) is a lack of understanding of what many (perhaps most) Americans want (or at least do). What many of us do is use one-set of tires year 'round, we do not keep two sets of tires (or wheels with tires mounted) for the two main (tire) seasons, summer and winter. Are the Michelin's the highest performance tires that could be mounted? No. However, the designation as UHP (and the tests that seem to support the classification) does provide most of us in the more northern climates with an excellent "compromise" tire.
I don't know if Audi actually monitors AudiWorld and Quattro World, etc., but if they do, my request is that they give strong consideration to offering one of the three tires noted above as the "all season" option and that they do not limit the top speed of the SQ5 if the A/S option is selected.
If you are in a certain "weather band" (geography) in the US and you are wondering what to do, know this:
The OEM tires are not designed to work in cold weather or in snow -- they are meant for temps above 44 and for dry and wet surfaces -- not snow, slush, or ice. If you want a long-lasting year round tire, any of the three noted above will fill the bill; and, they are quiet pretty much right up to the end. The Continentals are -- the voice of experience here -- perhaps the most "comfortable," but you may not find them adroit performers compared with the other two. We're looking to the Michelin's to provide an ability to "carve" nearly at the level of a summer high-performance tire and to easily out perform the Audi chosen all-season GT tires.
We'll report back after we get a couple thousand miles on the Michelin's -- which will take about a month or so.
Last edited by markcincinnati; 11-14-2017 at 06:09 AM.
11-14-2017, 06:35 AM
#2
AudiWorld Member
Nice writeup and I agree with most of what you said except the above. In the 20" size (they have yet to produce 21's), the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is indeed the highest performance street use tire (vice Michellin Pilot Sport Cup 2s for more track use) on the market. I have P Zeros on both my current 'high performance' cars (they came as OEM) and had them on past cars, and each time they wore out (often the road noise was more a factor for me to change then wear), they were dumped for Michelin Pilot Super Sports or most recently the brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. The Michelins are quieter, higher performance on the road, certainly suitable for light track use, wear better, and have often been cheaper than the P Zeros. I have the 4S's on my BMW 335i and really like them over the OEM Potenza RFs (awful tire), and this year, I'll replace the P Zeros on my Porsche for 4S's, and hopefully by next year on the Audi as well.
Last edited by daberlin; 11-14-2017 at 06:43 AM.
11-14-2017, 06:42 AM
#3
My experience with Higher performance Michelin tires is that they drive and handle well and are quiet but the downside is that they have stiff sidewalls that can result in a harder ride over rough roads and road ruts. I had them for years on my Mercedes e550 with the airmatic suspension and a few years ago moved to Continentals, which I prefer. I do think that the air suspension on the sq is more forgiving than the Mercedes, so hopefully it’s a good fit. Looking forward to your impressions. Regards. Ned.
11-14-2017, 07:23 AM
#4
We have about 12,000 miles on our 2018 SQ5 Prestige, 20" OEM wheels and "standard" tires (we believe they are summer only).
Note: We ordered the SQ5 with the "standard" tires, knowing this would not hobble the top speed -- but, the reason we did this is if you order the "all season" (no charge) tires you do not get tires that are in keeping with the spirit of "S-ness." The A/S option comes with H rated GT "performance" tires -- they have less stiff sidewalls and due to their composition are, in our opinion, the opposite of performance tires. Our dealer does not have any explanation why these tires are used on the A/S optioned vehicles, but they often provide a gentle "urge" for their customers to select this option because they want "happy customers" -- the summer only tires are stiffer, stickier and do keep with the spirit of "S-ness" but they live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse, er, carcass.
The OEM tires, Continentals not available on any US website I can find, are summer tires, they really start to devolve when temps (average) drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
The OEM tires, even in moderate temperatures, have a relatively short life-span, most people will find the tires shot before the second oil-change rolls around -- especially if you have the optional 21" tires.
Here in SW Ohio, the overnight lows have dropped to the upper 20's -- even though the daytime highs have been in the mid to upper 40's.
In response to all of the above (and we've had 33 Audis with hundreds of thousands of miles experience) we started researching what might be a suitable all-season tire, knowing that we rarely have much snowfall this far south in Ohio. We narrowed our choice to three tires: A Continental (DWS 06) Extreme Contact, a Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, and Pirelli PZERO All-season Plus. Our size tire: 255 x 45 x 20".
The dealer recommended the Continentals and they sell them (we had put two sets on our 2014 SQ5 in nearly 94,000 miles). They gave us a price within $50 of the TireRack.
