Kumho tire review: PA 51
Tires are a big deal. They are not as luxurious or attractive as the cars that carry them, but they are a big industry nonetheless.
Did you know, for example, that Kumho is apparently the third tire company in Australia? Do you also know that it is the number one tire manufacturer in Korea, or even that Korea is the country it comes from?
The PA51 is Kumho's all-season tire in five models. (Image: Tom White)
To be fair, most people wouldn't know such things. But then a lot of people also won't be able to tell you what brand of tires they currently have on their car or how much it will cost to replace them. And that's because, despite being extremely important in keeping us literally on the road and therefore safe and alive, tires are not something that many people pay much attention to.
If you've bought even a mildly sports car within the last year or two, there's a good chance it will have premium tires; think of the Continental ContiSportContact series, Bridgestone Potenzas or Pirelli Anythings (all expensive, no matter the logo).
I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but it means your next set of tires will cost a lot. Somewhere between $2500 and $3500, depending on the size and relative obscurity of your wheels. Heck, I even drove a $23,000 Kia Rio fitted from the factory with $1000 Continental tires.
The PA51 comes in a variety of widths with wheels ranging from 16 to 20 inches, and Kumho offers a price tag of “about $1500” for a set like those on our test Stinger.
If you managed to get your attention, you might be interested to know about a new set of tires called Kumho Ecsta PA51s.
This new line of tires from the Korean manufacturer is specially designed for recent car owners such as the BMW 3-series, Audi A4-A6, Benz C- and E-class as well as high performance Korean models such as the Genesis G70 and Kia. . Stinger (which we comfortably drove here) to combat what Kumho calls "tire shock" when it comes to the price of a replacement kit.
The PA51 is Kumho's all-season tire in five models. This means it's not intended for track use with a limited life soft compound but more for the everyday driver who needs a durable compound but can also be curious.
All tests certainly came across as high performance tyres, head and shoulders above any "eco" tire I've ridden.
To that end, it has been designed not only with an asymmetric tread and hard outer shoulder like its performance competitors, but also with tread pieces designed to perform in rain and snow for more everyday scenarios. These pieces have also been designed to help with noise cancellation to ensure a quiet and comfortable ride.
The PA51 comes in a variety of widths with wheels ranging from 16 to 20 inches, and Kumho offers a price tag of “about $1500” for a set like those on our test Stinger.
This means they are well below competitors like the Bridgestone Potenza (up to $2,480 a set). Kumho also offers a "Road Hazard" warranty on most of its range of non-green tires. The warranty covers the first 25 percent of tread life or 12 months and provides owners with a free replacement tire in the event of irreparable damage (not including vandalism).
We had the opportunity to test the PA51 against the next tire in Kumho's lineup, the PS71, a softer, performance-oriented setup.
This helps Kumho aim to become "Hyundai/Kia tyres," which the brand explains means offering performance comparable to Japanese and European competitors at more competitive prices.
Strapped to a very orange Kia Stinger, we were asked to test the PA51 in both dry and wet conditions. These included a full-stop braking test (with an ambitiously small stopping zone target), a slalom, and a set of both wet and dry corners.
All tests certainly came across as a performance tire - easily head and shoulders above any "eco" tire I've ridden, though without being able to test it against the competition in the same conditions it's impossible to determine where it sits. his category.
PS71 were installed on the Genesis G70. It's the same chassis as the Stinger, of course, but with a softer and slightly more luxurious suspension setup.
However, we had the opportunity to test the PA51 against the next tire in Kumho's lineup, the PS71, a softer, performance-oriented setup.
Again, it was difficult to compare since the PS71s were installed on the Genesis G70. It's the same chassis as the Stinger, of course, but with a softer and slightly more luxurious suspension setup. The G70, for example, leaned into corners and apparently didn't do as well in stopping tests as its softer front end nose-dipped, causing a gravity effect. However, it is worth noting that both cars stopped at an impressively short distance.
Also notable was how relatively difficult it was to get even the V6 stinger to break traction, and how quickly it regained it once the slip had begun.
Throughout the day, despite the best efforts of many riders, the track was impressively quiet, with none of the kits screaming in particularly piercing pain even in the tightest corners.
The G70 leaned into corners and apparently didn't do as well in stopping tests as its softer front end nose-dipped, causing a gravity effect.
Tires like these are an integral part of your car's safety equation - you can have all the active safety equipment you need, but stability control won't be enough on cheap and worn tires.
While many enthusiasts already have their favorite brand of performance tires, performance car enthusiasts looking to cut their operating costs should at least take a look at these value-focused Kumhos.
