What tires are you running?

tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
And how do you like them?

I did a search on here, but didn't come up with much recent data on the topic.

I'm in the market for new tires for my MK4 wagon with BBS RSII Wolfsburg wheels. I have a dedicated set of snow shoes, so I'm not tied to all-seasons. 205/55/R15 is the tire size and I'm going from a used set of Goodyear assurance fuel max tires that came with the rims. They were perfectly average, truly Meh.

I'm looking to get a tire that handles a bit better, but not a hyper performance focused tire. Not trying to set autocross lap times, but I'd like something that doesn't just rip a burn out off the line like the Goodyears do currently. Eco features are desired. I'm not tied to a low rolling resistance tire, but I'd like a tire that had fuel economy at least discussed in the planning stages. I do road trip this car pretty often.

The top contenders I'm looking at are the Continental PureContact LS and the Michelin Premier A/S The Conti's get top marks in the class and are well priced. The Premier seems to do a touch better in the wet, but is reviewed a bit worse than the Conti in all other categories.

A third option is the BFG Advantage T/A. I had these on my mom's MK5 Sedan and wasn't really impressed. They were pretty loud, put a big hurt on the MPGs, and really didn't seem to handle that great. Admittedly I didn't daily that car, but my mom saw constantly 3-4 less MPG with them.

So what tires do you all currently like on the Mk4's?
Again, hoping for something that handles a bit, but doesn't burn all the fuel.
 
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PakProtector

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Location
AnnArbor, MI
TDI
Mk.4's and the Cummins
I have Michelin CrossClimate+ on my Jetta. Better than Premiers in both snow and wet, and they seem to wear a bit better than the Premiers. Wife's Mazda3 has the Premiers, and while I like them jus' fine, I like the CrossClimate+ better. Size is 205/60-16 on 2-piece BBS wheels. In the dry they also work quite well...not that I push it too much, too often...:)
cheers,
Douglas
 

Blacktree

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Location
Central FL
TDI
'02 Jetta 5-spd
I'm currently using Continental ExtremeContact, and really like them. The wet and dry grip is impressive. And the ride quality isn't harsh.

I used wider tires up front, to compensate for weight distribution. It seems to have reduced understeer. The sizes are 225/45-R17 front and 205/50-R17 rear. The total wheel diameter is very close to stock.

Edit to add: the Contis also have "rim saver" beads on the sidewalls, to prevent curb rash. That feature has saved my butt multiple times already.
 
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tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
I have Michelin CrossClimate+ on my Jetta. Better than Premiers in both snow and wet, and they seem to wear a bit better than the Premiers. Wife's Mazda3 has the Premiers, and while I like them jus' fine, I like the CrossClimate+ better. Size is 205/60-16 on 2-piece BBS wheels. In the dry they also work quite well...not that I push it too much, too often...:)
cheers,
Douglas
Do you run snows in the winter? No weird stuff from that tread pattern?
 

tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
I'm currently using Continental ExtremeContact, and really like them. The wet and dry grip is impressive. And the ride quality isn't harsh.

I used wider tires up front, to compensate for weight distribution. It seems to have reduced understeer. The sizes are 225/45-R17 front and 205/50-R17 rear. The total wheel diameter is very close to stock.

Edit to add: the Contis also have "rim saver" ribs in the sidewalls, to prevent curb rash. That feature has saved my butt multiple times already.
Great point on the rim savers. I loved that feature on the old BFG A/T KOs.
 

DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
And how do you like them?

I did a search on here, but didn't come up with much recent data on the topic.

I'm in the market for new tires for my MK4 wagon with BBS RSII Wolfsburg wheels. I have a dedicated set of snow shoes, so I'm not tied to all-seasons. 205/55/R15 is the tire size and I'm going from a used set of Goodyear assurance fuel max tires that came with the rims. They were perfectly average, truly Meh.

I'm looking to get a tire that handles a bit better, but not a hyper performance focused tire. Not trying to set autocross lap times, but I'd like something that doesn't just rip a burn out off the line like the Goodyears do currently. Eco features are desired. I'm not tied to a low rolling resistance tire, but I'd like a tire that had fuel economy at least discussed in the planning stages. I do road trip this car pretty often.

The top contenders I'm looking at are the Continental PureContact LS and the Michelin Premier A/S The Conti's get top marks in the class and are well priced. The Premier seems to do a touch better in the wet, but is reviewed a bit worse than the Conti in all other categories.

A third option is the BFG Advantage T/A. I had these on my mom's MK5 Sedan and wasn't really impressed. They were pretty loud, put a big hurt on the MPGs, and really didn't seem to handle that great. Admittedly I didn't daily that car, but my mom saw constantly 3-4 less MPG with them.

