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Audi allroad Tires and Wheels
markcincinnati
Member Posts: 5,343
In stock form the 2.7T allroad comes with 225 x 55 x 17" N/S tires (N/S - not good for any season).
The tires are supposed to be a compromise offering some off road capabilities, some all season capabilities and a nod to the fact that the allroad is after all based on a German sport sedan/avant (the A6). The best of all worlds, at least that was the original idea -- the worst of all worlds in practical terms.
In stock form the allroad really does have a pretty capable sporty sedan-like vehicle lurking just beneath the surface. The easiest, quickest way to uncover this aspect is simple: new tires.
The tires must closely conform to the geometry of the OE tires if you wish to do a replacement with some "upside potential" (upside performance that is).
Depending on where you live you will either want to do All Season tires which pretend to have some winter capabilities (and in truth they have some) or 3 season tires (with dedicated winter tires for your local's climate).
The single most popular tire for the OEM wheels for the allroad appears to be Michelin Pilot Sport All/Season's in "plus zero" size 245 x 50 x 17".
The geometry is preserved by this size. Indeed this size is virtually perfect for the car and its factory OE wheels -- in my opinion it is an "11" on a scale of 1 - 10 for fitment and performance.
If you don't need all seasons, you can look for tires in this size that are termed UHP (ultra high performance) or MAX (maximum performance). The above mentioned Pilot Sport A/S are a hybrid tire in that they are both UHP and all season. As far as I know there are no MAX and all season rated tires available.
The UPH and MAX tires (A/S or 3 season) will improve the turn-in and overal responsiveness of the allroad -- even if everything else is 100% bone stock.
Note: UHP and MAX tires rarely are good for more than 20,000 miles and UHP A/S tires if driven in a 4 season climate 1,500 miles/month will really only have one good winter in them, even if they are not otherwise worn out -- it just goes with the territory. UHP and MAX tires do what they do (so well) because they have sticky tread -- sticky tread is, more or less, "soft" and gives great dry and wet traction at the expense of tread life.
A longer lasting, harder tire will be a mismatch for the allroad's suspension and capabilities.
So, plus zero - absolutely yes. 245 x 50 x 17" is THE way to go. Even greater improvements in the handling dept can be had by going plus 1 which means NEW WHEELS and 245 x 45 x 18" tires (this is the allroad 4.2 set up, FYI and there are 18" wheels available from Audi for the 2.7T and 18" wheels that will fit the allroad from many many other vendors too.)
Now, having had the Pilot Sport A/S's, I can say they are excellent tires and only a fair value. Now with 1 year under my belt, I can say that the tires ARE great but frankly overpriced by about $50 to $75 per tire based on what you could buy if you educate yourself at www.tirerack.com and www.tires.com.
My current set up and the one I wished I had done from day one is:
Factory OEM wheels and tires (Goodyear) for 10 winter weeks; 18" x 8.5" wheels and 245 x 45 x 18" UHP 3 season tires for the other 42 weeks. The handling with the 18"s took another major step up.
Now with respect to the suspension. My dealer used the on board allroad comupter to lower the air suspension by -12mm -- my #2 setting is about like #1 on stock set up that is. After they did this they performed an all-wheel alignment. The result is a somewhat stiffer ride but an improvement in cornering as the car is both lower and stiffer. Body roll is still an issue with such a set up: Plus sized tires and lowered suspension, that is.
However for about $200 which includes labor, you can have your dealer order A6 sport rear anti-swaybar and bushing and replace the stock allroad 15mm swaybar with the sport swaybar which is 20% thicker or 18mm. The roll or "lean" into curves is substantially reduced and the ride is not compromised.
I have no reason to believe that this will harm the vehicle or void my warranty. All the "mods" I have made, tires, wheels, lowering and swaybar have been done at the dealer with dealer approved and/or supplied parts.
Finally for another $90, I had the factory BPV's (turbo by-pass-valves) replaced with Sport BPV's, the result, smoother power, slightly stronger power and a vrooooommmmm sound kinda like the THX movie trailer as you accelerate through 6000RPM.
The whole car, and mine is a 6spd, feels stronger, sportier, more capable overall.
If you have $375 and want to go to the ultimate you can get FRONT AND REAR sway bars from www.h-sport.com that will even more totally transform the car's handling by making it corner under almost all circumstances perfectly flat.
It is, however, stiffer with the h-sport set up but since the springs and shocks are stock the ride, for most people's tastes actually is improved since virtually all remaining wallow is banished from the vehicle. Unfortunately, for me, the cost of the h-sport's since I already have the PSK rear only anti-swaybar is hard to justify since I have only 23 months remaining on my lease.
