Kumho  Ecsta PS91

The best combination of traction, treadwear and price that I have ever purchased. As a max performance tire the dry traction on a hot day is unbelievable. I grew up on Michelins and Pirelli and Dunlop D40 and Goodyear wingfoot and this tire is like slicks. They pick up gravel and stones like gumballs even after 2000miles. There are raceflags imprinted on the tread with gradations so I can precisely measure treadwear across the width and the projected life is easily over 20,000 miles. Made two round trips from FLL to ATL and are much quieter than stock. Wet traction is excellent as well as hydroplaning resistance. Minor flatspotting overnite that goes after 5 miles. For the first time I can really experience how good the car is designed. You get deep in a corner and roll on the gas coming out and the grip is so good that you can dictate the speed or slip angle of the exit while holding the racing line with total predictability. When I first looked at the price I thought it was a closeout and the reviews were sparse. Took a chance after reading about the technology behind the design and rubber. Even now I walk to the car and still smell the rubber. Will probably buy another set and put them in storage as the price can only go up once the word gets out.

I was likely Tirerack's very first purchaser of this particular set of Kumhos back in June 2016. There were zero reviews, only a price of $90/each after a ridiculously good rebate (+ mounting and installation I was out-the-door for exactly $400 total). After some searching I found exactly one single review on the entire Internet...in Korean. I translated it roughly thru google translate but it was enough to sell me.

As a spirited Focus ST driver this is PERFECT set of tires to replace the stock Goodyears once they've worn out (and especially if you have a spare winter set on steelies). The stock Goodyears were a good tire for the ST, but these Kumho Ecstas blow them away. The only complaints I had about the stock tires were that they always had a tendency to bark when you floored it and they were a little too loose in the rain. These Kumhos grip like none other with the pedal to the floor, and the tread design handles the hardest rain.

I traded in the Focus ST and the tires were still in great shape with plenty of tread and 15,000 miles on them over the past year. It was the deal of the year back in 2016 on blind hope. And it still is in 2017 if you can grab a set (with a rebate) for <$120/tire.

These tires have seen a mix of highway and city daily driving and one of the few tires with a (Y)-rating other than OEM. For daily driving, they do a better job of putting the power to the ground from a 650 TQ engine compared to the stock Pirelli PZero Nero All Seasons.
They handle predictably well in the rain (better than OEM) and give confidence while accelerating and turning.

The tires started at 9/32nds. After 9500 miles, they are at 5.5/32nds (worn 3.5/32nds) and are wearing as expected for a 260 wear rating tire (7500 x 2.6 = 19500 miles / 7 = 2785 miles per 1/32nd). They should be good for another 6000-9000 miles of daily driving, however, they will likely loose their tread life quickly after a few track burnouts this Summer. The wear is even although I did experience some camber wear in the the front tires. The key here to prevent this is to measure/rotate the tires at the recommended intervals as I did not rotate them until 9500 miles.

Given the price of the tire, a (Y)-rating, and wearing as expected; I'll likely buy another set.

These PS91's have lasted longer than the GY F1 Asymmetrical and Nitto NT05's and provide better dry and wet grip. I have 16,000 miles on this set and will be due for new set soon. This includes several AutoX's, 2 trips to the mountains , and a track day. Normally you have to give up so much to get a cheaper tire, not with the PS91's. The only thing the GY's and the Nitto had on these is the those had a little stiffer side walls. I'm definitely glad I gave them a try.

These tires performed phenomenally, to the point where I felt the typical understeer found in Audis was noticeably lessened, as it just took so much more than usual to get these tires to break adhesion. I found that wet performance, even in very heavy rain, did not differ much from the Continental DWS I'd run previously (note that AWD Audis are generally unshakable in wet weather overall). However, I was rather surprised to find that I had run my fronts down to the cord after just 8,000 miles. I don't drive this car regularly, and spirited driving sessions are truly few and far between. The rears are near the end of their lives. I chose to move the rears to the front and just replace the worn tires so that I can enjoy a bit more the phenomenal performance of these tires and how they keep my very nose-heavy car planted and nimble. If I buy these tires again, it will be with full knowledge that it is for high performance and not to expect any reasonable life out of them.

I did try a launch with them. Traction was awesome, stayed hooked up for the whole stretch of highway . Ride is very comfy for a muscle car. They look awesome also.

My car came originally with Bridgestone Potenza run flats and I just put these on and they are the perfect combination of comfort and handling, I haven't eve ntested their limits but they are very quiet and stable at high speeds.

Replaced a set of Bridgestone S04s with these tires. While I quite enjoyed them, they simply didn't last anywhere near as long as the Pole Positions. Granted I was very impressed with the longevity of those tires as I got 20k miles out of them, including 2 track days.

I put a one track day on these tires early on in their life, and they didn't hold up nearly as well (lots of chunking). This most likely accelerated the wear process significantly as now, 6500 miles later one of the tires has had the the outer tread completely separate from the carcass, requiring that I replace them.

These tires were very good on the street, and I imagine I could have gone 10k miles if I hadn't tracked them. They were comfortable, quiet, and responsive. Considering the S04s aren't that much more though, and they lasted so much longer even with more abuse, I will most likely be purchasing those again.