Review: Michelin Pilot A/S Plus Tires on a 2005 Mustang GT

When I purchased my 2005 Mustang GT, one of the first modifications I decided to go with was a nice shiny set of black chrome Bullitt-styled 18-inch rims. Along with that came the required purchase of some tires to pair with these gems. I weighed my options and went with a set of 255/45 ZR18 summer tires, as my car is only in use from the time the snow melts until the threat of winter looms.

I really got my money’s worth out of those tires because nine years and 40,000 miles later, it was time to say goodbye to those old friends and get some new rubber. I was impressed by my old set of tires, and was really reluctant to give anything else a try. Mustang owners know what they like and are sometimes a bit hesitant to try something new.

Price, performance and value — these are three things at the forefront of our minds when buying ANY part we are putting in or on our vehicles.
Enter a set of Michelin Pilot A/S Plus tires in the same 255/45ZR18 size I’ve used on my 18-inch rims since day one. These tires are marketed as an Ultra High Performance (UHP) All-Season tire with a high-mileage warranty. Most of Michelin’s UHPs are warrantied for 30,000 km. These are warrantied to 70,000 km. With the higher mileage warranty, I was wondering if the tire itself would be leaning toward the all-season aspects and less toward UHP. Could it really be the best of both worlds?

From the moment the tires were on the car I could feel a massive difference between my older set (even when new) and the Pilot A/S Plus tires.
The road noise produced by these tires on the highway was much quieter than my older tires, even in their infancy, let alone when they were near the end of their days. The feeling they produce is a softer and more connected feeling to the road.

The drawback of summer-only tires is how they react to lower temperatures. With the Pilot A/S Plus being an all-season tire, it exhibits none of those drawbacks. At an average temperature of 60 degrees the week the tires were put on, and dipping to 48 degrees in the mornings, the grip and confidence I had in the car was unreal. My old tires were borderline scary at 50°F and below … like driving on wet rocks.

On slightly spirited starts, I’d just goose the pedal, receive a slight chirp, and I was given a nicely planted launch up to legal speed limits (wink-wink). The tires grip better than I anticipated, and their dry capabilities on the street are great. The cornering, steering response, acceleration, and braking are several notches above my expectations.

Their wet response is almost as good as their dry response. Where these tires excel over my previous set is in their wet handling characteristics. Their ability to handle water is a big plus in my book. I don’t drive in the rain often, but when I do, these tires make me feel like I’m a better driver than I am.

Unfortunately, I can’t comment about the snow characteristics of these tires. My car only sees three seasons: spring, “construction” and fall. With the amount of snow we get in the snow belt of Ontario, Canada, a winter tire is a must.

I’ve put about 1,250 miles on these tires, and I can honestly say I’m impressed. I was hesitant at getting Ultra High Performance All-Season tires, but they have surpassed every expectation. I’ll be curious to see if they can live up to their high miles and still maintain their strengths.

For an almost everyday driver like my car, they really are the best of both worlds.

Images and Text by The Mustang Source Forum Member “Boomer”