Tyre recommendations, 2003 A4Q 1.9 TDI

Had an A4 Quattro (the 1.9 TDI 130bhp model) for a few months, already
clocked 13k miles on it but that's another story...

Anyway, with the mileage I'm doing, going to need a new set of boots in
the next few months. Currently running Michelin Primacy 215/55R16s.

On the last car (front wheel drive version of the same car) I had
Continental Sport Contact 2s, 205/55R16, which had awesome levels of
grip. The Michelins don't seem to be as grippy as the Contis were,
particularly in the wet (although having the Quattro does mean it still
grips better than the last car).

Now, I'd love to whack a set of Conti Sport 2s on this car, but... they
don't do them in a 215/55 profile, only the Conti Premiums. When I first
got the previous A4 it had Premiums, and also had a tendency to come off
roundabouts sideways in the wet. Fun fun fun, I think not!

So, my options a

1. See if Continental decide to do the Sport Contact 2 in a 215/55 in
the next few months (I *really* like these tyres, had nothing but good
experiences with them).

2. Stick to Michelin Primacy, perhaps go for the Primacy Sport.

3. Switch to a different tyre, considering Dunlop SP9000, Pirelli P6000
or Toyo Proxes. Not driven on Toyos before, but have heard good things
about them.

I'd prefer either an asymmetric or directional profile tyre, as I've
found these a lot better than bi-directional profiles in the past.

I briefly considered switching to a 205/55 profile, but I'd rather not
change profiles if possible. The speedo is pretty accurate on this car
and I don't want to increase any potential error.

Any opinions, suggestions etc from anyone?

--
Glenn Richards Tel: (01453) 845735
Squirrel Solutions http://www.squirrelsolutions.co.uk/

IT consultancy, hardware and software support, broadband installation

"Glenn Richards" wrote
> So, my options a
>
> 1. See if Continental decide to do the Sport Contact 2 in a 215/55 in the
> next few months (I *really* like these tyres, had nothing but good
> experiences with them).

CSC2 is OK, but not as grippy and responsive as some other tires I've tried,
mainly Bridgestone S03. That said, CSC2 is much quieter and much more
comfortable so it all depends what your priorities are. The CSC2 is
actually a pretty good compromise, unless you attend race events and such.

>
> 2. Stick to Michelin Primacy, perhaps go for the Primacy Sport.

Meh... from all I've read the Primacy is a rather mediocre tire.


> 3. Switch to a different tyre, considering Dunlop SP9000, Pirelli P6000 or
> Toyo Proxes. Not driven on Toyos before, but have heard good things about
> them.

Check out Dunlop SP Maxx (successor to the SP9000), Goodyear F1 GS-D3, and
Pirelli P-Zero Nero. I'd stay away from P6000 - their wet performance isn't
all that great and they have a tendency to become very noisy as they wear
down a bit.

Cheers,

Pete