Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Wheels & Tires Time for new tires............Feedback please!!!!

I have managed to put 45,300 miles on my original BF Goodrich KDW's that came as original equipment on my car. First of all, I am amazed at the treadlife of these tires given their extreme performance. Granted they are now beat to hell with belts coming through but still, 45k on this tire is more than I could ever ask for.

As much as I love the grip of the KDW's, the ride is too harsh and they are quite noisy. I live in the LA area, so these things become annoying if you have a long commute like I do. Not to mention the KDW's are very pricey tires. Long story short, I plan to stay with the standard size tire 215/50/16 and go with either Kumho Supra 712's or BFG Comp T/A VR4.

The Kumhos look to be a nice cheap performance tire, but I have heard some owners complain about poor treadlife and tire quality. Also, I assume they will ride stiff and noisy KDW's do. I do love the tread pattern though and they look like they would stick like glue. What do you Kumho owners have to say about this tire?

The BFG Comp T/A VR4 is a great long-life tire but I am afraid it will be too wimpy and my handling will suffer as a result. Not to mention it is summer here year round, so why do I need an all-season tire? The ride would be much more comfortable and the treadlife looks to be great, so it seems it might be a good choice for a long commute. However, if it gives the car spongy handling with body-roll then I think I will pass. To anyone who runs this tire, how does it handle? Is it geared more towards comfort, or does it stick like glue? I love to drive fast and I want a comfortable yet excellent handling tire.

Thanks to all who post feedback. Glad I finally joined contour.org.

Welcome aboard.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of firsthand feedback on some good tires.

In the meantime, you should check out:
www.tirerack.com

Check out their reviews and tests.

btw, Jessman of CAP CEG got the Kumho Ecsta MX and has been pretty happy with them.

Thanks for the response. I have already read all the reviews and tests on tirerack.com (love that site). They were helpful but I trust the opinion of hard-core Contour SVT drivers more!

Glad to be onboard.

I used to be a big fan of Kumho tires (I still am with their race tires), but after having a set of 712's myself, I won't go back. They lack straight line traction and a stiff sidewall. They are also the narrowest of all the tires I have came across in their respective sizes. Figure a 225 Kumho to be like a 215 in any other tire. They aren't that bad of a tire if you're not performance driving on them, but they do get noisy at low tread (just as any other tire does). If you're looking for a good value tire, look at the Yokohama ES100's, they are in the same class as the Kumho or possibly the Sumitumo's.

I'm about halfway through the life of a set of Ecsta 712's. Like Qbert I won't buy them again, but I'll also be able to afford a better class of tire next time. For the money, they are tough to beat. No matter the wear level, they are tons quieter than the KDW. Performance? SVTCole beat everyone at the Spring Zing '02 auto-x on them, and they have NEVER given me reason for doubt in wet weather.

Since you got 45k out of some KDW's then it is obvious you're not an abusive driver. Have you yet to find the limit of the KDW in an emergency situation? I've yet to find the limit on any street with the KDW or 712. Perhaps your next tires should lean more towards comfort and less towards all out ability. I would also seek out a non-directional tread pattern to help even wear. If you're still unsure, just check out what all the new high-end cars are wearing this season

Thanks Qbert and BigMoney for the feedback. Based on what you said, what I've read, and what I think, I might go with the BFG Comp TA VR4 over the Kumhos. I'd consider other tires but I wanna stay with the 215/50/16 size which as you know limits my options greatly. The BFGs will be more comfortable and longer lasting and should suit my commute well. My only concern is that they won't handle as well as the Kumho. I'll flog the hell out of them though to see how they really perform on my car and post my results. If they handle even close to the KDWs I will be pleased.

I am actually a really fast driver (and a chronic lane changer), which is why I was surprised to squeak 45k out of the BFG KDWs. Of course I don't auto-X and I try not to do burnouts so that helps. No, I never found the limit of the KDWs, and I've pulled some insane maneuvers. Those things stick like glue.

If anybody has run BFG Comp TA VR4s I'd love to hear your experience.

I just bought some continental contiextremes. They arent exactly what you are looking for (they are all season) but they are pretty quiet, good wet, dry, and appearantly (Ill find out this winter) they are good in the snow (again, I know you dont care). They are pretty sticky, but I havent pushed them to their limits yet. They are also very cheap. From tirerack.com, I paid IIRC, ~$75 per tire. I didnt see any other tires that offered their perfomance for that price.

Anyway, read the reviews on tirerack.com. They are very helpful. . .

I was just about to recommend the ContiExtremes as well. I have a set and I love 'em. Like Kingpin said, they are good in sun and rain. They look good, too But that's just my opinion... Before I bought 'em, I made sure to read reviews anyplace on the web I could find them. Then when I went to order them, they were sold out. Pretty popular tire, I would say. But tirerack.com pulled through, and I got my tires much quicker than anticipated. So from that, I would say one more vote for ContiExtremes, and a vote goes to www.tirerack.com, too!

I'm still quite happy with my Yokohama Avid V4s. I have 225/50VR-16s on my E1 wheels, with the BAT Euro suspension, and have never had any kind of problems with the size. About $70 per tire, no complaints of any kind.

Well I have KDW's on the rear of my SVT and comp VR4's on the front. I can tell you that the VR4's are very nice tires with a nice quiet silky ride. They don't seem to give at all when I'm punishing them. But then again I don't have a set of all four to make the complete analysis. I'm running 32lbs in rear and 40lbs in front which gives for a very controlled feel. I noticed with the front tires inflated to this level that they do want to slide out from me in the rain. In dry they hold for days, obviously not as well as the kdw's but still rather well. I think you could get away with abusing some VR4's. Try out a set.