Re: Tires

[jja@astronautics.com]

On  8 Oct, Wm. Josiah Erikson wrote:
> 185/60R14 is the only way to go these days. You used to be able to get
> 205/55/14, but nobody seems to make that anymore. 185/60R14 is the original
> size for 14" rims. Cheap, easy to find, and a perfectly good size.
> You can go with anything from a cheapie no name brand all season to a Yoko AVS
> Intermediate in that size (I think- they do make that size, don't they?). Good
> luck!
>     -Josiah

 The AVS-i is still available. I have run them on my 16V since I junk-ed
 the OEM Michelin MXV (terrible tires in my opinion). I live in
 Wisconsin, so I do the same thing that you do. I have a set of steel
 wheels with Bridgestone Blizzaks for the snow season (which is way too
 long).

 The AVS-i is a great tire for running hard, but there are a couple of
 drawbacks. One downside is they do not like standing water. If the
 pavement is any more than damp, caution is the keyword. The other
 problem for me, is they only last about two seasons. But that may be
 entirely my fault. :) The Tire Rack has them for about $75US a piece.
 Not a bad price for the level of dry performance they offer.

 A friend of mine, that bought a 16V at the same time I did, replaced
 the stock Pirelli P600s with the Yokohama A509s. He was very happy with
 the 509s. He felt the gripped at least as well as the Pirelli's and
 probably much better. The more open tread pattern seems to improve the
 wet performance quite a bit. The harder compound should also last much
 longer than the AVS-i. At about $55US a piece from The Tire Rack, I
 think these are a great buy.

 If you are more serious about dry performance, the Yokohama A032R road
 racing tire is available for just under $100US a piece. I don't know
 how these perform on the road, but I am seriously considering them for
 next year.

 As far as the size goes, I think the 185/60-14 is plenty of tire for a
 car as light as the scirocco. You have to travel at "silly fast"
 speeds to exceed the performance capabilities of an AVS-i in 185/60-14
 on the street.

Happy shopping,

	Jon

Jon Auringer
J.Auringer@astronautics.com


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