New tire recommendations for 2011 TDI JSW

Willman67

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2009
Location
Friendswood, Texas
TDI
2011 TDI JSW
TDI lovers

My OEM Turanzas are getting close to worn out. Overall a very mediocre tire, but not worth buying again. My chief concern is getting more traction with spirited acceleration- not trying to spin , but just happens more than I like with the newer gen TDI motor and 6spd. I'm also in Houston, so winter considerations are negligible.

I shop at tire rack usually so I go with driver ratings. I'm interested in other TDI owners experience. Any suggestions?

Wm
 

Racerman27410

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2012
Location
Greensboro NC
TDI
2012 JSW TDI 6MT
another one for the DWS's.... they are not super sticky but they handle pretty well wet or dry... even snow if its not too deep :D,

I really like they are quiet and last very well..... well over 20K on a set on my bimmer and they still look new!

You can bet i will be putting a set on my JSW when the time comes.
 

chilehead19

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Location
Bolivar, Ohio
TDI
. 2014 Sportwagen TDi for me 2011 2dr golf for my wife
Don't confuse these with the contipro contact which is oe on many vw products. not nearly as good.
 

whatnxt

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Location
Lk Stevens, WA
TDI
2015 Q5 TDI Premium +
Had these on my moded Jetta: Potenza RE970AS Pole Position(Ultra High Performance All-Season) (225/45/17s)

Great tire for the dry or wet. Didn't get them into the snow, but winter is not your concern as you said. Quiet, smooth, handle great. Stiff sidewalls so they do not feel "soft" in the corners. Was worried about the ride on 45 series tires (bad experience with the first ones, different brand) but these gave a good ride with the FSDs and sport springs. Very pleased.
 

No More Buffalo

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Location
Greenville, NC
TDI
Current: 2015 Golf SEL 6m Sold: 2012 Golf 2dr DSG
whatnxt, would you consider the Potenzas suitable for use on a stock Golf?

I'm not (near) replacing the ContiCraps, but it's one of a handful I'm considering when the time comes.
 

c17chief

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Location
NJ
TDI
2011 Golf 2dr
Had these on my moded Jetta: Potenza RE970AS Pole Position(Ultra High Performance All-Season) (225/45/17s)

Great tire for the dry or wet. Didn't get them into the snow, but winter is not your concern as you said. Quiet, smooth, handle great. Stiff sidewalls so they do not feel "soft" in the corners. Was worried about the ride on 45 series tires (bad experience with the first ones, different brand) but these gave a good ride with the FSDs and sport springs. Very pleased.

I had some similar Potenzas on my mustang several years ago. They were GREAT for the first half or so of their lives, but after some time and miles they did lose a significant amount of their quietness. Not a concern to me on a car like that, but if you value a quiet tire, those may not be the right choice over the long haul. Again though, was similar model but not that exact so cant speak for those.
 

Darth_Furious

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
TDI
2015 GSW, DSG
Another vote for the DWSes
If you live in houston, you probably don't need all season tires. I would get the DW instead of DWS. (Dry Wet Snow). Doubt you'll see much snow there. I love my DW tires. They are sticky and are usually rated higher than the Conti DWS
 

ADFTDI

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Location
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
TDI
2012 Golf TDI, 6MT, 2 door, black.
if you dont need all season tires and want soemthing grippy, I strongly recommend the michelin Pilot Super Sports. They are cheaper than the OEM CONTIPROCONTACTS and are the best high performance street tire on the market right now. my dad has them on his AMG and is able to get wheelspin free launches without moderating the throttle. very sticky rubber. they should last a fairly long time on a vw products as they last 10k miles on the drive wheels of much more powerfull vehicles. The tires are very quiet for max performance summer tires and i find them quieter than the CONTIPRO Contacts that are on my golf. they also are fairly comfortable while offering massive grip in the dry and in very wet rainy conditions.
 
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WutGas?