So many folks "swear" by Costco for name brand tires -- and we are Costco members -- so we thought, "what the heck" let's get a quote. Prior to going to Costco, we watched TireRack videos and read both test reports and customer reviews for all three of the tires noted. At this time, the Michelin noted above comes out #1. Costco does not sell Continentals or Pirellis. Thank god they sell the #1 Ultra-high-performance all-season tire. One other thing they do: If you buy your tires from Costco and the supplier (Michelin) lowers the price within 30 days, Costco refunds the difference.
Naturally, the above-noted tires in the size we need are "special order" (story of our lives). We paid for the tires, it took one-business day for them to come in. They will be mounted this coming Saturday as the temperatures continue to remain cold and as the miles keep piling up, we're ready (a little early -- perhaps 2,000 miles, maybe less) to bid adieu to the OEM shoes.
If you believe Consumer Reports and The Tire Rack, the performance of the Michelins almost belies their being classified as all-season tires. Indeed, Michelin seems to actually have created an ultra-high-performance tire that is good in cold weather and OK even in light/moderate snow. This describes Cincinnati perfectly. Our one or two "big snow" days annually, we will still likely be able get into the office on the Interstates which are typically plowed and treated.
What we've experienced from Audi (the dealer thinks the decision is made in Germany) is a lack of understanding of what many (perhaps most) Americans want (or at least do). What many of us do is use one-set of tires year 'round, we do not keep two sets of tires (or wheels with tires mounted) for the two main (tire) seasons, summer and winter. Are the Michelin's the highest performance tires that could be mounted? No. However, the designation as UHP (and the tests that seem to support the classification) does provide most of us in the more northern climates with an excellent "compromise" tire.
I don't know if Audi actually monitors AudiWorld and Quattro World, etc., but if they do, my request is that they give strong consideration to offering one of the three tires noted above as the "all season" option and that they do not limit the top speed of the SQ5 if the A/S option is selected.
If you are in a certain "weather band" (geography) in the US and you are wondering what to do, know this:
The OEM tires are not designed to work in cold weather or in snow -- they are meant for temps above 44 and for dry and wet surfaces -- not snow, slush, or ice. If you want a long-lasting year round tire, any of the three noted above will fill the bill; and, they are quiet pretty much right up to the end. The Continentals are -- the voice of experience here -- perhaps the most "comfortable," but you may not find them adroit performers compared with the other two. We're looking to the Michelin's to provide an ability to "carve" nearly at the level of a summer high-performance tire and to easily out perform the Audi chosen all-season GT tires.
We'll report back after we get a couple thousand miles on the Michelin's -- which will take about a month or so.
Note: We ordered the SQ5 with the "standard" tires, knowing this would not hobble the top speed -- but, the reason we did this is if you order the "all season" (no charge) tires you do not get tires that are in keeping with the spirit of "S-ness." The A/S option comes with H rated GT "performance" tires -- they have less stiff sidewalls and due to their composition are, in our opinion, the opposite of performance tires. Our dealer does not have any explanation why these tires are used on the A/S optioned vehicles, but they often provide a gentle "urge" for their customers to select this option because they want "happy customers" -- the summer only tires are stiffer, stickier and do keep with the spirit of "S-ness" but they live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse, er, carcass.
The OEM tires, Continentals not available on any US website I can find, are summer tires, they really start to devolve when temps (average) drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
The OEM tires, even in moderate temperatures, have a relatively short life-span, most people will find the tires shot before the second oil-change rolls around -- especially if you have the optional 21" tires.
Here in SW Ohio, the overnight lows have dropped to the upper 20's -- even though the daytime highs have been in the mid to upper 40's.
In response to all of the above (and we've had 33 Audis with hundreds of thousands of miles experience) we started researching what might be a suitable all-season tire, knowing that we rarely have much snowfall this far south in Ohio. We narrowed our choice to three tires: A Continental (DWS 06) Extreme Contact, a Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, and Pirelli PZERO All-season Plus. Our size tire: 255 x 45 x 20".
The dealer recommended the Continentals and they sell them (we had put two sets on our 2014 SQ5 in nearly 94,000 miles). They gave us a price within $50 of the TireRack.
So many folks "swear" by Costco for name brand tires -- and we are Costco members -- so we thought, "what the heck" let's get a quote. Prior to going to Costco, we watched TireRack videos and read both test reports and customer reviews for all three of the tires noted. At this time, the Michelin noted above comes out #1. Costco does not sell Continentals or Pirellis. Thank god they sell the #1 Ultra-high-performance all-season tire. One other thing they do: If you buy your tires from Costco and the supplier (Michelin) lowers the price within 30 days, Costco refunds the difference.
