Kumho Ecsta PA31 Review: Does this tire fit your vehicle?

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Dry

95%

Wet

90%

Snow

80%

Comfort

90%

Noise

85%

Treadwear

85%

Overall

88%

Pros

  • Aggressive directional tread design
  • Superior performance on wet and snowy roads
  • Comfortable ride
  • Excellent mileage

Cons

  • Noisy at higher speeds

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In the realm of ultra-high performance tires, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 review is stands out. Part of it has something to do with the handsome and aggressive directional tread design. The Kumho Ecsta PA31 will instantly spruce up the styling of your coupe or sports sedan.

But you don’t buy tires for the styling factor alone. In this regard, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 will certainly not disappoint. It offers advanced levels of traction and grip in all-season driving. It does all of this while still giving your vehicle better handling, stronger braking and cornering, and a longer wear. This tire may be a bit more costly than touring or performance tires, but you get your money’s worth in styling and all-weather traction. 

In this review of the Kumho Ecsta PA31, you’ll find out how this ultra-high performance tire manages to deliver the comfort and refinement of a touring tire

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What are the features of the Kumho Ecsta PA31?

Besides the aggressive directional tread design, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 is benefits from advanced construction techniques. Kumho utilized the finest all-season tread compound to create a performance tire that delivers excellent mileage.

The Kumho Ecsta PA31 also benefits from Kumho’s ESCOT Technology. This feature utilizes an optimized cord tension in the sidewall to further enhance steering response, cornering, and handling while increasing the tread life of the rubber.

In order to deliver a smooth and quiet ride, this tire is equipped with variable pitch shoulder blocks to maintain a silent ride even as the tire wears out. But the most obvious characteristic of the Kumho Ecsta PA31 are the large cross grooves and thicker sipe density. The former enables the tire to maintain a steadier grip on wet and snowy roads. The latter offers the necessary biting edges to grip over ice and snow.

Kumho Ecsta Pa31 Review

What vehicles are applicable to the Kumho Ecsta PA31?

The Kumho Ecsta PA31 is sold in 15” to 18” diameters and is applicable to a wide array of vehicle applications. This tire is a solid choice for vehicles such as the Toyota 86, Scion FR-S, Mini Copper, Hyundai Veloster, and Subaru BRZ. It is also a good choice for compact cars such as the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Mazda3, and Chevy Cruze.

The Kumho Ecsta PA31 can also be fitted to larger sporting sedans like the Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda 6, and Ford Fusion.

Is it good on snow?

You might be surprised to find out that the Kumho Ecsta PA31 is a solid performer on snowy and icy roads. In fact, I find it surprising that an ultra-high performance tire can perform well over light to moderate snow. Those large cross grooves and heavier sipe density will act as teeth to literally bite or claw over slippery roads. The aforementioned features also makes this tire a capable performer on wet roads. The wider grooves will ensure that water, ice, and slush are quickly evacuated from the face of the tread. This will allow the tire to constantly maintain grip and directional control even as you pilot your vehicle in inclement weather conditions.

Not all performance tires can hack it over snow and ice. But Kumho specifically engineered the Ecsta PA31 to constantly maintain better traction even as the tarmac gets covered in slush.

Kumho Ecsta Pa31 Review

How does the tire feel on dry roads?

The Kumho Ecsta PA31 doesn’t feel like a proper summer tire on dry roads, but it offers relentless traction and grip in aggressive driving. The tire will also enhance the handling and steering of your ride to deliver an exhilarating driving experience.

However, there are limits to what this tire can do. If you plan to race your vehicle around the track, you will find the grip levels to be higher than average but not enough to give you a competitive time. Fast and winding corners can be attacked with confidence, but the tires can easily be overwhelmed by a more powerful engine and heavier body.

Make no mistake about it. The Kumho Ecsta PA31 remains a brilliant ultra-high performance tire, but not if you have a tuned vehicle or exotic sports sedan. But for moderately fast cars, this tire is more than enough for your daily driving needs.

Kumho Ecsta PA31 Review: Is it comfortable and refined?

Comfort and road silence are one of the most admirable traits of the Kumho Ecsta PA31. The tires will not only improve the handling, steering, and all-season performance of your vehicle, but it will also remain comfortable and quiet on those long highway jaunts.

But if comfort is your top priority in a new set of tires, you better look elsewhere. The same goes for the road noise. This tire is a bit more talkative at higher speeds, which is not a bad thing to have if you’re driving over the speed limit. I’m not saying the Kumho Ecsta PA31 is a noisy and stiff-riding tire, but you might get disappointed if you’re a stickler for refinement.

How about the wear characteristics?

For an ultra-high performance tire, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 offers longer wear for many miles of driving bliss. Of course, a proper set of touring tires may offer better wear. But given the high-speed capabilities and all-season traction, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 is not a bad choice if you want an economical set of performance rubber.

You can see more Kumho Ecsta PA31 Review here: videos created by Kumho Tire Training

Should I buy the Kumho Ecsta PA31?

Yes! The Kumho Ecsta PA31 is a sterling choice in the ultra-high performance category. It is also an ideal alternative to summer tires that can only perform well when the weather is hot. If you like to drive fast, this is a great set of tires that won’t break the bank.

Of course, other tires may cost less. In this market filled with cheaper Chinese-made tires, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 may seem like an expensive proposition. But compared to other ultra-high performance tires from Bridgestone and Michelin, the Kumho Ecsta PA31 offers terrific value for money.

New Year Sale @Priority Tire
Valid through January 13, 2023
Available at PriorityTire.com

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