July 16, 2015
How often do you read an advertisement bragging that a product is incrementally improved? Chances are, never. In our society, we seem to value "all-new," "cutting-edge" or a "clean-sheet design" over tweaks to make an existing product better. Does simply being new guarantee that the item is better, or could it be wasted motion? Our current group of test tires contains an example from each strategy. The updated tires are the Kumho Ecsta 4X II and Sumitomo HTR A/S P02. The new-design Fuzion UHP Sport A/S joins the fray, and the Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS serves as the category reference and rounds out our test group.
To find out if newer equals better, the Tire Rack team conducted a Real World Road Ride and Performance Track Drive comparing these four Ultra High Performance All-Season tires. Our evaluation used 2014 BMW F30 328i sedans fitted with new, full tread depth 245/40R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
Since these are Ultra High Performance All-Season tires, emphasis is placed on steering response and handling over ride comfort, but the best in the category prove that those goals are not mutually exclusive. The Kumho Ecsta 4X II was both challenger and champion on the road ride, receiving praise for its controlled ride, responsive and direct steering feel, and quiet-for-the-category road noise. Sumitomo’s HTR A/S P02 leaned in a class-appropriate direction, almost matching the Kumho in handling, but conceding some comfort and sound quality in the process. The incumbent Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS scored well in the ride comfort column, but it seemed to come at the expense of handling and sporty feel. It also ranked toward the bottom in road noise for the test. The Fuzion UHP Sport AS fell to the bottom of the charts in all regards on the road portion of our testing, with comments focusing on the light steering feel, transmission of small bumps into the cabin, and growl from the tread pattern.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
The descriptor Ultra High Performance All-Season creates expectations for any tire in the category. When shopping the class, you should be able to expect that your selection has the ability to handle a hard charge down an off-ramp, a curvy mountain road, or a spirited run through a cloverleaf, and that the commute home won’t be white-knuckle if precipitation is in the forecast. The Kumho Ecsta 4X II earned the right to wear its Ultra High Performance All-Season label. Around the dry track, it felt sporty throughout. The steering was precise, making it easy to add just the right amount of input the first time in steady state cornering and the side-to-side transitions of the slalom. Braking and acceleration traction felt strong as well, creating an all-around balanced package. The other three competitors struggled somewhat to live up to the promise made by their titles. The Sumitomo HTR A/S P02’s dry performance could best be described as capable, but left the driver wishing for more in all regards after the laps had ended. Steering response was a relative strong suit for the Fuzion UHP Sport A/S, lending the tire a willingness to change direction and endowing it with a playful demeanor that is likely to be enjoyed by the driver. Dry braking feel could use some improvement, but its performance in the dry was generally considered acceptable. Unfortunately for the Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS, the stopwatch did not favor its performance on the track, posting consistently slower laps than the competition. During dry runs, the car felt the least planted of the group, moving about the course but never providing a sensation of being truly connected. Lateral and longitudinal grip were both limited, keeping the driver busy trying to stay one step ahead of all the movement.
In the wet, the Kumho again led the pack, delivering confident and controllable levels of grip in all directions. The Sumitomo had sharp initial steering response in the wet, but failed to back up that promise with the ultimate grip needed to feel sure-footed through the slalom or around the bends. The impressions provided by the Firestone in the dry were exacerbated when the track was wet. Though it was over a second ahead of the last-place Fuzion, the Firestone still trailed the Kumho and Sumitomo by a considerable margin. Even when expecting a lack of grip, it was easy to exceed the Firestone’s limited available traction. The biggest misstep for the Fuzion was the way it handled itself in the wet. Its lap times were the slowest, and most of our testers had negative comments pertaining to the overall lack of grip during acceleration, braking, and turning.
Winter weather is often unpredictable, and snow-covered roads change with every passing vehicle as they churn snow into slush or pack it down to polished ice. A constantly changing test surface makes side-by-side comparisons difficult, so we use a dedicated winter testing facility in Northern Sweden with acres of groomed snow that provides the consistency we need to get reliable acceleration and braking comparisons. This facility also has a prepared snow-handling course where we evaluate the stability and control of each tire during abrupt maneuvers. To simulate the icy conditions found at intersections or the black ice experienced out on the highway, we use ice at a local hockey rink and measure acceleration and braking traction.
