MVS Volvo Forums member Instarx reviews Kumho Ecsta 4x tires on his V70 XC SE…
Overall Performance: I have not had a single issue with the tires in 10k miles of use. There were some comments about how Kumho’s were failure-prone, but I have seen no evidence of that. There are no sidewall or tread issues. Tread wear is even across the face of the tire with no extra outside edge-wear (something no Michelin has ever done for me). The tires are still smooth-riding, competent and corner like no tires I have ever owned. They still soak up those small little bumps on the road. The brown dust I noticed on the sidewalls after I first put them on has disappeared.
Tire Wear: The only thing that might be a concern is tread wear. After 10k miles there is 6.5/32 of tread left of the original 11/32. That is only 60% remaining when 80% would have been expected in a 40,000 mile tire. This doesn’t concern me much for two reasons. First, the tires have a 40,000 miles warranty so I will get some pro-rated compensation from Kumho, and secondly the tires are inexpensive to begin with.
Cost Analysis: The Ecsta 4X tires are currently selling for $79 each at Tire Rack, less a $60 rebate per set. That puts them at $252 for a set of four. Comparable Michelin and Yokohama tires (even with their rebates) are $438, $468 and $564 – a huge difference. By changing the tires more often I will have an additional $100 in mounting and shipping costs, but the Kumhos will still be cheaper to run over 40,000 miles.
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Last Updated on August 19, 2020
