Favorite Tires?

smithy · Post by **smithy** » 29 Jan 2005, 09:53

Couple of quick questions off the bat and then the back ground. What is the best tire you've ever used on your Volvo and why? Have you ever used Kumho tires?

It's time for my S70 to get new tires (again?) We've stuck with Michelin MXV4's the last couple of times and they have been good but wear down QUICKLY! Also, I'm sick of dropping $4-500 on a new set every time.
In researching tires on tirerack.com, we found that Kumho tires were one of the best sellers and were very reasonable at around $40/ tire. There were 36 reviews from Volvo drivers that all rated them high. Why have I never heard of these before and why are they so cheap?
Thanks for your input.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 29 Jan 2005, 11:34

There's definitely a correlation with price and the reason you've never heard of them. For one that keeps cost down. Two, I beleive kuhmo's are mosre sport oriented so all they need is word of mouth to sell tires.

Second, I owned an Acura Legend before my 850 and I always bought michelin's as well. I swithced to a set of pirelli's on my last set and they rode very well. However, 3 of the tires got knots in them and had to be replaced.

I'm riding on a set of Goodyear Eagle HP's on my 850 because at the time that particular model was being discontinued so I got em for a steal. Anyway I'm sure you'd be happy with the kuhmo's just keep in mind that they probably won't last any longer than what you've already experienced.

Post by **dosbricks** » 29 Jan 2005, 12:49

We also formerly ran Michelins on both our cars. Now both have Yokohama Avids (80k rated). They are the smoothest riding tires we ever had because their segmented mold keeps the belts exactly positioned during molding, and they cost about $15 less than a Michelin. Tread wear has been superior also.

These are a touring tire so if your main goal is performance you probably want to look at a more sticky rubber compound / tread design, but of course, those will wear faster. The Yokes, on the other hand, are quiet, smooth, and long wearing.

dfred · Post by **dfred** » 02 Feb 2005, 06:22

Being from Michigan, I'm running Michelin Pilot Alpin in the winter on a XC70 (they work really well), and in the summer I'm running Michelin HydroEdge. They are supposed to have very good tread life. I'll tell you in a couple of years when I know for sure. I think they come with a 90,000 mile warranty.

I always live by the rule "you get what you pay for", so I steer away from the cheap stuff.

FWIW

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 21 Mar 2005, 21:22

I also used to run Michelin MXV4's until I went to buy a set last year. Tires were $130 each plus tax, mounting and balancing. So I tried a set of Kumho ECSTA HP4 716. Total cost right at $300.

I am pleased with the ride, noise, handling and the lower cost.

Make sure whatever you buy is at least 'H' rated.

White850Turbo · Post by **White850Turbo** » 22 Mar 2005, 06:51

There is a whole science to tires, but I'm not going to go too far in to it. I am currently using Falken ZIEX ZE-512 tires sized 215/45/17. I'll assume that you have 15" rims since you said you could get tires for $40 a piece

(I wish I could get tires that cheap!). Anyways, Kumho is a pretty good tire if you're looking for performance. They are not going to have a super smooth ride and they probably won't last real long either. Maybe 20 to 25 thousand miles if you drive conservatively. That being said, I second Matthews choice on the Yokohama tires if you're looking for a comfortable ride and a semi-long life. Generally speaking, the longer lifed tires are made of harder rubber, and harder rubber consequently has less dry grip. It's all a big balance. If you want performance, you have to sacrifice ride comfort and life of the tire and vice versa.

Billy Honea · Post by **Billy Honea** » 22 Mar 2005, 10:13

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Post by **tina** » 22 Mar 2005, 11:45

I put Kumho Ecstas on my '94 850 and they have held up great over the past 2 years. Great handling, tread seems durable and have not given me any problems. I can't tell the difference when driving between these and more expensive tires, personally I think it's a big brand name rip off game.

The only drawback is they are a bit on the ugly side.

Edited to add:

I have 17,000 miles on the Kumho ECSTA HP4 716's now and they are holding up very well. I have a '98 S70 with Michelin MXV4 Plus's on it (20,000 miles on those) and I cannot tell the difference in the tires.
At 1/3 the price the Kumhos are by far the better value.

If you check out Tirerack's comparison tool you will see that the tires are virtually identical and that Kumho has a 50k treadwear warranty while Michelin has none!

Mr. Norm · Post by **Mr. Norm** » 23 Mar 2005, 11:34

Michelin Pilot A/S are simply the finest tires I have ever used. Worth the money and a big improvement over the MXV4.

chevdiver · Post by **chevdiver** » 23 Mar 2005, 13:10

I put a set of Michelin Pilot A/S on my S70 and have been very pleased. We are well over 40k on them now and they still look good. Plus, they are very stable in the rain, even heavy rain. We got them at Costco for a great price.