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.
