Ford's Tire Selection for the GT Performance Package

[cush]

Does anyone else think that Ford should offer different tire options on the GT PP?

I ask because the Pirellis that come with the PP have a warning to not use below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This may cause loss of traction, and may cause tire cracking.

They should offer UHP all season tires, for those states that have a winter, or any other state for that matter.

I live in Denver, and I've already made arrangements to dump the Pirellis as soon as I pick up my car. :shocked:

Sponsored

 

[Mustang Convert]

Is your dealer exchanging the tires? I've asked my dealer to do the same with my 20" wheels which also come with summer only tires. The dealer said they could probably do an even exchange and I'd only have to pay a nominal mounting and balancing fee. However, I don't know what the replacement tires would be at this point and won't know until I take delivery.

 

[TechnoBabble28]

No.

You are buying a sports car with an optional Performance Package to increase performance. Any optional package typically related to "sport" or "performance" usually equates to opting for Summer tires over a lesser performing all season. This is an industry standard practice.

 

[wjones14]

What kind of arrangements did you make?

If this car is a daily driver and you don't have a winter "beater," then I certainly can understand the need for all-season or winter tires. But just realize that all-season tires are a compromise - even the Ultra High Performance tires are not as good in the summer as summer-only tires, and not as good in the winter as winter tires.

If there's even a slight possibility you might take your car to the track someday, I would hold on to those tires so you can mount them for that day. All-season tires are crap on the track, and I know this first-hand.

 

[cush]

No.

You are buying a sports car with an optional Performance Package to increase performance. Any optional package typically related to "sport" or "performance" usually equates to opting for Summer tires over a lesser performing all season. This is an industry standard practice.

Interesting reply, so you don't think the buyer should have any choice except not to buy the package or possibly not buy the car....at least that's what it sounds like. Having a choice makes better business sense. BTW, there are all season tires out the with the same or even better traction and temperature ratings than the Pirellis that are provided, of course I can't verify their actual function without trying both.

 

[cush]

What kind of arrangements did you make?

If this car is a daily driver and you don't have a winter "beater," then I certainly can understand the need for all-season or winter tires. But just realize that all-season tires are a compromise - even the Ultra High Performance tires are not as good in the summer as summer-only tires, and not as good in the winter as winter tires.

If there's even a slight possibility you might take your car to the track someday, I would hold on to those tires so you can mount them for that day. All-season tires are crap on the track, and I know this first-hand.

The car is not intended to be a daily driver, but if I want to drive it on a cold day, I don't want to risk destroying $1300 set of tires, does that make any sense?

 

[cush]

Is your dealer exchanging the tires? I've asked my dealer to do the same with my 20" wheels which also come with summer only tires. The dealer said they could probably do an even exchange and I'd only have to pay a nominal mounting and balancing fee. However, I don't know what the replacement tires would be at this point and won't know until I take delivery.

The dealer say they are looking into a low cost swap, but they didn't seem too genuine.

 

[TechnoBabble28]

Interesting reply, so you don't think the buyer should have any choice except not to buy the package or possibly not buy the car....at least that's what it sounds like. Having a choice makes better business sense. BTW, there are all season tires out the with the same or even better traction and temperature ratings than the Pirellis that are provided, of course I can't verify their actual function without trying both.

From a business standpoint I understand the decision to only supply Summer tires with the PP. Traditionally, people buying the PP are looking for the best performance possible and if my thought process is correct I would assume that a tire designed for one purpose would perform better in those high performance environments (the track or drag strip) than a tire deigned for multiple uses.

Additionally, who's to say you'd agree with the All Season tires they decided to choose. If you had a bad experience with said All Season tire you'd want to change it anyway. Personally, i'd prefer to go with a tire of my choosing since most of us probably have a brand we favor.

Ultimately, Ford can't and won't make everyone happy. They are appealing to the public en masse. There has to be compromise somewhere.

 

[petraman]

Ford wants to give you the best experience they can for the money, which is why they went with Pirelli summer tires. All-seasons are compromises all year-round. They handle snow marginally better than summers, even the performance-oriented all seasons will get left in the dust by summers... if you're buying a car for performance, it shouldn't be a second thought. Winter tires and wheels are $800... Considering that you're buying a $40k sports car, that should be a drop in the bucket.

I agree, though... The Pirellis are not the right choice. Ford should have went with Pilot Super Sports

 

[Todd15Fastback]

Ford should have went with Pilot Super Sports

+1 million!!!!!

 

[cush]

+1 million!!!!!

 

[Thed]

Or Pilot Sport Cups.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Winter tires and wheels are $800... Considering that you're buying a $40k sports car, that should be a drop in the bucket.

I'd love to see where you're finding winter tires and wheels that fit the PP cars for $800. Tire Rack's setups are around $3,000.

 

[petraman]

Ok, that's for the ST, so maybe the Mustang is a bit different... but definitely not $2200 different. That's what I paid for Michelin X-Ice tires and Momo alloy wheels (actually, come to think of it, I think it was more around $900). Got them through discount tire.

:edit:

I didn't take into account that cars with the performance package need 19" wheels to clear the brakes... so yeah, I guess that would be a lot more expensive.

 

[ColdFyre22]

Interesting reply, so you don't think the buyer should have any choice except not to buy the package or possibly not buy the car....at least that's what it sounds like. Having a choice makes better business sense. BTW, there are all season tires out the with the same or even better traction and temperature ratings than the Pirellis that are provided, of course I can't verify their actual function without trying both.

I believe is you are opting to purchase the car with a special performance package then it should have performance tires on it. Hell most agree that the Pirelli's it brings aren't as good a performance tire as they should be at that. You should have a set of snow tires for the winter, or another set of wheels with snow tires for the winter.

Sponsored