Help - 17" wheel size (offset) for 2005 S4 Cabriolet

I recently purchased a 2005 S4 Cabriolet. WHAT a machine! It came with 18" AVUS S4 wheels (235/40-18 Tires). I am interested in purchasing 17" wheels for the snowy Connecticut winters and was hoping I could get some feedback on exact wheel size.

The label on the driver door recommends 215/50x17 for the winter tire size. Most websites do not list the 2005 and if they do, the 17" size is 235/45-17 which is a bit too wide for my taste in snow.

Question: what is the needed offset for a 7x17 and a 7.5x17.

Thanks in advance for your help Ramzi in CT

Please reply also to snipped-for-privacy@ge.com

I recently purchased a 2005 S4 Cabriolet. WHAT a machine! It came with 18" AVUS S4 wheels (235/40-18 Tires). I am interested in purchasing 17" wheels for the snowy Connecticut winters and was hoping I could get some feedback on exact wheel size.

The label on the driver door recommends 215/50x17 for the winter tire size. Most websites do not list the 2005 and if they do, the 17" size is 235/45-17 which is a bit too wide for my taste in snow.

Question: what is the needed offset for a 7x17 and a 7.5x17.

Thanks in advance for your help Ramzi in CT

Please reply also to snipped-for-privacy@ge.com

"Rsmzi Nassar"

Your OEM 18x8 rims have an offset of ET43. Anything betw. ET35 and ET43 should work just fine.

Cheers,

Pete

Thanks for the reply. Does that apply for the 7" and 7.5"? Seems like as the wheel width changes, the ET should change also. What is safer - a larger ET - correct?

Thanks for the reply. Does that apply for the 7" and 7.5"? Seems like as the wheel width changes, the ET should change also. What is safer - a larger ET - correct?

I've been driving Quattros for 20 years, and while snow tires are very important, especially in New England, I have never worried about the width of the tire. I think you should stick with the 235/40-18, remembering that the car will be used 90% of the time on clean roads. I know that a more narrow tire is better in snow, and I have gone that way a few times, but in the long run, it really didn't matter. You'll be giving up some dry road performance with the snows, of course, but you'll be giving up more with a narrower tire. I live in Mass and we get far more snow than you do in CT. I have 255/40-18 snows for my RS6. I went without snows last winter. Quattro will get you just about anywhere you want to go without snows, but stopping isn't very good. d;o), nor is it much fun. d;o( Dave

That ET will work for both.

You don't want an ET that's too large because you'll have clearance issues against susp. components on the inside. And you don't want an ET that's too small because you'll have clearance issues against the fenders.

And I also agree with Dave... while 215/50/17 will work, you're giving up overall stability with that size. Personally I think I'd go for

235/45/17. S4 is a heavy car and it needs wide enough tires to be stable - both when cornering and when driving at higher speeds.

The benefit of 215/50 over 235/45 in the snow will be marginal, IMO. And in any case, low clearance will prevent you from going through any kind of deep snow before the tires will.

If you go with 235/45/17, don't buy 7"-wide rims. Get 7.5" at least.

Cheers,

Pete

Dave,

I respect your longer experience, but must disagree regarding the lack of benefit of winter tires (I live in PA but do get up to your neck of the woods, etc). I did not change to winter tires on my A4 Avant, but with my A6 I did. I also managed to keep the same rims by making a deal with my local Goodyear dealer to the extent that I didn't have to pay to swap out the tires in the spring and fall. I did this so I could get their winter V-rated tires rather than being forced to go to some H-rated poor performance tire.

Regretfully the Goodyear dealer will not make the same dealer again. So I am in the same position as Rsmzi, looking for tires and wheels. Ken W.

Men are like a fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with. - Dave Barry

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