Full review
This article takes a look at the Kumho Ecsta V730 tire to help you decide if these tires are for your sports car.
We’ve researched all aspects of the Kumho Ecsta V730 and taken a deeper look at the manufacturer’s specifications to see how well this tire is made and how it did in various tests.
We then compiled the tire’s test data and compared it with customer reviews for a full-spectrum view of the performance towards delivering an unbiased and objective tire review.
Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.
In this review, we will be looking at handling, noise, comfort, durability, and price to help you decide if it is the tire for you.
Now, let’s dive deeper and see what the Kumho Ecsta V730 is made of.
Kumho Ecsta V730 Overview
Kumho Ecsta V730 is one of the tire manufacturer’s extreme performance summer tires. The Ecsta V730 was developed for sports cars, performance sedans, and enthusiast drivers who plan to drive in high-performance driving schools, autocross, and track days. The V730 tire puts ride quality, comfort, smooth handling, high-speed durability, and traction for warmer weather performance together.
The Kumho Ecsta V730 is classified as an extreme performance summer tire and is best on the pavement rather than off-road conditions. So if you plan to drive in the snow for a large portion of the winter season, we recommend considering a dedicated snow tire.
In its class, the Ecsta V730 is a low-priced extreme performance tire compared to its competitors such as BF Goodrich and Michelin.
The Kumho Ecsta V730 is designed with an ultra-high grip tread compound. It has fine carbon black and synthetic resins to enhance traction and stability in high-performance environments. The tire is also backed by a 6-Year warranty, which is impressive for its class.
Performance Breakdown
Now let’s jump into a more comprehensive look at the Kumho Ecsta V730.
Performance
Wet
According to tests conducted by TireRack.com, The Kumho Ecsta V730 performed unimpressively in wet conditions, scoring its lowest overall in this category. Though it is important to keep in mind that this is a norm of performance tires in general.
The Ecsta V730’s design includes two inboard circumferential grooves with lateral notches to move standing water from the contact point between tire and road, designed to increase hydroplaning resistance in wet environments.
Dry
This is where the tire shines. Kumho Ecsta V730 tested well in cornering stability, traction, and steering response in dry conditions — the third-best performance area in all of the V730’s tests.
The V730’s highly asymmetric treads include an extensive outboard shoulder that enhances the consistency in traction turning and responsiveness on dry roads.
Users reported that the tires were trustworthy in cornering and fast straightaways, especially in dry conditions when the tires began to warm up.
Snow
Since the Kumho Ecsta V730 is designed to perform at its highest level on the track, the tires will struggle and be useless in snowy conditions, even the slightest amounts.
The Kumho Ecsta V730 was not tested in snow as it has no purpose on them and should not be taken out below freezing temperatures.
These tires not only should not be driven in the snow but should not be stored or serviced in below-freezing temperatures either, as they will warp or crack.
We recommend investing in a dedicated snow tire for your vehicle if you plan to take it out in wintertime. Though, most sports cars aren’t going to be your first choice when snow begins falling either way.
Handling
The Kumho Ecsta V730’s sidewall construction was designed to hold sturdily in turns and provide trustworthy handling for your driving experience.
The Ecsta V730 is designed for maximum traction and handling, especially in competition, though with its decent on-road touch and strength for high performance, it does well on regular roads as well in warm weather.
According to customer reviews, these tires feel solid in turns and at high speeds on straight roads. Many users reviewed that the tire’s handling was excellent.
Noise and comfort
Noise
The tire’s construction includes nothing to minimize noise and is tested averagely in road feedback, though the point of the tire being performance means that this wasn’t a huge point when Kumho was designing them.
Customer reviews rarely commented on the Kumho V730’s noise, good or bad.
Comfort
The Kumho Ecsta V730 tested very well in ride quality for a performance tire.
The majority of customer reviews reported that the tires drive smoothly and are a very comfortable ride overall.
Durability
Kumho sought to create a long-lasting tire with the Ecsta V730. The tire’s construction includes an optimized footprint to manage extreme lateral cornering use and longitudinal braking, as well as traction while accelerating. These features enhanced endurance and the tire’s longevity.
The Ecsta V730’s lifespan is backed up with a 6-year limited treadwear warranty—impressive for its class.
Users reported that the tires wore quickly for their price-point, yet they gave impressively, and inconsistent, performance while they lasted.
Price
For its price-quality to durability index, the Ecsta V730 feels right on point. Since the nature of max-performance summer tires is not necessarily geared towards longevity, it seems that this tire is accurately priced.
According to reviews by users, the Ecsta V730 felt right while the performance of the tire lasted, which wasn’t long.
Recommendations & Conclusions
Recommendations
Overall, the Kumho Ecsta V730 is an impressive Summer performance tire for your sports car or a high-end sedan if you want good handling on dry pavement, but there are certainly better options out there if you can spend a little more. We recommend looking at some of Kumho’s competitions within the same class:
- Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R
- Bridgestone Potenza RE11
- Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
- Bridgestone Potenza RE070
- Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
The Kumho Ecsta V730 has not yet been replaced with any upgraded models, so no improvements on the weak points of the tire have been addressed as of yet.
Conclusions
Based on our research, we concluded the Kumho Ecsta V730 tire is a satisfactory performance Summer tire in terms of short-term performance. From the data and user experiences that we have collected and put together, we suggest this tire will serve you well on dry pavements in warm weather.
We also found that the Kumho Ecsta V730 has great comfort and creates a solid, smooth experience while driving.
For Winter conditions, we recommend considering a dedicated snow tire. It’s important to remember this tire is for pavement in non-freezing temperatures.
Overall, the Kumho Ecsta V730 performs slightly above average compared to most other tires in its class, and for short-term performance within its price range, this tire is hard to beat..
References
Kumho Ecstra V730 Review | TireRack.com