Tyres- Hankook or Kumho - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

AU_Steve · 04-01-2003, 15:53

I know this type of thread has been done to death and yes I have read all the previous threads but.
Here is what my current line of thinking is (or is that confussion).
Hankook K102 good results in tyre tests, good reports from current uses, price $193 mileage ???, noise ???
Kumho 711 good reports from some uses but most people recommend the 712 for the few extra bucks.
Kumho 712 good results in tyre tests but not quite as good as the Hankook. Price $203, mileage some people say 50,000k's OK, noise ???
I don't drive the car (AU Fairmont, Tickford 17's) hard with my wife as my cornering speed limiter. Most k's are between Canberra and Merimbula with a yearly trip to Melbourne to pay homage thrown in for good measure.
What do people think??? Any comments on the above tyres or maybe there is another tyre I should consider (Price is a very limiting factor, best I can afford at the best price theory).

JC-XR8 · 04-01-2003, 18:53

Steve - You should be able to get the K102s for cheaper than that. Jax in Tuggeranong had them for $180 each, or $185 for the K104's. Don't know about the mileage of these tyres - I've had them only for about 2 months, but they are not a noisy tyre. in fact my Mrs is very happy with them - and that's what counts. I take it the Nankangs etc have finally got past their useable life?

AU_Steve · 04-01-2003, 19:01

Hi JCV8
Yeah the tyres are at the use by date and I'm heading down to Melbourne next week with the family.
I can get the K102's for $190 from JAX Belconnen. Pretty good deal I think.
Another tyre he mentioned was the SAVA. The company is part of the Goodyear group and the tyre 235x45x17 is made in Germany. Price $169. It's directional and from his reports not a bad looking tyre his had no bad comments about it. Worth a look but will probably go with the Hankooks.

JC-XR8 · 04-01-2003, 19:03

Mate - I'd steer away from any brands you haven't heard of - that's how I got caught with the crappy Nankangs.

AUForte · 04-01-2003, 19:24

Quote:

Originally posted by AU_Steve
Hi JCV8
Yeah the tyres are at the use by date and I'm heading down to Melbourne next week with the family.
I can get the K102's for $190 from JAX Belconnen. Pretty good deal I think.
Another tyre he mentioned was the SAVA. The company is part of the Goodyear group and the tyre 235x45x17 is made in Germany. Price $169. It's directional and from his reports not a bad looking tyre his had no bad comments about it. Worth a look but will probably go with the Hankooks.

I talked my local goodyear place down from $245 to $200 each for SAVA 225/50/R16, it was the only thing they had in the size! Can anyone say impulse buy?

I wanted to try yoko A539? but they didn't carry them because they're a soft compound and they think they wear out too fast

I just wanted the wheels on my car, the place was around the corner from work and I needed to get back.

The result? Other than them putting my stock 15's on the back seat and brake dusting the light grey cloth and doesn't come out (and not giving a f*** when I complained) On the bright side, a cyclic vibration I had with my old tyres/wheels/balance/alignment was gone when I god my car back Also my clean wheels came back with grease etc all over them (also grease inside)

/rant, back to topic.

SAVA tyres, made in Germany??? My local goodyear said Korea

Road grip is fine and noise was good for the first 2 or so thousand k's I've done about 5000 k's on these tyres now and the road noise is APALLING.

I'd go with JCV8, he's been involved in most of the tyre debate and knows his stuff re these Hankooks/Kumhos. For the price people get these 17 Khumos I'd be tempted to go 17. I went 16 due to the perceived lower tyre price

JR · 04-01-2003, 19:26

I had Hankook Optimas before they were called K102/K104 and thought they were a great tyre for the price/performace ratio they fell in.

Kumho 712's came after on my last ricer and were really good on a car with lots of negative camber - still got 25,000k from fronts with 1 1/2 degrees of camber.

Would probably buy the Kumho's if I went that way again as I though they were of a slightly harder (more durable) compound and lasted a bit longer, but the Hankooks are probably both a bit softer - hence more grippy - and slightly quieter, but that is to do partly with tread pattern and that would have changed since I owned them.

Cheers
Jason

jmartion · 04-01-2003, 20:15

sava is a slovenian company (east of italian border), but who knows if they get german companies to make their performance tyres..

i've been quoted on BARUM tyres(made by continental apparently) and GT radials aswell.. sava, barum and gt radial have all been $185-200 in price for 235/45/17 size from bridgestone, bobjane,beaurepaires and independants..

nankangs i can get for 165 each.. decent life on em and reas grip according to a holden driver..

AU_Steve · 04-01-2003, 20:15

Quote:

Originally posted by AUForte

SAVA tyres, made in Germany??? My local goodyear said Korea

Well, no. Most of SAVA tyres are made in Slovenia, but because of this size 235x45x17 is not produced there, it is produced in Germany where the factory is geared for it.
Just read the Wheels Tyre test (January) the Hankook performed pretty well.
As JCV8 said I think I will stay with brands that I have at least heard of.