winter wheels and tyres

[newA6]

I hope this is a multi repeated post request but
1. should I put winter tyres on my A6 Avant Quattro ?
2. should I downsize wheels from 18" to 17" for winter tyres ? and if so what size tyres ?
thanks,

[M1tchy]

Depends on where you live but I will be putting winter wheels on this year.

As for size, have a look at the sticker on the inside on the drivers door, it will have the recommended wheel size and tyre size for winter tyres (they are the ones marked M+S)

This is my sticker from my A7. Looks like it will take 17, 18 or 19 inch winter wheels



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[newA6]

Thanks M1tchy, I live in Lancs but drive all over.
i was thinking winter tyres can only help Quattro, and now I have your info I know where to find winter sizes.

[M1tchy]

No probs. I've found Dunlop 3D winter tyres on lovetyres.com for a reasonable price


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[retired99]

Quattro certainly helps with traction for going forwards, it does nothing at all to improve stopping and steering, which in some ways are more important than getting started or making it up a hill.

Winter tyres make a very significant improvement when there is snow / ice on the ground. Quite startling if you haven’t experienced it before. They also offer improved performance over a summer tyre (which is what most cars have from the factory) when the temperature drops below about 7 degrees C.

There’s always a god selection of genuine Audi wheels fitted with winter tyres on German EBay.

If you search for 'Audi 4G Original' (4G is the current A6 model) and then look under 'Autoreifen & Felgen' followed by ‘Kompletträder ‘ and also select ‘winterreifen’ you will see wheels that you recognise and will also see the detailed spec. The ‘Original’ means you only get genuine Audi wheels, i.e. no aftermarket wheels.

I did that a couple of minutes ago and there were over 800 hits.

Google translate does an acceptable job of translating the items.

[pitch3110]

Typical last winter I picked up a set of 17" alloys off Fleabay and fitted a set of Verd winter rubber and we didn't see a flake.

Everything thing i had read and from chatting to folk it is a no brainer they are really that good.

this winter I will not bother with another set of wheels I will just stick a pair on the front.

Ta
Pitch

[razor77]

Quite startling if you haven't experienced it before.

Last winter was my first with winter tyres, I was rather looking forward to experiencing the difference. I join the brigade looking forward to a proper winter with lots of snow!

[neilos100]

this winter I will not bother with another set of wheels I will just stick a pair on the front.

Ta
Pitch

And hopefully you won't see the back of your car overtaking the front if you take a corner a little too fast....4 winter tyres are strongly recommended....
Neil


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[Brycie]

this winter I will not bother with another set of wheels I will just stick a pair on the front.

Have you run a car with two winters up front & summers on the rear before? I have & won't be doing it again. Slightest bit of speed into damp corners/roundabouts and you will have a very unpredictably handling car. Normally you can take speed into bends & you can gauge how the car will behave, even if you get a little slide & a little sideways. With a mixture of rubber, it felt like I couldn't be sure how it would act. Scary thing is, that was only in a wet winter, if it had snowed too, God only knows how it would have handled. Given the choice again of budget was stopping me from getting 4 winters, I'd go for 4 x similar part worn winters over 2 x new winters only.

Just my advice based on my experience.

[wja96]

Last winter was my first with winter tyres, I was rather looking forward to experiencing the difference. I join the brigade looking forward to a proper winter with lots of snow!

The problem with snow is only a few folks have proper winter equipped cars, plus the skills to drive them (it's not as simple as just sticking winters on and driving normally) and the roads tend to be shut by optimistic types starting a journey and then abandoning their car in the middle of the road.

Although I always run winters I always pray it doesn't snow.