Smith837

My new 2021 B9.5 S4 came with 19" Bridgestones. My previous B8.5 came with 19" Continentals. My B8 came with 19" Dunlops.

I realize that regardless of which tire they put on the car at the factory, they're all rated the same. But I also realize that the brand/rubber can make a big difference in the driving experience, road feel/noise, and handling. Does anyone have experience with different tires (OEM and/or non-OEM) on their S4 and care to comment? Has anyone swapped out their stock tire for another brand with noticeable differences and was it worth it?

Years back I test drove an S4 with stock Hankooks (but I can't tell how much different that felt to my current tires). I have also heard great things about Michelin Pilot Sports...

According to Tire Rack, the original equipment on the 2021 S4 is as follows:
DUNLOP SP SPORT MAXX GT
BRIDGESTONE POTENZA S001
PIRELLI P ZERO (PZ4)
CONTINENTAL SPORTCONTACT 6

Thanks!

RickNY

From what I can tell, the most popular replacement (at least among people on these forums, Audizine, and Facebook B9 and S4 groups) seems to be the Michelin PS4S (or the older PSS)
I dont have experience with either -- but I cant stand the Potenza S001's, so I'll probably go with the PS4S at some point.

Smith837

Thanks Rick! I too have heard that the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is "the tire". Curious what you can't stand about the S001's? I have those on mine. Had a feeling they weren't the best of the OEMs, but what to do... luck of the draw.

My first drive, the S001's didn't feel as sharp as other tires I've experienced, but it's been a few years since I've had an S4, so any differences I perceived could be other factors. Been more used to AMG handling as well, so there's that. One thing I noticed when navigating around the dealer lot at 5 mph was that the front tires screeched a bit when taking a turn. Never heard anything like it. Could be that they are new, but dunno.

Smith837

PS, this is an interesting comparo: https://www.tire-reviews.com/Article...-Tire-Test.htm

Seems the S001's are a mixed bag. Tops for handling in wet conditions with short braking distances, but less fuel efficient (high rolling resistance) and noisy. Average handling in dry conditions.

RickNY

My issue may have more to do with going from 18s in my 2018 to 19s for summer on the 2021. I’m definitely not a huge fan of the lower sidewall from a driving perspective. My don’t squeal at any time so I’m guessing it was because they were new.

My 2018 also came with the S001, but the 245/40-18. I only drove on those tires for the 15 mile ride from the dealer when I took delivery to the tire store and replaced them with all seasons, so I can’t really say how they were. Now that I have a dedicated winter set of wheels and tires, I kept them on the 2021.

I just find them a bit squirrelly, I feel they should track to the road better, I always find it necessary to make slight corrections. Not sure if that makes sense.

Smith837

Ah, makes sense. I've had 19" summers and 18" winters for all my previous S4s, which to me felt like the best of both worlds. Unlike you, my first experiences in the S4 were on the 19s. I didn't mind the lower sidewall, although I greatly preferred the 19s after I upgraded to the adaptive suspension in the B8.5. I always missed my 19s when swapping them out for the 18s in the late fall – I missed the look, but also felt that the 18s lost a bit of the handling edge. That said, when the weather got cold or inclement, I was glad to be on those winters.

The 19s on my previous S4s had softer rubber than the S001's, so that also might be contributing to our respective impressions. Plus, the greater roiling resistance of the S001's requires more energy to push them along than other similarly rated tires (not yet sure how that will impact fuel economy).

Only time will tell how I feel about the S001's. I need to give them a fair test. My first impression on the highway when making incremental steering adjusts was that they felt less sharp than I expected (with everything set to Dynamic except suspension set to Auto). I can't yet tell if that's due to the tires, or just the handling and steering feel of the B9.5. What I felt seemed more tire related, but dunno. My car has the Dynamic Steering Package and truth be told, I've never had this option before. Took a gamble on it, but I've been told that if anything, it should make the steering feel (seem) a bit sharper, especially in Dynamic.

I'll do some tests over the next couple of weeks and report back. Curious if I too will find them squirrely. Bridgestones are known for stiffer rubber, so it's possible that's playing into your impression of the ride quality and linearity. They might be more inclined to "jump around" compared to a softer tire. One reviewer on Tire Rack wrote they ride like "rocks".

I still have my old Audi winter wheels from 2010. The rubber will need to be replaced if I decide to use them this coming winter. I'm not yet sure what I'll do. I might buy winter 19s, or maybe ditch the S001's for all season 19s.

I'm curious if anyone out there has done either of the following:
1. Swapped out or switched from the S001's to another sport tire, OEM or non-OEM (e.g., Michelin PS 4S)? Was it worth it and did the handling and/or road feel improve significantly?
2. Swapped out the stock summer 19s for all-season 19s? Did performance in summer take much of a hit?

Thanks in advance for any input!

agentphish

There’s no substitute for the Pilot Sport line from Michelin. Never really has been.

I’ve had other “top” tires in the category from Conti/Pirelli etc but the Pilot Sports, in basically every iteration, have always been top dog.
PS4S will be going on my car when the Pirellis it came with are done, unfortunately they were just put on 3k miles before I bought the car so it’ll be a bit! No sense wasting a set of tires.

Smith837

Thanks! I agree about not wasting a set of tires. That said, how much better is the handling/feel with the PS4S over the stocks? I'm not driving as much as I used to, so it could be years before I burn through the S001's, especially since they won't be used in winter.

SCarGuy

Almost immediately after taking delivery of my B9 S4 (Hankooks, Black Optics car), I swapped to the Michelin's. Donated the stock tires to a kid here at work for a couple hundred. The Michelin's are really in a class unto themselves, and unlike so many tires, it improves every single chassis I've ever used them on. They are also outstanding in the rain, which on a summer tire, can sometimes be a tall order

Smith837

SCarGuy, great handle. Tempted to follow suit. What do you do in the winter? On the fence about putting new summers on at this time, or waiting a few months and picking up a set of PS All Season 4's – for either just the winter, or depending on how much I like them, possibly year-round.

Until now, I'd had 19" summers and 18" winters. So no idea how 19" all seasons would work out year-round, and how they'd compare performance wise to the PS 4S's for summer use. I assume the all seasons won't be quite as sharp as the summers, but I've read great things from those who run the PS All Season 4's all year.