At 120,000 miles, the Mazda was due for it’s third set of tires. Some 3 years and 60,000 miles ago I replaced the original Dunlops with some really cheap and crappy General tires. I hated them the minute I drove off.
This time around she has been shod with Kumho Ultra High Performance ECSTA ASX all season tires. They are fantastic and affoardable ($400 for 4, mounted and balanced).
First thing I noticed is how much crisper they are on initial turn-in. Second thing I noticed is how much less road noise they generate. And, of course, they have tons more grip than the junk that came off. The grip level is like the original Dunlops, if not better.
I was also impressed with the grip in snowy conditions. Leaving from a light the other day I put the spurs to it to see how much they slipped and slided. With the old tires, the Mazda typically spun the front wheels and yawed left and right with very little forward motion. The Kumhos, on the other hand, spun (as expected) but the car accelerated in a straight line. It wasn’t drag racing fast acceleration, but I was moving much better and in a more stable manner than before.
Me, and the Mazda, are very happy with the purchase.
