Absolute Dearth of All-Season Tires for CT5-V Blackwing

[No Usury]

You'd think that for a $100K+ vehicle Cadillac would have worked with Continental or Michelin to get at least ONE SET of all-season tires in OEM spec for the Blackwing, yes?

Instead, there is ...... nothing in A/S available for our cars.

There's "screwing the pooch", then there's GM...

 

[obeykube]

Not sure about the CT5V specs, but michelin pliot sports apline A/S 3+ works for by CT4V, and they are great all seasons.

 

[sonny200]

There are no rear OEM sized A/S tires for the 5BW. (There is for the front.) But there are still options available if you're willing try a 325 in the rear with a spacer. It looks a little strange bc the wider tire in the rear makes the rear look REALLY wide. I didn't like it at first but it's kinda grown on me.

 

[No Usury]

Not sure about the CT5V specs, but michelin pliot sports apline A/S 3+ works for by CT4V, and they are great all seasons.

You mean the one with just three sizes?

There are no rear OEM sized A/S tires for the 5BW. (There is for the front.) But there are still options available if you're willing try a 325 in the rear with a spacer. It looks a little strange bc the wider tire in the rear makes the rear look REALLY wide. I didn't like it at first but it's kinda grown on me.

Are you talking about the Michelin A/S 4 ZP run flats? Because I've never heard anything good about run-flats, no matter what brand...

 

[DCV]

There are no rear OEM sized A/S tires for the 5BW. (There is for the front.) But there are still options available if you're willing try a 325 in the rear with a spacer. It looks a little strange bc the wider tire in the rear makes the rear look REALLY wide. I didn't like it at first but it's kinda grown on me.

Well it’s not going to ask you “Do these tires make me look fat”…

 

[sonny200]

From the Michelin website:

MICHELIN Pilot Sport A/S 4 325/30 ZR19 101(Y) ZP BSW​

MICHELIN Pilot Sport A/S 4 275/35 ZR19/XL 100Y​

I got their RF version on the rears because that's all they had at the time I needed new tires. I haven't had an issue with them. They are great in the rain as compared to the OEM Pilot 4S.

 

[Champale]

Have you considered 275/35/19 front and 285/35/19 rear? Would open up a lot of options, including the DWS06+ and AS4. 285 is acceptable on an 11" wheel per the specs.

 

[No Usury]

From the Michelin website:

MICHELIN Pilot Sport A/S 4 325/30 ZR19 101(Y) ZP BSW​

MICHELIN Pilot Sport A/S 4 275/35 ZR19/XL 100Y​

I got their RF version on the rears because that's all they had at the time I needed new tires. I haven't had an issue with them. They are great in the rain as compared to the OEM Pilot 4S.

Michelin ZPs (Zero Pressure) are run-flat tires, which are absolutely horrible.

Have you considered 275/35/19 front and 285/35/19 rear? Would open up a lot of options, including the DWS06+ and AS4. 285 is acceptable on an 11" wheel per the specs.

I shouldn't have to look for a one-off all-season tire for an OEM application.

Other, more on-the-ball manufacturers (BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.) have agreements with at least one major tire manufacturer to supply the correct size tires.

So, what, I can only buy this car if I live in Florida or California? Or else it is just a summer-only vehicle?!? Seriously? WTF??

The fact that Cadillac does not have one set of all-season tires for the CT5-V Blackwing exposes serious mismanagement of this vehicle's roll-out.

This is a pathetic situation that the owner of a vehicle that costs $100K+ should not have to deal with.

 

[Champale]

Bold and underlined. Golly. Just trying to help. Good luck.

 

[pmsteinm]

In my 14 years of owning my 09 CTS-V there were a few years where I had to do Pilot Sport All season rears in run flats. Run flat all-seasons are still superior to summer tires when the temps get into the 40s and below. Over the years I had PS2, PSS, PS4S, A/S+, A/S3, and A/S3+ in OEM sizes. The biggest difference was the PS4S summer. That made the car so much more fun to drive fast and that's with suspension and bushings with 100k miles on them.

