The Best Tires for Mustang: Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to muscle cars, the Ford Mustang is the most famous of them all. Thanks in large part to Steve McQueen’s Bullitt, the Mustang became an instant American icon. It’s still the penultimate pony car that combines brute power, everyday usability, and a modicum of practicality. It’s easy to see why the Ford Mustang still lives in the pantheon of American performance cars. What’s not easy is choosing the right Mustang tires.

However, we’re here to help. Our list of the best tires for Ford Mustang is composed of well-known OEM brands along with more affordable alternatives. We understand not all Ford Mustangs are tuned for the track or racing applications. We know a lot of people who buy Mustangs for the looks and nostalgia alone, and yet they drive their muscle cars daily. If this is the case, why waste money on best summer tires or best performance tires?

What are the best tires for Mustang?

Forget about the brand cache for a while. What’s more important is knowing the right type of Mustang tires. If you’re an aggressive driver who likes to drive fast, you should settle for nothing less than high-performance or ultra-high-performance (UHP) all-season tires. Most trim levels of the Mustang are equipped with best performance tires, and rightfully so. The Mustang is a muscle car, and it needs outstanding grip levels of an expensive UHP tire.

However, there’s a catch. If your Mustang is a daily driver and you treat it like an ordinary family car, there’s no need for UHP tires. In fact, you’re all good with grand touring all-season tires. Make sure to choose ‘grand touring’ and not ‘touring’ since the former is better suited for muscle cars. Ordinary touring tires are best suited for minivans or compact sedans.

Of course, snow and cold weather demands a proper set of snow tires for Mustang. And for racing, dragstrip, or high-performance applications, only best summer tires will do, but only if you really need them. Summer tires are not only expensive, but they wear faster than all-season rubber. Best summer tires have fantastic grip, but they need heat to perform at higher levels.

Here’s our list of the top 12 best tires for Mustang, the best-rated tires ones in the market.

The best OEM tires for Ford Mustang

1. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+

The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is an ultra-high performance all-season tire. This tire is specifically created for sports coupes and high-end sports cars. It offers the complete package in terms of all-weather traction, comfort, steering feel, and precise handling. And as such, it demands a higher price tag than most tires. Starting at less than $250 each in 19-inch diameters, this is not a cheap tire, to begin with. But expect to pay lower prices for 17 and 18-inch wheels, which are standard on the Mustang EcoBoost and Mustang GT.

But we’re talking about a Mustang here, and it’s a muscle car that needs good Mustang tires to perform admirably. The Pilot Sport A/S3+ is engineered to provide Michelin’s highest level of ultra-high all-season performance. The tread design and construction is aimed at providing the highest level of dry road handling and wet grip along with balanced snow performance.

And with that being said, this Mustang tires is only good for light to moderate snow, and it only does so when the treads are still fresh. But with Michelin’s advanced Helio+ Technology, the rubber remains pliable in both extreme and cold. The formula is utilized with silica and sunflower oil. The asymmetric tread design shares the familiar DNA of Michelin’s flagship Pilot Sport with rigid blocks and dense outer shoulders. This alone means the tire is tuned for aggressive handling and fast cornering all-season long.

All in all, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+ is a high-tech tire for the high-tech world. If you have a newer S-197 or S-550 Mustang, this is one of the best OEM choices in the tire world. But even if you have an older SN-95 Fox Mustang, this tire will improve the overall handling and road feel of your ride. These are a top pick for the best tires for Mustang.

2. Continental Extreme Contact DWS06

How about another hi-tech tire but with a lower price? Check out the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06. The DWS stands for Dry, Wet, and Snow. This Ford Mustang tires is fitted with unique DWS indicators in the tread. If the entire DWS letters are present, it means the tire is good for dry, wet, and snow roads. If the S fades away, the remaining treads are still excellent in dry and wet. And when the W fades, it simply means the tire is only good in the dry.

It’s a unique feature designed for Mustang drivers in changing weather conditions. But aside from the gimmicks, the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 is a great tire for the Mustang. The aggressive asymmetrical tread design is perfect for the Mustang’s sporty and bold stance. The tire is constructed from a patented formula with silica and +Saline additives. This formula enhances wet handling and lowers the rolling resistance of the rubber. It’s a high-performance tire with the benefits of touring rubber. This is an excellent choice if you like going fast in your ‘Stang, but it also offers a quiet and comfortable ride all throughout.

Continental’s Extreme Contact WDS06 features an outboard shoulder with macro blocks to enhance cornering and responsiveness. The central independent tread blocks have x-sipes with high-angle cross grooves to enhance traction over wet or snowy roads. The inboard shoulder blocks enhance water dispersion to increase hydroplaning resistance.

This is one of our favorite tires for the Ford Mustang. It not only looks good, but it performs just as well while still costing less.

3. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS tires is another example of the best tires for Mustang. Bridgestone is one of the most trusted brands in the tire world. We personally like Bridgestone rubber but are often swayed by cheaper tire choices, but that shouldn’t be the case. But if only Bridgestone tires were less expensive, we’ll choose it over more exotic tire brands.

However, the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is not as expensive as the Michelin and Continental. It’s also not the most stylish choice, too, but don’t let noise-optimized asymmetric tread pattern fool you. While this Ford Mustang tires has the DNA of a touring tire, it provides the grip levels of a summer tire. The Potenza RE980AS is engineered to meet the demands of sports cars and sporty coupes looking for high-speed endurance and year-round handling.

This tire comes with chamfered lateral slots to improve the contact patch. The treads are equipped with full-depth 3D sipes that interlock to maintain tread stability. This feature improves handling, traction, and stability in all-weather driving. As the sipes lock together, more rubber is touching the pavement. This also means better and stronger braking.

The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS also features interconnected grooves and tread pattern slots. The design is optimized to enhance water dispersion as the tire rolls over rainy, muddy, or snowy pavement. This Ford Mustang tires is essentially a multi-talented performer that excels in any type of weather condition, and we like it for that.

4. Dunlop Signature HP

Dunlop’s Signature HP tires are ideal for high-performance sedans and powerful muscle cars. It’s a tire for the aggressive driver who demands all-season handling and stylish looks. The asymmetric tread design is equipped with broad outboard shoulder block with intermediate and center ribs. Everything is arranged to improve cornering, high-speed stability, and accurate steering, most especially at higher vehicle speeds.

The inboard rib and shoulder of the tire feature independent tread blocks to assist water evacuation. The blade pattern in the outboard shoulder increases the amount of biting edges to offer excellent traction over wet, icy, snowy, or slippery roads.

But if there’s something special about the Dunlop Signature HP, it has to be winter performance. It performs quite well over the lightly snowy pavement. The rubber remains pliable to find grip on the most demanding roads or weather conditions. It even comes with built-in rim guards to protect your Mustang’s precious wheels from accidental curb damage.

However, there’s a bit of concern when choosing the best tires for Mustang are: the price. The Dunlop Signature HP is almost as expensive as the Continental and Michelin tires above. If only it were in the same price bracket as the Bridgestone, things could be different. But for what it’s worth, Dunlop’s Signature HP is still a compelling choice for your Ford Mustang.

5. BFGoodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S

According to some die-hard Mustang fanatics, an American muscle car needs an American set of tires. The BFGoodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S is one of the best Mustang tires at a friendlier price. It starts at a lower base price than all the tires above this list, but it still manages to look good while having forceful traction in all-weather driving.

BFGoodrich’s G-Force Comp-2 A/S is engineered for high-performance sedans, powerful muscle cars, and exhilarating sports coupes. According to BFGoodrich, this is their best ultra-high performance tire for all-season driving, and they’re not lying when they say that. It fulfills the ABCs of high-performance driving: Accelerate faster, Brake shorter, and have more Control.

The tire is constructed using a high-silica cold-weather flexing compound. The rubber is molded to form a delicious V-shaped directional tread design. The treads are equipped with longitudinal and angled lateral grooves to enhance grip over the wet or snowy pavement. The tire also has squared-off shoulders and wraparound tread blocks to offer more rigidity and longer wear in high-performance driving.

But most of all, these BFGoodrich tires offer long-distance touring comfort, better fuel economy, and less road noise. These are the hallmarks of an American car, and it perfectly suits the attributes of this magnificent Mustang tires.

6. Yokohama Advan Sport A/S

The Advan name is synonymous with Yokohama’s racing tire program. The Advan Sport A/S is an ultra-high performance tire for all-season driving. It even gives the BFGoodrich a serious run for the money and costs less than all the entries above. But even at a lower price point, this tire sacrifices none in terms of all-weather performance and sporty handling. 

This tire is constructed from a silica and polymer-enriched tread compound. The compound is engineered to maintain a higher level of pliability in extremely cold weather. This gives the tire advanced levels of traction and grip over cold, snowy, rainy, or slippery pavement. This advanced tread compound also combines all-season handling with longer wear.

The Yokohama Advan Sport A/S is equipped with an asymmetric tread pattern with extra-large outboard shoulder blocks to improve lateral stability and handling. With circumferential grooves and streaming Z-grooves, this Mustang tires has enough biting edges to claw over light or moderate snow. The inboard serpentine grooves evacuate as much liquid from the contact patch to maintain consistent traction over inclement weather conditions.

As an added bonus, Yokohama managed to infuse some comfort and refinement in the Advan Sport A/S. It’s like a touring tire with the benefits of performance rubber without costing an arm and a leg.

7. Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

Rounding up our list of best OEM tires for Ford Mustang is the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate. This tire is perfectly suited to modern muscle cars and high-performance sports sedans. It offers excellent high-speed traction and sporty handling in both dry and wet pavements. However, it also manages to offer a steady grip over demanding surfaces like snow or ice.

This tire is constructed using a high-silica tread compound. With an asymmetric five-rib tread pattern and an innovative tread block design, the tire maintains an even footprint to increase road contact during hard acceleration and braking. The wide lateral notches and four circumferential grooves are responsible for evacuating water from the contact patch. This feature ensures better handling and stability in all-season, all-weather driving.

But there’s a catch: it’s almost as expensive as the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+. But then again, you get a ton features for the price, not to mention the solid reliability that comes with the Goodyear name.

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The best cheap tires for Ford Mustang

Are you looking for affordable the best tires for Mustang that are designed to deliver a comfortable, quiet, and enjoyable ride? But are you working on a tight budget? Here are the best cheap tires for the Ford Mustang recommended for you.

8. Kumho Ecsta PA51

Despite the lower price, Kumho’s Ecsta PA51 remains an excellent ultra-high performance all-season tire. It combines sporty handling with all-season grip to deliver year-round driving pleasure. Kumho utilized an all-season, high-grip, and high-stiffness tread compound in the Ecsta PA51. The unique formula provides effective dry handling and impressive traction over the slippery pavement.

With an asymmetric tread design with variable-pitch tread blocks, the tire offers exhilarating traction and sporty good looks. The tire also comes with zigzag inboard grooves with full-depth sipes to provide the necessary biting edges as the tire rolls over snowy or icy roads. What you basically have here is a sporty tire that offers good comfort in all-season driving. Not bad for the low price.

9. Yokohama Avid Ascend GT

Yokohama’s Avid Ascend GT is a grand touring all-season tire, which means prioritizing comfort and longer wear over all-out sporty performance. And with that, the Yokohama Avid Ascend also happens to offer a compelling price point. This is an excellent tire for daily driven muscle cars who want lasting comfort and excellent all-season performance. 

The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is equipped with an asymmetric tread pattern with adaptive outside shoulder blocks and an optimized pitch sequence. While this design improves handling and stability, it also manages to silence road noise without upsetting ride comfort and steady grip. The tire even comes with triple 3D sipes and notched tread blocks for additional biting edges as the tire rolls over water, ice, or snow.

Most of all, you can expect better fuel economy and lasting performance with the Yokohama Avid Ascend. If you have a base EcoBoost or a daily-driven Mustang, this is the best tire for the job.

10. General Altimax RT43

The General Altimax RT43 is a moderately sporting grand touring tire. It’s not meant for the dragstrip or for intense high-speed cornering, but it performs quite well over normal roads. General utilized a twin cushion silica tread compound in the Altimax RT43. The tire has a high-density all-season top compound to provide steady year-round traction. On the other hand, the low-density foundation underneath the top compound is responsible for absorbing noise, vibrations, and road harshness. 

The symmetric tread design features a continuous center rib with independent tread blocks. With a plethora of circumferential grooves and General’s exclusive anti-slip sipe design, this Ford Mustang tires is expected to perform well over snowy, icy, wet, or slippery pavement.

If you want your Mustang to have a refined, comfortable, and quiet ride, take a closer look at the General Altimax RT43.

11. Kumho Solus TA71

The Kumho Solus is also a grand touring all-season tire. It combines superior comfort with responsive handling and all-weather capabilities. The Kumho Solus TA71 is constructed from a nano-silica compound. It enables the rubber to remain pliable even in extremely cold weather. The tire also comes with angled snow sipes and four circumferential grooves to offer better traction and stability over slippery road surfaces. The Kumho Solus TA71 is not a performance tire. However, it manages to act like one as long as you don’t push it. It’s a great and affordable tire choice for your Ford Mustang.

12. Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring

The Cooper CS5 is one of our favorite low-cost grand touring tires. It delivers a smooth and quiet ride with responsive handling and sporty levels of traction. The Cooper CS5 is equipped with an asymmetric tread pattern with independent tread blocks. The tire also comes with interlocking tread elements on the tread blocks to offer better handling and better high-speed stability.

The tire even comes with broader outer shoulders for responsive and accurate steering. The center ribs and inboard shoulder of the tire has a higher sipe density for better wet and snow traction. With full-depth 3D micro-gauge siping throughout the tire’s footprint, your Mustang is destined to handle better while still having a comfortable and silent ride. Like the other best cheap tires in this list, the Cooper CS5 is not meant for point-and-shoot driving. But in everyday driving, it’s hard to beat.

Conclusion

The best tires for Mustang are those with sporty handling, excellent all-weather traction, and a relatively comfortable ride. As proven by the tires in this list, you don’t need to spend tons of money for a great set of Mustang tires.