Kumho Ecsta 4x tires...

[instarx]

I put these on the car two weeks ago and I thought the board might like to hear my opinion on how they work on the Volvo wagons. These are simply the best tires I have ever put on any car. They transform the XC70. They are comfortable, quiet, stable, and their grip is amazing.

Tire Rack calls them "ultra high performance" all-season tires and I have to agree with them. I have taken to making fast 90 degree turns into parking lots to try and stress them, but they just will not lose grip. I am working up to breaking them loose, but whenever I put them at what should be their limits the car sails through the turn nonchalantly. Every time I do it I laugh out loud at how I wasn't going fast enough to stress them.

These Kumho's are much better tires than my previous Michelin MXV4s, and those were good tires. The Michelins had soft sidewalls which sometimes made cornering a little unsure when a dip was encountered, but the Kumho's fix that with stiffer sidewalls.

To make a good thing better, these tires cost about 65% of what the Michelins cost. With the current $50 rebate for 4 tires the Kumhos cost $75 each! So if you are thinking about new tires, you should definitely consider these. Don't be worried about their low cost. I think Kumho could sell these for a lot more money.

[MilehighV70XC]

Lets us know how they wear . I have had a set of kumho Ecsta brand tires on my other car. Granted it was a sports car, so driven hard through turns, but they lasted less the 12k miles. I have heard others with the same experience. I thought it was a great tire- quiet, smooth, above average grip, when new, 8k miles later they where a below average tire.Great tire when new but wears out quickly.

[jpr0204]

Hi instarx,

I too really the Khumo tires. Please see my review on them that on posted the other day. Very happy with them.!

Hi All,

We purchased a set of 4 - 205/55ZR16 Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum tires with a "W" speed rating (good for 168 MPH LOL...) from our local Jack Williams to the tune of $700 large for our 00' V70 X/C SE back in 12/2012 but that price included the "protection plan" which includes lifetime rotate and balance, free flat repair, and free tire replacement in the event a tire is not repairable.

I must say, these were the most expensive tires, (gulp...) I have EVER purchased. LOL. But, I drive about 1,500 miles a month, do a lot of highway running and wanted something with a smooth ride, good snow traction (for the Pocono Mountains of PA), and something would last a long time.

They were rotated at the 5K mile mark, and I currently have almost 6,500 miles on them and they DO NOT SHOW EVEN THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF WEAR. They still even have the little "tits" on them. They are great in the snow, great in the rain, and the ride is smooth as silk.

I have absolutely no buyer's remorse on these tires at all.

The manager at Jack Williams did say when I called for pricing that "We can only put on tires that have an equivalent or higher speed rating to what came on the vehicle from factory."

[DougM]

My 1996 850R Wagon came with these tires on when I bought it. I have to agree with what everyone else has said--I like the ride and handling a lot!

[matthew1]

Whoa. "After mail-in rebate: $274.00" for a set of four in 205/55/16

Click on that image or this link to buy these or any other Tire Rack tire, and MVS gets 6%. It doesn't cost you a dime.

[rspi]

Those were the WORSE tires I ever owned. Matter of fact, I need er had a chance to wear any of them out. Always damaged, torn, bubbles on the sidewalls , etc. After a few months I decided to go to the bank, get some money out, go to the bathroom and flush a few hundred down just to get ahead of the waste.

When I first got them I felt great about the ride. I now have some Hankooks that I've put about 37,000 on and I'm satisfied. I did have the low profile 17" size, that may make a difference. Give me those Michelin's MX4's any day.

[Jazzop]

I haven't used the Kumhos on my Volvo, but I will strongly consider them when it's time for a new set of tires. I ran the Ecsta 4x on my MINI Cooper S before it got totaled, and it was the first tire that I actually replaced with a new set of the same tire. In other words, I was so pleased with the first set that I bought a second set when they wore out. Before then, I had the Continental Extreme Contact DW, Bridgestone Potenza RE760, Yokohama S Drive, & BF Goodrich G-Force Sport. All of them had some glaring deficiency that caused me to disavow them forever. But the Kumhos had excellent wet & dry handling and met my personal requirements for wear, comfort, noise, and snow handling.

[bugleg]

I've been running Ecsta 4X's on my 2000 V70XC for almost a year. They have worked really well for me. Quiet, even wear, and sticky as all get out. Love the way the car drives, and given how the XC eats tires and requires a matched set, I'm leary of big money tires for the car. These are awesome.

[rmmagow]

So, I just bought a nice set of Volvo 17 inch wheels for either my V70 or my wife's S70. Tire Rack says 205/45 17 for the V70. Am I best served by using their recommendation or are there other profile options I should consider. I need high speed comfort, good rain grip and something that will stay balanced. Potholes and bad roads need to be accounted for too although I am pretty careful when running lower-profile tires. The Ecsta tires look pretty good for the money.

[instarx]

I'll let you know about wear, but don't hold your breath. Because I work outside the country 6-9 months of the year my Volvo doesn't get driven that much. I doubt I would be upset if these Kumhos didn't get 40,000 miles- they cost much less than comparable tires. They do have the standard 40,000 mile pro-rated warranty.

Lol matthew1, the price has decreased by $5 from what I paid two weeks ago. I paid a whopping $294 for a set of four. Maybe I'll call Tire Rack and see if I can get a $20 credit. Sorry I didn't know about the site's deal with Tire Rack when I bought them.