Now, chipping the engine is another matter, and it is one of hot debate and potential cost if you have a mod (chip) unfriendly dealer. Personally only the tiptronic versions need such a mod as they are, IMHO, castrated at birth by the programming and gear ratios of the tiptronic -- which as you may know imparts both a slower acceleration capability and a "hesitation" that has been dubbed "tip-lag." If you are shopping for an allroad and must have a tiptronic, go with the 4.2 -- just remember that a 6spd 2.7T is quicker than a $6,000 more expensive 4.2 tip.
Drive it like you live!
The tires are supposed to be a compromise offering some off road capabilities, some all season capabilities and a nod to the fact that the allroad is after all based on a German sport sedan/avant (the A6). The best of all worlds, at least that was the original idea -- the worst of all worlds in practical terms.
In stock form the allroad really does have a pretty capable sporty sedan-like vehicle lurking just beneath the surface. The easiest, quickest way to uncover this aspect is simple: new tires.
The tires must closely conform to the geometry of the OE tires if you wish to do a replacement with some "upside potential" (upside performance that is).
Depending on where you live you will either want to do All Season tires which pretend to have some winter capabilities (and in truth they have some) or 3 season tires (with dedicated winter tires for your local's climate).
The single most popular tire for the OEM wheels for the allroad appears to be Michelin Pilot Sport All/Season's in "plus zero" size 245 x 50 x 17".
The geometry is preserved by this size. Indeed this size is virtually perfect for the car and its factory OE wheels -- in my opinion it is an "11" on a scale of 1 - 10 for fitment and performance.
If you don't need all seasons, you can look for tires in this size that are termed UHP (ultra high performance) or MAX (maximum performance). The above mentioned Pilot Sport A/S are a hybrid tire in that they are both UHP and all season. As far as I know there are no MAX and all season rated tires available.
The UPH and MAX tires (A/S or 3 season) will improve the turn-in and overal responsiveness of the allroad -- even if everything else is 100% bone stock.
Note: UHP and MAX tires rarely are good for more than 20,000 miles and UHP A/S tires if driven in a 4 season climate 1,500 miles/month will really only have one good winter in them, even if they are not otherwise worn out -- it just goes with the territory. UHP and MAX tires do what they do (so well) because they have sticky tread -- sticky tread is, more or less, "soft" and gives great dry and wet traction at the expense of tread life.
A longer lasting, harder tire will be a mismatch for the allroad's suspension and capabilities.
So, plus zero - absolutely yes. 245 x 50 x 17" is THE way to go. Even greater improvements in the handling dept can be had by going plus 1 which means NEW WHEELS and 245 x 45 x 18" tires (this is the allroad 4.2 set up, FYI and there are 18" wheels available from Audi for the 2.7T and 18" wheels that will fit the allroad from many many other vendors too.)
Now, having had the Pilot Sport A/S's, I can say they are excellent tires and only a fair value. Now with 1 year under my belt, I can say that the tires ARE great but frankly overpriced by about $50 to $75 per tire based on what you could buy if you educate yourself at www.tirerack.com and www.tires.com.
My current set up and the one I wished I had done from day one is:
Factory OEM wheels and tires (Goodyear) for 10 winter weeks; 18" x 8.5" wheels and 245 x 45 x 18" UHP 3 season tires for the other 42 weeks. The handling with the 18"s took another major step up.
Now with respect to the suspension. My dealer used the on board allroad comupter to lower the air suspension by -12mm -- my #2 setting is about like #1 on stock set up that is. After they did this they performed an all-wheel alignment. The result is a somewhat stiffer ride but an improvement in cornering as the car is both lower and stiffer. Body roll is still an issue with such a set up: Plus sized tires and lowered suspension, that is.
However for about $200 which includes labor, you can have your dealer order A6 sport rear anti-swaybar and bushing and replace the stock allroad 15mm swaybar with the sport swaybar which is 20% thicker or 18mm. The roll or "lean" into curves is substantially reduced and the ride is not compromised.
I have no reason to believe that this will harm the vehicle or void my warranty. All the "mods" I have made, tires, wheels, lowering and swaybar have been done at the dealer with dealer approved and/or supplied parts.
Finally for another $90, I had the factory BPV's (turbo by-pass-valves) replaced with Sport BPV's, the result, smoother power, slightly stronger power and a vrooooommmmm sound kinda like the THX movie trailer as you accelerate through 6000RPM.
The whole car, and mine is a 6spd, feels stronger, sportier, more capable overall.
If you have $375 and want to go to the ultimate you can get FRONT AND REAR sway bars from www.h-sport.com that will even more totally transform the car's handling by making it corner under almost all circumstances perfectly flat.
It is, however, stiffer with the h-sport set up but since the springs and shocks are stock the ride, for most people's tastes actually is improved since virtually all remaining wallow is banished from the vehicle. Unfortunately, for me, the cost of the h-sport's since I already have the PSK rear only anti-swaybar is hard to justify since I have only 23 months remaining on my lease.
