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Selecting the Best Tires for Audi A6
Every tire focuses on its specialty and does not perform as well in other areas. Where some tires provide longevity, they might compromise on road noise. Yet others built for high performance might not offer maximum comfort. If you choose the tire for maximum comfort and minimum, you might have to forego longevity. The list goes on.
With the reputation of a luxury sedan, most people believe that the Audi A6 is more comfort-oriented. However, the luxury sedan, which comes in different variants, is also a powerhouse when it comes to performance. As an Audi A6 owner, you have a broad spectrum of choices to select the right tire for your precious vehicle.
With so many options to choose from and so many areas to focus on, choosing the best tires for Audi A6 can be a daunting task. You will want to start by considering options that work best for your car. If you own the high-powered Audi A6 Competition, you will need to look for different tires than the base variant.
Another thing you want to focus on here is your driving style. When launching your car, do you like to rev up the engine and get that backward push? Or are you more of a driver who would rather have coffee in the car and not risk spilling it over? Whatever your style, you will need to consider it before selecting the tire category.
We will have more valuable information towards the end of this guide. But for now, let's list a few best tires for Audi A6. We have divided the tires into different categories, which will be discussed in just a little while.
Best All-Season Touring Tires for Audi A6
As the name implies, these tires are designed to offer a comfortable ride and good traction in all seasons. They also come under the name Grand Touring Tires.
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring
{{tire-info-with-links="/tire/cooper-cs5-ultra-touring"}}
The Cooper CS5 is one of the most modern tires that the company offers. It is arguably one of Cooper's best tires and features advanced technologies to provide great longevity without compromising performance.
The new silica tread compound on the CS5 Ultra Touring has three times more silica than any competitor tire. The tire's grip is considerably enhanced on paved roads, whether dry, wet, or even snow-covered with the high silica content. Adding to the traction and stability are micro-gauge grooves, which help the tire grip well onto the road during stressed positions such as tight corners or high-speed bends.
With Cooper's StabilEdge technology, steering becomes predictable and highly responsive. The tire maintains stability at high speeds and maintains road grip over uneven patches.
The CS5 also offers the Wear Square, a visual treadwear indicator that helps you understand how many miles worth of life the tire has left. The tire is multidirectional and can be rotated to any side of the vehicle.
What is Good on the CS5
- The tire offers excellent wet and dry traction on a variety of paved surfaces
- The ride quality is very smooth and comfortable. It seems that the tire absorbs a lot of road unevenness and does not transfer it upwards to your seat
- The high performance and comfort come as a good bargain for the price you pay
- The tire offers a tread warranty of around 60,000 miles, which is very good and is an indicator of the tire's long life
What Could Be Better on the CS5
- The tire seems to lose its traction in deeper snow and ice. Given that it is an all-season tire, we would rate the deep snow grip as adequate but not excellent
In a Nutshell
The Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring is an excellent value for money. With excellent grip on all road types, they will add pleasure to the driving experience of your Audi A6. Your luxury sedan will have a smooth ride and handle high-speed bends and tight corners more efficiently.
Overall, this is one of the tires we highly recommend for the Audi A6 if you are into more sporty driving.
Michelin Premier A/S
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Many tire companies benchmark Michelin tires as they are the most advanced technology. One of their relatively newer models, the Michelin Premier A/S, which replaced the Primacy MXV4, is an excellent example of Michelin's advanced technologies. The tire is designed to offer outstanding all-season performance.
The new EverGrip technology incorporates a tread compound composed of sunflower oil and silica. This tire can be termed as a gamechanger when it comes to wet grip. Even as the tire wears out, it does not seem to lose its wet traction thanks to the water dispelling grooves expanding as the tire ages. With the old ones expanding, Michelin has added hidden grooves in the tread, which emerge as the tire wears on. The result is that the tire performs like new throughout its useful life.
Advanced siping (adding narrow slots across the edge of the tire), and sunflower oil in the tread compound, work nicely to provide ample traction in snow and ice. The added compounds maintain the softness and flexibility of the tread even at cold temperatures.
What is Good on the Premier A/S
- The tire offers excellent dry traction and handling abilities. Like to take sharp corners at high speeds? Michelin Premier will not squeal out of pain like other tires.
- The ride quality is exceptionally comfortable and smooth. The tire keeps vibrations to a minimum at high speeds and is also very quiet
- Michelin offers a tread warranty of around 60,000 miles on this tire, which points to the tire's longevity
What Could Be Better on the Premier A/S
- We could not find anything that we wanted to be significantly improved on the tire. However, the premium tire is quite expensive as compared to competitors. But many users believe that the high price is justified by the level of performance the tire offers.
