A4 Tires

Initial Review, 1000 Miles on Tires
January 12, 2010

This is the worst winter I've seen in my over 40 years of driving. After missing two days of work not being able to get out my driveway in my rear wheel drive car, it was necessary to buy a 4-wheel drive. I was happy that Kia was using Michelin as original equipment, but I have to say that I was worried that the all season highway tread on this tire would not do well in the record snowfall that we've had. I was very surprised at how well this tire does in the snow, even in 2-wheel drive. The tires just seem to dig in and go. It's a blast to accelerate up a snow-packed hill in 4-wheel drive with a lot of confidence. I don't drive like a nut, and I realize that any tire has its limits, but I don't see a situation in which I would drive that I wouldn't have confidence in this tire. Besides being happy with its performance in the snow, it is a smooth riding, very quiet tire. I'm very happy with the way this small SUV rides and handles and I find it hard to imagine that there is another tire that would be an improvement for the way I drive. I don't do any serious off-roading, but considering the way the tires have handled this weather, I wouldn't worry about using them for an occasional trip off the pavement. I've only driven 1,000 miles so I can't comment on tread wear, but I wanted to comment on its capabilities while it's still winter. As of this writing, I'd definitely buy this tire again.

Initial Review, 2,500 Miles on Tires
February 27, 2012

First, this is a modified 850 GLT; chipped, cold air induction w/K&N filter, IPD blue springs, sway bars, yellow Konis, and right now sporting the "autotragic." As you might correctly surmise, I am a somewhat feisty driver. These tires are 225/40-17's on the Sport 5-spoke F7 7.5x17 wheels. I haven't had a tire off to weigh the wheels, but I would be very surprised if they only weigh 20.8 lbs, but they seem to be stiff and are attractive without being gaudy. These are without any reservation THE BEST tires I've ever owned. I don't know how long they'll last, and the 9's I gave them for noise and ride, well, heck, they're a performance tire and my car is MUCH stiffer than stock. Fair is fair. I'm 56 and have driven at least 750k miles in my life and have never had a better tire. I'm in Seattle; wet performance was a serious consideration..these are nothing short of magnificent in the wet, and, even though they're not designed for snow, they're okay. In fact, their performance at around freezing doesn't seem to be significantly diminished. In contrast, the General UHP is definitely affected by lower temperatures. Of course, the UHP is about 1/3 the price! I have the UHP's on my Miata and like them pretty well-much better than the stock Bridgestones. And the Michelins are stunning on dry pavement. I definitely WILL buy these again, and I highly recommend them. In fact, a good friend just put a set on his 2007 Audi A4-chipped, with coilovers, and loves them. I believe he bought 245/35/19's for 19x8.5" rims. One caution-the 225/40/17's DO require a lip roll on the 850 as well as some trimming of the fender liner-the 215's probably would fit without mods.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
February 24, 2012

I live in Nebraska and my 2wd drive Chevrolet Colorado has very poor snow and ice traction with all season tires and I was considering trading it for a 4wd. I gave the Bridgestone Blizzak’s a try this winter and I have been amazed how good the traction is with them. I have not even needed to use sandbags for added traction. The stopping grip and the rear wheel traction is excellent. I will use these tires for safety in the winter moving forward. I am happy that I do not have to sell my beloved Colorado.

Initial Review, 40000 Miles on Tires
February 02, 2012

Amazingly I have 40,000+ miles on these winter tires, which means due to economic issues they had to stay on for the whole year, I am not pleased at having trashed a set of these excellent tires in one year, since these were to be the designated winter set.
Wheels are the USP 17x7.5's this is important as a sport Quattro runs a wider larger wheel.
Now these were terrific in the wet, dry and even in the deep snow ( remember winter 2010/11 ??)
I had anticipated that once the warmer weather would arrive, they would be trashed quickly, wear exceedingly fast and be worthless when winter arrived.....
I can attest that my fears were pointless, these tires held up thru spring, summer and fall and still have enough tread left to function in light snow......Bear in mind that I run 5 of the same tires ( spare ) with a Quattro it is critical to have all wheels and tires matching in tread wear/make/etc....
I will be installing my summer wheels and tires within the next week or two....18X9 shod with ContiPro Contact, I would prefer to stay with Michelin but that is what this set up came with...

Point is I will renew the Alpin PA3's for next winter.....

Initial Review, 300 Miles on Tires
February 15, 2012

Listed as a best seller and I now know why. Very quiet, great handling, and a great fit with the quattro all wheel drive. The Michelin tires replaced a set of Vredestein Quatrac3's, that only had about 22k mi. They were so noisy I thought I had old fashioned snow tires. The shop replaced one tire stating that a "belt" came loose. But the noise from the other tires was too much. I took a chance, as I had owned Vredesteins in the late '70's, never again, it's Michelin or nothing.

