One of the questions I get asked more than anything else is about the tires I use on my MINI.
Pictured above is the Kumho Ecsta ASX and it has been my tire of choice for over 160K miles. Great in the rain, handles well for daily driving and the occassional canyon-carving session, stops great and is quiet. And, as a bonus, I can get about 40K miles out of each one, which makes them a pretty good value in my book.
As for tire shops, I prefer Discount/America’s Tire to TireRack. The price is comparable (after installation) and, for a little extra per tire I get a smokin’ extended warranty. If you have one close, I highly recommend them.
I also have used Yokohama ES100’s (replaced by the
Yokohama S.drive, pictured above). It’s a very aggressive tire that handles and brakes exceptionally well, but is horrible for daily driving duties. It rides rough and wears quickly (about 15K miles if you are lucky), but they are great on the track or for AutoX.
Comments are open. What tires do you like?
I had the ES100s on my WRX, and they were great at first, but the honeymoon ended abruptly at about 12k miles. I hated them after that in every way.
I want to try the Kumho Ecsta XS (the replacement for the venerable MX), but I can’t seem to wear down my original runflats fast enough, which so far have seen 27,600 miles. Because it never really gets cold or wet in central Texas, I can get away with full-on summer tires year round. Although I’ll probably end up getting the Kumho SPT’s because they’re significantly cheaper and, I hear, quieter.
This probably makes me a philistine but I have no idea what tyres are on my MINI. I usually go to Discount Tyres and get whatever they recommend that I can afford.
My current one were only guaranteed for 25k and I’m up to 27k now and the wear bars are showing. The next set I buy will have to last longer, don’t want to be buying tyres every year. When I go in a few weeks time I’ll have to try and remember these.
DB, what was your opinion on the Yoko S.Drives? I was confused by the wording of your post if you had S.Drives after the ES100s or if you are saying the ES100s were the predecessor to the S.Drive in Yoko’s evolution.
That was a bit confusing. I have 1 of the S.Drives on right now after my tire popping last week, but I like the look of the tread and it looks like it might be ok for daily driving. The tread blocks are a bit taller than the ES100s too. One thing I can say is that it is a bit more expensive and I’m not sure it would be worth the money.
Hmmm according to their website, that tyre cannot be purchased in El Centro or San Diego without a special order.
I have the same problem up here. Doesn’t bother me because they usually arrive in 1 or 2 days. Worth it if you ask me.
They are calling the ASXs all season tires? Is that so – would anybody use these in winter?
I’ve been very pleased with the 3 sets of Kumho Ecsta SPTs I’ve used on my Volvo 855R (205/45-17). The General Exclaim UHPs that I’m currently running don’t offer as much steering feel, but they are likely to last longer than the Kumhos or the Yokohamas that I’ve also used on this relatively heavy FWD wagon.
On my Honda Fit (205/45-16) I just installed my second set of BFG g-Force Sports. They provide very linear steering feel, sharp turn in, great stickiness and smooth breakaway at the limit, and last about 30K miles in aggressive street driving. They do have a tendency to hydroplane when over 50% worn. And I’m still recovering from the time I had to drive in 2 miles of slushy snow with them — totally frightening.