robbiec

I'm ready to purchase a 3 season tire for my B7 A4 Avant. I run a dedicated winter tire and wheel. I'm staying away from a summer tire due to the fact that this car eats through front tires and there are a lot of cold mornings April-May and Oct-Nov up here in MA, with the chance of early or late season snow. Local tire store is runninga big sale for the next 2 weeks on Goodyear, Bridgestone, Continental, and Michelin. I know the 970 is getting great reviews, but Goodyear is offering an $80 rebate right now and an additional $80 if you use their credit card. Hard to pass up. There aren't a lot of reviews on the F1 since it was released last summer. I'm willing to take a chance on this tire. I don't need the snow traction of the DWS and the reports of a soft sidewall on that tire concern me, knowing how hard this car already pushes on the outside front tire during cornering. Any thoughts on the Goodyear?

Reggie

I have heard these F1 tires from Goodyear get noisy. Try reading the reviews in TR by owners

Gary@Tirerack.com

The new Goodyear F1 Asymmetric A/S is a very new tire to us (we just started seeing them fall of last year). Initial feedback has been good but we do not have enough data on this tire to recommend it as of yet.

Tires http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR8&...ires/index.jsp

TSHong

We have only sold a couple of sets at our stores as well. The old style with a directional tread design were noisy with wear but the new asymmetrical rib design looks like it should be much quieter. Only time will tell. Coincidentally, the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires have also changed to an asymmetrical rib design as well.

robbiec

Well, I went ahead and bought a set of these tires, 235/45/17. They've been on the car for about 4 weeks now. It is my wife's car, so I don't drive it daily. No complaints from her regarding noise on the highway or harshness on the local roads. I find the tires to be very responsive, with handling and grip that exceed the capabilities of the stock non-sport suspension. Maybe a rear swaybar upgrade is in the future to take full advantage of these tires? The sidewalls seem pretty stiff, as there is no noticeable sidewall bulge with the tires at 32-33 psi. I can't comment on the wet performance, as this has been the driest spring in MA that I can remember. Considering that I got these tires installed and Road Force balanced for $600 after rebate, I think I got a great deal. I definitely recommend these tires as a lower cost alternative to Michelin or the too-heavy-for-their-size Bridgestones.