RS3 saloon tyres - OEM Pirelli or Michelin MPS4

[royalsteve68]

Need to change a tyre on my RS3 saloon tyre due to a pot hole - see my other thread

However as the tyres have done over 11500 miles i guess it wont be long before they all need replacing

so i guess its whether to

EITHER stick with OEM Pirelli - advantage being i could just change the 2 fronts (damaged one and the matching axle pair) and change the rear in a few months. Issue is where to get the pirellis as they seem to be order only

OR replace fronts with Michelin MPS4 but presume id need to change the rears at the same time - pretty sure i can get these at costco. im a fan of michelins and they are great on my wifes S3 (way better than the crap OEM continentals)

However i have heard Michelins cause issue and the Pirellis were designed for the car - thoughts?

 

[RS03_SEN]

I was using p-zeros but now using Michelin pilot ss. Well prefer the Michelin.
Still have the traction control coming on though for no reason but the Michelin seem to grip a lot better.


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[Callump01]

Just going to repost my comment from the Pirelli defect thread with my thoughts about the MPS4S on my square setup saloon.

I have the PS4S on mine (square setup) and I had serious traction control issues at the beginning, to the point where I couldn't accelerate even remotely hard in a straight line without TC flashing like crazy. The car also felt very 'jittery' and almost borderline unsafe at high speeds after having them fitted. It's hard to describe the steering feel, but it was almost like the feeling of crosswind pushing the car ever so slightly side-to-side when blasting along on a straight road at anything above ~65 MPH... not exactly a feeling that fills you with confidence to put your foot down.

But after putting some miles on the tyres those issues seem to have all but disappeared. The tyres are significantly better in the wet than my Pirelli's were and I will happily put up with the 'teething' issues I had breaking these tyres in for the peace of mind that they'll last significantly longer than the Pirelli's. On public roads, I have yet to even find the limit with these tyres. They are phenomenal.

Something worth nothing is that the PS4S are a fair bit wider tyre than the Pirelli's (despite being the same size on paper) which can supposedly play havoc with the quattro/haldex in our cars and that may be why they are a bit naughty at the start.

If this whole defect issue isn't solved (whatever the actual cause is) then I will be sticking with the Michelin's despite the aesthetics and curb protection being quite a bit lackluster in comparison.

If you have the staggered setup then I've heard TC is much more of an issue, so as always your mileage may vary.

Personally, I'd say go for it. It's a fantastic tyre and so far I have been very very impressed with the wear rate. Look at Blackcircles rather than Costco though as it worked out cheaper when I compared the two.

 

[royalsteve68]

I am a fan of Michelin tyres - so is the setup the same and the staggered size set up the same ie 255/19/30 front and 235/19/35 rears - I think it was - Pirellis were fine for me

 

[AudiNutta]

I am a fan of Michelin tyres - so is the setup the same and the staggered size set up the same ie 255/19/30 front and 235/19/35 rears - I think it was - Pirellis were fine for me

Some have run 255/30 on Michelin’s and others 245/30, because the Michelin footprint is larger down to the design.

If you want Pirelli’, company called Protyre usually stock them otherwise it’s mail order.

 

[royalsteve68]

ah theres a pro tyre next to where I work in (not so) lovely slough, ta

going to avoid the likes of national/ kwik fit as they'll probably destroy my wheels

 

[AudiNutta]

ah theres a pro tyre next to where I work in (not so) lovely slough, ta

going to avoid the likes of national/ kwik fit as they'll probably destroy my wheels

It’s the only place I’ve found that had them, they were on their way to becoming a Pirelli performance centre in Cardiff. Stock of these tyres are very slim and when they’re made, they’re normally made to order and no excess. I was told they had all new kit to suit but nearly cried when I saw them using a lever on my tyre :’( It was a plastic coated one but still, agonising for me.

If somewhere like Kwik Fit have them, I’d buy the tyres from them and have them fitted somewhere I trust.

 

[mangobay]

I recently put the Michelin PS4S on mine all round. I'm a big fan of these tyres anyway but I think they are night and day better than the pirellis, much more feel and predictable handling. I went for the full 255s on the front and i have had some slightly odd TC light behaviour (almost like its learning the new tyres just after start up) but so far so good!

