I'm looking to replace the tires on my Jeep Commander Limited.

I have read many great tire recommendations here on the forum, but little about the brand I'm asking about.

I noticed the KumHo brand VENTURE AT51 are available for a very good price compared to other makes.
Does anybody have first hand info on this brand or this particular tire?

No experience but like most things, you get what you pay for.
I made the mistake of buying a cheap Hankook tire once.

I had them on one of my commuter vehicle. 70K mile warranty but only lasted about 45K miles eventhough they were rotated every 6-7K miles. Mediocre tires . Nothing quiet about them. If you're gonna drive a lot in snow and rain, get something else.

Tires are one of the things on your car you should not mind spending money on. Budget tires are going to get you budget results whether it's stopping distance, tread life, wet weather traction, etc.

We’ve had good reports from customers we’ve sold Kumhos to. And we haven’t had any issues with them.

I had those same tires on my 2002 f150, twice. I have no complaints but do keep in mind the context I used them in: 99% Central Valley of California. No significant weather happens here.

They went on snowy road drives (no more than maybe 6”) a couple times and across some fairly rocky and deeply rutted high Sierra “roads” and they never let me down. Of course it rains occasionally… maybe 15-2 days a year?

But they spent 95% of their life on dry asphalt. I’d say they were just fine for someone like me, but maybe not for a climate that actually gets weather.

They have the three-peak mountain snowflake rating, so I’d assume they’re better than a typical M+S tire, but not as good as a true winter tire, I just never was in a situation to judge.

Ran them on fleet vehicles in the early 2K's. Liked them then, no idea how they are now.

Bought a hot rod truck that came with them, I could not stand looking at white letters that said Kumho. I switched them out for Cooper Cobras.

Had a new set of Kuhmos on my F150 for exactly one week before I returned them to the tire seller for something else. By far the worst set of tires I've ever purchased. Nothing anyone tried could get these tires to balance up on my truck. Interestingly, the Yokohamas that replaced them balanced up with virtually no weight and ran smooth and quiet from the moment they hit the ground.

Have had a few sets of Kumho car tires on past cars, Ecsta if I remember right.
Never had a problem out of them. And that was younger days with a heavy foot.

No knowledge on their truck tires.

Edit: Mine were always all-season Ecsta

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P250UA5,

I have had many brands of tires on my '88 Rx-7, and I recall that I really liked the Kumho's. Good cornering traction, but, perhaps, not a real long life. It has been a long time so maybe my memories have faded, but I'd buy them again.

Had Kumho Ecstas on my GTO. They were decent.

A better version of the Kumho Ecstas were original equipment on the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR when it was smashing lap records on litetally every track it pulled onto. Those tires were a big part of that performance.

I can't speak to their truck tires, but their car tires are pretty solid.

I had a set on my car maybe 20 years ago and they were fine for the money at that time. No premature wear or other issues.

Had them on my passenger car. If I remember correctly, they are a discounted Korean brand. Not too bad for the price. However, mine where 45 profile tires and a couple of them developed bubbles due to pothole hits. Did not have bubbles with factory Dunlops.

Dave

About 13-15 years ago, I had a nice-ish car with performance tires. Micheline Pilot Sports or Michelin Pilot Sport 2 if I recall. They were pricey, around $1500 all mounted and balanced up, and only lasted like 20k miles.

In an attempt to save a few bucks, and having gone through 3 or 4 sets of the Michelins by that poinr, I once went to a tire shop and asked their opinion for something equivalent, but cheaper. Bridgestone Potenza Pole Positions or the like. Ended up with the Kumho Ecstas or the like. Supposedly their top end summer max performance tire, coming in about $1100 all mounted up.

The tires let go on what should have been a perfectly routine (but brisk) off ramp.

A little body work later and I decided never to cheap out on tires.

I believe my 2003 Acura RSX came with Michelin MX all-season tires. They were decently grippy once the tread started wearing down. I have always replaced my tires with cheaper summer tires, just to experiment.

The first time I replaced my tires, I bought Kumho Ecsta SPT summer tires in the late-'00s. For their cost, they were the best cheaper tire I've ever bought. Pretty sticky, good treadwear, and they didn't break the bank. I was very satisfied.

I've tried to save money by getting cheap tires in the past, but there's not one case where I've ever been happy with them.

I'm an old fart, and while I don't squander my money, there are a few things that I have no problem paying a little extra for: Good tires, good boots, and good toilet paper.

We bought a set of Kumho Road Venture AT51 a year ago. So far, so good.

Kumho is a decent brand of tire, not sure they're 2nd tier but close. I liked Hankook, was a distributor for over 20 years.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bean:
Had them on my passenger car. If I remember correctly, they are a discounted Korean brand. Not too bad for the price. However, mine where 45 profile tires and a couple of them developed bubbles due to pothole hits. Did not have bubbles with factory Dunlops.

Dave

Kuhmo's Passenger Car & Crossover SUV tires are made in Korea, but their All-Terrain tires are made in Vietnam.