Kumho Solus KR21

[muranomax]

Got new shoes for the MO to-day - Kumho Solus KR21 at a local tire shop who did an excellent job. The full price out of the door was $364. The first thing that I noticed was it was much quieter and handled better than the Goodyears. I drove several miles to-day on the interstate and local roads that I drive frequently so I was able to get a good comparison of noise level, grip etc. Needless to say the new tires are outstanding. Dont get me wrong, the Goodyears are excellent tires and did well to last 38000 miles which is about average on these roads in the Carolinas. I am very happy with Kumhos, especially because it cost about half of the Goodyears and less than half of Michelins and Yokos.

BTW Can somebody tell me what should be the correct tire pressure? The guy at the tire shop tells me that its better to keep the pressure between 36-40 psi while the manual recommends 33 psi. Every time I take the vehicle to the Nissan dealer for a tire rotation they inflate the tires to 40 psi. Do these people know something more that the manufacturers dont? 40 psi gives a bumpy ride so I always deflate the tires back to around 35 psi which gives the best balance between comfort and handling.

Thanks

Muranomax

[Kris]

Good luck!


Somehow when it comes to tires I think you get what you pay for......hope your Kumho's prove me wrong..........

[njjoe]

Originally posted by muranomax
BTW Can somebody tell me what should be the correct tire pressure?

mm-

There is a range, with the maximum being what is stamped on the tire and the minimum being what is recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. If 35 psi gives you the best balance between comfort and handling then stick with 35.

Let us know how the Kumbos compare to the OEM Goodyears.

-njjoe

[muranomax]

Originally posted by Kris
Good luck!


Somehow when it comes to tires I think you get what you pay for......hope your Kumho's prove me wrong..........

Kris,

I hate to disagree with you but when it comes to MO tires there isnt a whole lot of choice. So far the only tire available was Goodyears. Then came the Michelins which are good tires but way too expensive. The Yokos are as expensive but noisier than the goodyears. The Goodyears are great allround tires but treadlife is relatively short and expensive. That leaves you with few alternatives. I am not a great fan of Cooper tires,Firestones or Hankooks as they are all noisier than the Goodyears and cost as much. Thats where Kumhos fit well. They are as good as the goodyears in terms of handling and ride quality, half the price of Goodyears and have a treadlife twice as long. So its got to be better!

Muranomax

[muranomax]

Originally posted by njjoe

mm-

There is a range, with the maximum being what is stamped on the tire and the minimum being what is recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. If 35 psi gives you the best balance between comfort and handling then stick with 35.

Let us know how the Kumbos compare to the OEM Goodyears.

-njjoe

Thanks Joe,

You are always a great help. I pumped up the tires to 36 Psi and tested it today. Seems like that is the best compromise between ride quality and handling. I have not tested the fuel economy but it shouldnt make that much of a difference.

Thanks

Muranomax

[Kris]

muranomax

I agree we do not have many choices. And that's bad. I just hope you will be as happy with Kumho's 30k miles later as you are now. Then again given the price even if they lasted 20K miles but performed well they are worth the price.

It will be interesting to watch how they behave....keep us updated...

[soholingo]

I just put these tires on (today), and agree they are at least as good the goodyear in feel and possibly quieter. A couple of things that made me get these tires...

1. Price
2. Treadwear 80,000 miles!!!
3. Quiet ride

I will check back to see how many others get these tires, but I got them from tirerack.com, and installed at walmart. Total price around $400. Can't beat it with a stick.

[muranomax]

Originally posted by soholingo
I just put these tires on (today), and agree they are at least as good the goodyear in feel and possibly quieter. A couple of things that made me get these tires...

1. Price
2. Treadwear 80,000 miles!!!
3. Quiet ride

I will check back to see how many others get these tires, but I got them from tirerack.com, and installed at walmart. Total price around $400. Can't beat it with a stick.

Excellent! I have been using these tires for a week now and got few hundred miles. I can tell you they are better than Goodyears in everyway. The total price of $364 I paid is unbeatable. Treadlife of 80,000 miles is awesome but I dont know if I am going to keep my MO that long. I will be switching it to the new model as soon as it rolls out!

Thanks

Muranomax

[soholingo]

Originally posted by muranomax


Excellent! I have been using these tires for a week now and got few hundred miles. I can tell you they are better than Goodyears in everyway. The total price of $364 I paid is unbeatable. Treadlife of 80,000 miles is awesome but I dont know if I am going to keep my MO that long. I will be switching it to the new model as soon as it rolls out!

