How are Kumho MXs on the track?

[thelinja]

Ok. So my Azenis are bald and I need new track tires. I would hands down get Azenis again, but they no longer make 205/55s. Anyone here running the MXs?

[DJ_Sunrise]

my buddy ran them on his 500whp na-t supra during autox.. that and the spt. the only difference between the spt and mx that he noticed was the mx had a stiffer sidewall.. to me, that doesnt sound impressive. i have rt615s and love them to death. IMO, a max perf. tire should handle better all around.. to me, the mx seams lacking.. he preffered the mx for autox, but spt for drag bcuz of the softer sidewall

-Bart

[OptionZero]

Um, the MX is a great tire, comparable to the RT-615, it's primary competitor in autocross.

The RT is better when cold and has better grip out of the box, which is why it might seem better than the MX. When the heat builds and wear increases, the MX has the advantage because the RT's grip declines as it gets hotter. The RT does have really, really stiff sidewalls.

Both tires don't offer a great size selection, unfortunately.

I have no idea who your buddy is, the MX is pretty much the best streetable performance tire kumho mx, the SPT is some daily driver shit.

Go ahead and give the MX's a shot.

Consider also the Hankook Ventus RS-2 Z212.

The next step up for tires would be Neovas or RE01R's which are a different price range.

but then, for a 205/55, it sounds like you're putting that on a stock wheel?

[RedSVTFlareside]

I have 245/40-17 Kumho MX's on my M3. I haven't had a chance to take the MX's on track yet but my impression of them is very good. I think they would be better than the Dunlop FM901's that they replaced. I would say the MX is the best tire for the money.

[yudalicious]

agreed. plus they're nearly indestructible.


Um, the MX is a great tire, comparable to the RT-615, it's primary competitor in autocross.

The RT is better when cold and has better grip out of the box, which is why it might seem better than the MX. When the heat builds and wear increases, the MX has the advantage because the RT's grip declines as it gets hotter. The RT does have really, really stiff sidewalls.

Both tires don't offer a great size selection, unfortunately.

I have no idea who your buddy is, the MX is pretty much the best streetable performance tire kumho mx, the SPT is some daily driver shit.

Go ahead and give the MX's a shot.

Consider also the Hankook Ventus RS-2 Z212.

The next step up for tires would be Neovas or RE01R's which are a different price range.

but then, for a 205/55, it sounds like you're putting that on a stock wheel?

[swayray]

um...no... you cannot really compare the mx to rt-615... the rt-615 are still way better... but if you could not find that size in a rt-615 then i'd go for the MX...

[OptionZero]

Grassroots Motorsports would disagree. In their tire comparo, the MX is right up there.

Also ask orion::s14, who's been tracking his S14 forever.
And Def on Freshalloy

And search on Freshalloy and Zilvia to find out how wrong you are.

[TurDz]

I had MXs on a stock S14. Maybe it was the tire size I had (245/45R17) but they gripped amazingly well. Great tire for the price.

[KwKouki]

My only complaint is that on REALLY hot days the 615s get greasy. Initial turn in is super awsome on them, and I can dive into corner and brake super late with and they will catch. I love my 615s.

I have no tried the MXs but I hear amazing things. Maybe when the 615s die I will try a set. For now the 615s have done awsome for me.

[swayray]

Grassroots Motorsports would disagree. In their tire comparo, the MX is right up there.

Also ask orion::s14, who's been tracking his S14 forever.
And Def on Freshalloy

And search on Freshalloy and Zilvia to find out how wrong you are.


agreed... but where exactly did the MX rank compared to the RT615? right?

i based my results on my actual use of the tires in auto-x events...

then again... it might just be me and my style of driving...


i'm just saying... if you do not have the budget (although rt615 are fairly cheap) or if they don't have your size... then go for the MX...

BTW.... water sprayer for those hot summer days....

2005, Grassroots Motorsports Street Touring tire contenders:
1. Falken Azenis RT-615
2. Falken Azenis RT-215
3. Yokohama Advan Neova
4. Hankook R-S2 Z212
5. Kumho Ecsta MX
6. BFGoodrich g-force T/A KD

[OptionZero]

The RT-215 is discontinued
The Neova is twice the price.

Haven't tried or heard enough about the Z212's.

THe KD is nearly twice the price.

Your overbroad assertion that the RT is "way better" is still wrong.

