beekermartin

I have the 18" A spec wheels on my 2005 RL. I have been using Pirelli Cinturato P7s that have been excellent. They are almost worn out and I was thinking about trying the Ecsta Platinums since they have good ratings and are cheap. I have a 194k miles on my car now and I am debating about selling it soon. I would get the Pirelli's again but I don't want to spend that much if I am not gonna keep the car. I also don't want to put on junk tires.

Has anyone used the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinums before?

HDNBenjamin

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-t...rebate-960105/

beekermartin

One person hated them and one seems to like them. lol

I have been very happy with the P7s. It is a great tire overall. Since I might be selling this car soon I am trying to save a few bucks. I might give the Kumhos a shot. There are plenty of reviews saying they are decent especially for the price.

beekermartin

I ordered the Kumho's. Hopefully they are decent. I'll post a review once they are installed.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

as you found out...tires are subjective... what one person likes...the other may not.
the best advice is to keep buying the same tire if you liked it...and if you didnt like a particular tire, well...theres over a million choices.

to find out if you like a particular tire; you'd identify what you liked and disliked about it.. and then try a different tire with the qualities you are looking for...again this is all personal preference...your criteria for a tire will be different than other people.

beekermartin

Very true. The Pirelli Cinturato P7s were a great overall tire on the RL. They didn't handle as well as the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3s I had before the P7s but that is to be expected. I am not expecting the Kumho's to be as good as the P7s but hopefully they are fairly comparable. They are technically in the same grand touring category but the Kumho's are over $300 less for a set of four so I am expecting a bit less overall performance.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Dont discount the Koreans! they make some great tires ! update us with your review when you get a chance

HDNBenjamin

You're not going to get much for the RL with 194k. Might as well drive it until it breaks down on you. That's what I plan on doing.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^ $4-6k is still cash money in pocket...
wont depreciate past this point.

as you can find economy cars in the $1-3k range....no reason to drop the RL down to $3k...
if good condition and the right buyer, I can see it going for $6k. being generous of course.

beekermartin

I know I won't get much for it. I am figuring 5k to 6k. I work for a Honda dealer so I know the market well. It is in very good shape for the mileage. I am replacing the rear brakes and tires this week. Front brakes are almost new as well. It will be a great car for many more years for me or the next owner.

I am actually considering getting a Honda Clarity. I know electric cars is the future and the Clarity is actually a very nice car. The fact I'll be able to drive to work without using any gas is intriguing. I can charge it for free at work as well. That will save me a lot of gas money. I'll miss the RL for sure. It is still an amazing car to drive. I haven't decided yet but with all the incentives on the Clarity it is making me think.

HDNBenjamin

gotcha, had no idea they can be sold for that much!

The Clarity would be a good choice especially with the 7.5k EV federal tax credit. I wanted to buy one but my state ended their no sales tax on an EV or BEV. I'd say probably a good time to buy before these incentives dry up

beekermartin

I am not saying they will all be worth that much with close to 200k but mine should be based on the condition. If it is a complete rat or trollop (industry terms) with bad brakes, bald tires, broken windshield, and nothing working inside then it is worth a lot less of course. LOL

The Clarity is a heck of a deal in RI at the moment that is for sure. I will miss the RL's AWD, radio, acceleration, seat comfort, and many more things I'm sure. I will enjoy the Clarity's modern electronics, Honda Sensing, not requiring gas often and the ride quality is quite good. I hate that Honda didn't include lumbar support in either model. I can't believe they left that out. The radio is just ok. I can live with it since I mainly listen to Howard Stern, news and sports but when I want to listen to music the Clarity radio is just ok. Nothing compared to the amazing radio in the RL.

I am still trying to decide what to do. The current programs are good through the end of October so I will decide before then.

beekermartin

I installed the Kumho's today. I'll post a review after I put some miles on them.

I did want to mention that I got over 62k miles out of the P7s! That is incredible for such a heavy car and my aggressive driving. They performed well from brand new until when I removed them today with ~2mm of tread left. I have to say the Pirelli P7 Cinturato is probably the best overall tire I have ever owned on a passenger car.

HDNBenjamin

Looking forward to your review as I do have the P7s myself..so i am really interested to hear how they compare.

beekermartin

I have put a couple hundred miles on them so far and overall I am happy. They aren't loud on most surfaces except one of the bridges I go over everyday. On that particular bridge they produce a high pitch noise that is much louder than the P7s. Besides that they are quiet overall. They do seem to be a bit harsher over hard bumps. Not dramatically but noticeable. I set the tire pressures to 34 front and 32 rear. I will try lowering them a few PSI to see if that helps. I will post again after I get to drive them in the rain.

Hopefully they stay this way as they wear. I have had many sets of tires that start off quiet but then become loud after 10k miles or so. Time will tell.

beekermartin

I let my car sit for ~36 hours and the temps were in the 45f range when I got in it tonight. Without question there was some serious flat spotting going on for at least a few miles. By the time I broke 45 mph after a few minutes of slower driving the flat spots were gone. Still they were obvious for the first few minutes of low speed driving. Not ideal but I can deal with it since it goes away fairly quickly. I wonder what will happen when the temps are in the teens in the AM. That will be approaching soon enough...

beekermartin

I decided to get a new Honda Clarity so I won't be able to fully test the Kumhos throughout their lifespan on the RL. The few thousand miles I have put on them so far have been great. I am sorry I can't give any more information than that.

HDNBenjamin

Dang..bummer..was looking forward to a long term review but congrats on the Clarity. Feel free to give us a review of the Clarity vs RL.

beekermartin

Compare the Clarity to the RL??? I wouldn't waste anyones time here with that comparison. The only things I can say positive about the 2018 Clarity is I've used almost no gas since I can charge it at home and work. Also, it gives a damn nice ride which I expected since it weighs about the same as the RL.

With that said I miss my RL in almost every other single way. Handling, acceleration, seat comfort, radio quality, fun to drive, etc. My 2005 RL with almost 200k still smokes almost everything else on the road in terms of overall pleasure of driving and owning. With that said the Clarity is an interesting concept when the temps are above 40f. Below 30f the electric range drops off dramatically and the gas motor can scream like a hornets nest. In frigid temperatures I hate the Clarity on trips over 25 miles. With temps above 40f I actually enjoy it and I am adjusting to the charging lifestyle. I still miss my RL in almost every way except for the price at the pump every 5 days. The Clarity is absolutely amazing in that regard. At least in above frigid temperatures it is.

Midnight Mystery

More than that sometimes... And I'd take it over a new car anyday...