Best tires for the Audi Q5
Top picks across four categories for the Audi Q5, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 235/60R18. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Toyo
Celsius CUV
Reinforced sidewall all-weather compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
UTQG 820 with a 85,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Audi Q5 owners.
Michelin
CrossClimate 2
UTQG 640 with a 60,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Audi Q5 owners.
Michelin
Defender 2
UTQG 800 with a 80,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Audi Q5 owners.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
820 UTQG with a 85,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Continental
TrueContact tour
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Cooper
CS5 ultra touring
800 UTQG with a 80,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Hankook
Kinergy PT
800 UTQG with a 90,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Lowest cabin noise
Best quiet
Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.
Michelin
Defender 2
68 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
70 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Cooper
CS5 ultra touring
70 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Hankook
Kinergy PT
70 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Cold-weather grip
Best winter
Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Toyo Celsius CUV | Best budget Goodyear Assurance MaxLife | Best quiet Michelin Defender 2 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | 520 | 820 | 800 |
| Mileage warranty | - | 85,000 mi | 80,000 mi |
| Cabin noise | - | 70 dB | 68 dB |
| Season class | all-weather | all-season | all-season |
| Type | truck-suv | touring | touring |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the audi Q5 use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 235/65R17 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2009–2012 | 255/45R20 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2013–2026 | 235/55R19 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the audi Q5
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 235/60R18; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches SUV segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
SUV-specific tire models (CrossClimate, CrossContact, Defender LTX) have reinforced sidewalls designed for the chassis mass and often a wider tread for better wet traction at higher curb weight. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for audi Q5
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (10) · Tread / Belt (4) · Sidewall (2) · Bead (2) · Spare Tire (2)
Reported across: 2011 – 2024 (8 years)
What owners described
Cracking or dry rot appears in 20% of these reports; about 2.2× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 10 reports covering every model year of the Audi Q5 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cracking or dry rot | 20% | 9% | 2.2× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 20% | 8% | 2.4× |
| Tread or belt separation | 10% | 13% | 0.7× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 10% | 20% | 0.5× |
| Sidewall failure | 10% | 15% | 0.7× |
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 10% | 2% | 4.2× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Audi Q5. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
A vehicle service center noticed that the rubber on the surface of the tire tread appeared to be failing /deteriorating on all four tires in a way that was not normal. Cracks at least.25 inches deep are forming and some small chunks are separating. Given that the same condition exists on all four tires, this appears to be a manufacturing defect. The dealership examined the tires and agreed that the condition was not normal but not currently part of the Continental tire recall. We highly recommend that this line of tires be included in the recall to protect the safety of drivers and passengers.
On September 18, 2025, while driving at ~65–70 mph on the Saw Mill Parkway in Mount Kisco, NY, a Michelin Latitude Tour HP tire (235/55R19) suffered a sudden circumferential tread/belt separation. The tread detached completely from the casing while the sidewall remained intact. A small screw was present in the center tread, but there was no TPMS warning or gradual pressure loss prior to the failure. This behavior is inconsistent with ordinary puncture damage and indicates a potential workmanship/materials defect. The separated tread, tire carcass, and wheel are preserved and available for inspection. The tires were installed by the dealer (Audi New Rochelle) on June 12, 2024, as part of Certified Pre-Owned reconditioning before sale. This catastrophic failure posed an immediate risk of serious crash. Tire Size: 235/55R19
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Audi Q5 →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Audi Q5?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Audi Q5?
Does the Audi Q5 need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Audi Q5?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.