So what tires do you all currently like on the Mk4's?
Again, hoping for something that handles a bit, but doesn't burn all the fuel.
i have a set of those conti's on my 17" i also hafe a set of geotour. the conti's are 1-2mpg lower. the geotour are actually wider, slightly softer but with deeper tread. they seemed to handle corners very well. Im not completely sure where vw gets them to put on there diesel g8 cars. ride seems about the same. but i was seeing 40 mpg on the lie-o-meter in the winter with the geo tour. with the conti's it dropped to 37-8. with my winter tires i see 35ish amazing diff tires make.
 

DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
the cheaper geotour tires also have a larger rim saver. i can take pictures friday if you want to see the difference.
 

tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
the cheaper geotour tires also have a larger rim saver. i can take pictures friday if you want to see the difference.
I've never heard of Geotour tires and am failing at finding anything on the Googler about them. Where did you buy them?

Looks like they are made by Sumitomo and not available new in the US I could only find them on a sketchy used tire site. They also aren't made in a 205/55/r16 as far as I can tell. It's likely the cheapest tire VW can get for the dieselgate cars.
 
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DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
Makes sense, thanks.
sumotomo makes them i think. they literly only say GeoTour on them for a brand. although i didnt read everything. have to call a dealer and ask. i know my dad is getting 40mpg with his. 500 miles a tank and not on empty yet. its a mk6 jsw tdi
 

tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
Glad to hear they aren't complete garbage and your dad is doing well with them.

They are not really what I'm after, and probably not even available beyond the dealer network.
 

hitman1985

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2018
Location
Clarksville, TN
TDI
02 Jetta TDI ALH
TDI 1 - 255/35/18 Federal 595 RS-RR
TDI 2 - 205/55/16 Antares ingens a1
GLI - 225/40/18 Bridgestone
GLS - 215/45/17 Kumho

For fuel economy and all around I liked the antares tires honestly. Used them mainly due to price and wanted to see what they'll do. Handled winter decent and they dont have to be all that fancy for my daily.

The federals however I'm happy with the grip even on super wet roads they grip fairly decent. By far not the best size to put on a car for fuel eco but that didnt play a role as it's still getting better milage than the auto tdi lol...

The other two I dont drive much so if its durable on a budget I'm happy with the antares. Even put them on my mkv rabbit when it came down to it. Same size as the ones on the 2 piece bbs rims on my tdi



Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
TDI 1 - 255/35/18 Federal 595 RS-RR
TDI 2 - 205/55/16 Antares ingens a1
GLI - 225/40/18 Bridgestone
GLS - 215/45/17 Kumho

For fuel economy and all around I liked the antares tires honestly. Used them mainly due to price and wanted to see what they'll do. Handled winter decent and they dont have to be all that fancy for my daily.

The federals however I'm happy with the grip even on super wet roads they grip fairly decent. By far not the best size to put on a car for fuel eco but that didnt play a role as it's still getting better milage than the auto tdi lol...

The other two I dont drive much so if its durable on a budget I'm happy with the antares. Even put them on my mkv rabbit when it came down to it. Same size as the ones on the 2 piece bbs rims on my tdi



Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Thanks for the response. I don't think the vendor I'm going with can get me the Antares, but I'm always happy to hear opinions. I bet the car with the Federals is super fun off the line :D:D:D
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
You talking about Bridgestone RE71s? I think those are bit a too track focused for my VNT17 stage one tune BEW in an otherwise stock MK4. You like them though?
Consensus is that they are far beyond DOT legal. but some how they are. they are EPIC. i get about 27 events in before they are gone. very noisy tire.

yea, to and from track events, thats it, 40 heat cycles and there done so...... but if you want the most you can get, make them work.....if i could pay up for hoosiers then i would but the re71's are far past as good as it gets for DOT
 
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tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
Consensus is that they are far beyond DOT legal. but some how they are. they are EPIC. i get about 27 events in before they are gone. very noisy tire.

yea, to and from track events, thats it, 40 heat cycles and there done so...... but if you want the most you can get, make them work.....if i could pay up for hoosiers then i would but the re71's are far past as good as it gets for DOT
Well, I am a pro driver, but more in the >60,000 pound with 10 or more tire class. ;);)

I'll keep these in mind for that someday race car I keep wanting to build.
 

OlyTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Location
Olympia, WA
TDI
'04 Golf
I'm currently running Pirelli P7 Cinteratos. They're a very nice grand touring commuter tire that is pretty quiet. Very good wear. What I don't like about them is their wet weather performance. Not great here in the PNW. They're fine in dry conditions.



My last set were the Michelin MXV4 which were FANTASTIC! I'd still be running them but they were discontinued. Quiet, great dry and wet performance, quiet, and long lasting (I got over 100,000 miles out of my set). Did I mention quiet? I really miss those tires.



