I am new to owning A4 Quatro Technic and I need to buy summer or all season tires. I live in Alberta where we have shorter summers that experience rains and highs of 40C (100F) along with cooler spring and fall seasons. I have dedicated winter tires so looking for a set that could serve me betwen May to September.

Main priorities are lasting, quiet, comfortable, good value for money tires. I have two questions:

1- What are the differences between summer and all season tires and why should I go for one over another?
2- Is there any objective distinction between brands or tire model, or just go for best tire availabile that meets my priorities above?

Thanks

Hi, I olso interesting in this topic!

Summer tires are softer with a better grip, but wear out faster. They stop being effective at about 40o , roughly 8C. All-season tires are a little harder but can be used across all temperature ranges, all year. In your case, I would recommend the all-seasons because Alberta - you never know when the temperature can plummet or it snows unexpectedly. I had really good luck with Pirellis on my 2003 A6 and have consistently used Continentals on my A4 (and recommended to my daughter who has a 2018 A4). I live in Michigan and use(d) my Audis mostly as winter drivers, and we receive 80-150" of snow a year. Continentals are available in different "models" which seem to change frequently, but something like the Extreme Contact works very well. I also went from Pirellis to Michelins on my Maserati, but it was due to going with a slightly larger tire on each axle and having to match diameters of staggered size tires. I would have preferred Continentals, but could not find sizes that worked.

There are of course cheaper tire brands. Look at the combination of price, tire wear (mileage), and how it performs under different road/weather conditions. I am sure the Canadian Tire website has this info for starters.

Go Oilers.