Kumho Ecsta 4X Tire Review
High Performance All Season Tire
The Kumho Ecsta 4X KU22 is an asymmetric all season tire designed for high performance in dry, wet, and snow conditions.
UTQG Rating: Treadwear 420 Traction AA Temperature A
This is one of Kumho's affordable lines of tires in the all season high performance category designed for sports cars and sedans. As you can see from the image to the left it is a very low profile tire, and has a nice wide footprint for steady handling. Plenty of lateral and circumferential grooves allow for water evacuation, while the smallest slits (sipes) give traction in snow and ice. Kumho has been coming out with some new technologies for their tires, and the Ecsta 4X is no exception. The tread compound here is infused with a unique silica that gives additional traction in wet weather conditions, for when it gets really stormy outside. ESCOT tech also lets engineers fine tune the tire's sidewall and shoulder to give increased stability and better steering response. Tested: So how does Ecsta 4X perform when we go for a spin and drive these tires to the limit? First we hit some dry roads to see how they perform in various situations. On the highway the tires produce some noise, but that is normal for most tires. Steering response, handling, and cornering are all excellent and the tires grip the road well. We then hit some side roads with some fun turns and curves to see how the tires do when the weight is shifted back and forth. The sidewalls on this tire are nice and low- when toggling back and forth there is no under or over steer. Steering response was again crisp and tight. Next came wet conditions. Thanks to some sprinklers we don't have to wait until it rains to see how these Ecsta 4X's work with some water on the road. No hydroplaning, no sliding around, and good overall traction. Even when cornering pretty hard we did not slide out. The grooves work well for evacuating water, and when going over a puddle at high speeds no hydroplaning at all. We did not have a chance to try this tire out in snow conditions or on ice. Based upon the tread pattern, sipes, and grooves I anticipate it should provide good traction, but that is yet to be determined.
Conclusion:
The Kumho Ecsta 4X is a great all around tire and a lot of fun to drive. We pushed these pretty hard in both wet and dry conditions, yet the tires did not waver. Steering and handling was nice and crisp- the tires responded well to driver input. This is a great value tire ranging from about $74 to $190 depending on size. |
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All Season Performance Tires
Excellent response and handling in wet and dry conditions, as well as light snow.
Excellent response and handling in wet and dry conditions, as well as light snow.
Performance Summer Tires
Low profile tires provide great handling and traction for both dry and wet conditions
Low profile tires provide great handling and traction for both dry and wet conditions