Last weekend the A4 picked up a nail in its right rear tire. It oozed air slowly until the pressure monitoring system posted a warning. At first it looked like it might be patchable, but we soon realized that it was too close to the sidewall for such a fix.
So a new tire was in order and as long as we were going to replace one, we figured the other side might as well get one too. The tires did have a little over 30,000 miles on them anyway, so they were due for replacement soon anyway. Once on a lift, closer inspection of the front tires revealed they were pretty much shot too.
We had Stokes Tire order up a new set of original equipment tires, in this case Bridgestone RE050s size 245/40R18. As you might expect, they were not cheap -- $268 a pop. When all was said and done, the total came to $1192 for the tires, mounting and balancing.
Oh, and in the process we also realized that there was no wheel lock key in the A4. This had been brought up before with no resolution. We went to the Audi dealer to get a replacement and they said it would take awhile to get that exact key. Instead, we just bought a new set of locking lug nuts for $70. Glad we didn't have to figure out that little detail on the side of the highway.
Ed Hellwig, Editor, Inside Line @ 31,450 miles
bodyblue says:
08:20 AM, 10/21/10
$1192 for tires for a little station wagon. Say that sentence to yourself over and over and it will never make sense. Plus a bazillion for front brakes........why not get a bigger car that costs less to operate? Oh I know.....this is an Audi, it has a nice (ok actually) dashboard so it is worth a lot more than something else. Give me a break.
yellowbal says:
08:29 AM, 10/21/10
Ouch, about double what I paid for my tires installed. I have Kuhmo Ecsta SPT 225/45R17s.
hybris says:
08:37 AM, 10/21/10
For $1100 I could get 4 33 inch Goodyear Silent Armor Wrangler in 285/75/R16 after everything is said and done.
Why would I spend that much on a far smaller tires that are on a DD that won't see much if any track time?
e90_m3 says:
08:41 AM, 10/21/10
bb,
It's not Audi's fault that IL chooses to buy new OEM tires.
A certain major online retailer sells the same size of Sumitomo performance all-season for a little over $500 for 4.
"Value" is in the eyes of beholders. I wouldn't pay more than $20 for a pair of jeans, but I wouldn't diss folks who pay $50. (Ok I do find $300 designer jeans silly).
zcalvert says:
09:54 AM, 10/21/10
@bodyblue -
that attitude is exactly why the european companies are so hesitant to bring over the upscale smaller models that some of us would be quite interested in. believe it or not there are other factors correlating to price beside size.
nice things cost money. your perception of value may be different from other people's. toyota, chevy or plenty of other brands will happily sell you a huge, dull appliance for very little money. perhaps some of us aren't looking for that. there is a huge, wide variety of cars available today; you can get whatever you want, so why so much bitterness toward others who get what they want?
bc1960 says:
09:55 AM, 10/21/10
Edmund's seems to have a policy of sticking to OEM tires while the vehicles are being tested, which I can't argue with since the vehicle experience will be closer to the average customer. But being Audi and a "small station wagon" aren't that relevant--the smaller 215/50R17 OEM Michelin Pilot HX MXM4s on my more pedestrian Mazda6 locally run about $257 mounted and balanced, or $1028 a set before sales tax. Given that they have both mediocre performance and tread wear, I passed.
ed124c says:
10:09 AM, 10/21/10
When I replaced the tires on my '05 Outback (at 44K), I refused to pay for the high priced Bridgestone OEMs. I bought 4 Dunlops (225-60 16) for about 550. 25K later I am happy with them, and my tire dealer gives me free tire rotation. Still lots of tread left, and I am hoping for 15K more.
equ says:
10:30 AM, 10/21/10
I personally will not pay that much $$ for replacement (full disclosure: I have an a4 sport pack with even costlier pirelli p7 cinturato's). But then 30k is not bad for a set of summer tires and the way (some) edmunds folks drive (just look at those mpg numbers).
Anyway, for all of you who are complaining, look at these handling, braking numbers:
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2008/12/2009-audi-a4-avant-performance-testing.html
That's what 245/40-18 sports rubber does combined with a very decent chassis. If you want cheaper tires, give up a bit of the good stuff and get a non-sport version that comes with much cheaper 225/50-17 all-seasons.
2006vr6 says:
10:40 AM, 10/21/10
Brought my 08 Passat Lux Wagon to dealer for a 40K service and I had a slow leak in a tire I asked them to look at. They found a nail and said it was up on the sidewall and couldn't repair it. They recommended a complete set of rubber. Thank you, but no thanks. Went to a local tire garage and they were able to patch it. Yes...Should be able to get another 20K + before finding a good replacement. I shop around on the internet for suitable replacements and prices, then pull out the yellow pages and make some calls. They said they fixed my 06 VR6 4Motion tire leak (also in for 40K service) that had a slow leak on a plug (again a blasted shingle nail). Not - Began leaking air this week. Nice to have a portable Slime tire pump. Tires on the 06 (sport pak 2) will need replacing before the wagon. Guess iffen you're going do reviews then you should stick w/ OEM. Pricey little suckers.
ocramidajzj says:
10:51 AM, 10/21/10
So does Edmunds really stick with the OEM's for a reason or was this just a one off? As other's have said the OEMs are stupid expensive when you can get equally excellent rubber for 1/3 less. Was there even any comparison shopping or did Stoke's give you the shaft?
seppoboy says:
11:29 AM, 10/21/10
Very few cars have optimal OEM tires, one of the best and most cost-effective vehicle enhancements is when the original tires are up for replacement. There are lots of better tires available at better prices.
fundango says:
01:13 PM, 10/21/10
Ouch. For that price, you could have ordered a set of Michelin PS2s on Tire Rack (or for that matter bought the same RE050As for $300 less). That said, unlike many OEM tires, the Bridgestones seem to be decent, as evidenced by equ's link to the perf test above.
