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Originally Posted by boxstter
I have the Ecsta's on our TT coupe and they are louder than a freight train after about 10k. They grip is good and the ride is nice but the noise is ridiculous. Are your's really a decent noise level?
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I have the Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 tires. They came with the 2001 I bought back in Feb. They were pretty much new when I got them, maybe 2000 miles on them max when I got them. I've since put on another 4000 miles on them.
As I mentioned, I am after a smooth and quiet ride and so far these tires are fine. The Boxster's wonderful suspension and chassis deliver great handling. A grippier tire would likely provide a higher max G load but at the trade off of lower tread life, possibly noiser ride, and, more importantly (and more undesireable) for me a sharper breakaway. The Boxster corners very fast already. The last thing I need at high cornering speeds is for the tires to suddenly give way. In another thread I mentioned this already but I had my choice of two 2001 Boxsters, one with new Continentals and the one I have with new Kumhos. The Kumhos were decidedly smoother riding and quieter. The breakaway at the limit was more predictable and gentle in that the Kumhos gradually started to slip and the Contis held on longer but had a sharper break. This was observed in a direct A-B comparision on the same roads and corners. Please be aware that this is my first Boxster so I am not an expert, certainly not when I was test driving them.
As far as a comparison to noise, my other vehicle is a 2004 Lexus RX330 riding on Michelin tires. It's pretty quiet. And tire noise with the Boxster on the Kumhos is not so loud that I'm annoyed compared with the Lexus, and that's with the top down(!)
The Kumhos are still fairly new and so I do not have any feeling for its tread life. Nor do I now how badly traction and noise will deteriorate with age. But having said that, I am currently completely satisfied with the Kumhos.
Oh, one other thing, and this won't be necessarily a relevant comparison, but I had Pirelli P-Zeros before on a front wheel drive sports sedan. They were harsh riding and noisy. When I replaced them with, at that time, Bridgestone RE-71 Potenzas, it was a night and day difference. I offer this tidbit only to let others know that I know what "harsh ride" and "noisy" mean and not a statement comparing P-Zeros to Kumho 712s.