Topic: Tire Suggestions, 2015 Mustang Ecoboost Convertible

[Thinking Out Loud]

Hi everyone!

Our 'toy' became an all season vehicle with the demise of our family van/hauler just before winter.  I was able to source reasonable winter rubber on 18" alloy rims on Kijiji *whew*.

The switch of course has resulted in a much more 'comfortable' ride over the stock 19" 255/40 Pirelli P Zero performance rubber the car came with.

Appreciating that the softer winter rubber and greater sidewall has added to the 'comfort', I am looking for suggestions for replacing the Pirellis with a 19" all season tire that (hopefully) will ride less harshly.  So:

1)  is the primary issue the profile, regardless of the rubber, meaning new 18" rims?
2)  would 19" 'touring' tires be that much softer than the P Zeros?
3)  what tire suggestions would you suggest (excluding HERCULES!!! brand)

Many thanks!

ToL
 

[kings10]

I think the reduced sidewall height is most of the problem.  I go with the stock 18" Pirelli P Zeros on my car for the first and last few weeks of the driving season and they ride much better than the 19" summer setup I have (BFGoodrich Sport Comp-2). My Pirellis are all seasons though, I'm not sure what variant of P Zeros you have.  There probably is some ride benefit to be found going from a summer performance tire to a touring tire, but I think the profile plays the biggest role. 

[Thinking Out Loud]

Thanks, kings10! 

I've seen aftermarket rims similar to the black rims that came with the performance package in 18's, I may have to go down a size then and look more for touring. I was on an Ecoboost Mustang forum and there seemed to be a general dislike of the PZeros and people were swapping them out.

Also, I just found that unless the Pirellis get hot they just always seemed slippery. This is the 19's the car came with, rim style:

[me_2]

I have no experience with them but I was thinking to look closely next winter to buy a set of rims...
http://www.rwcwheels.com

As about summer tires, I like Michelin but again, no experience with PS 4S..
https://www.michelin.ca/en/tires/pilot/pilot-sport-4s.html#tireVersions ?

[ChaosphereIX]

comfy all seasons for a performance vehicle? Michelin AS3+ would be my bet. They are supposed to stick as good as a summer in the dry, and can handle cold better.

[blur911]

I have Goodyear Eagle LS2 on my Cayenne, they are available in your size and thoroughly unremarkable.   Might be what you're looking for.   
Rebates are coming up at the start of April.

[HeliDriver]

comfy all seasons for a performance vehicle? Michelin AS3+ would be my bet. They are supposed to stick as good as a summer in the dry, and can handle cold better.

I have AS3+ on my GTI and like them, but I don’t know that I’d call them comfy. They’re a true performance tire, IMO. They actually seem to have a stiffer sidewall than the max performance summer tires I had on previously (Conti ExtremeContact DW.)

I’d recommend them to someone looking for 3-season performance, but probably not to someone whose priority is comfort.

[Thinking Out Loud]

I have no experience with them but I was thinking to look closely next winter to buy a set of rims...
http://www.rwcwheels.com

As about summer tires, I like Michelin but again, no experience with PS 4S..
https://www.michelin.ca/en/tires/pilot/pilot-sport-4s.html#tireVersions ?

Thank you, me_2!  I'll check out the websites!

[rrocket]

I have no experience with them but I was thinking to look closely next winter to buy a set of rims...
http://www.rwcwheels.com

As about summer tires, I like Michelin but again, no experience with PS 4S..
https://www.michelin.ca/en/tires/pilot/pilot-sport-4s.html#tireVersions ?

Thank you, me_2!  I'll check out the websites!

Go to Tirerack and check out tires under Grand Touring All Season.

[Thinking Out Loud]

comfy all seasons for a performance vehicle? Michelin AS3+ would be my bet. They are supposed to stick as good as a summer in the dry, and can handle cold better.

Thanks Chaos....yes, strange I know.   I would be happy with just more grip over the existing rubber, but as my wife is using the Mustang in replacement of driving the dearly departed van she'd been feeling more 'in control' with the softer ride.  FWIW I know the all season or touring tires will still be stiffer than the marshmallow winter shoes.

We call it the 'worlds fastest grocery-getter' LOL!

[Thinking Out Loud]

I have Goodyear Eagle LS2 on my Cayenne, they are available in your size and thoroughly unremarkable.   Might be what you're looking for.   
Rebates are coming up at the start of April.