In a Nutshell
The Michelin Premier A/S is a premium tire that goes well with your premium luxury sedan. The tire lies in the expensive bracket. But in an industry where usually higher quality comes at a higher price, the price of the Premier A/S seems justified.
This tire will offer excellent road grip and handling regardless of the weather you drive around in. The EverGrip technology works wonders to provide fantastic road grip and braking performance even on a used tire. We would even stretch out to say that the road grip on a slightly worn-out Premier A/S is still better than new tires of many brands.
Overall, with the low road noise, excellent comfort level, and excellent grip, this tire is highly recommended for your Audi A6.
Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus
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The Cinturato P7 is an all-season tire from one of the most reputed tire companies on this planet. The tire is engineered to provide traction all year round and even improve fuel economy without compromising tread life.
The advanced silica compound in the tread minimizes rolling resistance, leading to better fuel efficiency. The compound also keeps a check on treadwear, which increases the tire's useful life. The tire comes with a unique tread pattern with wider blocks on the shoulder to increase cornering abilities and overall traction.
Four grooves on the tread efficiently dispel water, allowing the tire to maintain a grip on wet surfaces and keep hydroplaning to a minimum. Siping and broad shoulder blocks also offer good traction on ice and snow.
One of the areas that Pirelli has always excelled in is minimizing road noise, and the P7 is no exception. The tire is considerably quieter than many others.
What is Good about the Cinturato P7
- The tire offers great dry and wet traction and handling abilities thanks to the carefully engineered tread design
- The ride quality is exceptionally comfortable and smooth. The tire is responsive at slow speeds and stable at high speeds
- The tire offers lower rolling resistance, which leads to a quieter ride and better fuel economy
- Pirelli offers a tread warranty of around 70,000 miles on this tire
What Could Be Better on the Cinturato P7?
- The tire tends to lose its grip on ice. You can have a slightly difficult time when trying to control your vehicle on icy surfaces with these tires on
In a Nutshell
The Cinturato P7 is one of the best all-season touring tires that Pirelli offers. With advanced engineering and technologies, the tire ensures a quiet ride on your already soundproof Audi A6.
When coupled with the advanced suspension of the Audi A6, the tire ensures an exceptionally smooth and comfortable ride. It seems to add more life to the steering of your luxury sedan. The braking distance and stability of the P7 are also above par.
It is good for use in light snow and ice, but we do not recommend using it in too much ice as the tire seems to lose its grip, and you can have a difficult time controlling your Audi A6.
Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus
The Turanza Serenity Plus adds to the original Serenity, which has been popular for years on end. The Plus houses all the good qualities of the Serenity and can offer them all year round with added comfort and longevity. The tire also provides low rolling resistance, improving fuel efficiency.
The Serenity Plus uses a silica-based NanoPro-Tech tread compound, which offers superb traction. The tire performs exceptionally well on wet surfaces and even in light snow and ice. The blend of the compound minimizes energy losses due to friction without compromising traction when running on dry surfaces.
The Serenity Plus houses Bridgestone's state-of-the-art Resonance Noise Attenuated grooves. As complex as the name might sound, this technology works well to reduce tire noise considerably. Many driver reviews claim this to be one of the quietest tires.
The tire also performs well in terms of handling and steering. It is stable and responsive at high speeds, handling powerful launches and hard brakes with grace.
Three reasonably wide grooves on the tire dispel water efficiently to resist hydroplaning and offer amazing wet traction. The tire is designed with biting edges, allowing it to grip snow and ice.
What is Good on the Turanza Serenity Plus
- The tire offers great dry and wet traction
- High-speed cornering will be a breeze with this tire as it offers great handling abilities
- The ride quality is comfortable and smooth
- The tire comes with a warranty of up to 80,000 miles, the best among competitors. This long warranty means that the tire has an excellent treadlife
What Could Be Better on the Turanza Serenity Plus
- The tire tends to lose its grip on deep snow and ice
In a Nutshell
The Serenity Plus has gained much popularity over the years. Some of which can be attributed to the high performance of the tire, and some of it to the reliability it offers with the 80,000-mile warranty.
The tire will make your Audi A6 feel even more stable and comfortable. With virtually no tire noise in the cabin, you can fully enjoy a smooth ride in the city and highways. We would be cautious of using this tire in deep snow or ice as it tends to lose its grip on extremely cold surfaces. After all, it is not a winter tire.
The tire is an excellent pocket-friendly option for your Audi A6 and offers better comfort, reliability, and performance than many other competitors.
Continental PureContact LS All Season
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The PureContact LS is designed to offer great handling and traction all year round. These sit in well with the tire's performance in terms of fuel efficiency and comfortable ride quality.
The tread compound utilizes the EcoPro technology from Continental, which improves tread life and fuel efficiency.
