Hi everyone,

I'm a proud new owner of an A4 Sport 18 plate. The car comes with 17 inch wheels and the front tyres look like they need replacing (they've done 17k miles and tread is low). They are fitted with the original Hankook K117s and to be honest I'm disappointed with the level of road noise. Has anyone else noticed the road noise being an issue with these tyres and can anyone recommend quieter ones? Thanks.

Hello Omar,

I’ve noted that even prestigious marques such as Mercedes, are now fitted with Hankook tyres when new. I had believed that they were previously considered only to be ‘mid range’ tyres compared with Michelin etc. 

Currently, I can only go with the experience of a family member who used Hankook on a non-Audi and was disappointed with the wear rate. 

I think it might be fair to say that most tyres become noisier as they get to their well worn condition - I have experienced this even with Michelin, but they tend to give better wear rates. 

Not sure if any of this helps, 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth,

Thank you, that is helpful. It does make sense that tyres will produce more noise as they wear. I guess I was just disappointed that the exceptional refinement of the car was being spoiled by significant road noise. I will try fitting a set of new tyres from a premium brand and I'm sure that will help. 

Kind regards,

Omar

Thanks Omar,

The longest lasting tyres we have had over 150K plus on an ordinary A3 has been Michelin, but as I said, these become noisier as they wear. Of course, all tyres are now noise rated on labels, but I’m not sure if that is when new or when worn, but the answer should be Googleable. 

We have tried Continental Contact 5, but they don’t seem to compare wear wise. 

No doubt you will have other considerations to make in respect of road holding etc., but I guess you will have time for other experiences from here and talking around. 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Just to update, I bought Michelin Primacy 4 and I'm very happy with them, they suit the car very well. They seem pretty quiet and help provide a soft and comfortable ride. 

Omar