LV Vette

I am normally into drag racing, but recently I tried auto-crossing…wow! I never realized how much fun it could be. Now I need to get new every day tires and I am torn between the Kumho MX’s and Goodyear GS-D3’s. I live in Las Vegas, so rain is not an issue; it is more of our imagination. So I am trying to decide which of these would be a better choice. Dry traction and handling is my main concern. My car is supercharged, so I realize that these tires cannot handle WOT’s, but which would be better as a dual purpose tire, daily driver and some auto crossing? People who have experience with both would really be helpful.


Thanks,

Clayton from Las Vegas

xsiveone

If you liked autox'ing, you should sign up for a track day (or two) at Spring Mountain.

The D3's are a great in the wet and since you don't need a rain tire....

If you can stand R-compound rubber for the street, the Nitto 555R2's, NT-01 or the Toyo RA1's would be awesome. They're not for everyone though for the street because the soft rubber likes to pick up rocks and other debris and deposit it on your car and they don't last that long (about 10-15K miles if you're lucky). Plus, if you want a wet tire, which you don't, they aren't your best choice, especially the NT-01's.

For a street tire, I personally like the Michelin PS2, but others like the Goodyear or even the Firestone Wide Ovals. I don't have a lot of experience with those Kumho's, so it's tough to say. They're popular though, so I don't think you could go wrong with them.

Just my thoughts. I'm sure others will chime in...

c4cruiser

I have a set of Kumho MX's and really like them for hard street driving and I use them for some autocross and track days. I now run Hoosier
s for autocross but the Kumho is a great tire for the first couple of years once you get into autocross.

The MX's have very good grip once warmed up and I usually run 32 front and 28 rear to start for autocross on a hot day. I adjust pressures from there using a chalk line across the tread.

I run about the same pressures for track days but I check pressures after leaving the course to bleed off any increases before the next session. The Kumhos will give plenty of warning before they lose traction but with no squealing.

For the money, the MX is an excellent tire at least compared to the cost of the GS-D3 or even the BFG KD's. Like any high performance street tire, you may not see 60K miles from them but that's a trade off for this type of tire. I have 20K on my MX's and the tread is about 40% gone.

BBQ

My last two set of tires have been the Kuhmos MX. In their day, they were the stickest street tire for the money. However, times have changed...and now there are better tires without breaking the bank.

My set now is the goodyear GS-D3.
Once a few heat cycles get into the kuhmos, they get hard as a rock and therefore slick.
I only have about 2,000 miles on my goodyears, but I expect them to perform better.

Car and driver recently (2005) tested tires and kumos was outperformed in dry traction by a few tires(which is what you say you are looking for)
Read this before you make a decision.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....ticle_id=10252

Good luck

95jersey

Kuhmo MX is the best street tire especially for the money. A definate winner. The goodyears will last 1/2 as long as the Kuhmo's as well.

Too Tall Bob

I haven't used the Kumho MX's on my car, but if it makes any difference, I have run one of the school cars (C5Z) at Spring Mountain with the Goodyear GS-D3's, and I ran quicker lap times using the Firestone Wide Ovals! And, the WO's will last ALOT longer than the GY's will for alot less. I did not care for the GY's on the track.

Having said that, I have another track-day friend who runs the Kumho MX's and he likes them alot...when he's not using his R-compounds.

Umrswimr

Read the article and avoid the hype you read here. People always vote for what they own- it's a way to "justify" their expense.

My experience with the MX's has not been great. They don't have a ton of grip, they're loud, and wet traction is terrible.

boerio

On my '00 Coupe, I ran OEM tires, then switched to Michelin and ran runflat tires there, too. Then I switched to Kumho Ecsta MX tires. I really like them. And that's what's on my '01 Z06 now.

Jeff

az55

I have to laugh at this comment. Anything in Car and Driver should be taken with a grain of salt. The tire companies that pay for the most ads per year have a great influence on what gets tested and the results.

But, back to the thread. Kumho MX's are a great budget choice but they take too long to heat up so they are not as good for AX as they are after a few laps on a road course.(that's why they didn't do well in Car and Advertiser's test)

If you are not budget driven, there are lots of choices. Goodyear, Yoko, BF Goodrich, etc.

After using MX's for a while, I switched to Nitto 555R2's. They are very sticky but won't last if driven every day. (100 wear rating)

In the end, let the seat of your pants and your budget dictate what's right for you. Once you get good as a driver, your lap time will tell you what the best tire is for YOU.

Cheers.

larryfs

check out tirerack.com
very informative site.

c4cruiser

I also read the C&D article and it appeared that the testing was not really a "real-world" test of the tires they used . Some of the tires in the test are much better than what their summary and comments showed.

It would have been interesting to see different cars using the same tires to get an idea how vehicle size, weight, and handling characteristics makes a difference in tire performance. The test area used didn't really give the tires a chance to get to temperature so the cnaces are that some of the tires may have done a lot better once they got hot.

Even if you look at the Tire Rack's individual tire tests, you will find some differences between their results and the C&D article.

mwvettec5

Armycop

Another vote for the D3's. I've run both the MX's on my '01 coupe, and am staying for with the D3's for now. Yes, the MX's are cheaper, but after a couple of heat cycles they turn to glass, and brittle glass at that! The D3's have lasted one full season of auto-x and road racing, plus daily driving. I have noticed with the D3's though, that they get slick with too much heat/wrong tire pressure. IMHO, D3's like lower pressures (28 rear 30 front) for track days.

BBQ

So what did you decide?

LV Vette

I ended up getting the Kumho MX's in 275/40-17 in front and 295/35-18 in the rear.

Clayton from Las Vegas

VegaVette

I run hi-speed autocross (probably TT for you SCCA and NASA guys) with Midwestern Council. I was 4 seconds faster the first day with my MXs over the OE Goodyears that were on my '92 at Blackhawk Farms. It may not be a fair comparison, since the Goodyears were on the car when I got it, so I don't know how old they were. I do like the Kumhos, and I feel you can't beat them for the price.

Chuck