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Best tires for the Audi S4

Top picks across four categories for the Audi S4, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 245/40R18. 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.

By Mark Bishop · Last verified 2026-09-02

Daily driver

Best all-season touring

Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of 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.

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.

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
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Best budget
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
Best winter
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
UTQG treadwear300800-
Mileage warranty-80,000 mi-
Cabin noise72 dB68 dB71 dB
Season classsummerall-seasonwinter
Typeperformancetouringpassenger

OEM tire sizes by year

What size does the audi S4 use?

Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.

YearOEM size
1991–1994215/60R15Year-specific fitment →
1997–2002225/45R17Year-specific fitment →
2003–2009235/40R18Year-specific fitment →
2010–2015255/35R19Year-specific fitment →
2016–2024245/40R18Year-specific fitment →
2025255/35R19Year-specific fitment →

How we ranked these tires for the audi S4

We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 245/40R18; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:

Performance trims trade tread life for grip. Expect summer-class compounds to wear 15,000–25,000 miles vs 50,000+ for all-season touring. The all-season recommendation below is the daily-driver compromise; the budget pick saves money for owners who want the same compound class without the brand premium. 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 S4

51
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Top issue category: Tires (General)

Most reported: Tires (General) (29) · Sidewall (20) · Tread / Belt (2)

Reported across: 2000 – 2004 (3 years)

What owners described

Sidewall failure appears in 61% of these reports; about 4.1× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 28 reports covering every model year of the Audi S4 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.

Reported problemThis subjectAll tire complaintsRelative
Sidewall failure 61% 15% 4.1×
Bubble or bulge in the tire 46% 6% 7.9×
Blowout or sudden deflation 14% 20% 0.7×
Cracking or dry rot 11% 9% 1.2×
Loss of control, rollover or collision 11% 8% 1.3×
Tread or belt separation 7% 13% 0.5×

Mileage at failure

16 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 10,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 2,000 and 23,200 miles.

In owners' own words

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Audi S4. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.

HANKOOK TIRES, VENTUS S1 NOBLE 2 SPLITTING OUTSIDE SIDEWALL, CAUSED TO DEPRESSURE TIRE, WHICH CAUSED TO CRACK TIRE ON THE INNER SIDEWALL SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO MANUFACTURER CLAIM BLAME ON MY VEHICLE. THE TIRE MODEL IS UNDER A RECALL, BUT IN DIFFERENT SIZE, BUT IDENTICAL WALLS, MANUFACTURING PROCESS. MY VEHICLE'S TIRE SIZE 235/40/R18. RECALLED: VENTUS S1 NOBLE2 '245/45R18 96W', '245/40R19 94W', '275/35R19 96W PROPER TIRE PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED AND CHECKED WEEKLY FOR 3YEARS, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED.

NHTSA complaint 1486984 · 2004 vehicle

2 INCH BUBBLE IN EXTERIOR SIDEWALL OF FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE NOTICED WHILE CLEANING WHEELS. BRIDGESTONE DEALER SAID BUBBLE WAS DUE TO "ROAD HAZZARD DAMAGE" BUT NONE HAD OCCURRED. RESEARCHED PROBLEM ON "AUDI WORLD" WEBSITE AND FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR LOW*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45R17 )

NHTSA complaint 218967 · 2000 vehicle

I DON'T KNOW THE DOT #'S ON THE TIRES. FIRST TIRE I PAID FOR MYSELF. DUE TO MANY COMPLAINTS ON AUDIWORLD.COM FORUMS, I PURCHASED ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY FOR ALL TIRES. SECOND TIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, BUT THERE WAS A NATIONAL SHARTAGE OF RE040'S AT THIS TIME. I THEN OBTAINED A USED REPLACEMENT FROM ANOTHER S4 OWNER THAT ALREADY SWITCHED TO ANOTHER TIRE. I'M MOVING SOON, SO PHONE# AND ADDRESS WILL CHANGE. THE PHONE# AND ADDRESS ARE MY PARENTS. MY PARENTS SHOULD GIVE YOU MY NEW PHONE# IF NEEDED. MAIL SENT TO MY PARENTS SHOULD ALSO GET TO ME WITHOUT PROBLEM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245/45 R17 )

NHTSA complaint 228956 · 2000 vehicle

SIDEWALL BLISTER, 2IN.X1IN., DISCOVERED WHILE ROUTINE MAINTAINANCE PERFORMED. NO HISTORY OF ACCIDENT OR IMPACT INJURY TO TIRE OR WHEEL ASSEMBLY. AUTOMOBILE SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPORTS TIRE DEFECTIVE, CONFIRMS NO IMPACT INJURY TO VEHICLE SUSTAINED.( DOT NUMBER: EJH8CFE429 TIRE SIZE: 225/45/R17 )

NHTSA complaint 232357 · 2000 vehicle

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.

FAQ

What's the best all-season tire for the Audi S4?
The all-season touring slate above ranks the top options for the 245/40R18 OEM size. The leader is selected by matching audi-segment fitment, all-season compound class, and premium-brand quality bonus. For most Audi S4 owners, the all-season touring pick is the best one-tire compromise; long warranty, low noise, reasonable cost per mile.
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Audi S4?
The budget slate above ranks tires by cost-per-warranty-mile, ignoring brand premium. The budget pick is genuinely competitive on durability metrics; the trade-off is shorter warranty and slightly higher cabin noise, not actual safety risk. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, the budget pick will outlast your replacement window regardless.
Does the Audi S4 need winter tires?
If you see more than 5 snow days a year or drive at sustained temperatures below 7 °C, yes; winter compounds stay pliable in cold where all-season rubber hardens, which translates directly to shorter braking distances. The winter pick above is 3PMSF severe-snow rated and works for the 245/40R18 OEM fitment. Storage cost is real (4 extra tires somewhere), but the safety margin in winter conditions is substantial.
Can I run a different tire size on my Audi S4?
Plus-size and minus-size alternatives within ±3% overall diameter are typically safe per the ETRTO standard. See the 245/40R18 upsize options for the full categorised alternatives table with verdicts.
Where can I buy these tires?
Each tire links to its detail page with live pricing from our online retailer partners. Out-the-door cost (including mount, balance, TPMS service, and disposal) varies by state; use the install cost calculator for a realistic estimate.

Last verified 2026-09-02.