Kumho  Ecsta PA31

This is one of the best tires I have ever put on a car! DEFINITELY an upgrade from the stock Goodyear RS-A's!!!! I can get aggressive with my driving & this tire handles it all. Snow traction is well above average, wet traction is spot on & dry traction is just perfect! When it comes to ice, well, ice is ice...there is not 1 tire that can compete with that...however, the PA31 does grip the ice pretty well. Dating back to my last car, this is the 4th set of Kumho's I have put on, & I used to buy from the likes of Pirelli, Yokohama & Toyo. Bottom line, you can't go wrong with selecting this tire.

I've only driven these tires for 4,000 miles but so far I am satisfied with their performance. Wet traction is very good, dry handling is good. Under hard cornering they complain a little (you can hear a little slid) and you can feel a little sidewall flex as it settles into the turn but I have not pushed them to the extreme. As this is a daily driver (about 60 miles round trip) I needed something with good wet traction and wanted something with good handling. So far I would say for the price, this is an excellent tradeoff between the two.

This tire performs very well when driving through standing water, snow and wet conditions. I can floor it from a dead stop with minimal tire spin, unlike the factory Hankooks. This tire handles very well in dry conditions and cornering.plus you can't beat the price and the rebate. Highly recommend if you want a good cheap tire for all conditions especially the snow where I live along the Lake Erie snowbelt.

Very good in the snow and a much better tire than the Goodyear Eagle RS-A that were on the car previously. Very impressed thus far.

Worst winter in 100 years and these tires are the best!!!

This is my 4th set of tires for my Elantra. I always thought my car was bad in slippery conditions (Wisconsin winters). When I put these tires on, they made a huge difference. They have also reduced the amount of road noise and improved overall handling. This is an awesome tire.

I have not put alot of miles on this set of tires, but so far I am very happy with the performance in all conditions. Much better traction than I expected in snow of about 2 inches. Dry and wet traction is better than I expected for all season tires. Ride comfort is also very good. Turn in seems only slightly less accurate or slower than my extreme performance summer tires. If these tires continue to perform like this I will most definitely buy them again.

Amazing tire for the money. Older Sumitomo LHS tires were so loud it sounded like a bearing going bad. The Kumho PA31s run nearly silent, and ride quality is superior. My Bonneville SSEi now feels like a luxury car again. Dry traction is excellent at a very slight cost in solid cornering. Considering this is a full size car, I don't blame the tire. I have driven just about every tire brand and type made, and overall this is the best tire I have ever purchased considering the price. Outstanding quality!

I was struggling to find a tire that I can enjoy at least a little bit in the summer while still being able to do reasonably well in the snow and ice of Minnesota.

So far, this tire has far and away exceeded expectations. On cold dry roads, the tires are much more responsive and better than the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus that they replaced. I'm sure when spring and summer come around I will notice a bit of handling drop off with the PA31's, but so far they are great.

In the snow it is no contest. These are far and away the best non-snow tires that I have ever driven on that can still maintain some sporting aspects. They are very responsive when playing in the snow, and I almost feel that they grip too well for my childish need to drift whenever possible. Every once in a while, they will want to understeer a little bit in deep snow, but they are still better than any other performance all season I have used.

Ice is ice, and they ---- on ice, along with every other tire that lasts more than 10,000 miles.

The tires are quiet and absorb small bumps better than the Pilot Sports did, which is no surprise as these have a rather soft, but not TOO soft sidewall.

My main gripe with the tire is that it is made in China, and says so quite clearly right on the sidewall. Only time will tell if it is well manufactured, but being a college student on a budget, I'm glad the price is low enough for me to afford.

Even if these tires only last me 35,000 miles, I will probably go with them again. Time will tell how they hold up to my summer driving habits.

Awesome wet and dry traction. Better than expected snow traction. Comfortable quiet ride for a 45 series tires.

Purchased these tires thru TireRack to replace the P Zero Nero's on the X3 when I bought it used. (96K miles, now at 103K after 4 months!) We took the X on a 1200-mile road trip with the Pirellis still on it, then changed to the PA31s just before the winter driving season. (Oregon allows AWD passenger vehicles with M&S tires to opt out of chains when otherwise required, but I wanted new, deep tread to feel comfortable!) Driving away from the tire shop after the changeover, the difference in the feel became apparent at the curb, pulling onto the street/highway. Literally. The ride with the M Sport package was expected to be firm, even downsized to 235/50-18, but with the Pirellis it was still pretty jarring. This tire was instantly more comfortable, both from a ride and noise standpoint. Road trip to San Diego (2000 miles R/T) was very smooth, and the tires were equally at home at 80 on the freeway and through sweeping curves. Absolutely no tramlining on grooved pavement, which we hit several times on that trip. The first snow of the year was followed by very cold air, which kept snow on the ground for a week -- very unusual for this area, but a great chance to try out the tire and the AWD on the X3. Both excellent in over 6" of snow. Not Blizzaks, to be sure, but I was pleasantly surprised with test stops, up to activating the ABS. Haven't measured tread depth after 6K miles but still look and feel very good. I was nervous about buying Kumho for this demanding an application, but have since bought a set for my son's Subaru, and will consider for other vehicles as well. Pretty unbeatable for the money.

Ive had these tires on my car for a year and when I went to get a service the mechanics noted that the tread was nearly brand new. I take a lot of effort to keep my alignment sound and these tires have paid me back for my efforts, in their resiliency. Great compound for daily driving. I will buy again.

Update of June 21, 2014 review, after some miles. These tires continue to perform as advertised, without a hitch, have exceeded initial expectations. I continue to be impressed with smooth quiet ride, very little road noise, excellent steering response, and low rolling resistance. This car is small, light, not the quietest, but these tires add little noise. After 8000 miles, they look like new, show almost no wear. Car tracks with assurance in wet or dry, no slipping, no squeal, wet traction is very good, no hydroplaning, running in heavy rain is not a problem. No experience in ice or snow, I have taken off the Kumho's for the winter, replaced with winter tires. Other reviewers are using these as winter tires, and the tread looks like it should give good bite, but I haven't tested winter traction, nor have I driven hard enough to push the car into a skid. This tire is performing well, and I would buy them again.

My third set of Kumhos, I always was "satisfied" with these tires, not the best in class but always an excellent value (KU-27's and ASX's prior). SO far I have to say I am VERY impressed with ride quality, low tread noise and excellent wet traction. They balanced perfectly, NO shimmy all the way to 90 mph, I mean not a trace! Well see about winter traction, I suspect they will be good. My car is AWD and last season the KU-27's got me through almost three feet of snow at half tread depth....no easily mind you but three feet of snow is not a cake walk for any car. Will