Budget UHP All Season for 09 OBS

jdbonz · 01-03-2013, 05:25 PM

I'm currently down to either the Kumho Ecsta 4x, Continental DWS, and General G-Max AS-03. I'm 95% sold on the Kumhos, however I am concerned about the tread wear. Price is important too, I can get the Kumho's for 137 each, GMAX 136, and DWS for 164. Any suggestions?

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krzyss · 01-03-2013, 06:51 PM

If you can wait till November 2013, when Consumer Report releases their performance tires test, then you will have objective tread wear test (with 5 dot scale so not very detailed).
Otherwise it is just hearsay in regard of this parameter.

Krzys

dc519 · 01-03-2013, 07:20 PM

In last years magazine the order from best to worst of your brand choices is Continental, Kuhmo, and General isn't on the list. Not the exact models though.

jdbonz · 01-04-2013, 10:42 AM

Can't wait until November. I know the ASX, the 4X's predecessor was rated below average by Consumer's. Any anecdotal experience with the 4x's? I'm also open to other suggestions (in this price range).

OBP WRX · 01-04-2013, 08:11 PM

Pirelli p zero nero as and the new goodyear eagle f1 asymetrical have good ratings on tire rack and are cheaper than the contis. Not sure on treadwear as I focus on grip (would rather run dedicated summer and winter tires but dont have he $$ right now)

The kumhos have high ratings for the cheaper uhp as. Boss just put a set on his altima se-r but wasn't too impressed with the snow performance (had them about a week before the snow hit, so not much time to evaluate).

BernR6 · 01-05-2013, 01:56 AM

I was in this exact predicament. Don't have the money for designated summers/winters. I decided to go with All Seasons. I went with the General GMAXs. Just ordered them yesterday. Should be in tomorrow. If you don't need to purchase immediately, I can report back with a review. I have a '12 WRX sedan, so 235/45/17s are going for $121 a tire on Tire Rack. Got good reviews for a UHP AS. Looked at the Continentals...good reviews but kept seeing complaints about soft sidewalls. Plus I figured for designated winters the General Altimax were a really popular choice, so maybe their AS tires would be good too. We'll see.

AWDmonk · 01-05-2013, 03:28 AM

There is an older thread, maybe from last summer, where several members bought the G-Max's and IIRC, they were impressed with them. Now that i think about it I'm sure the Conti's were discussed as well and seemed sloppy (weak sidewalls) to some.

On a personal note about Kumho's, I'll never buy them. My roommate had them as OE equipment on her Accent and were at the wear bars @ 25k on a 60k mile tire after 4 years. The warranty would have been prorated at that point, but Kumho did not honor any part of it because "she didn't buy them, the dealership did." Whether that was the official answer or just lazy unprofessionalism by the certified dealer in my town, it was enough to guarantee I'll buy something else from someone else.

jdbonz · 01-05-2013, 10:57 AM

Leaning more towards the G-Max's now. I think I will be satisfied with any of these UHP tires in terms of performance, I just want them to last. Consumers rated the Cooper Zeon RS3-A and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus as having the best tread wear (bust cost more).

BernR6 · 01-05-2013, 11:50 AM

If you go to Tire Rack - select the all seasons and the size you're looking for and then select "surveys." It'll bring up ratings on all aspects of the tires, including treadlife, dry handling, etc. there's been like a million or so people that responded, so you'll get a really good indication of real world use/treadlife, compared to just what the manufacturer states.

Patrick Olsen · 01-05-2013, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWDmonk

On a personal note about Kumho's, I'll never buy them. My roommate had them as OE equipment on her Accent and were at the wear bars @ 25k on a 60k mile tire after 4 years. The warranty would have been prorated at that point, but Kumho did not honor any part of it because "she didn't buy them, the dealership did." Whether that was the official answer or just lazy unprofessionalism by the certified dealer in my town, it was enough to guarantee I'll buy something else from someone else.

