New tire Kumho Road Venture AT51

I saw these in a tire rack ad I just got in the mail. They just came out and look sweet. Obviously there are no reviews yet. Anyone have anything good/bad to say about Kumho? Apparently these are supposed to rival the likes of the BFG KO/KO2 and others in the A/T arena. I'm looking to get rubber way before any decent long term reviews come out about these. Should I be the guinea pig or go with something proven? Thoughts?

TireRack blurb:
The Road Venture AT51 is Kumho’s On-/Off-Road All-Terrain light truck tire developed for the drivers of jeeps, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles that want off-road performance from a tire also tuned for the road. Designed to combine command of rugged terrain with an all-season ride, the Road Venture AT51 delivers year-round traction in all terrains and all seasons, even in snow.

Road Venture AT51 tires feature a cut-resistant dual silica tread compound optimized for strength and heat dispersal to enhance all-weather grip and durability. This compound is molded into a wide tread featuring shoulders designed to expel stones and dual-pitch, zigzag center blocks to create a stable contact area to promote dry handling and wet braking. Full-depth circumferential grooves are stepped to boost off-road grip on loose surfaces while tread blocks are tapered to promote self-cleaning action for better traction in mud and snow.

Kumho’s ESCOT Casing Technology optimizes sidewall cord tension distribution to promote steering response and treadlife. The tire’s internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped nylon to enhance off-road durability and highway stability. Use of jointless bead bundles and a two-ply polyester cord body helps isolate bumps and vibration for a smoother, quieter ride.

Treadlife Warranty:
6 Years / 55,000 Miles (Euro & P-Metric sizes) None LT & flotation sizes Half mileage if different size front/rear tires

 

Without any idea of what your usage for a set of tires is, no one can recommend anything. I can say this though, that tire has no where near enough tread void or grabbing lugs to be effective on anything but a fire road. That's a 90% street/10% dirt road tire. I don't consider that anywhere near the same league as a KO2.

 

Used to run this brand on my work truck about 20 years or so ago...always had good luck with them. Shop that sold them went by the wayside so switched to other tires. Had AT's and MT's, but that was long ago so who knows.....they used to be a good tire that was way cheaper than the big brands. Looks like a nice tire....

Just looked them up on Tire rack....one of the few tires I have seen that is available in a P-rated 265/75/16 so you can up-size one tire size and still stay with a P rated.....the LT's are an E so 10 ply.

 

Nate,
Just want a good all around AT. So what league would you put the KO's in?

 

I think of the KO2 as a true all terrain, a little more mild than a Duratrac or the Cooper ST Maxx. A lot of guys have had good luck with the Toyo Open Country AT II also, another great all terrain tire that also is aesthetically appealing.


True All Terrain: BFG KO2 and Toyo AT II
Hybrid MT/AT: Goodyear Duratrac and Cooper ST Maxx
True Mud Terrain: Goodyear MTR/K, BFG KM2, Hankook Dynapro MT

 

I have the nitto Tierra grapplers and they have been great. Very happy with them on dirt hills and snow.

 

Yeah looking at this new Kumho and the KO side by side the KO does look a little more aggressive. The Kumho looks like it could be good for sand.

 

I run Cooper ATP's and I am very happy with them. I have about 7,000 miles on mine and they look like the day I got them.

 

I'm having Kumho AT51's put on my truck today. If anyone is interested I will update later with driving impressions. They will be the third set of tires on my truck. Stocks from 0-50,000 miles, Toyo Open Country AT from 50,000 to 127,000 miles and now these. Overall, price drove me to give these tires a shot as they were about $25 less per tire than the Toyo replacements would have been. I used Treadepot.com and am have the dealer install. I'm also curious to see how they perform in the snow with the mountain/snowflake symbol.

 

Yoter, how you liking the kumhos? I'm getting the same installed Saturday.

 

looking at these as well in 275/70R17. Something to note is the Kumho 275's are still load range C whereas the BFG KO2's are load range E (and therefore 8 lbs lighter per tire) I wonder how much real difference there is in the on-road feel between the two? If you're a 90% highway guy like me it seems to make sense (even though I've run the BFG KO's on my jeeps for years and always been happy).

 

So far I really like them, I got the 265 75 16. They are very quiet on the highway and offer great traction in the rain. Don't think we will get any snow for the rest of the season so I will have to wait for that!!

 

Anybody want to give another update on how they like the kumhos after using them for a couple few months?

Just bought a 2016 4x4 SR access cab and looking at putting on the kumhos and selling the hancook stack tires as takeoffs.

 

I just bought a set of the Kumho AT51 (265/70/16) half a month ago and for now I like them. There is a little more road noise but I come from the stock dunlops with nearly no noise so can't compare to another AT. I can tell that they are doing well in snow but didn't tried them offroad. I rolled in some light mud on the jobsite and the traction was very good lol. IMO they are a great looking tire and they have their place in the AT categorie. They are supposed to be rated for high millage and they are snow rated too.

Edit: Depth of tread is 13/32 inches VS BF T/A KO2 that are 15/32

 

What kind of gas MPG are you guy getting with these new AT51's? Think that I might go this route since they offer a C rated tire in the 275/17/17. And they look more aggressive than the Cooper AT3?

 

i have noticed a slight dip in mpg, I'm running the 265/75/16. Up from the stock 255/70/16 (I think that's right). Maybe 20-25 miles per tank.

 

Can you send me a pic of the tires on your truck? Want to see how they look. Thanks!!

 

Yeah I'll send one tomorrow in the daytime!!

 

Post it here for all to bask in its awesomeness.

 

Thanks for this post!

I am currently deciding whether to buy the Kumho AT51 or Firestone Destination A/T (Special Edition Camouflage). I am giving my truck a 3" body lift and I can fit up to 31" tires. The only problem is that my stock rims are 15x6 and cannot fit the 10.5" width tires. So I have to downgrade a bit to the 30x9.5R15. The Firestones however, only have 235/75 for R15. They have bigger sizes for R16 but I really don't have more money for a wheel upgrade.

I really trust Firestone (and who wouldn't) my current tires are Firestone and they lasted me more than 6 years and still have thread for another 5,000-10,000 miles, but the Kumhos 30x9.5 would be a bit cheaper and slightly bigger than the Firestones.

I really like how both look but I don't know much about Kumhos. I have read that other Kumho tires are not that good but I have also read that these AT51 came out pretty good compared to other styles.

Anyway, this is my personal pros and cons for both tires that is preventing me to go to sleep at night haha

Kumho AT51 (pros)
-Cheaper in price
-Can afford to go 30x9.5R15 and still be a bit cheaper than Firestones Destination A/T Special Edition's 235/75R15
-Nice aggressive off road looking tire (which is something i was looking for in a tire)

Kumho AT51 (cons)
-Durability issues and lower quality tire ?
-Unknown or few ratings and reviews
-Not a well known brand famous for being good like Firestone

Firestone Destination A/T Special Edition (pros)
-Reliable brand with many and positive reviews
-Tire design looks nice
-I know from experience that Firestone tires are durable

Firestone Destination A/T Special Edition (cons)
-More expensive
-Smaller size (235/75R15) vs Kumho 30x9.5R15
-Doesn't look too aggressive and off-road-looking

For the ones who haven't seen the Firestone A/T Special Edition :