AWD Tires in the US?

[GetYourWheels]

Here's a link to another thread with a pic.
Kia Shipping GT’s w/18” Rims

wow! Learning something new for sure!

 

[mldavis2]

The 19" tires can be either Michelin or Bridgestone and are staggered.
The 18" tires are not staggered.

 

[Kazz]

Kia Stinger 2.0 and the Premium will come with 18" wheels from factory. The GT models all come with 19" so for those with factory 18" wheels, please get 225/45/18 tires and all the GT folks get the 225/40/19

Summary

2.0 / Premium RWD or AWD with 18" - 225/45/18
GT AWD - 225/40/19
GT RWD - 225/40/19 | 255/35/19

Hopefully that makes it easier for you guys.

Incorrect. GTs CAN ship with 18s. When they do, they are NOT staggered and come with all-season tires while 19s are staggered and come with high performance summer tires.

 

[GetYourWheels]

Incorrect. GTs CAN ship with 18s. When they do, they are NOT staggered and come with all-season tires while 19s are staggered and come with high performance summer tires.

yea, I believe @Grayt 8 hashed that info out for me.

 

[Kazz]

yea, I believe @Grayt 8 hashed that info out for me.

GTs that ship with 18s are also top-speed limited to 138mph where the 19"-equipped have a 167mph limit - due to tire speed ratings.

 

[AKStinger]

My gt2 came with staggered 19s and michelins. I decided I wanted a set of dedicated winter tires that were not staggered so they could be rotated. So my winter setup is a set of 18x8.5 rims and 245/50r18 cooper weathermaster wsc tires. Yes I realize the outside diameter is about an inch greater than stock, but that was the best true snow/ice tire I could buy in a size that was compatible. No rubbing or scraping, they fill up the wheel well pretty good and they grip like Spider-Man! I'll be switching back to my factory 19s in about a month. Happy with the tires but the wheels that were available to me look like a sack of butts.

 

[WPJoe]

I think I left this thread a little confused.
Does this mean I can get the 19" wheels (which are not speed limited), but then actually put 18" AWD tires on them (ones that I need to buy separately I assume)?

 

[mldavis2]

No you would need to replace the wheels as well unless you find 19" all-weather tires to mount. And replacing the 19" wheels with 18" wheels might cause a bit of confusion with the speedo although someone said the circumference was the same in which case it wouldn't matter.

 

[SteveCo]

... although someone said the circumference was the same in which case it wouldn't matter.

They're damn close ...

 

[Aquadog]

18 will most likely be a smoother ride given same tire brand/style. Prob a bit cheaper as well. Personally, i think the 19 look way better!

I don't understand why you think the 19s look better than the 18s they're supposed to be the same wheel pattern just an 18 inch. You will be happy to know that you can rotate the 18s and get a hell of a lot more wear out of your tires where as the 19s you can't rotate them you could switch them from side to side but I still can't figure out where you get more wear out of them .

 

[SteveCo]

I don't understand why you think the 19s look better than the 18s they're supposed to be the same wheel pattern just an 18 inch.

The 19s have a shorter sidewall than the 18s due to the aspect ratio, which is why the diameter on the two is nearly identical - many prefer that look (more rim, less rubber).

 

[Aquadog]

The 19s have a shorter sidewall than the 18s due to the aspect ratio, which is why the diameter on the two is nearly identical - many prefer that look (more rim, less rubber).

I got that I was kind of referring to Thang's #9 post i'm going to go back and reply on his post and you'll catch my drift thanks

 

[Aquadog]

I live in Colorado and own a GT2 AWD. My car came with the 19" wheels. The sticker in the door shows that my car comes with 225/45/18. I have never seen 18" tires on 19" wheels ever. I looked it up and it can actually happen as 18 and 19 is so close in terms of total diameter. Anyway, my tires are:

Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS-02 95V
225/45R18

If the sticker on the door said that you have 18" tires then you have 18 inch wheels ,the 18 inch wheels are the same style as the 19s on all the GT's . I find it very difficult to believe that the manufacture would put 18 inch tires on a 19 inch rim . That would be an insane liability on the manufactures part . If what you say is true on your car might want to think about getting a lawyer might get the damn thing for free LOL .

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Agreed. I don't know any reputable shop that would install 18 tire onto 19 in rim...IF even possible.

 

[Marc Collins]

Agreed. I don't know any reputable shop that would install 18 tire onto 19 in rim...IF even possible.

Uhhh, that would be impossible.

 

[Thang]

If the sticker on the door said that you have 18" tires then you have 18 inch wheels ,the 18 inch wheels are the same style as the 19s on all the GT's . I find it very difficult to believe that the manufacture would put 18 inch tires on a 19 inch rim . That would be an insane liability on the manufactures part . If what you say is true on your car might want to think about getting a lawyer might get the damn thing for free LOL .

You would be correct. I have 18" wheels and tires of course. Dealer told me it was 19s. I questioned why there were 18s. Saw on door it was 225/45/18. Later looked at the sticker and it came with the 18s package. I'm not too angry but kind of dumb. Would have rather had the 19s with summer tires then bought winter wheels and tires later on.

 

[capnsharpe]

I couldn't find anything but 18" all seasons around here. I'm using the 18" for my winter tires and buying 19" aftermarket and fitting them with the Michelin summer tires. I've never bought after market so hopefully they'll look okay. Part of me hates that the dealers push all seasons but a lot of people just don't get how worthless all seasons are ... until they are sliding and wondering what's wrong with the magical AWD.

 

[CoconutRob]

I believe the special edition AWD Atlantica will 19" all season. I wonder if the speed will be limited?

 

[mldavis2]

I believe the special edition AWD Atlantica will 19" all season. I wonder if the speed will be limited?

Depends entirely on what tires and what their speed rating is.

 

[moinmoin]

what their speed rating is

Correct.
The OEM Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rear tires on my car show 255/35/ZR19 96Y
The Michelin Pilot A/S Sport 3 rear tires on my car show 255/35/ZR19 96Y

in translation, both tires are rated for speeds (Z-rated) in excess of 148 mph, and the "Y" in the signatures signifies that speeds up to 186 mph / 300 kmh are permitted.
The only difference between the Summer tires and the All Seasons tires are the profiles and of course certain driving characteristics..

Obviously, there is a lot of guessing and "I heard" coming to the fore, without any actual experience. If you live near a Costco or an UPS route, you have all the tires you want available to you. TireRack is your friend.
And All Seasons tires are not awful, to the contrary, they tracked in February through Pennsylvania and the Virginias in great fashion. And February means winter weather with snow, sleet & ice... Highly recommended!
I used them because I expected that most of my route to Florida would be cleared by snow plows, but snow plows are not of great help in a winter storm. This is when these tires showed their mettle.

If KIA delivers cars on19" staggered rims, shod with A/S tires, you can pretty much guarantee, that those cars will be allowed to go to the declared top speed.