Winter Tires?
 

Just ordered a set of Michelin Alpin PA4s for my 2014 S6. Did my research online and it seems that its a great all rounder for icy Michigan roads. Anyone have any experience with this make of tire or a better alternative?

My perspective is that an all-rounder tire is not particularly good at anything. The S6 comes with fairly decent summer performance tires, so why not put on the best possible winter tires for the snow 'n ice season? My pick for the best winter tire is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2. I go one better and use the studded version, which provide an edge in icy conditions, at the expense of a bit of traction on dry roads, plus just a tad more tire noise.

Size I ordered was 255/40R19.

Thanks, I went for the PA4s because most of the time the road is free of snow. It seemed to do the best job of dry and wet roads but is pretty decent on snow too. I'll check out the ones you suggested.

Love the PA4s
 

I've had them on my 19" Audi wheels for a bit over a month. They are quiet and handle well. I drove in 2" of snow tonight with nary a skid. I'd buy them again.

The fact of the matter is that for most people, even those who live in snowy climates, the roads are clear of snow the majority of the time. At other times, you have only small amounts covering the surface. With the quattro system and all the electronic stability programs in modern cars, almost any decent snow tire will give you more than enough winter performance in 99.9% of driveable conditions. I have always used Dunlop Winter Sport on my Audi vehicles and have had no issues whatsoever in even the worst road conditions. And they perform quite well in the dry and/or wet, which is most of the time even in winter. I think the bigger benefit of winter tires is their temperature operating range.

Bingo! That is the underlying reason why everybody in cold climates should use a proper winter tire. Regardless of how many wheels are driven or how many traction aids your car has, you brake and steer with four tires - just like everybody else (unless you drive an 18-wheeler). If your all-season tire compound hardens in cold temperatures, it will not grip as well as a winter tire that can remain pliable to minus 40 and below. Snow grip, while still important, is not as important as cold-weather grip.

Don't get me wrong. Any winter tire is still a better option than the best all-season offering (the temperature cross-over point, where a winter tire offers more traction, is a mere 7C or 45F). I don't know the PA4, but it could be quite decent. Given the price tag on our cars and the cost of any possible collision, my preference is to buy the best on the market, which is why I made the recommendation I did.

Running R2's for the last month and amazing!
 

Amazing tires and love the fact they come in 20"s to fit my OEM wheels.

255/35/20 and worth every penny.

Absolutely have to agree with you on that. I now have a set of studded winter tires and will be swapping them out in the spring. Using studded Nokian Hakka 7s and they are amazing.

Performance Winter Tires
 

The Michelin Alpin PA4 is a performance winter tire. In NJ the roads are usually cleared (except the hill around my home) and cold temperature traction all winter, whether there is snow or not, is most important. The more aggressive snow tires work better in the deep stuff but at the price of sacrificing handling and braking. Studded tires aren't legal in NJ nor would most people need them. I would think otherwise, however, if I lived in Vermont - I would probably choose Bridgestone LM32 or Nokians. Tires should match driving conditions and there is no absolute best.