AFAIK, Michelin is the only tire manufacturer that honors their treadwear warranty on OE tires, and that's a pretty recent development. So you're condemning Kumho for something that is pretty much the industry standard.

jdbonz · 01-11-2013, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BernR6

I was in this exact predicament. Don't have the money for designated summers/winters. I decided to go with All Seasons. I went with the General GMAXs. Just ordered them yesterday. Should be in tomorrow. If you don't need to purchase immediately, I can report back with a review. I have a '12 WRX sedan, so 235/45/17s are going for $121 a tire on Tire Rack. Got good reviews for a UHP AS. Looked at the Continentals...good reviews but kept seeing complaints about soft sidewalls. Plus I figured for designated winters the General Altimax were a really popular choice, so maybe their AS tires would be good too. We'll see.

Any thoughts on the GMAXs?

SoapBox · 01-11-2013, 09:24 AM

Where do you live? What temps/conditions will these see?

What are you looking for out of them? Grip? Steering feel? Longevity? Ride?

BernR6 · 01-11-2013, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdbonz

Any thoughts on the GMAXs?

I'll have to get back to you. They're going on tomorrow AM. Ill post back with a review.

jdbonz · 01-12-2013, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoapBox

Where do you live? What temps/conditions will these see?

What are you looking for out of them? Grip? Steering feel? Longevity? Ride?

I live in the NY metro area. Ride and longevity are my two main concerns.

BernR6 · 01-12-2013, 08:39 PM

Happy to report that the GMAXs went on the stock rims today. Initial impressions:

- nice looking tire
- no increase in road noise/smooth ride
- didn't exactly do any major "spirited" driving, but they handled well in dry/wet conditions
- warranty is 40k miles - through tire rack I got the extra road hazard warranty...if anything for peace of mind. Total with tax and shipping from Delaware was $586 ($121/tire + tax and road hazard warranty). Going to put the stock summer dunlops up for sale in the classifieds soon. Hopefully I can recoup some of what I paid.
- I'm in Eastern PA - still curious if we'll get more snow this season. Hopefully I'll get to test it out.

Do you get a lot of snow in your area of NY? Regardless, this might be a good tire option for you.

01-03-2013, 05:25 PM	#1
jdbonz Scooby Newbie Member#: 222395 Join Date: Sep 2009	Budget UHP All Season for 09 OBS I'm currently down to either the Kumho Ecsta 4x, Continental DWS, and General G-Max AS-03. I'm 95% sold on the Kumhos, however I am concerned about the tread wear. Price is important too, I can get the Kumho's for 137 each, GMAX 136, and DWS for 164. Any suggestions? * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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01-03-2013, 06:51 PM	#2
krzyss Scooby Specialist Member#: 8365 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Massachusetts Vehicle: 2005 Legacy GT Ltd Atlantic Blue	If you can wait till November 2013, when Consumer Report releases their performance tires test, then you will have objective tread wear test (with 5 dot scale so not very detailed). Otherwise it is just hearsay in regard of this parameter. Krzys

01-03-2013, 07:20 PM	#3
dc519 Scooby Newbie Member#: 336937 Join Date: Nov 2012 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Location: ON, Canada Vehicle: 2011 WRX	In last years magazine the order from best to worst of your brand choices is Continental, Kuhmo, and General isn't on the list. Not the exact models though.

01-04-2013, 10:42 AM	#4
jdbonz Scooby Newbie Member#: 222395 Join Date: Sep 2009	Can't wait until November. I know the ASX, the 4X's predecessor was rated below average by Consumer's. Any anecdotal experience with the 4x's? I'm also open to other suggestions (in this price range).

