Winter Wheels and Tires

[Glockshna]

Just picked up a minty new 2019 GT PP1 and quickly realized the tires that come on the PP1 are not going to cut it in the winter. I'm pretty sure we're through the worst of it this year, but I'd like to start budgeting for a full set of wheels and tires that I can swap to next year. If anyone else has done the same, what would you recommend? I'm hoping to get it done for under 2000 depending on how spendy I get with the rims.

For the wheels I was looking at these:
https://www.cjponyparts.com/voxx-gt...heel-19-x9-5-gloss-black-2005-2019/p/W1028-V/ ~$680 for a set of 4
https://www.americanmuscle.com/gt350-black-19x85-1517.html ~$720 set of 4

On the more spendy side
https://lmr.com/item/WK-177902A/mustang-sve-r350-wheel-kit-black-19x10-15-17 ~$1000
https://lmr.com/item/WK-188913A/sve-mustang-sp2-wheel-kit-19x10-11-gloss-graphite-15-19 ~$1200
If I were to get either of these I'd use the PP wheels during the winter and these during summer most likely.

The thing I'm not too sure on is tires.

I was looking at these:
https://www.michelinman.com/tire/michelin/x-ice-xi3/245-45-r19-102-h--dir-bsw ~$1060 set of 4
https://www.michelinman.com/tire/michelin/pilot-sport-a-s-3-plus/245-45-zr19-98-y--asy-bsw ~$940 set of 4

I don't know if a full winter tire is the best choice for my needs. I live in Virginia so it never really gets below about 25 degrees and full snow/ice only happens 3 or 4 times a year.

Really just looking for input on what you guys have done. I've never bought wheels and tires before other than just replacing my tires with whatever my local shop recommended when the time came. This will be the first car I've ever had any interest in doing anything to.

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[moarhorsepower]

I always recommend a full winter tire. Personally, I'm running the Nokian Hakkapeliitta's. I'm only a little more north (in NJ). But the reason why I always recommend them is that in colder weather (and in the cases of snow/ice), they really can be the difference between being able to stop or avoid an accident or not. There's plenty of tests done comparing all-seasons to winter tires out there to show the difference.

 

[BmacIL]

If you're going to have a dedicated winter set, I would get some performance winters for your situation rather than the full on studless ice/snow category. They'll have much better dry road feel than a more serious snow tire, but will still have a lot more grip than an AS.

I would not go wider than a 9" wheel as you'll generally want to be on a 245-255 section tire for winter. Wide tires don't cut through snow well.

 

[VinnAY]

I liked the XI3 when I had them, recommended. Though I only needed them in a typical winter maybe 7 days total, one year all I used was an A/S. Totally dependent on your weather. This year has been worse but I still got by, by waiting a half day for plow activity, just fine with an A/S.
With the XI3 though I hated driving on that tire every other day I had it on the car. Not a bad tire by any stretch of the imagination just handling was atrocious for a Mustang GT/PP, in the dry and like I said I came to realize that I didn't need that kind of tire for the weather I had. Car was a PITA to drive with that tire in just cold/dry conditions.

I sized in the 245/45/19 on a cheap Moda wheel and I'd hot swap them in my garage when I thought I'd need them.

 

[Glockshna]

I would not go wider than a 9" wheel as you'll generally want to be on a 245-255 section tire for winter. Wide tires don't cut through snow well.

Hmm, I never thought about wheel width in snow being an issue, but when you frame it that way that makes sense. I was even thinking wider would be better, more surface area to grip, but that'd be more surface area for the snow to support the weight of the car, instead of cutting down to the pavement.

Thanks for that tidbit.

I liked the XI3 when I had them, recommended. Though I only needed them in a typical winter maybe 7 days total, one year all I used was an A/S. Totally dependent on your weather. This year has been worse but I still got by, by waiting a half day for plow activity, just fine with an A/S.
With the XI3 though I hated driving on that tire every other day I had it on the car. Not a bad tire by any stretch of the imagination just handling was atrocious for a Mustang GT/PP, in the dry and like I said I came to realize that I didn't need that kind of tire for the weather I had. Car was a PITA to drive with that tire in just cold/dry conditions.

I sized in the 245/45/19 on a cheap Moda wheel and I'd hot swap them in my garage when I thought I'd need them.

Yeah I'm leaning on the side of the a/s rather than the XI3, just seems like overkill for Virginia. It would be a very rare occasion that I actually have to drive on anything more than a quarter inch of anything. A/s will probably handle that perfectly fine, while being drivable during normal conditions.

 

[BmacIL]

Hmm, I never thought about wheel width in snow being an issue, but when you frame it that way that makes sense. I was even thinking wider would be better, more surface area to grip, but that'd be more surface area for the snow to support the weight of the car, instead of cutting down to the pavement.

Thanks for that tidbit.



Yeah I'm leaning on the side of the a/s rather than the XI3, just seems like overkill for Virginia. It would be a very rare occasion that I actually have to drive on anything more than a quarter inch of anything. A/s will probably handle that perfectly fine, while being drivable during normal conditions.

You're probably fine with something like the Conti DWS 06 or Pilot Sport AS3+. What I was suggesting is a tire like the Bridgestone LM-32, Pirelli Sottozero or Pilot Alpin PA4. Those are performance winters and definitely are more dry road focused than the Xi3 or WS80 Blizzak.

 

[VinnAY]

I get by perfectly fine with the Mustang and now my Camaro on the BFG Comp2 A/S

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