The tire exhibits Continental's DWS treadwear indicators. DWS are markers on the outer wall of the tire that let you know how much the tire has worn out. The letters D stands for Dry, W for Wet, and S for Snow.
The first to wear off is the S, which gives you an indication that the tire is not suitable for running in the snow. The W is the next to go, which means that the tire has lost most of its wet grip. The last to go is the D, which means the tire has lost its dry grip and needs replacement.
To offer a comfortable ride quality, the tire comes with ComfortRide technology. This feature adds an extra layer of rubber to the tire to help absorb shocks and vibrations from small crests and pits on the road. Comfort is the niche to this particular tire.
What is Good on the Continental PureContact LS
- The tire offers great dry and snow traction
- You will have a shorter braking distance
- Great experience with sharp handling and exceptional steering response
- The ride quality can be termed as one of the best
- The tire comes with a warranty of up to 70,000 miles
What Could Be Better on the Continental PureContact LS
- There are no significant shortcomings of this tire. But it might seem a little pricey for some buyers
In a Nutshell
Over the years, this tire has gained a lot of popularity. You can expect this tire to provide good traction on all kinds of surfaces, even in snow. Steering abilities are sharp and make you feel in control of the vehicle irrespective of the speed.
Combined with your Audi A6's advanced brakes, the tire can leave you surprised when it comes to short stopping distances. The tread life is also respectable, and not to forget the convenient DWS indicators add to the convenience.
Overall, the PureContact LS is a durable and reliable tire, and we rank it as one of the best tires for your Audi A6.
Best All-Season High-Performance Tires for Audi A6
High-performance tires offer more grip, sporty handling, and exceptional responsiveness at high speeds. If you are a driver who likes to push their luxury sedan to its performance limits, you need to get a set of high-performance tires
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06
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It is not easy to improve what is already the best. But that is what the ExtremeContact DWS06 did regarding ultra-high-performance tires.
This tire is built around the new Sport+ technology, which features a tread compound with +Silane and silica additives. The tire offers great traction on dry and wet roads, crisp handling, and long-lasting tread life.
The asymmetric tread pattern and X-sipe technology come together in this tire to provide grip in rain and snow. The tire also has amazing braking performance and cornering abilities. It does not matter if you drive normally or like to push your car to the limits; this tire will not let you down in any case.
Continental offers a variety of indicators on this tire. In addition to the DWS indicator, tuned performance indicators and alignment indicators give you an idea if the tire is wearing out properly and if your vehicle is properly aligned.
What is Good on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06
- The tire offers great wet, dry, and light snow traction
- Shorter braking distance
- Sharp handling and exceptional steering response
- Amazing cornering stability
- The tire comes with a warranty of up to 50,000 miles
What Could Be Better on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06
- The tire can be a little stiff when driving on city roads. But compared to other UHPs, it still fares well
In a Nutshell
The DWS06 is one of the few UHP tires that excel in nearly all areas. Compare it to any other UHP tires in the class, and this tire will not disappoint. Continental has long been known for its outclass UHP tires, and this is one of the best the manufacturer has to offer.
If you like to push your Audi A6, especially the Competition trim, to its limits, this tire will prove to be a reliable partner who takes on all the stresses with a smile. Overall, we can rank this tire as one of the best in the UHP class.
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
{{tire-info-with-links="/tire/michelin-pilot-sport-a-s-3-zp"}}
The Pilot Sport A/S is a tire built for drivers who do not compromise on performance, traction, and cornering abilities.
The Helio+ compound is blended with high quantities of silica to produce the asymmetric pattern tread. The tire houses Michelin's Variable Contact Patch 3.0 technology to dissipate heat, which allows the tire to perform exceptionally well when taking high-speed corners.
If you are considering UHP tires for your car, chances are you are an enthusiastic driver, and this tire will not disappoint you when it comes to grip and handling.
With the high amounts of silica in the tread with large grooves for dispelling water, you will notice that this tire performs nicely when it comes to wet surfaces, acceleration, and braking. Michelin claims that this tire is designed to stop at shorter distances than many other UHPs in the market.
The Helio+ compound works well to provide amazing snow traction, and you can expect the same winter performance from this tire as the DWS06.
What is Good on the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
- The tire offers great dry, wet, and light snow traction
- Shorter braking distance, backed up by Michelin's claim of the short braking distance
- Excellent cornering stability and handling
- Good tread life
What Could Be Better on the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
- The tire is not designed for comfort and feels a little bumpy on uneven patches of the road
In a Nutshell
The PilotSport A/S 3+ is a great tire in its class. It offers great performance on all types of paved surfaces. With excellent braking, traction, and acceleration performances, it is evident that Michelin has put in a lot of investment when designing this tire.
Given that the tire is geared more towards performance, it does lack a little on ride comfort. But if you are a driver who uses your Audi A6 like a racecar, comfort will be the last thing you worry about.