01-04-2013, 08:11 PM	#5
OBP WRX Scooby Newbie Member#: 330185 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Vehicle: 05 WRX OBP	Pirelli p zero nero as and the new goodyear eagle f1 asymetrical have good ratings on tire rack and are cheaper than the contis. Not sure on treadwear as I focus on grip (would rather run dedicated summer and winter tires but dont have he $$ right now) The kumhos have high ratings for the cheaper uhp as. Boss just put a set on his altima se-r but wasn't too impressed with the snow performance (had them about a week before the snow hit, so not much time to evaluate).

01-05-2013, 01:56 AM	#6
BernR6 Scooby Newbie Member#: 233987 Join Date: Jan 2010 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Gilbertsville PA Vehicle: 2012 WRX 4-door DGM	I was in this exact predicament. Don't have the money for designated summers/winters. I decided to go with All Seasons. I went with the General GMAXs. Just ordered them yesterday. Should be in tomorrow. If you don't need to purchase immediately, I can report back with a review. I have a '12 WRX sedan, so 235/45/17s are going for $121 a tire on Tire Rack. Got good reviews for a UHP AS. Looked at the Continentals...good reviews but kept seeing complaints about soft sidewalls. Plus I figured for designated winters the General Altimax were a really popular choice, so maybe their AS tires would be good too. We'll see.

01-05-2013, 03:28 AM	#7
AWDmonk Scooby Newbie Member#: 271442 Join Date: Jan 2011 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Green Bay, Wi Vehicle: 2006 Impreza 2.5i CGM	There is an older thread, maybe from last summer, where several members bought the G-Max's and IIRC, they were impressed with them. Now that i think about it I'm sure the Conti's were discussed as well and seemed sloppy (weak sidewalls) to some. On a personal note about Kumho's, I'll never buy them. My roommate had them as OE equipment on her Accent and were at the wear bars @ 25k on a 60k mile tire after 4 years. The warranty would have been prorated at that point, but Kumho did not honor any part of it because "she didn't buy them, the dealership did." Whether that was the official answer or just lazy unprofessionalism by the certified dealer in my town, it was enough to guarantee I'll buy something else from someone else.

01-05-2013, 10:57 AM	#8
jdbonz Scooby Newbie Member#: 222395 Join Date: Sep 2009	Leaning more towards the G-Max's now. I think I will be satisfied with any of these UHP tires in terms of performance, I just want them to last. Consumers rated the Cooper Zeon RS3-A and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus as having the best tread wear (bust cost more).

01-05-2013, 11:50 AM	#9
BernR6 Scooby Newbie Member#: 233987 Join Date: Jan 2010 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Gilbertsville PA Vehicle: 2012 WRX 4-door DGM	If you go to Tire Rack - select the all seasons and the size you're looking for and then select "surveys." It'll bring up ratings on all aspects of the tires, including treadlife, dry handling, etc. there's been like a million or so people that responded, so you'll get a really good indication of real world use/treadlife, compared to just what the manufacturer states.

01-11-2013, 09:24 AM	#12
SoapBox Scooby Specialist Member#: 204578 Join Date: Mar 2009 Chapter/Region: MAIC	Where do you live? What temps/conditions will these see? What are you looking for out of them? Grip? Steering feel? Longevity? Ride?

01-12-2013, 08:39 PM	#15
BernR6 Scooby Newbie Member#: 233987 Join Date: Jan 2010 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Gilbertsville PA Vehicle: 2012 WRX 4-door DGM	Happy to report that the GMAXs went on the stock rims today. Initial impressions: - nice looking tire - no increase in road noise/smooth ride - didn't exactly do any major "spirited" driving, but they handled well in dry/wet conditions - warranty is 40k miles - through tire rack I got the extra road hazard warranty...if anything for peace of mind. Total with tax and shipping from Delaware was $586 ($121/tire + tax and road hazard warranty). Going to put the stock summer dunlops up for sale in the classifieds soon. Hopefully I can recoup some of what I paid. - I'm in Eastern PA - still curious if we'll get more snow this season. Hopefully I'll get to test it out. Do you get a lot of snow in your area of NY? Regardless, this might be a good tire option for you.