Naturally, the above-noted tires in the size we need are "special order" (story of our lives). We paid for the tires, it took one-business day for them to come in. They will be mounted this coming Saturday as the temperatures continue to remain cold and as the miles keep piling up, we're ready (a little early -- perhaps 2,000 miles, maybe less) to bid adieu to the OEM shoes.
If you believe Consumer Reports and The Tire Rack, the performance of the Michelins almost belies their being classified as all-season tires. Indeed, Michelin seems to actually have created an ultra-high-performance tire that is good in cold weather and OK even in light/moderate snow. This describes Cincinnati perfectly. Our one or two "big snow" days annually, we will still likely be able get into the office on the Interstates which are typically plowed and treated.
What we've experienced from Audi (the dealer thinks the decision is made in Germany) is a lack of understanding of what many (perhaps most) Americans want (or at least do). What many of us do is use one-set of tires year 'round, we do not keep two sets of tires (or wheels with tires mounted) for the two main (tire) seasons, summer and winter. Are the Michelin's the highest performance tires that could be mounted? No. However, the designation as UHP (and the tests that seem to support the classification) does provide most of us in the more northern climates with an excellent "compromise" tire.
I don't know if Audi actually monitors AudiWorld and Quattro World, etc., but if they do, my request is that they give strong consideration to offering one of the three tires noted above as the "all season" option and that they do not limit the top speed of the SQ5 if the A/S option is selected.
If you are in a certain "weather band" (geography) in the US and you are wondering what to do, know this:
The OEM tires are not designed to work in cold weather or in snow -- they are meant for temps above 44 and for dry and wet surfaces -- not snow, slush, or ice. If you want a long-lasting year round tire, any of the three noted above will fill the bill; and, they are quiet pretty much right up to the end. The Continentals are -- the voice of experience here -- perhaps the most "comfortable," but you may not find them adroit performers compared with the other two. We're looking to the Michelin's to provide an ability to "carve" nearly at the level of a summer high-performance tire and to easily out perform the Audi chosen all-season GT tires.
We'll report back after we get a couple thousand miles on the Michelin's -- which will take about a month or so.
11-14-2017, 12:48 PM
#5
I look forward to hearing how noisy they are on the SQ5.
Up here in MI, I actually rotate between all season tires and snow tires. Every spring and fall we'll get a few days of cold weather and then a few days of warm weather, lather, rinse, repeat. I got sick of trying to judge when to take off the summers and getting caught out by freak early snow or late warm days. Now I leave the all seasons on until later in the fall and put them back on early in the spring, and I'm always good to go.
Up here in MI, I actually rotate between all season tires and snow tires. Every spring and fall we'll get a few days of cold weather and then a few days of warm weather, lather, rinse, repeat. I got sick of trying to judge when to take off the summers and getting caught out by freak early snow or late warm days. Now I leave the all seasons on until later in the fall and put them back on early in the spring, and I'm always good to go.
11-14-2017, 01:02 PM
#6
I put the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on my last Q5 after the Summer tires wore out. They were close to free as I used my TDI money to pay for them. I liked the tires but they didn't have as much grip as the summers. I sold my Q5 before I saw how the wear was.
11-20-2017, 07:30 AM
#7
AudiWorld Member
Has anyone tried using a 265/40R-21 on the OE 21" rims on a 2018 SQ5? This is the only way I have found to get a all-season tire. Looks only slightly larger on width and height. I wonder if they will fit proper.
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11-20-2017, 08:17 AM
#8
AudiWorld Member
Depending on the tire it should be fine. You might have a little bulge in the sidewall
11-20-2017, 09:57 AM
#9
AudiWorld Member
I should have stated: I'm looking at the Pirelli Scorpion Zero Plus 265/40R-21. If anyone has any comments on these. This is the only solution I have been able to come up with for a A/S tire for the OE 21" rims.
12-02-2017, 06:46 PM
#10
AudiWorld Senior Member
I finally had my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+'s installed today. As the OP said they're awesome! These are much quieter than my Continental ContiSport 5 summer tires. Overall I'm happy with their performance, grip, noise and ride. Costco did a good job installing them for those who care. I have my old ones in the garage now since the tread is fine given the 8K miles on them. I highly recommend these Michelins.