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
Oklahoma City
TDI
The Last Real Jetta Sedan
Michelin Pilot Super Sports would be just a tad of overkill on a TDI. Good for a high performance AMG, but not so sure they would be all that great on relatively slow TDIs.
 

ADFTDI

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Location
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
TDI
2012 Golf TDI, 6MT, 2 door, black.
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WutGas?

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
Oklahoma City
TDI
The Last Real Jetta Sedan
Well, 2 reasons. They are quite a bit cheaper but they are only a 30,000 mile tire. So in reality, they won't last nearly as long as a 60K, 70K, or 80K tire, really you would need two sets, maybe 3 to last as long as one of those tires. The argument that they are cheaper "so why not?" just isn't true. The reason this is because they are a very soft tire. So besides the fact that they won't last nearly as long, that also impacts MPG negatively due to the softer compound and higher rolling resistance. These are designed to go on sports cars. Those cars need the softer compound, higher performance tires to keep their "feet planted". The TDI simply doesn't need this.
 

ADFTDI

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Location
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
TDI
2012 Golf TDI, 6MT, 2 door, black.
Well, 2 reasons. They are quite a bit cheaper but they are only a 30,000 mile tire. So in reality, they won't last nearly as long as a 60K, 70K, or 80K tire, really you would need two sets, maybe 3 to last as long as one of those tires. The argument that they are cheaper "so why not?" just isn't true. The reason this is because they are a very soft tire. So besides the fact that they won't last nearly as long, that also impacts MPG negatively due to the softer compound and higher rolling resistance. These are designed to go on sports cars. Those cars need the softer compound, higher performance tires to keep their "feet planted". The TDI simply doesn't need this.

I dont disagree with the lack of necessity for a tire like this on a TDI. I guess it is down to what you want the car to do. I personally don't mind sacrificing a couple MPG for huge performance increase. however it is definitely not needed.
 

gmcjetpilot

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Location
Memphis TN
TDI
2010 JSW TDI DSG Matalic Grey
TDI lovers

My OEM Turanzas are getting close to worn out. Overall a very mediocre tire, but not worth buying again. My chief concern is getting more traction with spirited acceleration- not trying to spin , but just happens more than I like with the newer gen TDI motor and 6spd. I'm also in Houston, so winter considerations are negligible.

I shop at tire rack usually so I go with driver ratings. I'm interested in other TDI owners experience. Any suggestions?

Wm
You have a 2011 and the tires are worn? How many miles do you have? I have a 2010 and just replaced my OEM Hankook's at about 48K, and would have gone 12K to 15K more .... 60K total more would have been very doable.

I went with Michelin Primacy MXV4 and from 16" rims to 17". If you look at their videos on all season radials this was their favorite. It is kind of expensive, and it went against my cheap ways... There are cheaper tires that are good values... but in the end I splurged. I paid about $172 each mail order, free shipping no tax, which is cheap. Local tire shops wanted over $220 each.
 

whatnxt

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Location
Lk Stevens, WA
TDI
2015 Q5 TDI Premium +
whatnxt, would you consider the Potenzas suitable for use on a stock Golf?

I'm not (near) replacing the ContiCraps, but it's one of a handful I'm considering when the time comes.
Read the test reports on TireRack. I only had 3k miles on them so I don't know about the half-wear issue stated.

I would purchase a set for my new ride. :)
 

Audi Juice

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Location
Socal
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
Honestly, if i were you I would get the Michelins. You know you cant go wrong, and the price low right now. Buy a set of 4 Pilot super sports and save $70 off of their already special price they are running. $646 for a set, before shipping. I think I will be getting the 225-40-18 Pilot Sport 2's.
 

ioptdi

New member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Location
SC Coast
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagen
I replaced the OEM Hankooks at 62K with Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring. I was on a trip and had a tire failure so I decided to replace all four. The tire dealer only had the Goodyears in stock so I went with them so I could continue traveling. I think they are 80K tires. The Goodyears now have 34K miles on them and are showing minimal wear. They are very quiet compared to the OEM Hankook and handle much better especially in the rain.
 

