Kumho ECSTA ASX Tires
- Thread starter The Critic
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OK, so I got the Kumho's installed this morning on my Mazda3 hatch.
Impressions:
- Sidewalls are softer than stock Goodyear RSA's so handling is down a little.
- Quieter and smoother than stock Goodyear RSA's.
- Tire compound seems softer in general vs. stock Goodyear RSA's which I could see leading to the shorter life span that reviewers have noticed.
Overall, good tire for the price & a positive upgrade over the stock Goodyear RSA's, but nothing to get excited about.
Other than that, nothing too extraordinary to report after the first 20 miles. I'll report back after a few thousand miles.
Impressions:
- Sidewalls are softer than stock Goodyear RSA's so handling is down a little.
- Quieter and smoother than stock Goodyear RSA's.
- Tire compound seems softer in general vs. stock Goodyear RSA's which I could see leading to the shorter life span that reviewers have noticed.
Overall, good tire for the price & a positive upgrade over the stock Goodyear RSA's, but nothing to get excited about.
Other than that, nothing too extraordinary to report after the first 20 miles. I'll report back after a few thousand miles.
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RS-As are harsh and the "crisp" handling is not worth the trade-off.
I just popped a pair on the "new" 100 we got for the mother-in-law to drive. Oversize 205/65-15 is nice and cushy for MiL to plow right over potholes and the RR tracks she won't slow down for. $55 delivered. Pep Boys sells them too. Anyway, they are very smooth, almost silky and gummy grip in the cold temps now. I had them on the RSX for a few weeks too. Great tire.
$900,
I just wanted to say that I've been using the ASX in this ice/blizzard and I'm really pleased with them. Overall, they remind me of the Dunlop SPA2 at a lower price. Better choice for someone who drives more sporty.
I'm thinking about getting these in a few months for my Maxima. Any impressions now that another year has passed?
Patman
Staff member
I've got the ASXs on the rear of my Corvette and I don't really like them that much. I notice the back end of the car wanders a bit more on the highway, it never did that with the original tires or with Pirelli P Zero Neros. I also am not that happy with the straight line traction, my car sometimes bumps the limiter now on the 1-2 shift because it's not gripping as well.
A friend of mine has a Corvette identical to mine and he has the ASXs as well. He's had them for two years now and he says when the tires were new they were not bad but that they've degraded a lot over time. After six months he said they started squealing badly on even moderate corners and they just don't feel stable. They don't hook up very well for him under hard acceleration either.
And the tread pattern is ugly.
A friend of mine has a Corvette identical to mine and he has the ASXs as well. He's had them for two years now and he says when the tires were new they were not bad but that they've degraded a lot over time. After six months he said they started squealing badly on even moderate corners and they just don't feel stable. They don't hook up very well for him under hard acceleration either.
And the tread pattern is ugly.
I got mine back on front now. With a rebalance, I have to say they are pretty good quality at 1/2 worn. I think for lighter cars, they do better all around and especially with wear. At their price point, I still think they are pretty good. For economy cars, they are a total upgrade from oems. Compare to Dunlop SPA2s.
Patman
Staff member
Another thing I forgot to mention was that the sidewalls are starting to crack on my friend's ASXs, after only two years. This seems to be common with Kumhos in my experience, as my wife's Kumho KW17 snow tires all have cracked sidewalls too (and started doing that after about two years)
I don't think a sidewall of a tire should start getting cracks in it that quickly!
I don't think a sidewall of a tire should start getting cracks in it that quickly!
I had all but decided on the Bridgestone Potenza Pole Positions (at $177 a pop) but a friend recommended the Kumhos. Tirerack did a test between Continental, Kumho, Yokohama, and Sumitro UHP tires. Kumho came in 3rd overall and Yokohama W4s came in 1st.
I made the mistake of getting the Avon M550s when they first came out and have paide for it over the last 20k miles with loud tires. Due to that, I'm not confident on grabbing a brand new tire.
I'm leaning toward the Yokohama V4S, which is just HP (not UHP). This should result in a slightly cushier and quiet ride (which is what I want) without sacrificing too much performance.
I made the mistake of getting the Avon M550s when they first came out and have paide for it over the last 20k miles with loud tires. Due to that, I'm not confident on grabbing a brand new tire.
I'm leaning toward the Yokohama V4S, which is just HP (not UHP). This should result in a slightly cushier and quiet ride (which is what I want) without sacrificing too much performance.
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