Initial Review, 4000 Miles on Tires
February 11, 2012

Working as a real estate appraiser in Northwest Rural Michigan, I drive every conceivable road and gradiant; from sand two-tracks to the state's famous 55mph pothole special, two lane state thoroughfares. Recently, I had a 150 mile day with side roads of glare ice (road crowns, uphill) astonishing traction, anti slip control never went on. I have never had so much as a wheel slip on my wife's quattro in snow. Faultless on mlight to moderate snow, solid even in slush. The truck never would have made it that day and I prefer it over my F-350 (Michelin LTX A2) in all but the deepest sand or snow conditions, but can't usually pry it away from my wife.

Initial Review, 1000 Miles on Tires
January 30, 2012

Had these tires for about a month so far. In Cleveland Ohio area with a few days of large snow falls (4-6") and the tires did grip surprisingly well, especially compared to the factory installed Khumo ECSTA's on the car when purchased new a few years back. Hard to really compare winter driving when for the last few winters I've had a 4x4 Ford Ranger that could blast through anything. The higher snow accumulations do require some slower driving (obviously), don't plan on winning any races in deeper snow with these tires though. Light snow is no problem for these tires, handling was very good. Wet and dry traction is amazing. Will give an update of treadwear and noise the further along I go...

Initial Review, 45000 Miles on Tires
February 01, 2012

After reading the reviews, I chose this tire to replace the OEMs. What a terrific surprise! I never expected to get such long life (5 years and over 45k miles on a 4wd pickup) out of them, and they still have at least another season to go. Ride, handling, hydroplaning resistance, and even deep snow don't phase these tires at all. I can't imagine a better tire at any price.

Initial Review, 2000 Miles on Tires
February 04, 2012

This has been a bad year to assess these winter tires. The only couple of days it has snowed here we had no more than one inch of snow, however, one of those days I took the car for a spin and the tire were very sticky. I did notice other cars sliding around since it was extremely cold and the snow was very dry. What I experienced on that day impressed me. We'll see if we ever get lots of snow before winter's over and I will post an update.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
January 21, 2012

First time using Tire Rack with local delivery/installation. Worked brilliantly! I only have 500 miles on the tires but extremely pleased versus the prior original tires. Reduced noise level is an instant improvement. Ride is more comfortable while handling improves. Wet traction & handling excellent. I have not driven in snow or ice yet. I would highly recommend these tires.

Initial Review, 10000 Miles on Tires
May 05, 2011

A decent tire. Very good in wet and dry conditions. And quite good in snow and ice (I live in NH). I really only have two issues with this tire: After sitting overnight (or even just a few hours) in any type of weather, it takes a mile or two before the tires begin to run smoothly. They seem to be very susceptible to flat spots, even when only sitting around for a number of hours. This "out of round" is VERY noticeable. Additionally, the noise coming from the tires is unacceptable - probably the noisiest tire I have ever owned on a sedan or wagon. To sum up, if you are looking strictly for performance then this tire will work for you in most situations. But if you are looking for a quiet smooth ride, then stay away from this tire.

Initial Review, 33000 Miles on Tires
January 24, 2012

I have only gotten 33000 miles out of these tires, that would be the biggest downside, since the tread warranty is rated for 50000. Other than that I have been pleased with these tires. The cornering stability could be better and was on the factory tires but the have worked great in wet, dry, snow and ice in Connecticut.

Initial Review, 40000 Miles on Tires
January 22, 2012

My car had the OEM runflats which made more noise then a 4 whell drive truck. The Continental Contiprosport 3 was very quiet all the way to 40,000 miles. I just replaced the tires with the same ones, and will try for 40,000 miles again. The ride, and traction was about as perfect as possible. The OEM Bridgestone Runflat I achived about 30,000 miles, but the noise was very loud, and the ride very rough. I would recomend these tires to someone who is looking for a good clean ride with out the noise.

Initial Review, 33000 Miles on Tires
January 19, 2012

I've had these for about 33k miles on my AWD Audi with coilovers. Considering the car's setup it'd be really easy to notice if tires were limiting handling, and with these I have no complains. They grip well wet or dry, never hydroplane, never lose traction, and don't make a peep of noise when thrown around an off ramp at highway speed. They are quite and comfortable in daily driving too. I expect to get another 5k miles out of them.

My only complaint is recently they got pretty noisy, which is common when tires wear out.

I plan to replace them with the same ones. They're been the best performing All Seasons I've used (Khumos and Contis in the past), and have also lasted the longest.

Initial Review, 2000 Miles on Tires
December 29, 2010

After more than 10 years driving a Porsche Boxster with Dry Weather Only Performance Tires (PZero, Michelin PS2's, Bridgestone Potenza S02, S03, and 050 Pole Positions in 18 and 19" sizes) in the West Coast and Southwest I decided to move to Chicago. Having spent the first 25 years of my life here, I knew what I was getting into in terms of driving conditions in the winter, in fact when I received my drivers license, I took the test in the snow in a rear wheel drive manual in January here. My options: 1) Sell Boxster and get something with All Wheel Drive, 2) Buy second car and store Boxster, 3) Buy 2nd set of wheels with dedicated winter tires. I went for the 3rd option and purchased the WinterContact 810S tires from Continental on a set of 17" Stock Porsche Wheels.



