Gary (or anyone) - replacement for Avon Tech 550?

[LeadingEdge]

I bought these from you 16 mos. ago. I really liked them for the first 10K miles, although a bit too stiff for my tastes. Love the grip, don't like the potholes so much. But then they started to get loud. Now they have only 14.5K miles, the tread is almost gone, and they are cupped. This time, I want to move back closer to the Pirelli P6 all-seasons (the V-rated version) that came on my car. I didn't love the P6, but the snow grip was a bit better than the Avon and much better treadlife (got 30K out of them with the same driving style and conditions). Any suggestions for an improvement over the P6, but staying closer to that type of tire than the Avon 550? Dealer is recommending ContiProContacts, but that's their only option besides the P6 in all-season tires. I have an '04 A4 quattro, tire size 235/45R17. Some aggressive cornering, but mostly daily commuting. Snow traction is important, but both the P6 and Avon did OK for me in that department (P6 was better). Thanks in advance.

[Gary@Tirerack.com]

I like both the Conti Extreme Contact, as well as the Yokohama W4S. Either tire should see longer wear and have a quieter ride than the Tech M550. The Yokohama is a bit quieter riding than the Conti and will wear a bit longer, but the Conti does have better snow capability between the two.

• tires

[LeadingEdge]

Thanks. I wondered about the ExtremeContact as an alternative to the ProContact the dealer offers.

What are your thoughts about the Pilot Exalto A/S? I know it's H-rated and technically in a lower-performing category, but it seems to have tested favorably to the ExtremeContact in the Tire Rack test, and does very well in the survey. Or any other good candidates in the "merely high performance" category, given what I've described?

[Gary@Tirerack.com]

The Exalto A/S would be a great choice. Slight step down in wet/dry grip. In many sizes the Exalto A/S is at a pretty high price point relative to the Conti.