what new tires for 2013 Passat TDI?

[jhsjr2]

After 35,000 miles, the Hankooks on my 25 month old 2013 are looking like a replacement is near.

I do get a lot of road noise, always did.

What is the recommended replacement tire?

 

[tdiatlast]

There are dozens of threads on this topic already.
Search in the NMS area for "Hankook". You'll see dozens of threads, even more opinions on the "best" tire for the NMS Passat.

 

[IXLR8]

After 35,000 miles, the Hankooks on my 25 month old 2013 are looking like a replacement is near.
I do get a lot of road noise, always did.
What is the recommended replacement tire?

What are you looking for in the tire? Handling, smooth ride, quiet, low rolling resistance. I think almost ANYTHING is better than the stock Hancraps. I am running Michelin Primacy MXM4's for my non winter tire, it is like driving a totally different car compared to the Hankooks that were on it. Even the General winter tires are better than the Hankooks.

 

[RebelTDI]

Check out reviews on TireRack.com. They are very helpful. Michelins are great, but Conti and Pirelli have tires that are highly rated and cheaper.

 

[pparks1]

I have Continentals on my Passat and they have been solid. 19k on them right now and they look practically brand new.

Always been a fan of Pirelli's when I've had to change my tires.

 

[NSTDI]

for 18's, I got a 225 50, Michelin Defenders, rated for lots of miles. They are a little larger around than the original Bridgestones, now my speedo is only 2% slow as opposed to 7%.

Don

 

[Ace Deprave]

I went with the Michelin Primacy MXM4's when I replaced mine. Very happy with the choice!

 

[radunegru]

Got General GMax AS 03 for $96 a piece / $70 rebate Made in Germany - great tire . Hancraps were dead at 28k .
I already have 7k withe the Generals and supper happy

 

[dst5]

for 18's, I got a 225 50, Michelin Defenders, rated for lots of miles. They are a little larger around than the original Bridgestones, now my speedo is only 2% slow as opposed to 7%.

Don

I just replaced my Michelin Defenders (225-50-18) after 75,000 miles. They could have run 10K more but with winter rain in so cal I played it safe and replaced them. This time I purchased Continental Tru-contact 225-50-18 ($30 less per tire than Michelin Defenders). The Tru-Contact tires were rated better by tire rack in all areas compared to the Michelin Defenders during tire rack testing. Millage rating is 800 for Tru-contact and 860 for Michelin Defenders

 

[jhinsc]

for 18's, I got a 225 50, Michelin Defenders, rated for lots of miles. They are a little larger around than the original Bridgestones, now my speedo is only 2% slow as opposed to 7%.

Don

Curious about these tires - did they affect your fuel mileage?

 

[Not_Agn]

36000 on the hankooks. Replaced them with Michelin premier. So far I like them, see how they do when the snow Flys.

 

[jhinsc]

36000 on the hankooks. Replaced them with Michelin premier. So far I like them, see how they do when the snow Flys.

I'm curious about how these affected your fuel mileage, better or worse? For where I live, Michelin Energy Savers A/S would be perfect but don't come in the 18" size for SEL Premium's. They would improve mileage based on hybrid owner experiences with them.

 

[autoxerwgn]

If you look at the specs and/or measure the tread depth, you may be surprised to learn that those Michelin Premier A/S tires only start out with about 8/32 of tread. Most tires start with 10/32 and some longer wearing tires even start with 11/32.

 

[Not_Agn]

If you look at the specs and/or measure the tread depth, you may be surprised to learn that those Michelin Premier A/S tires only start out with about 8/32 of tread. Most tires start with 10/32 and some longer wearing tires even start with 11/32.

Fully aware of the tread depth. Yet they have a 60000 mile warranty. According to tire rack comparisons to the 3 primacy tires they sell in 215/55/17 the Premier rates higher! The Premiers even out rate the Michelin snow tire in almost every category except light snow, deep snow, and ice. And that's not by much. Plus the premier is 1lb lighter tire.

The Premier A/S is Michelin’s Grand Touring All-Season tire developed for the drivers of coupes, sedans and minivans looking for tires that deliver category-leading wet grip when new and when worn. And even when worn, Premier A/S tires are designed to stop shorter on wet roads than leading competitors’ brand-new tires, as well as provide all-season traction on wintry roads, even in light snow.

The Premier A/S is a Michelin Total Performance tire that utilizes innovative technologies to bring multiple performances together. Combining stopping power, driving control, promised weather appropriateness and enhanced fuel efficiency, Michelin Total Performance tires reduce the influence of traditional trade-offs normally associated with tires. Michelin Total Performance is a promise of Michelin tire excellence.

Premier A/S tires use an extreme silica and sunflower oil enhanced tread compound to increase traction in wet and cold temperatures. This compound is molded into a symmetric tread design featuring a continuous center rib flanked by notched intermediate ribs and linked shoulder blocks to deliver straight-line tracking and responsive dry-road handling. Michelin EverGrip Technology adds Expanding Rain Grooves around the tire’s circumference and Emerging Grooves across the shoulders. As the tire wears, the Expanding Rain Grooves widen while Emerging Grooves open up across each shoulder block to help retain more traction in wet and wintry conditions.

The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped polyamide cord on top of a polyester casing ply to blend handling and durability with ride uniformity and comfort.

 

[Not_Agn]

I can't give a fair assessment on mileage yet. We are in winter blend fuel and I tend to let my car warm up before driving away. I am in construction and take a break and lunch in my vehicle usually. Up until now they are leaps and bounds better then the Hankooks I replaced. But thats not hard to do.

 

[buddha]

If you look at the specs and/or measure the tread depth, you may be surprised to learn that those Michelin Premier A/S tires only start out with about 8/32 of tread. Most tires start with 10/32 and some longer wearing tires even start with 11/32.

