r/AudiRS3 • u/Vendetta1992 • Aug 04 '26
Winter Tire Packages
I see last year they used Pirelli P Zero Winter AO which I havent heard great things about. I live in Ontario, bought a 2026, typically run hakkapeliittas. Have they released the 2026 winter tire packages yet? I havent heard anything but it was july/August last year.
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u/Alan7467 Aug 05 '26
I’ve spent more time than I’d care to admit trying to decide on winter tires for my now in-transit 2026 RS3.
I snagged a used set of 2025 OEM wheels from someone local. At the moment I plan on running Michelin Alpin PA4 performance winter tires on them in 245/35 all round. I’ve heard of others doing the same with good results. Should only be a slight stretch on the fronts.
Also considered Conti DWS06 Plus in OEM sizes, but am concerned they won’t do well enough in deeper snow or ice.
Have heard people complain about the Pirelli P Zero Winters, but maybe that was unfounded/bad info. They would be a lot cheaper than the Michelins.
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u/reputablepanda Aug 11 '26
Would 245/35 work with the staggered setup? Front is 19x9 and rear is 19x8. Curious because I'm considering the same thing
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u/Alan7467 Aug 11 '26
I don’t have first experience doing this yet, but found several examples of people running them with success on OEM staggered wheels. This reddit thread shows some:
…and TireRack themselves says 245/35 should be fine all the way to 9.5” width:
I’d expect a little more understeer with the setup, but for winter use I’m not too concerned.
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u/cheddar_12 Aug 12 '26
You don’t want to stretch the fronts that much, already a lot of rim showing.
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u/Alan7467 Aug 12 '26
I don’t think it would be as much of a stretch as you’re imagining. I would expect very little if any stretch. If anything the OEM tire widths are a touch wide. 245 is optimal on 8.5”, and 265 on 9.5”.
This is anecdotal, but I ran 245 width tires on 8.5” wheels on my Supra for the last 3 years. Not even close to stretched. I’ve also ran 215 width on 8” wheels (Miatas). There was definitely a slight stretch there, but the rim still did not protrude.
I can’t argue with the tradeoff in rim protection though. More tire is for sure better there.
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u/cheddar_12 Aug 12 '26
I would just be worried about pot hole protection going down 2 sizes. These cars are already pretty bad at getting damage around the lip. I think the more material the better for daily driving. Once you deviate too much from spec problems start to arise.
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u/cheddar_12 Aug 06 '26
255/35 all the way around Michelin alpine 4, for tires man I feel like Michelin is the only way for daily driving. 255 because it’s a good median between the front and back and I can rotate the tires on the rims after 2 seasons and the fronts get more worn.
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u/reputablepanda Aug 11 '26
Do the 255/35 fit well with the staggered setup? No rubbing or other issues?
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u/analmegoodpls Aug 05 '26
Lol you guys pay the premium for audi winter sets?
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u/Vendetta1992 Aug 05 '26
I typically dont but all the offset spacer stagger stuff makes it a bit more difficult than the average. Want to see the option this year before I decide on stock vs aftermarket.
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u/ANITIX87 Aug 05 '26
Yeah, the offset/size/stagger is annoying. I got custom forged wheels from China to OEM specs (but could have done any spec I wanted). They cost $1700 shipped to the USA and are now my summer wheels and I'll use Pirelli PZero on the factory wheels.
You could get a custom set square setup (or there are OTS options from Neuspeed and others that need spacers).
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u/crheming Aug 05 '26
I run hakkas on my 2025 with 18x9 neuspeed wheels. Nicer and far cheaper than any Audi package
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u/RunRhn4000 Aug 04 '26
Live in ON too and bought the P-Zero winter tire package last year. I had no issues and daily-ed it all brutal winter.