Buying New 2018 GT PP1 - Seasonal Wheel/Tire Questions

[FatBurritoEater]

I had a deal setup for a new 2018 GT non-PP 301A, but am now considering between spending an extra $1900 or so to get the PP1 301A (I lose NAV, security package, and mini-spare in that exchange as well, none of which I care too much about)

I am leaning towards getting the PP1. It comes with the Michelin PS4s, and because I will be daily driving in Pennsylvania and making a few short trips to western NY, they would have to come off pretty much immediately.

I am looking to buy a set of SVE Drift 19x9.5 wheels to have two swappable sets. Given that one set is going to be dedicated to the cold/winter months, should I buy a set of 255/40/19 all season tires as opposed to replicating the staggered 255/40/19 & 275/40/19 on the OEM wheels? I've read that narrower tires work better in the event of any snow on the ground (which will be relatively rare for me in PA).

I'm considering getting the Blizzaks to be on the safer side, but this may be overkill on price and dry performance hit given how little of the time I will actually be driving with snow on the roads. Maybe Michelin A/S3 or Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS would do the trick?

I would be interested in any experiences others have in this department in terms of tire size and type. For the sake of this thread, let's assume that buying a second vehicle just for the cold months is not an option. Thanks!

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[2015Etrac]

I run 275/40/19 Michelin A/S 3+ year round on a set of 19x10 SVE R350 wheels in PA. They work great in the summer and winter and are more than enough tire for street driving in my N/A car. I would keep the stock wheels/tires for track days or for when you really plan to push the car, however, I've heard the Michelin 4s work well even in cooler temps, much better than the Pirelli's did, so you might be able to run them all winter? I wouldn't get snow tires.

 

[Hack]

I personally would buy winter tires over all season tires, but I always want the most grip possible. There is never a day that I drive the car and think that I have too much grip. And my winter tires have lasted quite a while. I had them on my 2011 GT, then on my 2015 GT and now they are on my 2016.

Of course the summer tires wear out a lot more quickly.

 

[VinnAY]

Id only differentiate on what you expect as far as snow on the ground to which way you go, an A/S or a winter/snow/ice tire.

 

[sdiver68]

My summer set up is square 275/40 on 19x10. I purchased 2 like new take offs to match the MP4S on the rear from the factory.

I opted to stay with factory PP1 staggered wheel sizing (275r/255f) and Michelin AS3+ for winter tires. Since the wheels arent the same, there is no possibility of 4 way rotation. The actual footprint difference will be negligible if you are hoping for the skinny tire in slippery conditions effect.

I got tired of running all the handling and NVH compromises of Blizzaks for 4 months and 2-5 days on average I actually might want to drive on snow. Agree with above, determine how much will you actually need to drive on snow and it should guide you to the right answer.

 

[sdiver68]

I personally would buy winter tires over all season tires, but I always want the most grip possible. There is never a day that I drive the car and think that I have too much grip. And my winter tires have lasted quite a while. I had them on my 2011 GT, then on my 2015 GT and now they are on my 2016.

Tires expire, 5 yrs from DOT stamp is the longest I would run a tire. Its hard to reconcile wanting maximum grip running 7-8 yr old tires.

 

[VinnAY]

I got tired of running all the handling and NVH compromises of Blizzaks for 4 months and 2-5 days on average I actually might want to drive on snow. Agree with above, determine how much will you actually need to drive on snow and it should guide you to the right answer.

That was exactly how I ended up just dealing with winter on an A/S, I had a set of Xi3 (excellent tire) but the handling compromise was just too much when I really only needed that capability a couple days out of the year.

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