Best 16" tyre for the SE alloy?

Vorsprung durch Technik

Vorsprung durch Technik

A2OC Donor
I'm in need a set of premium summer tyres from mail order as will be getting wheels refurbed at the same time.

I've just had a look at Camskill but there's little choice other than Continental. Maybe you know of something else? Was hoping for Michelin Pilot sport 4 or Goodyear Assymmetric 3's but nothing in this size which is a real shame but is the way it's been going for years now, the best tyre technology only available on 17" and above.

Must be premium tyre would rather the factory 185 / 50 x 16" - any suggestions? Cheers.

In the meantime, because the Assymetric 2's that were made in 'Poland' have disintegrated,? one has almost split all the way round today, the rest will surely follow, will be changing over to the set of SE wheels i bought of greywolfhound early February. Although it's not long ago seams ages ago with whats been happening since............
 
Do they still make Dunlop blue response in a standard size Mark. I seem to remember them being quite good on economy and noise reduction. ?

Kumho is another alternative worth considering.
 
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These tyres were fitted Jan 2017 - 3 years 8 months ago and have a manufacture date of (7/16) ? I've got to say this is extremely poor!! I've never ever had this happen to me in all my motoring years. They've travelled roughly 32k miles and are near the wear limit.

I have a set of Audi 16" Competition Alloys here that were fitted to the B5 A4 we had and C5 A6 cars. Each wheel i bought new unused of ebay about 8- 10 years ago as brand new unused spares! As our A4 at the time had an unused spare with the Dunlop sp sport tyres i thought why not buy the same. They were pressed into service a few years ago and all have date stamps from the late nineties. Even though these tyres where used for 2 and a bit years, heavy car, with some legal tread left they are not perished or cracked in any way and the oldest is alt least 23 years old. They really don't make things like they used to!
50398014948_fa55d99fa0_b.jpg
 
Vorsprung durch Technik said:
In the meantime, because the Assymetric 2's that were made in 'Poland' have disintegrated,? one has almost split all the way round today, the rest will surely follow
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I've been running these on my 17"s and they have had no problem* so far other than being the least comfortable tire I have ever known. After 4 years and 50.000km / 31.000 miles they have barely even worn to like 6mm of thread remaining - what exactly does "almost split" mean, may I ask? ?

What about the other, older (-2003?) factory size of 195/45 R16? There seem to be a few more brands and models available in that size?

*They do appear to have worn out my power steering though, causing a leak ?


Edit: What the.. - so you've done the same mileage but yours are destroyed. Insane. :eek:
 
Ok dokey, so the hunt is on for a set of Blue response for the SE wheel. Anyone cleverer than me to spot a deal i have not???? ? ??

Be back in an hour or so, got to change a set of wheels over.
 
I bought Maxxis AP2 in 185 50 16 for my A2 and have been impressed by their grip in all conditions. They're an all season tyre. I bought mine from tyreleader.co.uk who always have the best prices. Worth a look.
 
I really like my Pirelli P1 185/55 x 16s. It’s not exactly the factory size but they ride well, wear ok, and are quiet. The point of the extra sidewalls (55 ratio) was ride comfort (or reduced discomfort) and it works. Not cheap though but I’d buy them again.
 
Special edition said:
Do they still make Dunlop blue response in a standard size Mark. I seem to remember them being quite good on economy and noise reduction. ?

Kumho is another alternative worth considering.
Click to expand...
I’ve got Kumho tyres fitted all round, the ride is really crashy compared to the 15 inch wheels I had on a while ago but I can’t decide whether it is the tyres or the new shocks that my garage fitted during the summer. I’ve spent the money now so I’ll just have to live with it, but it is extremely tiresome to live with if you’re not in the mood!
 
Vorsprung durch Technik said:
These tyres were fitted Jan 2017 - 3 years 8 months ago and have a manufacture date of (7/16) ? I've got to say this is extremely poor!! I've never ever had this happen to me in all my motoring years. They've travelled roughly 32k miles and are near the wear limit.

I have a set of Audi 16" Competition Alloys here that were fitted to the B5 A4 we had and C5 A6 cars. Each wheel i bought new unused of ebay about 8- 10 years ago as brand new unused spares! As our A4 at the time had an unused spare with the Dunlop sp sport tyres i thought why not buy the same. They were pressed into service a few years ago and all have date stamps from the late nineties. Even though these tyres where used for 2 and a bit years, heavy car, with some legal tread left they are not perished or cracked in any way and the oldest is alt least 23 years old. They really don't make things like they used to!
50398014948_fa55d99fa0_b.jpg
Click to expand...

I get that the tyre in the picture is recent (either under-inflation or a manufacturing fault would be my diagnoses by the way) - but if you were driving around on tyres from the last century relatively recently (this is my interpretation, perhaps I have misunderstood), then I'm afraid you would have deserved all you got if they had let go. Other road users around you would not have on the other hand, so please consider changing them as a necessity before using them again.

In terms of what to buy, I would spend some time on the Tyre Reviews site and make your own mind up, tyres are very subjective relative to what's important to you.

My picks for summer-only use would be the Conti EcoContact 6 or Michelin Primacy 4 if you can afford them and know you'll get the wear out of them before they age (7 years is my rule before I consider changing) - Else I might be tempted to go to 195/50/16 and fit the Bridgestone T005.
 
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Late last you year i opted for a set of Continental Contact Premium Contact 185/50R16/81V, which were fitted by my local Audi dealer. I highly recommend them, as they have heaps of grip and are extremely quiet out on the road.
 
QuatroA2 said:
Late last you year i opted for a set of Continental Contact Premium Contact 185/50R16/81V, which were fitted by my local Audi dealer. I highly recommend them, as they have heaps of grip and are extremely quiet out on the road.
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My 90 is running on the same tyres(size too), they offer good grip, handling and comfort IMO.
 
damadgeruk said:
My 90 is running on the same tyres(size too), they offer good grip, handling and comfort IMO.
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We are running the same Continentals on our tdi 75 and they are fine although i wouldn't say they are the greatest in the wet but good overall.

With the standard 185/50 size our speedo over reads by around 3mph so when it says 70mph we're actually doing 67mph which annoys me.

I'm contemplating going up a size to 185/55 or 195/50 to rectify this when i replace them and gain a little more sidewall and comfort to boot.

It's very easy to check the specifications of tyres now as it's all stated on the label but i tend to go for the best wet traction rating and then noise level ?
 
A2Z said:
With the standard 185/50 size our speedo over reads by around 3mph so when it says 70mph we're actually doing 67mph which annoys me.
I'm contemplating going up a size to 185/55 or 195/50 to rectify this when i replace them and gain a little more sidewall and comfort to boot.
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I run both those sizes in my fleet for those very reasons. 185/55 is about +3% rolling circumference over 185/50. 195/50 is only about +1% whereas that speedo error is closer to -4.5%, so I'd be going with the 185/55 if they're to go on the standard 6-spoke SE alloys . The reason I have 195/50 on one of mine is because it's on wider TT 16" rims, on which the 185s would be too narrow. When all the tyres on that set are ready for replacement I'd consider 205/50 for the same +3% gain.
 
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