 

[royalsteve68]

Ok, booked suspension check with Audi for this sat. They quoted £538 for two Pirelli tyres fitted.

went to Costco reading. They can’t get r02 spec tyres for Pirelli and weren’t keen on putting Michelin’s on either. I checked with pro tyre and they were £528 anyway.

Couldn’t be bothered messing about so went back to Audi to book in tyre fitment on sat to keep life simple. They’ll get the fitter to thoroughly check the alloy wheel. They’ll do a report too. I’ll also keep the damaged tyre. I only have pay for the tyres as everything else is “free”.

 

[RS03_SEN]

Ok, booked suspension check with Audi for this sat. They quoted £538 for two Pirelli tyres fitted.

went to Costco reading. They can’t get r02 spec tyres for Pirelli and weren’t keen on putting Michelin’s on either. I checked with pro tyre and they were £528 anyway.

Couldn’t be bothered messing about so went back to Audi to book in tyre fitment on sat to keep life simple. They’ll get the fitter to thoroughly check the alloy wheel. They’ll do a report too. I’ll also keep the damaged tyre. I only have pay for the tyres as everything else is “free”.

£538 for 2?? Christ that’s expensive.


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[royalsteve68]

I know £538 is expensive but others places weren’t much cheaper and it keeps life simple, one place to go to get tyres sort, a report a suspension check etc... free breakfast and a decent car showroom to sit in

 

[Dan_DJT]

I got a price for 4x 235/35 R02 from the Pirelli Performance Centre in Burton in Trent. £650 inc fitting and they can get them next day. I was quite impressed with that price so might be worth trying them for a price on the 255's.

When I need new tyres (next month or so) thats where I will be going.

 

[nad]

What’s the best price anyone has found for the Pirelli 255/30 RO2 and from where? Black Circles seem to be a little more expensive than ATS Euromaster/Kwik-Fit who have them at £183 each fitted and free full wheel alignment.

 

[simonali]

MPS4? Just PS4, shirley? I'll be switching to Michelins when I wear out my Pirellis, even though I thought the wear rate wasn't very good on the set I had on my stormin' 1.4 TFSI.

 

[AudiNutta]

Cheapest place for RO2’s below, allow for a week delivery though I’d say but normally quicker.

Just then find somewhere safe to fit, usually £10-£15 a wheel to fit.

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m55b0s78...Eff_:_E_Wet_Grip:_B_NoiseClass:_1_Noise:_69dB

 

[royalsteve68]

Cheapest place for RO2’s below, allow for a week delivery though I’d say but normally quicker.

Just then find somewhere safe to fit, usually £10-£15 a wheel to fit.

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m55b0s78...Eff_:_E_Wet_Grip:_B_NoiseClass:_1_Noise:_69dB

I certainly ain't waiting a week

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[royalsteve68]

What’s the best price anyone has found for the Pirelli 255/30 RO2 and from where? Black Circles seem to be a little more expensive than ATS Euromaster/Kwik-Fit who have them at £183 each fitted and free full wheel alignment.

That's good but I wouldn't let kwik fit do the tyres on my 16 year old Peugeot let alone my rs3

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[AudiNutta]

I certainly ain't waiting a week

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Yeah that’s fair enough when you don’t have a tyre, just thought I’d link it in anyway as it’s a reliable low price for future reference.

Audi quoted me £300 per corner.

 

[Jonny B]

I have never had an issue when I’ve used kwik fit mobile , In my area at least it seems the more experienced fitters are sent out on their own where as the “ apprentices “ are kept in the centres . I wouldn’t chance that agreed but last kf mobile guy that did mine was knowledgeable and very respectful of the alloys .
Do Audi centres fit themselves or get a mobile fitter in ?


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[royalsteve68]

I have never had an issue when I’ve used kwik fit mobile , In my area at least it seems the more experienced fitters are sent out on their own where as the “ apprentices “ are kept in the centres . I wouldn’t chance that agreed but last kf mobile guy that did mine was knowledgeable and very respectful of the alloys .
Do Audi centres fit themselves or get a mobile fitter in ?


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Mobile fitter comes in but their equipment is onsite.

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[nad]

Thanks Matt for the above, but they work out at around £180 delivered vs Kwik-Fit £184 fitted.

