sharward

After much reading here I decided to go with Kumho Ecsta SPTs (225/45R18). Many thanks to all who have posted their experiences with these tires, and others, as this forum was instrumental in my making this decision!

First, a little about my driving habits and local terrain... over 95% of my driving is freeway. It never snows here and when it rains I drive like an old lady. In dry conditions I like to take corners pretty aggressively, but I'm OK with a slight performance hit if it translates to significant money savings and/or longer lasting tires. I wore out the original Bridgestones after 22K miles. I might have gotten a little more wear out of them, but the noise was driving me nuts.

I got a good deal on the Kumhos at a America's Tire Co (which does business as Discount Tire Co., Inc. in other states). My coworker's son works there. Each cost $115 plus $1.75 state environmental fee and $11 to mount/balance/install -- all four were $511 plus tax. I just priced them with their Web site -- it looks like I saved $30 ($5 off each tire and I wasn't charged for disposal). Road hazard insurance with prorated replacement is included.

I decided to go with OEM width on a recommendation from the shop -- concerns about rim damage from potholes, etc., if I were to go with a lower profile tire.

I verified with the guy that it would be OK to share the pricing info with you all, so here's the invoice, along with a few pics from my cell phone. Hopefully the invoice will help you get a price match, especially with America's Tire / Discount Tire.

Out with the old...



In with the new...



Close-up of the label...



I'm saving the best OEM Bridgestone tire for emergency use. I'll get a beater rim for it and leave it in my garage. I may carry it on some out-of-town trips.



Here it is on the car... They look sharp!



I know, the car and the rims are really dirty...

I'll post back with my personal impression on the tires once I've broken them in. So far I'll say the balancing job is great and the ride is much quieter now. Traction is mediocre, but I've read that's due to need of break-in.

Thanks again!

bjkicker24

looks nice, im going to get my new tires tomorrow, might have to consider em

lunatik1

Check www.discounttiredirect.com instead, they have it for $105 each (shipped free and tax free on some state). Then have the local discounttire install it. I am going on the same route very soon.

sharward

I'll probably get flogged for saying this... But just because a company doesn't collect sales tax on a mail or Internet order doesn't mean the buyer doesn't technically owe the sales tax. Here in California, the State Board of Equalization has a use tax return so that residents have a mechanism for paying the tax. If a company has a "point of presence" within the state, they must collect sales tax if they sell to California residents.

I know, I know -- I'm sure few people would actually bother with it... Just understand that there's no such thing as a "sales tax free" transaction if you live in a state/county/parish that collects sales tax via local merchants.

That being said -- I think it's worth $10 per tire to get lifetime rotations and free road hazard insurance including prorated replacement.

Also, I'm not sure how much America's Tire / Discount Tire charges for mounting and installing tires they didn't sell.

Oh, I also forgot to mention that I had to wait a couple of days for the tires to arrive at the shop (they were a special order).

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

for the prices you got at the local store, with all the additional perks, i'd say it's a great deal

enjoy your new tires

sharward

Thanks -- and in my case, I had confidence in the shop and the guy I bought them from. He's got a good head on his shoulders and I knew that I and my wheels would be well taken care of. I was impressed with the care they exercised in handling the wheels, dismounting the old tires, gently installing the lugs (including the crapola wheel locks), and then torquing the lugs afterwards. They also got me in and out in about an hour. It also felt good giving Doug four "unit sales."

swoope

iTrader: (5)

great tires, and if they got the tmps in with no damage great job....

note... the tq settings for the lugnuts are 108 ftlbs.... and i know they got that wrong...

beers

sharward

Yup, no trouble with the pressure sensors (no lights yet) -- I got the impression that they deal with them all the time there (pretty up-scale community there, so I'm sure they do a lot of newer cars).