Ice traction was moderate for all four tires, which is typical for all-season tires. In the snow, roles were reversed of what our team found in the wet. Here, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 led the group and delivered good (for an all-season tire) traction. Very close behind was the Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval A/S, which matched the Sumitomo tire for acceleration and braking traction, and was close for cornering and handling. The Fuzion UHP Sport A/S was a step back, but still provided reasonable traction. Rounding out the group was the Kumho Ecsta 4X II which was adequate, but could not start, stop or turn at the same level as the other tires in this test.
Our Real World Road Ride features a relatively flat 6.0-mile loop of 65 mph expressway, 55 mph state highway and 40 mph county roads along with two stop signs and one traffic light every lap. Our team drove each tire approximately 500 miles over the course of several days. Since we wanted to compare fuel consumption results that typical drivers would experience, our drivers were instructed to maintain the flow of traffic by running at the posted speed limits and sustain the vehicle’s speed using cruise control whenever possible. They did not use hypermiling techniques to influence vehicle fuel economy.
| Tire | Test MPG* | Gallons/Year @ 15,000 Miles |
% vs. Most Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS | 31.6 | 474.7 | -- |
| Fuzion UHP Sport A/S | 31.5 | 476.2 | -0.3% |
| Kumho Ecsta 4X II | 31.5 | 476.2 | -0.3% |
| Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 | 31.4 | 477.7 | -0.6% |
| *Our evaluation used Race Technology DL1 data loggers to record true distance travelled. | |||
None of the tires in this test were designed with low rolling resistance as a high priority, and as a result we found a negligible difference in observed vehicle fuel economy across the group. Based on our results, the 0.2 mile per gallon difference between our lowest and highest observed fuel economy would result in an annual difference of about 3 gallons of premium gasoline. At the current cost of $3.00/gallon, it would amount to an annual difference of just $9.00 for drivers driving 15,000 miles per year.
It’s important to note our test’s fuel consumption measurements follow consistent procedures designed to minimize variables that could influence the results, however they do not represent an exhaustive long-range fuel consumption study. While our procedures require the test vehicles in each convoy to run under the same prevailing conditions, the week-to-week differences in ambient temperatures, barometric pressures and wind speeds that we experience over a season of testing can influence vehicle fuel consumption and prevent the absolute mpg values of this test from being compared directly against those of others.
Larger differences in consumption between tires may indicate a difference that might be experienced on the road, while smaller differences should be considered equivalent. As they say, your mileage may vary.
Though it may not always be the case, incremental improvement proved to be the best strategy in this test. The second-generation Kumho Ecsta 4X II demonstrated that it was the clear winner, separating itself from the pack in all objective and subjective categories and earning praise from our testers in the process. Second place went to the other updated member of the group, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P02, owing to its strong finish in road comfort and wet performance combined with a respectable showing on the dry track. Though it felt a little light on performance, the veteran Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS takes the bronze, with the clean-sheet design Fuzion UHP Sport A/S playing the role of caboose following a disappointing display on the wet handling course and the road.
Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS (Ultra High Performance All-Season): Firehawk Wide Oval AS tires featuring W-speed ratings represent Firestone’s Ultra High Performance All-Season tires developed for drivers looking to combine ultra high performance handling with all-season traction for premium sports cars, sporty coupes and high performance sedans. It is designed to provide year-round driving capability by offering predictable handling, traction and control on dry and wet roads, as well as in light snow.
Fuzion UHP Sport A/S (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The UHP Sport A/S is the Fuzion brand’s Ultra High Performance All-Season tire developed to meet the needs of sport compact and sports car driving enthusiasts looking for tires with an aggressive appearance and all-season traction at an affordable price. The Fuzion UHP Sport A/S is designed to provide responsive handling and predictable traction in wet, dry and wintry conditions, even in light snow.
Read more.
Kumho Ecsta 4X II (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The Ecsta 4X II (KU22) is Kumho’s second-generation, affordably priced Ultra High Performance All-Season tire developed for the drivers of sports cars, sporty coupes and performance sedans that want to be able to forget the forecast. Compared to its predecessor, Ecsta 4X II tires feature a further advanced tread compound to increase handling in wet and wintry conditions along with longer treadwear. The Ecsta 4X II is designed to combine responsive handling, capable cornering and year-round traction to go in dry, wet and wintry conditions, even in light snow. Read more.
Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 (High Tech Radial, All-Season, Premium 2nd Generation) tire line includes H- and V-speed rated High Performance All-Season radials developed to meet the year-round driving needs of sports car, sporty coupe and performance sedan drivers by blending dry and wet road performance with all-season wintertime traction. The HTR A/S P02 radials use Sumitomo’s high-tech materials and manufacturing methods to blend high performance with all-season traction, even in light snow. Read more.
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