swb1509

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Location
USA
TDI
2011 Golf TDI 4dr Manual
goodyear comfort tread

I purchased 15 inch oem steel rims with oem caps. I opted for the standard comfort tread. They offer the tire in a LRR (low rolling resistance). This tire a little soft but makes the car a little less choppy over rough pavement. I believe they make less road noise also.
 

ksing44

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Location
Southeast PA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
I went for the Michelin Primacy MXM4 Grand Touring All Season tire from Tirerack. I like them very much so far. I also went up to 235/45/17 and am very happy I made that change. I think my car rides very nice and looks pretty good too with the fatter and slightly taller tires. I also changed to a slightly wider 7.5" rim, so that helps if you want a wider tread. So far my mpg doesn't seem to be negatively affected, although I guess I'm not setting any records at ~41 mpg for just over 50K miles so far.
 

BrShootr

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Location
Utardia
TDI
MKVI JSW
For those who went from a 16" rim to a 17" rim on the MXMV tires, do you notice any more road noise? Particularly when going over cracks and joints on the pavement?
 

ksing44

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Location
Southeast PA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
For those who went from a 16" rim to a 17" rim on the MXMV tires, do you notice any more road noise? Particularly when going over cracks and joints on the pavement?
Just so you are careful about what you actually order, there is an old Energy MXV4 and I think also an old Primacy MXV4, but they are not the same as the new Primacy MXM4. The MXV4 was a good tire too, but probably not as good as the new improved MXM4. You can still find the MXV4, but it should certainly be discounted considering the newer tire is available.

I started with 17", so I can't say if it gets noisier compared to the 16". I think it would, however, especially if you went to higher pressure like some others like to do to protect the rims since the tires have narrower sidewalls. Another thing is speed rating. I know some people go up to V-rated tires. I think they are also nosier than the H-rated tires that are recommended for these cars.

I did go to a taller 235/45/17 tire on my 17” wheel and I run my tires softer at 32 psi. It is a very comfortable ride and I think quieter too, in particular going over road imperfections, compared to when I had the tires at 38 psi.
 

BrShootr

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Location
Utardia
TDI
MKVI JSW
Just so you are careful about what you actually order, there is an old Energy MXV4 and I think also an old Primacy MXV4, but they are not the same as the new Primacy MXM4. The MXV4 was a good tire too, but probably not as good as the new improved MXM4. You can still find the MXV4, but it should certainly be discounted considering the newer tire is available.

I started with 17", so I can't say if it gets noisier compared to the 16". I think it would, however, especially if you went to higher pressure like some others like to do to protect the rims since the tires have narrower sidewalls. Another thing is speed rating. I know some people go up to V-rated tires. I think they are also nosier than the H-rated tires that are recommended for these cars.

I did go to a taller 235/45/17 tire on my 17” wheel and I run my tires softer at 32 psi. It is a very comfortable ride and I think quieter too, in particular going over road imperfections, compared to when I had the tires at 38 psi.
Thanks for the clarification, I meant to say MXM4.
 

rfortson

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Location
Houston (Clear Lake)
TDI
2012 Jetta Surfwagen TDI
TDI lovers

My OEM Turanzas are getting close to worn out. Overall a very mediocre tire, but not worth buying again. My chief concern is getting more traction with spirited acceleration- not trying to spin , but just happens more than I like with the newer gen TDI motor and 6spd. I'm also in Houston, so winter considerations are negligible.

I shop at tire rack usually so I go with driver ratings. I'm interested in other TDI owners experience. Any suggestions?

Wm
Howdy neighbor, I'm in Clear Lake.

Anyway, I just had to replace a couple of my tires (road damage - wouldn't hold the repair) and went with Bridgestone Potenzas.
 
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