Which tyres for my A4??

[leosayer]

I need to replace the rears shortly. I'm not worried about ultimate cornering speed or feel, more about comfort and low road noise and safety in the wet.

This is for a 2002 A4 Avant which runs on 205/55/16. We don't do many miles so wear rate isn't important.

Any recommendations?

[minghis]

Just had mine replaced - I've got Michelin Premacy, the ones with the different tread pattern on the outside/inside 'halves'.

Quiter and more comfortable than the original fit Bridgestone RE71's, but they did last for 28k on the front of an 1.8T (163) so I presume they're a bit hard anyway.

[sc5011]

I've had my A4 1.8T Quattro for 3 years. First 2 years I stuck with Pirelli P6000 it came with. They lasted 25k miles and all wore out at he same time.

At 50k miles I went for Mitchelin - £120 per tyre instead of £90. I didn't think they were that much better - until went back to Pirelli at 80k miles. The car does not feel mearly as secure to the road now.

Michelin fronts lasted 30k miles and the rears nearly 35k miles. I hear really good reports about the goodyear tyre for this car - approx. £100 per tyre.

[agent006]

I've done the Primacy to P6000 trick too. It only served to show how awful the P6000s are. Grip is worse in every circumstance, road noise is substantially higher and the ride is a lot firmer.

I've got Yokohama AVS dB on my old 100. They're specially designed to be quiet and comfortable, but still made of the same compund as the AVS sport so grip rather well.

[heightswitch]

A mate of mine works in the wheel / tyre and castor business and deals with all tyre manufacturers, including H performance tyres.

I used to complain at the cost of Michelins until he showed me the pictures taken at a factory visit to the michelin factory.

The manufacturing process is clinical. the selection of steel and rayon etc is all sourced at factory and controlled by michelin as opposed to the sometimes dubious practise of other manufacturers which use bought in stuff from spurious sources.

If you are running taxi's then OK buy a cheap tyre. If you have a high performance car then what price the extra £20 for a tyre.

He only ever fits Michelin?

I run Pilot sports on my S4 and also found them in a different league to the P6000's they replaced

Neil.