Audi A3 Tire/Wheel Questions

shipo

It all depends. Consider the following wheel/tire combinations (all of which have an outer diameter within a tenth of an inch of 25.0"):

15" wheels and 195/65 R15 tires
17" wheels and 205/50 R17 tires
19" wheels and 215/35 R19 tires

If one was to put the above tires on any one car, a first generation Mazda3 for instance, it is pretty good bet the "Taller" fifteen inch setup at the top will be able to handle at least as well as the "Shorter" nineteen inch setup at the bottom, in spite of the nearly one inch narrower section width of the tread. So, from that perspective, the guy you were talking to was correct.

The thing is, the "Middle" seventeen inch setup will be able to run rings around the both of them. Why? The short answer is that the rotational mass or "Angular Kinetic Energy" (think gyroscope) becomes so great beyond roughly sixteen to seventeen inches of wheel size that the wheels become very able to resist changing their rotational plane, which in turn degrades handling.

To be sure the above answer is greatly simplified and disregards any number of other factors, but I think you get the idea.

capriracer

Total unadulterarted mulemuffins.

Drag racing/ handling? Not even in the same universe.

Look at sports car racers where the rules don't prohibit innovation - Yup, 35/40 series tires.

Jezabel

Hi! I’ve got a 2015 Audi A3 Quattro Convertible and I’m needing new tires. I live in Michigan so I’m needing a good all season. It’s got Continentals on it currently, should I get those again or are there better tires out there? I had a 2009 Audi Quattro Convertible years ago and it’s winter performance was phenomenal, better than any SUV I’ve ever owned, it would get through anything, don’t know what tire it had on it unfortunately, definitely wasn’t this one.
Please advise. (I’ve got 225/40/18’s)
Thanks so much!