dlmil

I posted this in the A3 forum -- thought I would post it here as well:

I have a 2007 A3 2.0T with, I believe, stock Pirelli P6 Four Seasons tires on 17-inch rims. I have heard/read absolutely horrible reviews of these tires, which makes me rather frustrated that audi would even put them on one of their cars. I only have 2000 miles on them, so I would rather not replace them just yet.

The Pirelli's seem fine to me -- I don't expect exceptional grip from all season tires.

My primary questions are as follows:

(1) Are the Pirelli's going to be horrible in the winter (obviously, dedicated snow tires are better, but that is beside the point); and

(2) Should I keep the Pirelli's or just spend the money and replace them with [_____] tires?

Thanks,

David

Gary@Tirerack.com

These aren't the greatest tires, but at nearly full tread depth they aren't quite as bad in snow as the reviews might lead you to believe (compared to other all seasons). If this is your first season with them you might want to try them out in light snow and decide for yourself if you feel that you need more winter traction before taking the plunge into a new set of all seasons.

dlmil

Thanks. I will give them a try this season. I would assume, however, that if I am disappointed with the snow performance, moving to a new all-season tire will only have incremental improvements. Probably best at that point to purchase a dedicated summer/rain tire set and a winter tire set -- despite the obvious cost.

I am honestly less concerned with the snow performance as I am with the sidewall bubble issue I have read about with these tires. I am concerned that the P6's may not be safe to drive on. The "apparent" road noise that people complain about with the P6's is not noticable or not an issue with me.

David

dlmil

Additional question:

I have also read that the recommended inflation psi for the P6's is too low -- that the pressure should be increased 1-2 psi.

I am warry of overinflating low-profile tires. Thoughts?

Gary@Tirerack.com

I don't see a problem with adding 1-2 psi. At worse you'll start to wear the center portion of the tires a bit faster over a long period of time.

joneze93tsi

My P6's were TERRIBLE in the snow after just 1 summer of wear. That winter I promptly ponied up for Some Blizzak LM25's. One of my favorite purchases yet.