FWIW, I have a 2012 SEL (not 4-motion), still with the original Scorpion Verde tires at 43,000 miles. They still have a few miles left before they need replacement (probably this summer). As far as winter performance, here in San Diego the only issue we really have is rain, and I've never noticed any issue, even after last winter's record rainfall. YMMV.
For what it's worth, I used to run the cheapest 235/40ZR18 tires I could find on my Jetta(Sunny brand if I recall), after a few years, I never had any complaints. Paid about $105 each and they seemed worth the money to me and not much different than the name brands($200+ each), at least as far as durability/safety was concerned
Basically got all the Red Bull/Vettel Era Sponsors covered, drink tons of Red Bull, wear an Edifice Watch, sport Geox Shoes, Pepe Jeans, have Pirelli Tires and even bought an Infiniti.
I was looking for the same size but Kijiji'ed a 1-year old set of Pirelli Winter Carvings, on steelies, for 340. Checked the wheels for rust/cracks, treads, consistent pressure across tires.
I bought 17" rims and Pirelli Sottozero 3 performance winters. The one time they saw snow last year was a ton of fun and they handled it like a champ. The other 99% of the time, when they were driven in the rain, they were awesome.
mine came with pirelli cinturato p7 all season plus, for the 18\" autobahn trim wheels.
thankfully i opted for the wheel / tire protection and that paid off. ive had every tire replaced at least once, and finally just switched to pirelli's which i have loved for the past year and a half.
Bought 2012 TDI sport with 18" wheels new at dealer 2 months ago. Vehicle sat on dealer lot for 5 months or so. Test drove vehicle, steering wheel shook enough to see it at any speed over 50 mph. THIS was probably from flat spots on tires from sitting, we bought vehicle and dealer agreed to put new tires on and replaced with exact same Pirelli's that vehicle was equipped with.
Similar story: a lovely pothole seemingly gave me a flat (felt really jarring) on one of my Pirelli Sottozero 3s. Was flat within 10 minutes...Turns out the pothole actually cracked the rim (which caused the flat) and then the short time I drove on it mostly flat, had ruined the sidewall on the tire as well.
Mine came with Pirelli Cinturato P7s and I hate them. They spin, hop, don't like to change direction but they do hold air and they are quiet. To their credit, they did not get worse in the cold however they weren't any good in the snow or ice.
Write your review
Help others - share your experience with this part.
Voted AGAINST engine oil RAVENOL on the rating page
The brake pads NIPPARTS got the first review!
The brake discs Hella got the first review!
The brake discs OEM Suzuki got the first review!
For tires OEM Toyota already 25 reviews.
For tires IRONMAN already 25 reviews.
For starter motor OEM Volkswagen already 25 reviews.
In the rating best ignition coil already 13 brands participate!
In the rating best fuel pump already 5 brands participate!
In the rating best turbocharger already 4 brands participate!
In the auto rating headlights for Volkswagen Golf already 5 brands participate!
In the auto rating brake pads for Mazda 5 already 10 brands participate!
In the auto rating brake pads for BMW M2 already 5 brands participate!
Voted AGAINST engine oil RED LINE on the rating page
Voted AGAINST engine oil PENNZOIL on the rating page
