Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 review

A high performance truck tire on a budget, the Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 delivers on the promise of a sporty ride but with a few expected drawbacks.

PROS

  • Excellent dry grip and responsiveness
  • Great pricing
  • Stiff ride

CONS

  • Wet traction slightly lacking
  • Limited sizes
  • Noticeable tread noise

   

Designed with a densely packed center tread section and robust shoulder tread blocks, turn-in response is quick and overall grip remains high as you push harder into a corner. The stickier rubber compound does its job providing plenty of natural grip with the road and really helps to enhance the driving characteristics of large SUVs and pickup trucks.

The tread design does emit a louder growl than most, however, and you can definitely hear these tires around town or at highway speeds. While not ideal, it’s not a deal-breaker either. The sound is generally no louder than what you’d get on a set of dedicated all-terrain tires.

The particularly stiff low profile sidewalls flex very little and help support the weight of bigger trucks, aiding in that engaging driving feel. Unfortunately that same stiffness does mean you feel bumps and road imperfections more than in other tires. This is a bit disappointing, but also somewhat expected in any low-profile truck tire.

Traction in the wet doesn’t really compare to dry grip. Despite the large circumferential grooves and plenty of lateral gaps to evacuate water from the contact patch, there’s less wet grip than you’d expect – or that we’d like.

As for winter, while these are technically all-season performance tires, there’s little here to help in providing cold weather traction or grip on snow and we’d definitely recommend dedicated winter tires if you live somewhere with snow.

Tread life is always a major concern for tire shoppers. Kumho doesn’t provide a tread life warranty on this tire, although based on real world testing you should see approximately 35,000 to 40,000 miles on a set providing you don’t abuse them and you do follow proper tire rotation procedures.

This isn’t a terribly long tread life, but it’s about average for this class of tire, and for the price, it’s quite reasonable.

Overall, the drawbacks with this tire are mostly expected with the real exceptions being wet grip and overall tread volume, both of which we would like to see improved. At the same time, its benefits are impressive. The Ecsta STX KL12 delivers a high level of grip and driving enjoyment at a fantastic price.

Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 Price

Pricing for the Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 starts at almost exactly $200 per tire and goes up to around $240 per tire, depending on specific sizing.

Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 Warranty

Kumho does not provide a tread life warranty on the Ecsta STX KL12. The tire does, however, come with the usual limited warranty that includes free replacement for any tires deemed defective during the first 2/32-inch of tread wear. After that point and down to the final 2/32-inch of tread, Kumho will replace defective tires on a pro-rated basis.

Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 Sizes

18-inch sizes
275/55R18
285/60R18

20-inch sizes
275/45R20
275/55R20
305/50R20