Kumho Ecowing ES31 tyre review (kind of...)

[Nedlom]

Just replaced my Goodyear efficient grips with a full set of Kumho Ecowing ES31's (175/65/14).

Had a couple of hundred miles on them so far and I'm impressed - I've had good mpg on the Goodyears, and didn't want to end up losing mpg to poor tyre choice.

Thought I'd try these as they are B rated for fuel economy vs the Goodyears C rating (both tyres rated B for grip)

A basic rolling resistance test showed no noticeable difference.

Grip is not noticeably different - if pushed in corners they have similar traction limits and behave predictably past that point.

Weight is roughly equal - new tyres with full tread depth fractionally heavier.

With same tyre pressure the Kumho's feel smoother over poor road surfaces - the Goodyears were a bit "crashy".

Fuel economy seems unaffected so far.

You can't directly compare a worn out tyre with a brand new one, but all in all, I prefer the Kumho's over the Goodyears as they were a bit cheaper and give a more comfortable ride with no obvious loss in any other area.

Not sure of the availability in the US, but if they come up as an option for you this might help.

Made in Korea, but apparently some of the VAG cars come from the showroom with Kumho's fitted.

Nedlom

[Daox]

A quick google search doesn't show them available in the US. But you never know, that could change. Thanks for the review.

[rmay635703]

My Insight came with 185/60r14 kumho ecowings all the way around, they didn’t wear evenly

[Nedlom]

well that's the thing that's still unknown to me - how they will wear / how long they will last. The Goodyears did wear nice and even despite overinflation.

What was the issue rmay? Edges wearing out?

I'm guessing you've swapped for different tyres and not had the same issues?

Nedlom

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Nedlom

well that's the thing that's still unknown to me - how they will wear / how long they will last. The Goodyears did wear nice and even despite overinflation.

What was the issue rmay? Edges wearing out?

I'm guessing you've swapped for different tyres and not had the same issues?

Nedlom

I’m not sure the front tires were well worn upon purchase of the car, drivers side front had the most wear along the inner edge.

My belief is the guy must have blown a tire and bought another at some point but who knows.

None of the 4 tires had similar wear

[Daschicken]

We get the Assurance Fuel Max(and CS Fuel Max for larger vehicles) in the U.S. That model didn't sound familiar. I try to avoid Goodyear in the first place due to their shady business practices(G159) and higher than average rate of tire defects(sidewall bubbles and excessive runout). I know since I used to work at a Goodyear auto shop.

[Nedlom]

Thanks rmay, I'll keep an eye on the wear patterns. I suppose it could have been the previous drivers bad habits that caused your odd wear, but I don't know how you'd manage to wear the inner edge through driving...

Yeah Das, I had read about the G159 tyre (years ago) and then forgotten about it. I guess it just shows "named" bands don't guarantee quality. That's why I listen more to what the local tyre guy says over marketing bumpf. He seemed to rate the kumho's (and he was only fitting, not supplying).