Also, that tire size (245/40/18) happens to be quite expensive. I know because that's the same size as stock STI tires and from my experience, most of the top tier summer tires in that specific size are upwards of $200+ (Conti CSC3, Michelin PS2, Pirelli PZero, Goodyear Eagle F1 A, etc.)
@bc1960
Agreed. In addition to the Mazda 6, the HX MXM4s were also the stock tires on RSXs and TSXs, and they always struck me as being far overpriced ($200+) given the demographics of the target buyers for those cars.
ptcdawg says:
02:13 PM, 10/21/10
TWELVE HUNDRED BUCKS for tires for a family station wagon? LMAO at you jokers.
06scooby says:
02:35 PM, 10/21/10
aren't those summer tires too? I'm supprised IL didn't throw some All-Seasons on there for all the editors that take trips up north and into the mountains in the winter, making the A4 a winter transportation option.
bodyblue says:
04:14 PM, 10/21/10
"so why so much bitterness toward others who get what they want?"
No bitterness at all....I happen to like smaller cars a lot. I really like the Volvo V50 as a matter of fact. BUT that kind of money for tires and upkeep is crazy. Audi does not exactly have a sterling rep for quality as well. I dont think bigger is always better.....but being frugal is always smarter.
gja says:
07:29 PM, 10/21/10
$200 each for the Michelin V-rated Oem's on the current 4 cylinder Honda Accord sedan!?!?
gbuickus says:
10:51 PM, 10/21/10
As for the locking lug-nuts: Surely, someone interested in your wheels enough to want to take the time to grab them in the first place, won't mind the additional short time to break the locks?
My (late :-/ ) '89 SHO had them, first flat tire, the key broke; snapped the teeth right off.. Aggravated, an only slightly over-sized socket (larger than the lug nut, that is) and the tire iron as an improvised hammer had me on my way again. They're an inconvenience; and certainly not a deterrent.
ms3fun says:
12:55 AM, 10/22/10
I really don't understand why Edmunds bought the Bridgestone's RE050. Go to any tire site and those tires don't have many good reviews.
There is absolutely no need to stick with the OE tire, unless you have too much money and it burns a hole in your pocket. Additionally OE tires usually have notoriously low tread wear ratings....most if not all RE050 have a rating of 180 without exceptional grip.
I used to sell tires....this was just a waste of money on IL's part
michellie13 says:
01:16 AM, 10/22/10
@e90_m3 You say you find $300 pairs of designer jeans silly...but have you ever tried on a pair? You might change your mind! ...I happen to be an authority on this matter :)
-Michelle
http://www.upscalejeans.com
roadburner says:
06:27 AM, 10/22/10
I had RE050s on my MS3; I was completely underwhelmed by their performance. My winter tires are Pirelli PZero Nero All Seasons and they handle just about as well. On an A4 I would have gone with Dunlop Direzza Star Specs($199 ea. from Tire Rack), the Conti ExtremeContact DW($183 from TR), or -if I wanted a decent tire for not much money- the Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110($146 from TR).
maastrichtian says:
11:27 AM, 10/22/10
bodyblue: You're not bitter? Kindly give ME a break. Explain to me why you're complaining about a car within a post about purchasing tires. That's like saying you don't like the New England Patriots because you hate their pink gloves and shoes.
"Buy a bigger car that costs less to operate?" Wow what does that even mean? So instead of an Audi A4 we should all buy a 2000 F150? Why not a smaller car that costs less to operate? Or a similar size car that costs less to operate? Or a yellower banana that weighs more? Or move to a poorer country with higher humidity? I know! Buy a shinier lollipop that has more colors!
Seriously wtf?? You can put the same tires on a Volvo V50 and it'll still cost you $1200. I'm trying to attack the idea and not the person, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding a coherent message here, except "I hate that company!".
kurtamaxxxguy says:
12:27 PM, 10/22/10
Audi is fascinating in that the higher you go in the Avant model line, the bigger the wheels and lower profile the tires get.
I'm considering an Avant, thanks to a new close-to-home dealer, but our Portland OR roads are not well maintained and low prof tires don't fare well with potholes. And one never knows when potholes will appear - rains and snow quickly usher them in.
Fortunately for the 45 series wheels Audi has for Avant, Nokian WRG2's can be had - great winter rated all season tires perfect for Oregon.
isend2c says:
11:20 PM, 10/23/10
@ hybris...
You don't buy tires per pound, or volume, you get them for use. a 33" tire on an Audi A4... yeah... OKay...
majin_ssj_eric says:
10:33 AM, 10/25/10
I really like the RE050A's on my G37S. Thy grip very well in the dry, have good wet-weather traction, and I got 30k miles out of the oem set on my last G37S (2008). There are better performance bargains out there but there is nothing wrong with the Bridgestone's performance...
byronwalter says:
03:25 PM, 10/25/10
"ptcdawg says:
02:13 PM, 10/21/10
TWELVE HUNDRED BUCKS for tires for a family station wagon? LMAO at you jokers"
Like it or not, that's what high performance summer tires go for. The fact that it's a station wagon is irrelevant. Many of us confuse cars like this with the wagons that our parents/grandparents drove but this car is a different creature. It has very sharp handling and the rubber is part of reason.
I have a nearly identical car (but the engine has been modded). It drives like a sports car but can also haul my kayak. And on the road with a kayak on the roof it manages better than 30 mpg.