In the Auto-X context, the heat doesn't build up nearly as much as multiple laps on a TRACK, which is where the MX's advantage will become more evident. The thread was about the MX's on the TRACK.

Unless there's a new form of autocross involving a track...yeah

i've used the Rt 615's. I like 'em. I've suggested them to others. But I wouldn't simply throw out that they're "way better" than the MX's, which are close in price (tirerack had them on a good discount, not sure if its still going on).

[GoodOl'S13]

hoosier a6 are one of the best auto-x tires but not streetable. For street/track I would go with the azenis if budget didn't allow for A048

[all stock]

One difference that may sway you to buy MX's is their breakaway pattern is a lot broader than the quick breakaway of the Azenis.

[swwifty]

I have 225/50 MXs on my stock wheels.

I've done three track days on them, and numerous autocrosses. Here are my impressions of them.

They don't like to be cold. My first couple runs at a autocross are a joke. I can't get any traction unless its like 85+ degrees outside. At the track is a different story. After about 2 laps, the tires are up to temp. I love the way they handle on the track. I can tell very easily what the car is doing. I've found they do have fairly stiff sidewalls, but not nearly as stiff as the azenis. On the track I run about 31 F&R cold. At autocrosses I tend to run 34F F&R cold. These are by far the best tires for their value. My MXs still look nearly new after all the useage they have seen. I've been able to hang with other cars on r-comps, and a 240 with r-comps while on my MXs. Although, a lot of that has probably to do with the difference in skill of other drivers and myself, not the tire.

[OptionZero]

the MX gets better with wear and heat
the RT is the reverse

this is known

[TurDz]

swwifty brings up a good point. The MX sidewall to me was fairly stiff, but the old Azenis (RT-215) were extremely stiff. I know that for the RT-615, they modifed them to be slightly softer for better ride quality.

The Kuhmo MX in 245/45R17 on 17x9s rode significantly better than my old Azenis RT-215 in 205/55R16 on my stock S14 Alloys, 16x6.5.

[yudalicious]

the MXes always gets the short end of the stick, since most tire tests I've seen that compared those vs. the RT615s and others ALWAYS used an autocross similar course, where they probasbly won't even get up to optimal temp. Btw, There's a $40 discount on www.tiredirect.com I think that expires soon, might be worth a look.

[smelly240]

for a trackday the RTs will get greasy... the MXs dont. you'd know if u searched the subject at all. I still like both, but i have RS2's on the front and federals on back right now (ill get more rs2's when $ permits)

[swayray]

OptionZero... you seem to be the type of person who always like to be right... so you win! you don't have to prove me wrong anymore...

this is just my 2 cents....

i'm just saying... one of the benefits of working at a tire shop is that i got to test out these tires and I seems to get better times w/ the rt615 here in socal... (where its always hot) yes the rt615 gets gummy and looses traction once it gets so hot... but you get the grip back after spraying it w/ water... and we get plenty of time to cool down here between runs waiting for our turn to get back on track... i think swwifty is right... these MX don't like to be cold.... and since we grid longer than we get to run here in socal... by the time i get back out in the track... the MX get so cold that it does not grip as well compared to the rt615s.... maybe if i brought a torch that day... i probably would've done better...

one good thing about these MX is the tread life... the MX does last longer than the rt615...


its weird though that i get a better cost price on those rt615 than the mx.. considering that we are one of kumho's registered dealers...

i actually prefer federal 595ss for drifting and every day driving since they are way cheaper and still provide a good amount of grip... i have yet to try their race tire the 595rs....

this thread is about thelinja asking us how Kumho MXs are on the track? so i'm assuming he is asking for first hand experiences from us who actually drove them on the track and not just read other magazine reviews or websites... so i'm just giving him my impressions of the tires based on my own personal experience w/ them and gave him a solid comparison w/ a tire he had used before...

[OptionZero]

yes, your experiences in autocross

which is not the track

if you have experienced with either the RT or the MX on the track, share that knowledge

otherwise, you're making broad statements that are not only wrong, but not all that useful to the thread topic

yeah, i like to be right. i'll admit when i'm wrong, but you haven't shown me anything to make me believe that

i know all about the water spraying on the RT's at autox. I"ve seen it, i've done it. And it has nothing to do with this thread, since on the track, you aren't going to pit and spray water in the middle of a session

swifty has done both track and auto-x
he is sharing based on that knowledge
his post was therefore credible and useful

[swayray]

ok i'm wrong... youre right... :goyou:

i'll just take my 2 cents back...