Anyway, why a fantastic, greatly popular, and number 1 rated tire gets discontinued is beyond me.
 
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tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
I'm currently running Pirelli P7 Cinteratos. They're a very nice grand touring commuter tire that is pretty quiet. Very good wear. What I don't like about them is their wet weather performance. Not great here in the PNW. Their fine in dry conditions.



My last set were the Michelin MXV4 which were FANTASTIC! I'd still be running them but they were discontinued. Quiet, great dry and wet performance, quiet, and long lasting (I got over 100,000 miles out of my set). Did I mention quiet? I really miss those tires.



Anyway, why a fantastic, greatly popular, and number 1 rated tire gets discontinued is beyond me.
Are you referring to the MXV4 as getting discontinued? Cause they're on Tirerack right now, but I'm not sure if it's old stock or something. That's the OEM spare in the trunk of my wagon.
 

Steve-o

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 13, 1999
Location
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon
Running on the low end here. Firestone Champion Fuel Fighters. Really stupid name (who fights fuel?). Decent tire.

I wanted General RT43s this round since I really like my General Altimax Arctics. My tech, whom I trust, said he likes their winter traction (considering they're "no-seasons") but that they were a little harsh and noisy the rest of the year. Since I'm already running winter tires, I don't need to give on harsh and noisy for winter traction.

He recommended the Firestones as a comfortable tire (the roads around here make third-world countries look advanced) that met my LRR and $$ requirements. I'm happy with them. I drive the car like a grandpa (I am) and I don't drive so much any more. They offer as much traction as I want on on-ramps, they are just a titch noisier than the Bridgestone Ecopia 100s they replaced, and they're better in standing pools of water than the Ecopias were. So I'm good. Not the tire the OP is looking for but it might help out someone else.
 

sriracha

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Location
805
TDI
2005 Jetta Wagon 5mt, 1982 Rabbit truck (gas)
I’m running Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires on 17” Audi Fat Fives. The Pilot Sport is a great coastal California tire where it’s either bone dry or torrential downpour. They are great at cornering in both dry and wet. Nice traction and excellent resistance to hydroplaning. Probably not the best for fuel economy because they are sticky. However, they are quiet tires and ride smooth. I got them at Costco during their regular Michelin sales, $150 price reduction.
 

joep1234

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Location
NC
TDI
former '04 Beetle TDI, now 2x '15 Audi Q5 TDI's, 2007 Dodge Ram 4x4 6.7
Don't flame me. I have ran Toyo's that didn't last 20k miles and a couple other brands that just didn't last. My last set is a set of Westlakes EL on a set of Turbo S 17" wheels. On my last rotate I still had over 60% of the thread and 32k miles on them. Not bad for a set of tires for $320 out the door.
 

Freeman4455

New member
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Location
Balkan, Europe
TDI
Mk4, 1.9, 66kW, 1999 (AGR)
Summer tires on my Golf Mk4 TDI are (second set now) Bridgestone Potenza from 2015, set before that was user for 75000km, this one is on 60000km now and should be replaced soon. Tire is quite, got good fuel economy, on rain very good, even now does not slip or swim in aquaplan below 70 km/h, and is cheap (I think in your currency it could be found for 70-80 US dollars).
 

Rob Mayercik

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2001
Location
NJ, U.S.A.
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS, Baltic Green/Beige
I had two sets of Toyo Proxes TPTs (long since discontinued), loved them. 80+K each set, handled nicely, excellent MPG.

Then two sets of Firestone Precision Sports - did quite well with those also. got 60K or so out of each set, wore well, gripped nicely.

Running Nokian WRG3s now, thinking about the General RT43s myself for the next set since I'm not as happy with the wet grip on the WRs...
 

krivs388

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Location
RI
TDI
05 Golf TDI
I run a set of super cheap starfire solarus 195/65/15's. I paid less than 40 bucks a pop and I still get 43+ mpg. Good traction in the rain and snow and the tires still look great 15k miles later. I got the car dirt cheap, so I went with cheapies on the first set. I may get nice michelin's down the line.
 

tjsean0308

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Location
port angeles, wa
TDI
MKIV wagon 5spd graphite blue
Thanks for all the replies. I ordered the Michelin Premier A/S I was looking at the Goodyear Assurances as mentioned above as well, but the shop that is refurbishing the rims are not Goodyear dealers. So the Michelin's won out by a narrow margin over a few highly recommended tires. I'll be sure to check back with my opinions.
 

garreth5

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2015
Location
GA
TDI
jetta
My car has Conti DWS. These continental tires provide good grip in all conditions although the sidewalls are a bit soft. I'm planning to replace them with Michelin A/S on my next tire change.
 
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