I've heard this point a lot about the Premier A/S tread depth (8.5/32), and I take a different point of view. Most tires with a mileage warranty require you to wear your tires down to roughly 2/32 before collecting on a shortened mileage claim. However, most tires are considerably less safe in wet conditions below 4/32. The Premiers are supposed to maintain reasonable wet traction even when worn due to the emerging and expanding grooves. So, if we're to believe Michelin, these tires should be more useful down to the 2/32 level than other tires. As such, you could make a prorated claim against the 60,000 mile warranty if yours fall short.

 

[tdiot]

I ran Kumho's on my Jetta for about 160,000 miles after spending $$$$ on expensive brand name tires that were very disapointing. I got about 65,000 from the Hankooks and they were as described by everyone here. I replaced them with Kumho Sense tires and 13,000 later I am vey happy with their performance. I'm a cheap a$$ so I look for value and performance and don't give a hoot about brand names.

 

[ZootsAlures]

Are you kidding tdiot? That's the smart way to do it! Do what's best for you. On another thread I responded that I just replaced my second set of Conti's with a set of Nokian eTyre.s I broke convention on the OEM's and did my own research and made some sacrifices and found a place out of state. No Tax and shipping included. Four day stock-to-dock.


'12 Passat TDI 6SpM
Pre '65 HD's Rule

New England

 

[Tinkertoy]

I just replaced two set of hankooks on my two passats.

I put toyo versado noirs on my wife's car. 70k rated. Nice looking. I would have put them on my car too, but they have that slightly soft sidewall feel that most toyos have. Don't get me wrong, the tires are grippy, handle well, are super quiet, and are GREAT in the rain.
They just take a split second to respond to steering wheel input.

So........

I ended up putting pirelli p7s on my car. These tires have the sports car like response that the toyos lack. I give up some of the smooth quiet ride though. My only real complaint (and it is so minor as to be a non issue) is that running over the lane reflectors here in Florida makes a noticeable thunk.
The toyos glide over them in comparison.


Since I bought both sets within 2 weeks of each other, I am curious as to which set will hold up better.

To be fair, the Hankook did have great lateral response. But the noise and lack of wet weather grip make them a no go for me.

Toyo for comfort/touring
Pirelli for a more sporty feel.

 

[Fav40]

The Toyo Versado Noirs are labeled as a Luxury tire. Could be why they ride so well, but lack stiffness.

Vogue Signature V Black tire is a good one too .

 

[kyledooley]

This time I purchased Continental Tru-contact 225-50-18 ($30 less per tire than Michelin Defenders). The Tru-Contact tires were rated better by tire rack in all areas compared to the Michelin Defenders during tire rack testing. Millage rating is 800 for Tru-contact and 860 for Michelin Defenders

Just wondering how these were working out for you? I'm just about to pull the trigger on these in that exact size.

Kyle

ps- it seems like you've run that size for a couple of sets now. Any comments on the 225/50s vs the OE size? There isn't much selection or many reasonably priced 18s in 235/45.

 

[mattfrayage]

anyone used the 235/45/R18 Bridgestone Driveguard Runflats- ordered 2 for the front. also does running Runflats with non-Runflats still cause alignment issues- I know it used to years ago...?
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ne&tireModel=DriveGuard&partnum=345WR8DGXLRFT

 

[flyboy320]

anyone used the 235/45/R18 Bridgestone Driveguard Runflats- ordered 2 for the front. also does running Runflats with non-Runflats still cause alignment issues- I know it used to years ago...?
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ne&tireModel=DriveGuard&partnum=345WR8DGXLRFT

I have runflats on my Mercedes B250 and hate them. Very hard and very noisy and can't wait till they wear out!

 

[tdiatlast]

I think it's confusing to compare different brands of run-flats. I know my BIL hated them on his 5 series BMW: hard, noisy, worn out at < 20k miles.

However, that was 5 years ago. Innovations in tire design occur all the time, so it isn't fair to compare his experience with run-flats with the newest Bridgestone Runflats. All car manufacturers continually seek weight reduction, and one target has been the elimination of the spare tire. (Gee...where WILL VAG put the AdBlue tank that MIGHT be necessary for early production CR TDIs? Ah- HAH! The spare tire well would be PERFECT, but then we'd all have to install runflats...)

 

[Mark SF]

20k miles on my Michelin Premier A/S tires now, and Im still very happy with them. Most gratifyingly, they are still very quiet. The Hankooks were so noisy, I replaced them when only half worn out.

 

[jck66]

Just ordered up a set of Michelin Premier A/S, so it's nice to hear a positive review! FWIW my original Contis have 52k on them, not totally worn out yet but worn enough that I don't want to face another snowy winter with them.

 

[laminated]

I tried several tires through a test drive and turn them in if you dont like them deal. the Michelin primacy mxv4;s were the top choice, But I didn't get 50K kms out of the fronts, should have rotated every 20K I guess...

 

[TDIEQNY]

I have 50K on my contis right now.

probably have another 5K left in them, but winter is coming soon and there isnt enough bite left on them to get me around safely.

If I lived in a warmer climate I'd easily run them to 55K

 

[Fav40]

I have 50K on my contis right now.

probably have another 5K left in them, but winter is coming soon and there isnt enough bite left on them to get me around safely.

If I lived in a warmer climate I'd easily run them to 55K

I purchased 4 16in wheels and snow tires for about $700 with rebates (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) @ discount tire.

This would allow you to run the Conti's in the Spring and saves your wheels.

 

[minilooker]

Nitto tires Motivo would also be a great replacement. It may be not that famous compared with other brands, but surely its reliable and affordable.