Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50-17 tire review
8/19/12, 10:20 PM
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Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50-17 tire review
Saw another tire review here that seemed useful, so I'll add one more.
The OEM tires on my car were the Pirelli P-Zero Nero all-season 235/55-17 tires. These tires are classified as Ultra High Performance All Season by tirerack.com. Mine lasted 37,000 miles, which is very good for a performance tire on a car that's driven harder than the average car.
I took the car to track days at Lime Rock Park and Loudon New Hampshire with the Pirellis. They were fine and sticky on a cool day at Lime Rock, but in the heat of summer at Loudon, they got slick and greasy after a couple laps. In full disclosure, the Pirellis had about 34,000 miles on them at Loudon, so it's amazing they were still up to track duty at all!
When it came time for replacement at 37,000 miles, I decided I wanted to go with a wider tire. The stock 235 mm tires look a little wimpy for the Mustang, IMO. I didn't want to mess around with speedometer calibration with a different diameter tire, so I looked at the 255/50-17 size, which is essentially the same diameter as the stock size. The 20 mm difference in width is a huge difference - it's more than 3/4". There are not many choices in the 255/50-17 size, but fortunately Kumho comes through with a very nice tire - the Ecsta ASX.
Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50-17 are also classified as Ultra High Performance All Season on tirerack. I have had these tires on the car for almost 4 years and can say that they are a little stickier than the Pirellis. Some of that may come from the bigger contact patch.
I have used the Kumhos for two track days at Watkins Glen. One day was cool while the other was hot, but the Kumhos never lost grip during five 30-minute sessions each day. This lap at the Glen shows the Kumhos in action:
After 32,000 miles with the Kumhos, I'm replacing them this week -- with another set of the same tires! They are actually not totally gone yet, but I am signed up for another track day in September at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) Thunderbolt track, so new tires is a good idea. I would say they could go another 5,000 miles or so, making them equal to the stock Pirellis in tread wear.
Like I said, the 20 mm wider tire is a huge difference and the car instantly looks racier. I could never go back to the skinny 235 mm tires again. And whether it's the wider size or the Kumho tread compound and design, the Kumhos stick better than the Pirellis. The car turns in quicker and the steering feels more darty and precise.
I don't do burnouts so can't comment on that, but if anyone else knows, please chime in!
As far as wet weather and snow, the Kumhos are very good. The Mustang GT is going to spin the tires ridiculously easy in the wet, but the Kumhos rarely hydroplane and handle rain quite well. The Mustang has never been a good snow car, but going through moderate snow is not horrible with these tires.
A definite thumbs up for the Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50-17 as a replacement tire.
The OEM tires on my car were the Pirelli P-Zero Nero all-season 235/55-17 tires. These tires are classified as Ultra High Performance All Season by tirerack.com. Mine lasted 37,000 miles, which is very good for a performance tire on a car that's driven harder than the average car.
I took the car to track days at Lime Rock Park and Loudon New Hampshire with the Pirellis. They were fine and sticky on a cool day at Lime Rock, but in the heat of summer at Loudon, they got slick and greasy after a couple laps. In full disclosure, the Pirellis had about 34,000 miles on them at Loudon, so it's amazing they were still up to track duty at all!
When it came time for replacement at 37,000 miles, I decided I wanted to go with a wider tire. The stock 235 mm tires look a little wimpy for the Mustang, IMO. I didn't want to mess around with speedometer calibration with a different diameter tire, so I looked at the 255/50-17 size, which is essentially the same diameter as the stock size. The 20 mm difference in width is a huge difference - it's more than 3/4". There are not many choices in the 255/50-17 size, but fortunately Kumho comes through with a very nice tire - the Ecsta ASX.
Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50-17 are also classified as Ultra High Performance All Season on tirerack. I have had these tires on the car for almost 4 years and can say that they are a little stickier than the Pirellis. Some of that may come from the bigger contact patch.
I have used the Kumhos for two track days at Watkins Glen. One day was cool while the other was hot, but the Kumhos never lost grip during five 30-minute sessions each day. This lap at the Glen shows the Kumhos in action:
After 32,000 miles with the Kumhos, I'm replacing them this week -- with another set of the same tires! They are actually not totally gone yet, but I am signed up for another track day in September at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) Thunderbolt track, so new tires is a good idea. I would say they could go another 5,000 miles or so, making them equal to the stock Pirellis in tread wear.
Like I said, the 20 mm wider tire is a huge difference and the car instantly looks racier. I could never go back to the skinny 235 mm tires again. And whether it's the wider size or the Kumho tread compound and design, the Kumhos stick better than the Pirellis. The car turns in quicker and the steering feels more darty and precise.
I don't do burnouts so can't comment on that, but if anyone else knows, please chime in!
As far as wet weather and snow, the Kumhos are very good. The Mustang GT is going to spin the tires ridiculously easy in the wet, but the Kumhos rarely hydroplane and handle rain quite well. The Mustang has never been a good snow car, but going through moderate snow is not horrible with these tires.
A definite thumbs up for the Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50-17 as a replacement tire.
8/21/12, 10:20 PM
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I had that exact set of tires before I got my Michelin's on sale. The Kumho's did have great overall grip but what made me uncomfortable was that when they crossed their threshold of grip, the breakaway was really sudden. They definitely outperform the Pirellis overall but the stock tires did have a much more progressive (and controllable) loss of grip.
I really do like the Michelin Pilot Sports though
I really do like the Michelin Pilot Sports though
8/25/12, 09:49 PM
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On my second set of the same Kumhos and really like them for daily driving. They aren't to bad on the track but I have a set of Bridgestone - Potenza RE-11 I usually run at the track which are much better than the Kumhos for that but wouldn't last long at all on the street.
8/26/12, 12:25 AM
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Any more pictures of the car with the new tires? Maybe from the back? I also think the 235's look just a little bit too small. With the 255/50-17's you don't need to change anything on the car? Just have the new tire installed and that's it?
8/26/12, 10:33 AM
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Here is a link to some photos of my Mustang with the Kumho Ecsta ASX 255/50ZR17:
http://www.mustangcollective.com/showthread.php?t=23523
Nothing needs to be changed. They fit right up and are the same diameter as stock Pirelli P-Zero Nero all-season 235/55-17 so no adjustments to the speedometer need to be made.
http://www.mustangcollective.com/showthread.php?t=23523
Nothing needs to be changed. They fit right up and are the same diameter as stock Pirelli P-Zero Nero all-season 235/55-17 so no adjustments to the speedometer need to be made.
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