Thanks

Muranomax

I plan on being the only owner of my Murano. I have had it for almost 3 years now, and all I have done is change the oil, replace the tires (and next week the brakes). I am at 60k miles, so I may take it in for a service check up, but I have to say I am extremely pleased with the truck as a whole.

j

[Eric L.]

Originally posted by muranomax


Excellent! I have been using these tires for a week now and got few hundred miles. I can tell you they are better than Goodyears in everyway. The total price of $364 I paid is unbeatable. Treadlife of 80,000 miles is awesome but I dont know if I am going to keep my MO that long. I will be switching it to the new model as soon as it rolls out!

Thanks

Muranomax

So now that you've put on a few miles on these tires, how do they compare with the Goodyears? "Better" is kind of vague - how does it compare in terms of traction (do you have a way to test it), quietness, fuel economy, steering response, etc... when I switched to the Yokohamas, I noticed that I had better traction (would no longer squeal as I cornered in my office parking garage), sharper steering, and hardly any difference in noise or ride quality. The biggest difference was since I went to a wider width (235 to 265) my fuel economy dropped a little (1-2mpg).

[muranomax]

So now that you've put on a few miles on these tires, how do they compare with the Goodyears?

Eric

The Kumhos have been a revelation for me. I had very little info prior to installing these tires on my wife's Toyota Highlander several months ago. Since then I have gathered lots of info and I am satisfied that they are reasonably good tires. On the MO, the kumhos are noticably quieter. I no longer have to crank up the audio volume to 18 to hear my music well. I can now hear it well at 12 or 13.Thats a significant drop in noise level all other things including my driving speed,roads etc being unchanged. The traction is also better as I no longer get that uneasy feeling of the tires slipping under when I take a sharp curve. Braking on wet roads was excellent.Handling is better by atleast 25% in curvy backroads. These tires also look great as they have a slightly rounded edge like the Goodyears. Fuel economy so far is better by 0.3 Mpg. My last 1000 mile average with goodyears was 20.4 mpg and with Kumhos its 20.7 with about 700 miles on board so far. I cant tell you about winter and snow conditions for obvious reasons. I have messed around a little bit with different tire pressure settings. 36 PSI all around seems to be the optimal setting and I am going to leave it at that.On a scale of 1 to 10, my satisfaction would be a 9. The only reason that I would take away a point is because these tires are not well known like the michelins or goodyears. But then, if they are well known we would be paying twice as much!

Thanks

Muranomax

[Kris]

Guys,

what size of Kumho Solus KR21 did you install on your Muranos?

[muranomax]

Originally posted by Kris
Guys,

what size of Kumho Solus KR21 did you install on your Muranos?

I installed 235/65/18. Speed rating 104T.

Thanks

Muranomax

[elliotgb]

muranomax

I just moved to Cary, NC from Pennsylvania. I also plan to put on the same Kumhos that you just got. My stock OEM Goodyears have about 66k miles on them and I am now hydroplaning at 40 -45 mph.

Where do you live and where did you get the tires? I'd like to purchase mine from the same outfit if possible.

Thanks!

[muranomax]

Originally posted by elliotgb
muranomax

I just moved to Cary, NC from Pennsylvania. I also plan to put on the same Kumhos that you just got. My stock OEM Goodyears have about 66k miles on them and I am now hydroplaning at 40 -45 mph.

Where do you live and where did you get the tires? I'd like to purchase mine from the same outfit if possible.

Thanks!

I got the tires at Archdale tire and lube.They are right off of I-85 and main street in Archdale. Its about an hour from Cary.Take I-40 West and go down I-85. That place used to be an old fire station which has been converted into a tire and lube place. Great staff who do the job without harassing you.Talk to Phil who will order the tires for you. The full price including mount,balance and disposal of old tires is $364. BTW 66 k miles on goodyear! you have done very well. Mine lasted 38k. There was some more life in the tires but the risk of hydroplaning was too much. The last time I took it to the dealer for an oil change and tire rotation, they refused to rotate the tires! They wanted me to put new tires right away! The price quote from the dealer for Goodyears was $680 if I remember correctly.BTW I visit cary all the time. Its got some of the best Indian restaurants in the area. I love Indian food.

Thanks

Muranomax