I waited until after Thanksgiving to do the changeover and spent a good number of days driving in the very cold and periodically wet weather with the Bridgestone 050 Potenzas Pole Positions on 19" Carrera S Wheels. VERY SCARY! Seriously, when it was colder than 35°F, I elected to take a cab rather than driving as it just was not worth the risk. After doing the swap (I suggest buying a 4-way wrench and floor jack), I am completely blown away, the car is quiet, comfortable, and well mannered on dry (cold) roads and superior on wet and snowy roads conditions. I can pull into and out of parking spots layered in 6 inches of snow/slush, cruise side streets, and alleys, and have no problem ascending or descending the 15° ramp that goes in and out of my building garage. I strongly recommend this tire over any 4 season option! Most tire shops will swap and store your other wheels for a minimal price twice a year, in my case I stick them in my storage unit. It takes about 30-45 minutes to do the complete changeover including bagging up the other wheels (to keep me clean). Best tire purchase I have ever made! I am only limited by the height of the front spoiler!

Initial Review, 24000 Miles on Tires
January 20, 2012

I bought these tires after returning from Afghanistan in Sept of 2010. They still have about 75% tread left and I dog the snot out of them. I have found that they are little hard to clean if they get packed with mud or snow, but it's nothing a little wheel spin can't solve. The noise level is moderate but enjoyable. I've had them ibn Texas beach sand and they worked great and as well in Chicago snow (blizzard of 2011). I pulled out a 4" nail and pugged it right on the road side with little trouble. The sidewalls are suprisingly strong. I've hard them as low as 15psi and they never broke the bead. I plan on buying them in 37" next when these wear out in about a year.

Initial Review, 4500 Miles on Tires
February 25, 2009

This is an updated review. I purchased these as replacement for Bridgestome Turanzas which I managed to squeeze 39,000 miles out of. They were good OEM tires but wore quickly - (260 UTG rating). I puchased the Goodyear Triple Treads based on reviews - did lots of research. Unfortunately, I would probably not buy these again for this car. Anyone who owns a Solara convertible knows the ride is silky on a super smooth roads, but the car has terrible body rigidity and it quivers on rough roads. The OEM tires were S rated, I was staying away from V rated replacements for fear of hard ride. Unfortunately these H rated tires make the Solara's ride on a rough surface 'jiggly.' (Sorry for the non-technical term, but it accurately describes it.) I also had trouble getting them balanced. After 3 tries at the Tire Rack's recommended installer, the balance is still off. I am too frustrated (and busy) to go back a 4th time.



I think they would be great on a BMW or Infinity sedan. There is no doubt they have improved the handling of the Solara and the traction is impressive. But the impact on the ride is too much of a compromise. I had considered the Kumho's but wanted to buy American - and again the Tripletread reviews were compelling.



Not recommended for Solara Convertible. New Jersey 2/25/09

Initial Review, 2000 Miles on Tires
December 30, 2011

Excellent set of tires on dry wet or snow, the best set of tires I had on my AUDI (third one, first two were BF Goodrich & Bridgestone) I hope the wear equals the quality I have found in these set up till now, definitely the best tire I had on my car yet!

Initial Review, 300 Miles on Tires
January 15, 2012

I've had both Blizzaks and Continental Winter Procontact tires on my 85 Porsche and was unsatisfied with the Blizzaks feel on dry roads (where you spend most of your time). Both were great on snow. I'm pleased to say that these are obviously a much improved version of my old Blizzaks, they have great road feel none of that steering a cow delay of the old days, VERY quiet, and so far in the ice and what snow we have had they are like the grip tires on the Mach 5 (speed Racer) they just stick to the road. The cornering is good considering the softness of the tread lugs but that is to be expected on a snow tire, just slightly less cornering stability in tight turns than a regular street tire. I'm very pleased with these tires. Most people would not think to put snow tires on a 4WD vehicle figuring that they would be fine getting around, and probably that's true for the most part. Imagine yourself on the off ramp on the Highway and in front of you as you come around you see a vehicle on the one side of the road, one in the guard rail, another on the other side, and the car in front of you starting to slide. THAT is why I buy snow tires, at this point you either panic or you control the vehicle, Blizzaks will stick you to that road and you won't become another statistic of winter driving crashes. Peace of mind! Additionally you WILL be able to get through ANYTHING when it comes to snow. I drove my 85 Porsche 944 back from Vermont to Philadelphia with Blizzaks during the worst Noreaster we have had in recent history and literally watched (through a tiny un-iced hole in the windshield) SUV's tumbling along on the side of the road. I not only made it but was able to plow through more than a foot of snow for about the last 2 miles to my house and we are talking a rear wheel drive light sports car very very low to the ground. Do yourself a favor and get some for your truck you will thank me later.