Now, chipping the engine is another matter, and it is one of hot debate and potential cost if you have a mod (chip) unfriendly dealer. Personally only the tiptronic versions need such a mod as they are, IMHO, castrated at birth by the programming and gear ratios of the tiptronic -- which as you may know imparts both a slower acceleration capability and a "hesitation" that has been dubbed "tip-lag." If you are shopping for an allroad and must have a tiptronic, go with the 4.2 -- just remember that a 6spd 2.7T is quicker than a $6,000 more expensive 4.2 tip.
Drive it like you live!
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I just bought a 2001 Allroad and it comes with these 225 x 55 x 17 tires which claim to be all-season and are even rated M+S. These things look like summer tires! Do they really work in the snow?? or am i gonna have to go and buy some real winter tires for this thing?
Seth
http://www.nokiantyres.com/passengercars_product_en?product=610503&name=NOKIAN+WR
Does anyone have an opinion or knowledge about using other tires with this car?
Thanks!
Happy motoring.
It's in good cosmetic shape and has new tires...
The big thing is the dealer (one owner, same dealer) had to replace the transmission under warranty (Tiptronic)...According to the dealer, this transmission is famous for wearing quickly...usually because of pilot error in going from R to D too forcefully or incorrectly...
Has anyone heard of this? And should this be a red flag for this vehicle specifically or the model in general...
Thanks...
My first drive of the car I bought was with Pilot Sport A/S tires in size 245 x 50 x 17".
I did, later, upgrade to 18" wheels but I never had any of the problems I read about from time to time about the stock rubber on the 2.7T since I did not bother with these tires.
I cannot, then, make any kind of comment about the stock tires -- other than to repeat what I have read.
The tires standard on the allroad are 225 x 55 x 17" "allroad" specific tires (regardless of mfg.)
The are said to be, overall, poor wearing and offer little clue as to the true nature of the allroad's performance characteristics.
Plus zero sizing mean raising the width of the tire, lowering the aspect ratio and keeping the wheel size intact: 225 x 55 x 17, translates at "plus zero" to 245 x 50 x 17.
Plus one takes you to 245 x 45 x 18" and if the tires are UHP will improve the turn in. The 18" wheels fill those flared fenders quite nicely too.
Be mindful, if you go with new wheels, to maintain the geometry of the wheels/tires; be mindful that you may need spacers (and new bolts) with the new wheels.
Be mindful that ANY Audi accessory NOT put on the car at the time the car is delivered will be warranted for only 12 months.
I ordered in year two, a set of four Audi Logo'd valve stem caps (from the dealer). Although I personally checked the air pressure regularly, I had a need to have the TPMS replaced (under the Audi advantage a year+ later.) It was winter. The caps "froze" (and I don't mean by virtue of the cold, but by virtue of rust) on the valve stems. Valve stems on a car with TPMS are $90 each for the part.
Audi INITIALLY denied my warranty claim since the caps were NOT sold with the car, despite the fact that they were gen-u-wine Audi parts. Yikes! $360 not including the labor to remove four wheels, tires, TPMS's, replace them, etc etc etc.
One call, a nice call, from me to the Audi svce mgr and Audi did pay for it all -- but the dealer svc mgr did say that the terms of the warranty are generally 4 years or 50,000 miles if accessory acquired at time of purchase OR 1 year, no mile limit, after that.
Good customer status and good svc mgr "pull" saved me at least $400.00. But, had I known the warranty was 1 year, I probably would've said "never mind."
I ordered RS6 replicas and Falken Azenis ST115 tires had the whole shootin' match sent to the dealer and had the dealer mount and balance everything.
I then had two sets of shoes (summer and winter - 9 month and 3 month).
The TPMS system did false trigger a lot -- I can't actually remember when I have had a flat or even LOW pressure situation in 10+ years.
Unless the TPMS systems are better than they used to be, they are not all they are cracked up to be.
Overall, I loved my allroad. Now, just as the "station wagon" is making a comeback, Audi discontinues the allroad. :confuse:
One of those love/hate relationships. So far i'm content, but if I had to do it again, I'd be more practical about this high-maintenance toy. The other part is that the audi's are becoming more popular and I think has lost some of its allure. Almost a common everyday car.
The only problem I have experienced this far is the tire pressure. I have put them at 33psi although the book states 39. I will bring it in for servicing in the next couple of weeks to have that checked. I will do my best to keep you informed of any new developments.
Do these wheels crack often? Would a pot hole in the road cause a wheel to crack? I don't think the platinum warranty covers this and so, if there is no hope with the dealer, what is the best source for an original replacement wheel? New vs. used?