Overall, you will notice a considerable increase in the performance of your Audi A6 if you mount a set of PilotSport A/S 3+.
Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus
{{tire-info-with-links="/tire/pirelli-p-zero-all-season-plus"}}
The Pirelli P Zero is a UHP designed to give sharp handling, high traction, and short stopping distance. This tire is targeted towards enthusiastic drivers who do not compromise on performance.
The tread on this tire is manufactured from a perfect blend of advanced silica and other polymers, which gives an amazing grip on both wet and dry paved surfaces. The advanced compound also allows the braking distance to be considerably shorter.
The tire has four grooves running around its circumference to dispel water, making it highly resistant to hydroplaning. The tire offers great grip even at high speeds on wet surfaces. You have the feeling of being in control at all times, whether it is on dry, wet, snow, or slush-covered surfaces. The siping works well to provide grip in the snow.
In terms of road noise, we found this tire to be a tad bit quieter than other UHPs. Thanks to the variable elements that make up the asymmetric tread pattern, the tire seems to cancel out much noise.
The tire also offers good handling and decent steering response, making the drive enjoyable.
What is Good on the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus
- Great experience with crisp handling and good steering response
- Shorter braking distance
- Very good wet and dry grip
- The tire comes with a warranty of up to 50,000 miles
What Could Be Better on the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus
- The tire does not handle deep snow or ice very well and tends to lose its traction
In a Nutshell
Pirelli tires are known for their performance, and the P Zero Plus only adds to the reputation. The tire will give you confidence behind the steering wheel of your Audi A6 with its exceptional traction, cornering abilities, and stability.
The braking distance of this tire is also respectably short, and you will not find the tire too noisy. Again, like most UHP tires, the ride quality might feel a little stiff as these tires are more focused on performance.
The tread life on this tire is good, and you can enjoy peace of mind with the 50,000-mile warranty. Overall, the P Zero Plus scores well compared to many other UHP tires in the market.
Touring Tires vs. High-Performance Tires For The Audi A6
Touring Tires
Touring tires are designed to offer performance that best suits everyday driving. They have good traction and handling abilities suited for highway and city driving. These tires perform well in dry and rainy conditions. However, you might find even all-season variants dipping their performance in snow.
Touring tires can be considered the jack of trades with a little bias in favor of comfort. The tires comprise softer compounds, which give them the ability to warp to the surface they are running on. Due to their soft nature, they absorb most of the crests and dips and do not transfer them to your seat.
Your Audi A6 is already designed for comfort and luxury. This means that its suspension is well-engineered to keep the car stable and absorb any uneven patches on the road. Add a good set of touring tires to the advanced features, and you will not be disappointed when it comes to comfort.
Another notable feature of touring tires is the reduced noise. Your A6 has more than enough soundproofing installed. If you use touring tires on your luxury sedan, you will notice that making conversations in the cabin is noticeably easier, even at high speeds.
But if you don't have a soft corner for comfort and all you want is speed and performance, touring tires might not suit you well. Even though they are extremely durable, they are not built on the niche purpose of speed. For that, there are high-performance tires.
High-Performance Tires
If you have the Audi A6 Competition, and you love to extract the last drop of its juice, you will require high-performance tires. These tires are designed for only one purpose; performance at high speed. You will hardly find a set of Ultra-High-Performance (UHP) tires that even consider comfort in their specifications.
These tires offer excellent traction and handling at high speeds. IF you have a modded-up A6, you will need to get a set of these to control the power.
Do you know what is more important than going fast? Stopping when you need to. UHPs offer great braking performance, and with them, you will notice a considerable difference in your stopping distance.
UHPs works brilliantly on dry surfaces and even on slightly damp surfaces. But in the rain, you will notice a considerable compromise in performance. Since these tires are made mostly for performance, they do not have very large grooves, which dispel water and reduce hydroplaning.
It is best to avoid these tires in heavy rain or snowy conditions to make sure your Audi A6 remains under your control and you stay safe.
In addition to the compromised wet-surface performance, here are some more downsides for UHPs
- They offer shorter treadwear warranties than touring tires
- They are stable at high speeds but can be quite noisy around the city and even on highway speeds
- They are expensive; so expensive that you will think to yourself if they are even worth the price
If you use your car for everyday driving, you will not gain much out of UHPs, other than just bragging about it to your friends. But if you are into some serious speed, we recommend not to shy away from these UHPs.
About The Author
Matt Meurer
Matt is a VW Master Technician since 2009 after proceeding through the ranks as a Team Leader and Shop Foreman. He has developed software to increase car dealership efficiency, managed 10+ techs, and instructed students at multiple high-performance driving events since 2011. He is also the lead mechanic, engineer, and driver for Blue Goose Racing.
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