Kevin, my '03 came with oem 235 17" Pirellis. I wish I had purchased the 18" Contis in at least a 245.

Audi79, agree absolutely about rim width. But sometimes the wider tire is a different circumference and I have been led to believe that can eventually cause differential problems. I don't think it's worth the risk and would match tires all around to be safe. Bu this forum is all about different opinions, so I am cool with it.

 

That's the point auditech is making - staggered width, or even varied wheel diameter, is fine as long as rolling diameter is the same. You could do a 225-45-17 in the front and 225-40-18 rear, for example, since both of those have a nearly-identical rolling diameter. Keep that spec the same and you can choose any wheel/tire size that fits it.

 

I thought that was the point. I stand by my statement and even you said "almost identical", which is not the same as exactly. I test drove an A4 that had different mfr tires, but same size, front vs rear and it made a strange noise at 70+ mph. Maybe that is normal for older A4s, but my A6 has 170k miles and the drivetrain is quiet. Keeping in mind that the drivetrain has to accommodate a differential, ABS, and ESP, I think different size circumferences can cause mechanical or computer problems. Don't let my opinion stop you -- it never has stopped anyone -- but I have yet to see an oem Audi with staggered wheels and that must be for a reason.