[xxxBlakexxx]

I recently did some pretty extensive research on tires for my Mustang (2000 GT Conv). My car wears 245/25/17's. I fond a lot of good information and I wanted to share my results with you.

As the old Michelin commercials used to say "You have a lot riding on your tires." When it comes to tires, "this is where the rubber meets the road." Does no good if you have all the power in the world, if you can't get the car to reliably transfer that power to the road and be able to drive in conditions where you live.

Obviously, some drivers feel very strongly about the tires they use or should not use...and, like anything else, cost is a factor.

So, as a result of the comments that I received either on another message board or via emails AND my own research, I have come up with the following top picks for Mustang owners. I literally read dozens and dozens of reviews from mustang owners(you would think I have nothing better to do, but hey, it's fun and it only costs me sleep).

My car has 245/45/17's so I only have listed tires that are avialable in this size. Also, the prices that I have given are for this size only but can be used for price comparison. These prices are sort of an average and do not include freight, tax, or installation. I have only included ultra-high performance tires that are considered summer tires with one exception. I listed this last tire, because the reviews were so high for this tire, that I felt it deserved to be mentioned. This particular tire is an "all season tire" and might be a great choice for someone, like your son.

So here are "My Top Picks" (listed in order of price):

1 - Kumho ECSTA Supra $89.00
Reviews for this tire were exceptionally high! There were many surprised users especially when considering price. Great dry and wet traction. Also, many users were impressed with longevity. Many reported 25-30k miles on a set. F-1 style tread pattern with aqua line running down the center (may not be appealling to some).

2 - Sumitomo HTRZ II - $102
Reviews for this tire are very similar to the Kumhos. Gorgeous tread pattern and very quite tire. I use this tire and have been very, very happy with it. Hard to break loose...and great in the rain. Good price and you will get good wear.

3 - Yokohama AVS ES 100 - $112
Once again, a beautiful tire. #1 Choice by TireRack consultants for the Mustang (but remember, they don't sell all brands). First rate tire (but is it worth the additional cost over the Kumho or Sumi?).

4 - Nitto 555 - $125
This is a tire that is available as a drag tire or street tire. Drag tire cost about $25 more, but will not be for everyone. For those of you that are racing and not commuting too much, the drag radial version should be your top-pick. The tire is truly brilliant, however, you will only get about 15,000 miles from it without spending any time at the track. If you could have two sets of tires and wheels, this drag version should be one of them! However, it is just not very practical. So, I have only listed the Nitto 555. The 555 keeps the same F-1 design as all the other above listed tires. Great looking tire too and is priced similar to the others. I had a hard time finding too many comments from users, but most seemed to really love it.

5 - BFGoodwrich TA KDW - $159
Hard to find anyone with a complaint about this tire. May be the best tire in the rain of the top 4. As the most costly of the bunch, I would only recomend this tire to those that don't mind paying more. The tread pattern is different from the others, and in my opion, does not look as nice. Tends to look more like an all-season tire.

6 - Continental Conti Extreme Contact - $113.
Wins the award for longest tire name! This is the only "all season" tire in the group but has the highest overall rating of the group. This tire is actually rated an 8.4 out of 10 for snow traction while all the others should not be driven in the snow. You will loose very little, if any, dry traction by using this tire and will get 40,000 miles on them. If you live in the snow belt and can't put the car away in the winter, then buy this tire. There is no better choice. Tread pattern is very attractive, but not as nice as the Kumho, Sumi, or Yoko in my opion.

Well, hopefully you will find this info useful I had fun putting this together. If you live where it snows, then go with the Continentals unless you plan on getting a snow tire or putting the car away. Otherwise, my choice would be the Sumitomo listed above if price is a consideration. You will NOT be dissapointed and will be amazed at the difference over the OEM's.

Let me know what you decide to do.
- Blake