Tires: Nitto vs Kuhmo

I have used the exact same tires that you are talking about. Nittos faithfully for a long time, then switched to Kuhmos the last time I bought tires to try and save some money. I have the Kuhmos on my car now.

The following is strictly my opinion, this morning, BEFORE coffee. Your mileage may vary.

They both seemed pretty sure footed on wet surfaces. The Nittos had a little stickier grip than the Kuhmos when they were both new. At about 15k miles they were pretty much the same. The Nittos wore out faster. The Kuhmos needed to be balanced more often.

One other thing that I liked about the Nittos. This may sound silly but they had smooth walls on the outside. Made them easier to clean and put dressing on. The Kuhmos have a ribbed finish over the entire sidewall.

Dave, I'd like to say that I like the Nittos better but the differences for the dollar were not really THAT significant. If I had the bucks I would stick with Nittos, but if I don't I wll go ahead and buy the Kuhmos again because they last longer and cost less.

Kate

On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 20:22:07 -0600, "Dave Wick" wrote something wonderfully witty:

Well I have an opinion that a tired named a Kum-ho is about the funniest damn name for a tire.

I'll echo what Kate said, regarding the 555's and the 712's. I didn't have any imbalance issues with the 712's, though. I've never used the MX myself, but have heard it has more grip than either of the other two you mention.

My quest for cheap tires has me currently running the Cooper Zeon 2XS. (cheapest so far) The following is IMO: comparing these three, in size 275/35/18.

Nitto 555 = Best ride + softest sidewall, good dry + fair wet traction, wore down the quickest, noisiest of the three. I liked the gradual nature the tire gave up grip when approaching its limits. When they do lose grip, it's very predictable and easily compensated for.

Kumho 712 = Harshest ride + stiff sidewall, fair dry + fair wet traction (these had superior wet traction when new, but that faded quickly), tread wear was good, quieter than the Nittos. These had some strange handling quirks. Cornering at the limit was unpredictable. The Mustang seemed to wag its tail more with these than the others.

Cooper 2XS = Good ride + fairly soft sidewall, good dry + fair wet traction, quietest of the three. These have surprised me. The Coopers are more predictable when pushed hard than the Kumhos. They behave much like the Nittos when approaching their limits, but they lack the Nittos grip.

I'd take the Coopers over the Kumho 712's but the Nittos are the best handling of those three. YMMV

-- John C. '03 Cobra Convt.

Thanks much for your thoughtful contrast. Just one question ... Which Kumhos are you running now? The 712 or the MX?

Thanks!

Dave

The Ecsta Supra

| > The following is strictly my opinion, this morning, BEFORE coffee. Your | > mileage may vary. | >

| > They both seemed pretty sure footed on wet surfaces. The Nittos had a | > little | > stickier grip than the Kuhmos when they were both new. At about 15k miles | > they were pretty much the same. | > The Nittos wore out faster. The Kuhmos needed to be balanced more often. | >

| > One other thing that I liked about the Nittos. This may sound silly but | > they | > had smooth walls on the outside. Made them easier to clean and put | > dressing | > on. The Kuhmos have a ribbed finish over the entire sidewall. | >

| > Dave, I'd like to say that I like the Nittos better but the differences | > for | > the dollar were not really THAT significant. If I had the bucks I would | > stick with Nittos, but if I don't I wll go ahead and buy the Kuhmos again | > because they last longer and cost less. | >

| > Kate | > 98 Cobra Drop Top | >

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