I know Kwik-Fit get a bad rap from a lot of people, I’ve only ever used them for tyre changes, all positive experiences. If they did damage an alloy, they pay for a repair/replacement so not too worried about that. Pirelli tyres are currently on offer with 10% off on two or more tyres until end of the month, bringing the price down to £184 for each 255/30 RO2 tyre fitted. Don’t think there is anyone else that can better this? For just £37 (£30 after a little haggling) they also provide a decent tyre insurance covering both tyres for 12 months which would be good to have, especially with the known issue of the Pirelli’s.

Also for a limited time & exclusive to Kwik-Fit you get the below Pirelli Bluetooth speaker (??) for free!

 

[teslaboy]

Ok, booked suspension check with Audi for this sat. They quoted £538 for two Pirelli tyres fitted.

went to Costco reading. They can’t get r02 spec tyres for Pirelli and weren’t keen on putting Michelin’s on either. I checked with pro tyre and they were £528 anyway.

Couldn’t be bothered messing about so went back to Audi to book in tyre fitment on sat to keep life simple. They’ll get the fitter to thoroughly check the alloy wheel. They’ll do a report too. I’ll also keep the damaged tyre. I only have pay for the tyres as everything else is “free”.

Blackcirles have 255 R02s at 220ea fitted.

 

[teslaboy]

Never had any issues with kwik fit either, and 184 is a dam good price.

 

[royalsteve68]

Blackcirles have 255 R02s at 220ea fitted.

Thanks. Normally I'd go with that depending on who the fitter is but I need the wheel and suspension checked at same time. Otherwise its 2 visits and an extra approx 2 hours of my time wasted. That's alot more than the £90 saving.

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[royalsteve68]

Thanks Matt for the above, but they work out at around £180 delivered vs Kwik-Fit £184 fitted.

I know Kwik-Fit get a bad rap from a lot of people, I’ve only ever used them for tyre changes, all positive experiences. If they did damage an alloy, they pay for a repair/replacement so not too worried about that. Pirelli tyres are currently on offer with 10% off on two or more tyres until end of the month, bringing the price down to £184 for each 255/30 RO2 tyre fitted. Don’t think there is anyone else that can better this? For just £37 (£30 after a little haggling) they also provide a decent tyre insurance covering both tyres for 12 months which would be good to have, especially with the known issue of the Pirelli’s.

Also for a limited time & exclusive to Kwik-Fit you get the below Pirelli Bluetooth speaker (??) for free!
View attachment 185073

That's a damn good price, but I would be nervous letting their fitters in reading anywhere near my car after previous experiences.

Maybe next time where it's a replacement through normal wear and tear. Hopefully I'll get at least one tyre refunded anyway.

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[nad]

Does anyone know of any reason to avoid the Pirelli run flat tyres? Can get a good deal on these but just need to be sure it's not going to cause me any problems? I know they won't have the foam to help suppress noise but the stronger sidewall would help in the event of hitting a pothole?

 

[CWD]

Does anyone know of any reason to avoid the Pirelli run flat tyres? Can get a good deal on these but just need to be sure it's not going to cause me any problems? I know they won't have the foam to help suppress noise but the stronger sidewall would help in the event of hitting a pothole?

Would have thought the ride would be very hard especially given Audi turned the suspension to R02 would avoid run flat like the plague never heard anyone say they enjoyed the ride with them !

 

[RS03_SEN]

I know £538 is expensive but others places weren’t much cheaper and it keeps life simple, one place to go to get tyres sort, a report a suspension check etc... free breakfast and a decent car showroom to sit in

I’d sit in a hotel for the extra £200.


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[RS03_SEN]

Does anyone know of any reason to avoid the Pirelli run flat tyres? Can get a good deal on these but just need to be sure it's not going to cause me any problems? I know they won't have the foam to help suppress noise but the stronger sidewall would help in the event of hitting a pothole?

I have run flat super sports on mine and they’re not that bad. Crunch into a pothole and there’s an almighty thud but otherwise they’re fine.


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[AudiNutta]

Does anyone know of any reason to avoid the Pirelli run flat tyres? Can get a good deal on these but just need to be sure it's not going to cause me any problems? I know they won't have the foam to help suppress noise but the stronger sidewall would help in the event of hitting a pothole?

Totally ruin the ride / factory designed & Nurburgring tested handling?

Tends to be if a car comes with run flats it needs to stay on, or it becomes a wet sponge.. people do it though.

Still got the same issue with will rolling circumference be the same with difference sizes if you are staggered?