Writing about the
Kumho Road Venture AT51 given
77% (245-70-17-)
Driving on
a combination of roads for 8000
spirited miles
Bought these tires to replace a set of winter tires on my envoy. Needed a tire that would be able to work well in deep snow and ice, as well as be able to be used year round on highway and some of road use. The kumho's work extremely well in the snow and are above average for a winter rated all terrain on ice. I can consistently get up the steep hill before my apartment in 2wd, while my friends in their Ram with ko2s have to shift to 4wd and most cars just give up and take the longer drive around the hill. On the highway there is some road noise, but that is to be expected with an all terrain tire, and it certainly could be much worse. Generally rolling up the windows or turning the radio up even a tiny bit is enough to cover it up. For an suv that frequently sits at 5500lbs plus, they are surprisingly stable at higher speeds and quick maneuvers, with only a mild amount of squeal heard when pushed to their limits. Off road, these tires have been impressive. They climb loose rocks and sand easily, claw their way up steep inclines and will handle a very respectable amount of mud for a tire class that is not designed for deep mud use. I have gotten stuck with them once, however I can't really blame the tires for it. I got too confident with them and drove through a small pond, had a wheel slip off the ridge it was on and sank the frame into the muddy bottom. All said, I would rate these as being better than the ko2 in the winter and every bit as competent off road as them and any other tire in its class. After 8000+ miles of driving they have gone from 13/32 to between 11-12/32. Kumho is no longer the cheap alternative any more. The prices might have not increased much, but the quality sure has.