Thanks blur!  I'll put them on my price shopping list, and timing sounds good for rebates.

[Thinking Out Loud]

comfy all seasons for a performance vehicle? Michelin AS3+ would be my bet. They are supposed to stick as good as a summer in the dry, and can handle cold better.

I have AS3+ on my GTI and like them, but I don’t know that I’d call them comfy. They’re a true performance tire, IMO. They actually seem to have a stiffer sidewall than the max performance summer tires I had on previously (Conti ExtremeContact DW.)

I’d recommend them to someone looking for 3-season performance, but probably not to someone whose priority is comfort.

Appreciate your feedback, Helidriver! 

[Thinking Out Loud]

I have no experience with them but I was thinking to look closely next winter to buy a set of rims...
http://www.rwcwheels.com

As about summer tires, I like Michelin but again, no experience with PS 4S..
https://www.michelin.ca/en/tires/pilot/pilot-sport-4s.html#tireVersions ?

Thank you, me_2!  I'll check out the websites!

Go to Tirerack and check out tires under Grand Touring All Season.

Thanks rrocket!  Was there recently, they have a lot of detail and are great at explaining UTQG and other rating sources.  Amazing how few touring tires they have in 19" vs  18" (like 13 vs 30).  Not surprising because 19"'s on a Mustang are supposed to be more performance oriented, I appreciate.

[EV Dan]

If you need them to be quiet and comfy all season tires, add General RT43 to your list. One of my fam members has them and I was genuinely surprised how much quieter the car has got when switched from stock all-seasons. RT43s also score highly on consumer report charts.

P.s. obviously 18" will ride better. Also the tire speed rating affects the ride quality, that is tires rated for higher speeds will typically have firmer side walls. In case of your Mustang I'd stick with the factory number, mainly because high speed rated tires will have better steering response.

[dirtyjeffer]

If you need them to be quiet and comfy all season tires, add General RT43 to your list. One of my fam members has them and I was genuinely surprised how much quieter the car has got when switched from stock all-seasons. RT43s also score highly on consumer report charts.

i can vouch for the RT43 tires...i too read many positive reviews before buying and have been quite pleased with their performance...wet performance also seems to be decent, and if you get a bit of snow out before you put your winter rubber on, they actually are pretty decent...no, not winter tire decent, but it's not like you lose all grip when you get 1 cm of snow.

[Thinking Out Loud]

If you need them to be quiet and comfy all season tires, add General RT43 to your list. One of my fam members has them and I was genuinely surprised how much quieter the car has got when switched from stock all-seasons. RT43s also score highly on consumer report charts.

P.s. obviously 18" will ride better. Also the tire speed rating affects the ride quality, that is tires rated for higher speeds will typically have firmer side walls. In case of your Mustang I'd stick with the factory number, mainly because high speed rated tires will have better steering response.

Thank you, EV Dan!  I'll also look to ensure it has the appropriate speed rating.

[Thinking Out Loud]

If you need them to be quiet and comfy all season tires, add General RT43 to your list. One of my fam members has them and I was genuinely surprised how much quieter the car has got when switched from stock all-seasons. RT43s also score highly on consumer report charts.

i can vouch for the RT43 tires...i too read many positive reviews before buying and have been quite pleased with their performance...wet performance also seems to be decent, and if you get a bit of snow out before you put your winter rubber on, they actually are pretty decent...no, not winter tire decent, but it's not like you lose all grip when you get 1 cm of snow.

Thank you dirtyjeffer….good to hear a second vouch for the Generals!!

[tortoise]

Do you like the look of your winter alloys? 

If yes, why not get a set of A/S tires for them and run the wheels year round? Just swap tires in the fall/spring.

If/when the Mustang returns to toy status you call put the 19's back on.

[Thinking Out Loud]

Do you like the look of your winter alloys? 

If yes, why not get a set of A/S tires for them and run the wheels year round? Just swap tires in the fall/spring.

If/when the Mustang returns to toy status you call put the 19's back on.

Hi Tortoise - the rims are nice (would have to plasti-dip them black but that's cheap). 

Excellent idea, about swapping rubber.  I was told (perhaps incorrectly) that repeated mounting and dismounting of tires isn't good as it could eventually result in reduction in seating of the tire to the rim. 

If that is an old wive's tale, you've saved me the cost of 3-season rims

[tortoise]

There's probably some truth to it, but if you're only running then for 4 seasons or so you should be fine.