Has anyone tried these at all? I have Kumho Ecsta ASX tires now for 25,000 miles, but the tread is already getting low on them. I'm thinking of switching to the Potenzas. Can anyone tell me their experience with them? Smooth ride, good trade, snow handling, etc??

Thanks

 

Sorry I can't respond with experience, but for what it's worth, this is the tire I plan to get, too, after an embarrassing amount of research on TireRack, etc. It costs about half as much (adjusted for expected treadwear) as top ultra-high performance tires. Grand touring tires are about the same price, but it GT tires don't seem well-matched for a small sporty vehicle, and the top choices in the category aren't available in 205/50/17 size (the 205/55/16 on the four-door frees up more options). Although, the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum looks intriguing (even though a W-rated GT tire seems odd, especially with a 60k warranty). This 17" size doesn't have much availability in HP either. Even though there are good UHP choices, I can't justify the price/performance, especially since we don't push the vehicle all that hard. The G 019 Grid replaces the G 009 (which isn't available in this size), which looks like a very good tire in the high performance category, and the 019 Grid matches the OEM specs well. The Michelin Pilot Exalto gets better ratings but it costs a fortune in this size. You might check out the Dunlop SP Signature, which seems to test well and is priced right, but Dunlop doesn't have the best satisfaction track record. If I had to guess (and I have to), I suspect the 019 Grid will handle very nearly as well as your Ecsta ASX, maybe even with a better ride, but cost you 35% less over the life of the tires.

 

Yes, I agree... it seemed to have very good ratings on TireRack and looks more durable than the Kumhos. The Kumhos are a very good performance tire, but this time around I'm more concerned about treadlife, snow handling and longetivity. The Bridgestone Potenzas have a 50K treadlife warranty, so I'm hoping these will last me until I decide to get a newer car.

I ordered the Potenzas last week and they should be arriving tomorrow at my local tire shop (townfair.com) . They cost me $122 each, which includes the mounting. I got balancing and a full wheel alignment and all together it cost me $608.