Back when I was looking into getting a 5BW I too was surprised that there was no published option for winter or all-season. There were spy shots of test mules winter testing but no info on what they were using. There was a Cooper tire option for a bit and now nothing. Based on how many posts on this and the M5 forum I see about how "I run PS4S all year", and when I see cars in parking lots around town in <50 weather with PS4S on them I think GM just figures most owners won't be bothered to put proper tires on their car in the winter and so it isn't worth the effort.

The smartest (or luckiest?) thing GM did was to make the 09 CTS-V use the exact same tire sizes as the E60 M5. That meant lots of all-season and winter choices when the V came out since the M5 had been around since 2005.

 

[ngoni]

OP you bought a track-focused performance car. Nearly everything on it is selected to improve performance driving. While it isn't a Corvette, it's very close to one. This year you can even spend an additional $20k and, among other things, get tires that are ONLY for track use. That's who GM is catering to. Sorry if that's upsetting to you.

At least you have your Blackwing. I haven't even gotten an allocation yet.

 

[dribs15]

Michelin ZPs (Zero Pressure) are run-flat tires, which are absolutely horrible.

I shouldn't have to look for a one-off all-season tire for an OEM application.

Other, more on-the-ball manufacturers (BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.) have agreements with at least one major tire manufacturer to supply the correct size tires.

So, what, I can only buy this car if I live in Florida or California? Or else it is just a summer-only vehicle?!? Seriously? WTF??

The fact that Cadillac does not have one set of all-season tires for the CT5-V Blackwing exposes serious mismanagement of this vehicle's roll-out.

This is a pathetic situation that the owner of a vehicle that costs $100K+ should not have to deal with.

What are your car's specs/options?
Maybe you can find someone on here to take it off your hands

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

I can feel the OP's frustration a bit - the idea behind a Super Sedan is that it can be the 'one car that does it all'; daily driver, back road barnstormer and track day toy. Certainly, that's the M5's MO.

If you have to get a winter beater or daily driver to go with your Blackwing, why not get a Z06 or a 911 as your fun summer and track car instead?

 

[CleanSheet]

On a related note, do winter tires exist that fit the OEM rims? I’m considering a 5 but need snow tires in the winter. I currently have a bmw M4 and put snow tires on it.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

Bold and underlined. Golly. Just trying to help. Good luck.

My thoughts exactly.
I’m on my second season running winter tires on the stock rims but the rant makes me reluctant to help. Frankly, also, running all seasons in the winters doesn’t make sense anyway. All weather, sure, if you can find ‘em (you can’t), but if you want to drive safely in cold weather you need winters.

 

[No Usury]

proxes-sport-as exists as a 295/30/19
Cooper tires used to have zeon-rs3-g1 but that too is discontinued

I saw that once upon a time there were Cooper all-seasons in correct sizing, by they were discontinued quite a while ago... like years ago.

Yes the OE rear 305s being slightly shorter than the fronts makes my OCD flare up, too!

With regard to all seasons, it looks like both the Michelin AS4 and the Continental DWS06 Plus are offered in 275/35/19 and 285/35/19. Those 285s will work fine on the 11" rear wheel and will be a fraction taller than the fronts.

Thanks, but having one tire properly mounted and one stretched on an inch larger rim does not work for me, nor should I have to make it work.

Bold and underlined. Golly. Just trying to help. Good luck.

Bold and underlined because I am angry with Cadillac/GM, not you. Sorry you took it that way.

In my 14 years of owning my 09 CTS-V there were a few years where I had to do Pilot Sport All season rears in run flats. Run flat all-seasons are still superior to summer tires when the temps get into the 40s and below. Over the years I had PS2, PSS, PS4S, A/S+, A/S3, and A/S3+ in OEM sizes. The biggest difference was the PS4S summer. That made the car so much more fun to drive fast and that's with suspension and bushings with 100k miles on them.

