I have a 2005 A4 with all packages and performance tires. I was wondering...is it ok to go in the snow with them? I think it will be find but some peeps told me not to. What do you guys think?

 

I have an '04 A4 3.0 Quattro with the UltraSport (RS4 wheels and Continental SportContact2 tires). I was told by Sunset Audi the tires handle horribly in snow...they're PERFORMANCE TIRES. If someone could develop one tire that works the best in all conditions they'd be filthy and i mean filthy rich. I'm looking at either the Michelin Alpin or Dunlop M3 performance winter tire, because the performance tires wont do much in the snow, even w/ the Quattro, ESP/traction control, lim-slip diff, etc.

 

Yeah I don't care what the audi has in terms of quattro and ESP and ABS... Summer Performance tires are meant to handle rain, at temperatures usually above like 50 degrees.

If you ride performance summers in snow, you are in for the scariest ride of your life. You'll have little to no control, you'll need like twice the stopping distance that you normally would, and you will understeer like a ****, until you give it a little gas to dig out with quattro, then you'll experience snap oversteer, and you'll end up spinning a 180 or so, hopefully avoiding cars and curbs.

Trust me. :P

Blizzaks, M3s, Nokians, Pirellis... all great snow tires.

 

It's going to be like riding on four hockey pucks. Do us a favor and buy all seasons/winter tires.

 

You'll be OK, I mean not threatening your own life, if you don't have to brake or turn in snow.

If your tires wont adhere to the road, any amount of traction-oriented technology is useless.

 

Some places it is illegal to run "summer" tires in the winter. If you get in a accident, you could be put at fault, even if you are not at fault. I would get the winters, or at least all seasons.

 

I had a set of z-rated potenzas on my old grand prix. I took it back home over the winter a few years ago (where it snows), and the first time driving in the snow was the scariest moment of my life. I had to end up parking it and waiting for the snow to melt enough to get all-seasons put on. I was doing a 180 just about every time I tapped the brakes.

 

yea thats a big no-no. I have a set of 16inch mille migilia or whatever from when my mom used to have an A6, with snow tires...cause i like to drive like a nut in the snow all seasons just wont do for me. Im not sure what kinda tires are on them cause they are tucked away in my dad's warehouse at work so, i guess ill find out soon.

 

if the tire is siped ur good. if not they will slide around on ice like no other.

 

Yeah but find a summer tire that has siping! Summer specific tires have one specific job: to perform in rain.

Honestly... very few summer specific tires are bad on dry pavement... yes some are worse than others... but really, the biggest improvement you notice when moving to a summer specific tire, is wet weather performance! The grooves are meant to channel water OUT from under the tire... Those grooves also pack with snow, and leave you with slicks.

It's scary.