Kumho I Zen KW11 Passenger/Performance Tire

Pros: Excellent winter traction on snow and ice, good traction on dry, long lasting. Excellent value.
Cons: Lots of road noise on dry and wet roads.

I Have had a set of four Kumho KW11 snow tires on my 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan for the last 6 months. The tires have continued to exceed my expectations. Background on where the tires are being used: I travel the Coquihalla highway weekly. ...

Pros: great in light snow, ice, slush, almost as good as all seasons in dry
Cons: not best for deep snow, not carried by most dealers or websites

There wasn't a category for the H-rated KW17 so I will put it here with the KW11s. In fact, the KW17s are hard to find. I have a Toyota Celica which is great fun to drive, so I wanted a winter tire that didn't turn my car into a truck. Luckily, winter ...

Pros: Great Price, Great Dry and Snow/Wet/Icy traction. Will buy again.
Cons: limited tire size selection.

I have a 91 CRX and was stuck using Kumho 712's last winter (2002) here in Connecticut as I have learned these are summer tires only which I couldn't drive on in a dusting of snow. So this winter (2003) I decided I need a winter tire. I compared the ...

Pros: Economical, very good traction in rain and ice. Probably quieter than more aggressive snow tires.
Cons: Limited availability and sizes. Better options available for heavy snow.

I bought these tires since they had been well rated by Consumer Reports and, as a bonus, they were inexpensive. I've used these studded snow tires for the past four winters without difficulty on my 2dr, 4wd Tracker in snow up to 5 inches, heavy rain, ...

Pros: Fantastic grip on snow. Fantastic grip on snow covered ice. Comfortable ride.
Cons: None that I could find.

I recently purchased a used 1997 Ford Escort Station Wagon.
It came with Kumho KW11 I'ZEN Stud tires in size 185/65-14.
I found the dry grip to be more than adequate. However I have only had occasion to drive in cold weather, I don't know yet...

Pros: Nice narrow, long-wearing tire with aggressive tread pattern that handles snow, slush, and ice.
Cons: Limited sizes available - I'd like to see them in comparable 15" wheel sizes.

The KW11s worked great on my '95 Subaru Impreza here in northern Michigan. This side of the state has unpredictable snow and ice so it's great to have a tire that offers a narrow, aggressive tread pattern for snow and ice and yet it offers a durable compound so it doesn't wear out if you have to drive a couple of weeks on clear roads. I've put around seven thousand miles on these tires over the course of two winters, and there isn't any serious tire wear. The tires give a fairly quiet, stable ride, but of course the handling is softer on the 14" Kumhos compared to my summertime 16" Bridgestones.

Pros: Excellent value, snow/slush performance, tread life... OK on ice
Cons: Difficult to find

I have been using unstudded 175/70R13 KW11s on my 94 Honda Civic VX for over a year and have put over 40k on them and am just starting to notice a performance decrease, probably good for no more than another 5k.

I drive 2 hours a day in upstate NY on these so I have used them is a wide variety of weather conditions. They have been excellent in snow/slush; you can drive with extreme confidence. You still have to be careful on ice, perhaps the studs may have helped. They fair well in warmer weather too, there is a mild increase in road noise and vibration, and a slight decrease in gas mileage compared to an all season tire, but not what you would expect.

They were about 45 a piece shipped online Fall 2003, for some reason they're hard to find in the US, and even harder in a good selection of sizes. Kumho should realize they have an awesome product and distribute them more aggressively.