Back when I was looking into getting a 5BW I too was surprised that there was no published option for winter or all-season. There were spy shots of test mules winter testing but no info on what they were using. There was a Cooper tire option for a bit and now nothing. Based on how many posts on this and the M5 forum I see about how "I run PS4S all year", and when I see cars in parking lots around town in <50 weather with PS4S on them I think GM just figures most owners won't be bothered to put proper tires on their car in the winter and so it isn't worth the effort.

The smartest (or luckiest?) thing GM did was to make the 09 CTS-V use the exact same tire sizes as the E60 M5. That meant lots of all-season and winter choices when the V came out since the M5 had been around since 2005.

I know what it is like to have a car with several options for all-seasons – coming from an SS sedan – I just can't believe that there is NOT EVEN ONE A/S TIRE FOR THIS VEHICLE!!!

OP you bought a track-focused performance car. Nearly everything on it is selected to improve performance driving. While it isn't a Corvette, it's very close to one. This year you can even spend an additional $20k and, among other things, get tires that are ONLY for track use. That's who GM is catering to. Sorry if that's upsetting to you.

At least you have your Blackwing. I haven't even gotten an allocation yet.

I don't have mine in hand, it's likely to get here sometime in February. I'm in the high desert where it can get down to the teens at night... the last time I tried running summers only in my RWD performance sedan I ended up facing traffic without giving it any throttle whatsoever. Never want to do that again.

What are your car's specs/options?
Maybe you can find someone on here to take it off your hands

I'm just trying to get ready for its arrival – I'll let you know once it gets here.

On a related note, do winter tires exist that fit the OEM rims? I’m considering a 5 but need snow tires in the winter. I currently have a bmw M4 and put snow tires on it.

No A/S tires, no winter tires, nothing but Max Performance Summer in OE sizing for this car.

This is not just crazy, it's irresponsible.

At the end of the day it is a safety issue. Running summer-only tires in the teens (with chances of black ice) is just insane. To have few options is not ideal, but to not have ONE ALL SEASON TIRE for this vehicle is just plain irresponsible on GM's and Cadillac's part.

 

[No Usury]

My thoughts exactly.
I’m on my second season running winter tires on the stock rims but the rant makes me reluctant to help. Frankly, also, running all seasons in the winters doesn’t make sense anyway. All weather, sure, if you can find ‘em (you can’t), but if you want to drive safely in cold weather you need winters.

What's your winter tire setup? If I have to do that – and can – I just might.

 

[No Usury]

I can feel the OP's frustration a bit - the idea behind a Super Sedan is that it can be the 'one car that does it all'; daily driver, back road barnstormer and track day toy. Certainly, that's the M5's MO.

If you have to get a winter beater or daily driver to go with your Blackwing, why not get a Z06 or a 911 as your fun summer and track car instead?

That's exactly it. I grew up in Michigan with many people working at GM. To release a car that Michiganders can't even drive half the year is unconscionable to me. I'm having a hard time believing it, to be honest. It's disappointing.

I'll figure something out. Right now I'm looking at 20s instead, the only thing I don't like is having to get shorter sidewalls. The tires on the car are already short to start with... I like more rubber (at least 4 inches) on my wheels.

All someone at Cadillac/GM has to do is get on the phone with Michelin or Continental and have their checkbook handy. Easy peasey. Can't believe it hasn't been done yet.

 

[CleanSheet]

I just have a deposit down for a 5. What are the OEM tire sizes? Is it a square set up?

 

[hawk02]

I don't know about everybody else, but the words "High Performance" and Winter driving don't mix in my world. Driving a 670 HP rear-wheel-drive car in snow and ice is a big risk, even with snow tires.

Once the brine crap starts hitting the road my BW and Corvette get parked. The Corvette has all-season tires and I still won't drive it when the roads are salted. My pickup truck and my wife's AWD SUV are our winter vehicles.

GM doesn't hide the fact that the 5BW comes with summer-only tires. Choosing one as a daily driver in parts of the country with temperatures below 40 degrees for part of the year may not be the best choice.