I decided to go with the 18" Sports Package on my 2011 A4. The car comes with high performance summer tires so I know I'll need to buy all-seasons or winter tires for the fall/winter. My intention was to just buy a set of tires and swap them on every October and off again every April, however, some people are suggesting that I get another set of wheels for those tires as well. Why? Is there any problem swapping just the TIRES every season or is there some reason I need to spring an extra $1000 or so on another set of wheels too? I love the 18" wheels on the sports package and there are plenty of all-season/winter tires in that size. So why would I need a whole other set of wheels?! Help!

 

Just my $0.02...I think people who are suggesting you buy another set of wheels are thinking of the convenience. If you have a separate set of wheels that already have all-seasons or snow tires mounted, then you can swap out the wheels yourself in your driveway or garage. With only one set of wheels and two sets of tires, you have to get the tires in the car, take them somewhere to have them mounted, pay to have it done, etc. There is no problem doing it the way you were thinking, it's just more of a hassle.

 

Thanks Z-Man...that's what I was thinking. Odds are, I'm not going to do it in my driveway myself. By the time I got done jacking up my car for four tires on and off, I blew the day. I'd rather bring it to my local tire guy who is less than 2 miles away and have him do it. As an added bonus, he told me that if I buy the tires from him, he'd be happy to take them on and off each season for no additional charge...only balancing if needed.

 

Going through some of the other threads in the forum after replying to your message, I saw some of your other posts about whether to get the sport package and your local tire shop offering to do the swap for free. That's a great deal, hopefully they honor it each season, not just at the time of purchase.

I went back and forth on the sport suspension too, but in the end I decided not to get it because it meant I'd have to get another set of tires. I wanted it but I just couldn't justify the cost of the package plus the tires. My rationale was that I can upgrade the suspension later if I decide I want a more aggressive set up. I know I'm missing out on the sport seats and the 3-spoke steering wheel, but I ended up getting the 5-spoke wheels with the all season tires, so that was my compromise. Oh well.

I hope you're enjoying your new ride.

 

Z is right, convenience is usually the #1 reason to get a second set of wheels. Other things to consider are keeping your good set of wheels a good set.

Depending where you live, if you get bad weather and the snow removal jacks up the road, do you really want to take a chance on bending one of your good rims? Also, road salt, cinders, etc. can take it's toll on your wheels. Curb rash from the curb you didn't see under the snow bank, etc.

Depending on your winter driving, it may call for a smaller tire, I went from 19s to 17s for my winter wheel. Smaller, narrower tires cut through the snow better.

Lastly, Cost. As with any tire, it's cheaper to buy smaller ones. For every inch increase it will cost about $50 more per tire (generally). If you go down from an 18 to a 17 you could save $200 every time you buy a winter set.

 

So I'm getting the 2011 A4 with the sports package which comes with 18" wheels with 245/40 18" performance summer tires and the firmer sports suspension. Would there be any problem putting 17" wheels and 245/45 17" all-season tires on the car during the winter given that this car has the firmer, sports suspension? I've seen these 17" stock A4 premium plus wheels and tires for sale around the web but want to be certain it would be ok before I buy. Thanks!

 

No issues whatsoever

 

You won't have any issues. I have the Sport package with 19" wheels and went to 17" for winter - I got Audi OEM wheels just to make sure they would clear the brakes, works fine, you'll be golden.

 

I guess what I would ideally like is another set of 18" wheels with 245/40 all-season tires. The 5-spoke wheel that comes with the 2011 A4 Prestige package would be ideal. Anyone have a set they want to sell?