I've had a few sets of Kumho 712. Great bang-for-buck. However they do get noisy when the tread wears down. I can get over 20k miles on them.

The 712 are no longer in production. Finding them is possible, but usually had to wait a few days. I went with their replacement, the SPT. Read tirerack.com and Kumhousa.com for info.

Comparing the 2, the SPT aren't are grippy. Turn-in is same, max lateral isn't. I suspect it's softer sidewall in the SPT. Straightline accel and braking isn't as good either, probably acting more like an all-season type tire rather than summer.

I should have expected all this. Just by numbers, the SPT has higher treadwear rating, heavier, and more tread depth. Even the lateral tread blocks aren't too big.

Tirerack did compare these tires to the Yoko ES300 and somethings else, maybe it was Advan. The SPT did pretty well and it was their favorite.

Jae

 

a lil update after another tank of gas. Holy wow, these are way more grippy than the 712. For some reason, this week the tires got stickier. I don't think they needa be heat cycled, but broken in. I'm lovin these tires now.

Jae

 

good to hear! what size did you get and what pressure do you keep them at? know a good place to get them at a good price?

 

They seem to grip better w/lower psi. I have it at 32psi cold all around. They squeel early, but max lateral grip is much better than my outgoing 712s. When I bump up the psi, they don't talk as much, but not as much lateral grip.

A lil over $500 installed from America's Tires. And the usual: prorated replacement, lifetime balance (they used Hunter RoadForce, the good stuff), lifetime rotation, lifetime flat repair.

Jae

 

@ThurzNite:

You got a good deal on some great tires! I got a set for the same price at a mom&pop shop near my house. $500 for all four, mounted, balanced & rotated.

Having went from Dunlop SP Sport FM901s to these Kumho Ecsta SPTs, I feel like I'm driving a different car, but I usually keep my psi at around 40-45 cold. Love the grip and responsiveness of these tires - this set has made a fan out of me!

Not sure what size wheel you're running, but I've got 18s on my max. Seems like whenever the tire pressure is less than 40psi, I get horrible gas mileage. Glad to know someone else has had a great experience with these tires. I'd recommend them to anybody

 

I just got back from Big Bear Lake. I took the 330, the longer, windier road. I'm really amazed at the performance over my outgoing 712. Yay for Korean tires! Great performance, low price.

Jae