Hey, sure enough -- I looked at the invoice and it says "Torque Specs: 085"! Yikes... I'd better have 'em retorqued, eh?

swoope

iTrader: (5)

yep,

a tsb has them at 108 but i would ask an informed tech at the dealer to be sure...

beers

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

actually 85 ft/lb is the *correct* torque rating if you DON'T have the 'click-click' sound as described in the TSB that specified the 108ft/lb as a remedy for it.

108ft/lb is overtorqueing it a bit.

sharward

Good to know! Thanks to the both of you.

CarAndDriver

The Kumho's seem to be an exceptional deal. Might not be the best in every category, but seem to hold their own. Tirerack.com has them for $95.

sharward

Certainly in terms of "bang for buck," they seem to be a great value.

Any idea how many miles I need to put on them before the mold release compound gives way? I'm getting bit of a slippery sensation on semi-aggressive cornering, which I have read can be typical until they're broken in. I'd like to know when I should begin my "real" assessment.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

On my Dunlop 8090's it was around 300 miles.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

should be broken in after one tank of gas's worth of driving.

Razz1

Good choice

CarAndDriver

Im thinking of them to replace my OE Bridgestones after a couple thousand more miles.

RotrDoc

Good choice, and a good deal. I would buy from the local Discount shop if they were in this market. As it is, I bought from TireRack and had a local dealer mount them.

The wider, 245/40 tires have the same diameter, same sidewall height as the stock size, so I seriously doubt that the potential for rim damage is any greater. I did crack a rim when running the stock tires. So far, so good with about 16,000 on the wider Kumhos.

sharward

Actually, I read in another thread here that there's about a quarter inch difference in sidewall height between the 225/40s and the 225/45s (/45s are shorter)... Admittedly negligible, but not "same."

I've got about a hundred miles on them so far, and they seem to be getting better by the day. I'll be sure to post back with my assessment once I get them fully broken in and I have some opportunity to take some corners.

I would like to point out that the tread design is really interesting. There are four grooves in the center, two of which are rather wide, which I would think would aid in wet conditions (correct me if I'm wrong). And I also just noticed the "serrated edge" thing going on along the edges of the outer treads.

Mr986

Just had a set (225/45/18) put on our '04' MT and have to say, THANK GOD those bridgestone OEMs are gone. It had gotten to the point after 20K miles, that you could not have a conversation in the car at highway speeds. My wife that the tires had some broken belts but when I looked they were smooth.
Anyway, the SPT's are a heck of a deal and just put in for a $40 rebate. Good dry traction, quiet and a comfortable ride. Wet performance is terrific. We had a drive home of about 60 miles in a heavy downpore and the car never darted or gave an indication that it wasn't hooked up. They seem to have very similar wet weather capabilities to the Michelin PS2 that we have on our Boxster. I can't say enough good things about these tires--way to go Kumho!

skddmorse

I have the exact same tires on my 8... They are a great set... Quiet and stickey....

d j

I bought a set as well, but I opted for the 235/40 $505 (install+tax included). The Manager from america's tire co hooked me up with a deal of the century

zojas

I've had some spts for 15000 miles now (I went with 245/40). it seems to me that it took a lot more than a tank of gas to break them in. I drove several tanks of gas, then got to hit a mountain road. the spts didn't grip as hard as my factory tires did. the spt sidewalls are definitely not as stiff as the factory Potenza A030s were either.

they seem to feel grippier now than when they were new. I need to hit that mountain road again though to be sure. (maybe I'm just used to them)

of course another plus is that you would never guess they have 15000 miles on them from looking at them. I just rotated them again (for the 3rd time) a couple days ago, they still look brand new. I don't do burn outs but I corner hard every chance I get.

CarAndDriver

How's the noise and ride comfort? They are supposed to be a lot better than the stock Potenzas.

zojas

I only noticed the stock ones being noisy when it was time for them to be replaced.

the spt are probably a more cushy ride, but not a quantum leap or anything. a quick jerk of the steering wheel told me the side walls on the spts are definitely softer.