1 set of UHP All Seasons OR summers + winters?

[MidLifeManifustang]

Toronto gets a lot of snowless days in the winter time, but it’s still quite a bit colder than the recommended minimum temperature for summer tires. Today, for instance, is well below freezing.

I want to drive my GT PP on the many winter days when the roads are bare and the salt has been rinsed away by some rain. (Besides bringing me joy, it would take the edge off the monthly payment that, for some reason, they don’t waive during months when the car is parked…)

In my place, would you:

1. sell the stock Pirelli P zeros and replace with a UHP all-season (e.g. Michelin PSAS 4) to drive year round, or
2. get a second set of rims and run a square setup of winters Nov-March, keep the P Zeros ‘t’il they wear out, then replace with better summer tires
3. (other suggestions?)

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[agreywolfe]

What I did with my 2010 back when I was living in New Hampshire. Stock wheels for winters, second set of larger wheels square setup, for UHP summers, swap out every November/April and rotate every swap to maximize life all around.

 

[JediMindTrix]

two sets of rims

What I did with my 2010 back when I was living in New Hampshire. Stock wheels for winters, second set of larger wheels square setup, for UHP summers, swap out every November/April and rotate every swap to maximize life all around.

This is the way. (pun aside also what I do)

 

[horned-toad]

UHP A/S aren't great in deep cold either. Winter tires for $300, Alex.

 

[Bikeman315]

You are on a website for enthusiasts. You're going to be told by just about everyone that for best overall performance year round go with dedicated winter tires on your stock wheels. Then get a second set of wheels with summer tires.

That said today's A/S tires are damn good. They are fine in cold weather and light snow. Higher levels of snow require winter tires. The A/S tire also provides excellent performance in warmer weather. How you use your car will give you a better idea if you are willing to make the tradeoff from summer to A/S.

 

[roadpilot]

If you don't experience lot of snow, I'd build a 'winter' set with AS tires and then have your summer tire setup for warmer months. I would not run a true "winter" tire, as (a) you're not driving in snow and ice and (b) they will wear out faster than AS tires.

 

[MidwayJ]

Either way can work depending on how you use the car. If you're going to occasionally do track days, autocross, highly spirited twisty road driving, etc., go with separate summer/winter setups. Otherwise, the UHP all seasons like the Michelin you mentioned (which come standard on C8 Vettes) should be fine.

However, if you go with separate winter/summer setups you'd be better off putting the winter tires on the stock wheels and buying wider wheels for the summer tires.

 

[MidLifeManifustang]

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies, everyone.

I had thought of the “put winters on stock rims and get wider wheels/tires for summer” option but had kinda ruled it out because winters in the stock PP staggered sizes are slim pickings (not to mention expensive) and wider wheels and tires for the summer, while no doubt the most badass-looking option, may be overkill for my use case. Oh, and… expensive.

But yeah, if money were no object, that is what I’d do, too.

 

[horned-toad]

had kinda ruled it out because winters in the stock PP staggered sizes

hmm, really? Pretty sure I saw a decent cross-section of 255/40/19 winter options. You could go down to 245 too. A bit stretched but 245-255/45 would be enough sidewall generally speaking.

I counted 5 or 9 options in suitable sizes.

 

[robvas]

Just run the front tire size all around on the winter wheels/tires

All-seasons = no-seasons

 

[MidLifeManifustang]

hmm, really? Pretty sure I saw a decent cross-section of 255/40/19 winter options. You could go down to 245 too. A bit stretched but 245/45 would be enough sidewall generally speaking.

Right, there’s better selection of 255 fronts than there is for the 275/40 19 rears. I’m not really interested in putting a narrower tire on the rear rims. (I like having a bit of curb rash buffer in the absence of a 360 camera setup).

 

[agreywolfe]

Right, there’s better selection of 255 fronts than there is for the 275/40 19 rears. I’m not really interested in putting a narrower tire on the rear rims. (I like having a bit of curb rash buffer in the absence of a 360 camera setup).

nothing wrong with not wanting to go narrow on the tires, just be aware that in heavy snow and ice conditions a wider tire will hurt more than it will help, you can offset that by putting a bunch of weight in your trunk, but a narrower tire will help as well in those conditions.

 

[MidLifeManifustang]

nothing wrong with not wanting to go narrow on the tires, just be aware that in heavy snow and ice conditions a wider tire will hurt more than it will help, you can offset that by putting a bunch of weight in your trunk, but a narrower tire will help as well in those conditions.

Oh I completely agree narrow tires can be beneficial in winter conditions. I just wouldn’t want to stretch a narrow tire on a wide rim.

 

[Zig]

If we’re gonna be forced to purchase Evs then the dreaded climate warming is occurring and winter tires aren’t required.

If you got the cash lying around two sets and simply need to endure the inconvenience of the swap and storage.

if you’re not pushing to the outer edges (performance wise) of the summer tire a set of all seasons may suffice, just gotta spend the summer wearing out the set that came with the car first.

 

[MidLifeManifustang]

if you’re not pushing to the outer edges (performance wise) of the summer tire a set of all seasons may suffice, just gotta spend the summer wearing out the set that came with the car first.

Yeah, I think I'm leaning towards this because as a first-time Mustang owner who's never owned a rear-drive performance-oriented car before, I'm not even sure what the outer edges are supposed to feel like yet. The speed demon part of me definitely wants to explore that and I figure if I keep the summer Pirellis at least until this fall, that will let me recalibrate the seat of my pants from the various grocery getters I've been flogging all my life.

Then it's a matter of figuring out if the difference in warm weather capability between a UHP all-season and the P-zeros is in a range that I'll actually use. I figure if squeal the Pirellis a bunch this summer and enjoy it, I'll buy a 255/40-19 square set of winters on appropriately-sized rims later this year. Otherwise, I'll save some dough and get UHP A/S donuts in stock sizes for the stock rims.

If anyone else has directly compared UHP A/S tires to summer tires of equivalent sizes on their own ride, I'd love to hear about your experience.

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