GT vs. Kumho vs. Yokohama

[Egan101]

KU39 comes in 205/45/16 size. That will do for the stock rims of the Fiesta.

[jut703]

kumho ecsta hs51 195/50r16 is available at minerva tyre gallery. price is 4k each.



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Oh that's great! The HS51 is newer than both the KU31 and KU39. Good reviews so far even if it's not a UHP.


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[jut703]

Feedback after 500 km: the Ecsta KU39 is a great tire!



Just to put it out there - budget tires like my old Achilles 2233 are good enough for most people. If you don't push your car anywhere near its limits, tires from respectable budget brands will get the job done at a low price. In fact, between the Achilles and the Kumho, you won't really notice the difference unless you pay attention to them.

That said, there are improvements in many aspects, and the higher price of the Kumho Ecsta LE Sport (KU39) is worth it over the Achilles.

First, there's the ride quality. Perhaps due to the thicker sidewalls, the Kumho absorbed road imperfections better than the Achilles. Near the end of the 2233's tread life, potholes really sent judders through my cabin. Now, it feels a bit more subdued, though getting smaller wheels like the 215/45R17 which I have on my other cars will help improve ride comfort more.

Second improvement is highway noise and comfort. The KU39 is quieter, as 120 kph just felt like 100 kph on my old tires. Again, not that noticeable unless you look for it.

Lastly, the handling is also better with the KU39 vs the 2233. On my favorite sweeper at the Dinalupihan SCTEX on-ramp, I was able to do 100 kph with the car still feeling very grippy compared to the old tire that was already beginning to lose poise at 90 kph. Will try to see next time how fast I can take that corner before the KU39s lose grip. There's also a bit more steering feedback which is very welcome since the Altis has inherently dull steering.

The noise improvement makes me happy that I chose this over the noisier GT SX2, and the increased grip makes me happy I chose this over the Yokohama Bluearth.

Feedback from other users will say that the Goodyear Asymmetric 2, Michelin Pilot Sport 3, and Bridgestone Potenza RE003 are better tires, and no doubt they are. But all those tires are priced around 9k each, making them over 60% more expensive than the Kumhos. Surely they aren't 60% better, so the Kumhos still offer better value at 5.5k per tire.


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