Kumho Ecsta SPT no more....

[hofffam]

Called Discount Tire today to buy two new 225/45/16 tires. They don't normally stock these around here so they checked availability and called me back. They said the tires are discontinued and no longer available. They claimed they called Kumho.

Tire Rack has them marked closeout and low availability. I ordered two today.

What is the best alternative for an affordable, somewhat longer wearing, summer tire available in acceptable OEM sizes?

 

[nsxtasy]

Several tire retail websites have been claiming that the Kumho SPT has been discontinued. I've checked with Kumho customer service and they have assured me that such claims are absolutely NOT true. Apparently, what happens is that Kumho has trouble keeping up with demand from time to time, and when a retailer does not have the tires in stock, they often claim that they have been discontinued, even when this is not true.

The best 16"/17" sizes of Kumho SPT for the NSX are 205/45-16 and 245/40-17. One retailer that seems to do a better job of keeping these sizes in stock than either Discount Tire or Tire Rack is Tires-easy.com.

The Kumho SPT is not a top-of-the-line tire; it is intended primarily for the sport compact and family car market, where buyers don't mind a lower level of performance in exchange for a lower purchase price. It will not provide the highest performance that your NSX is capable of. If you don't mind reducing the performance of your NSX in order to save a few bucks on your tires, it may be a suitable choice for you. Tires that are similar in both price and performance to the Kumho SPT include the Avon Tech M500 and Fuzion ZRi; the Tech M500 is not available in a suitable front 16" size, but the ZRi comes in 205/45-16 and 245/40-17. Tires that are similar in price but at a lower level of performance than the SPT (which means you should get the SPT or ZRi instead) include the Dunlop Direzza DZ101, General Exclaim UHP, BFGoodrich g-Force Sport, and Yokohama ES100. Tires that are similar in performance but at a higher purchase price than the SPT (which means you should get the SPT or ZRi instead) include the Bridgestone Potenza RE750, BFGoodrich g-Force KDW2, Toyo T1-R, and Yokohama s.Drive.

 

[hofffam]

nsxtacy - I looked at the Kumho website this morning.

It certainly does NOT look like the tire is discontinued. I should have known better than to listen to the Discount Tire guy.

But I think you might have it wrong about the intended use of the Ecsta SPT.

Kumho markets it as an ultra high performance tire. They suggest it be used on:

Porsche Carrera
Corvette
BMW 330i
Nissan 350z
Ford Cobra SVT
Pontiac Trans Am
Subaru WRX Sti
Mazda RX-8

They list as comparable competitor tires:

Michelin Pilot Sport
Bridgestone RE750
Eagle F1 GS
BFGoodrich KDW
Yokohama Advan AD07
Pirelli P-0 Nero
Dunlop SP8000

It appears the ASX is intended for high performance luxury sedans (e.g. 540i).

Now I don't mean to suggest/argue that the SPT is equivalent to the F1 or others on their list. But it seems the SPT is a very good tire for the money. Perhaps not up to the potential of the NSX but very good nevertheless.

 

[nsxtasy]

But I think you might have it wrong about the intended use of the Ecsta SPT.

Kumho markets it as an ultra high performance tire.

That's marketing for you. They want it to appear as a tire with more capabilities and a wider market, so they can sell more tires.

The Tire Rack also refers to the SPT as an "ultra high performance summer tire". That's the budget performance segment. It does not include most top-of-the-line summer tires, which the Tire Rack puts in their "max performance summer tire" category, or specialty tires designed to maximize traction on dry pavement, their "extreme performance summer tire" category (which includes the Kumho MX).

There's nothing wrong with budget performance tires as a category. They offer great "bang for the buck", which is perfect for the sport compacts and sporty sedans on which they are most often used. And, as the comparison with other tires in my previous post illustrates, the SPT is IMHO the best in the category. No, it doesn't offer the performance of the best top-of-the-line tires, like the Goodyear F1 GS-D3, Michelin Pilot Sport, etc, but it's also a lot less money than those tires. That's why the SPT is used more often on less expensive cars; that's what "bang for the buck" is all about. Whether it's appropriate for your needs depends on whether or not you want to get the maximum performance out of your NSX. There are always trade-offs to be had. (Or, in the case of tires, "tread-offs". :wink: )

It appears the ASX is intended for high performance luxury sedans (e.g. 540i).

The ASX is not intended for different vehicles; rather, the ASX is an all-season tire. All-seasons are intended for those who must use the same tires in snow and extreme cold as in moderate to warm temperatures the rest of the year. In exchange for this additional flexibility, their performance is not as good as tires tailored for those particular conditions (i.e. not as good in winter as winter tires, not as good the rest of the year as summer tires). For those who need a good all-season tire, the Kumho ASX is an excellent choice, on any vehicle.

 

[DocL]

I currently have the Kumho SPT's on my Infiniti G35 Coupe, and they are a great tire comparred to the OEM Potenza's that came with the car. I've run Kumho 712's on my NSX in the past when the car was my daily driver, but since making the switch to the GY F1's, there's no going back to "budget" tires on my NSX. If you put a lot of miles on your NSX and don't mind a little less performance, then the SPT is a fine tire.

 

[Hapa88]

I currently have the SPT on my NSX and took it to a wet day at the track a few weeks ago and must admit that I was quite impressed with the wet traction of the tire. I let one of the instructors drive the car and he pushed it harder on that wet track than I ever have in the dry and it held up real nicely. I think the SPT is a great tire. I got the set when they had the $40 off coupon where the total for 4 tires (two 215/35/18 and two 275/30/19) cost me $640 after rebate (mounted, balanced, tax and certificates).