I just got back from the installer where I had new Kumho ECSTA-ASX 255/45/17's installed.

I went with the 255/45/17's rather than the 255/40/17's that seem so popular on this forum--even though I was taking a risk on them fitting. (I couldn't find anyone in the forum who had tried this size, so I just rolled the dice.)

Bottom line--they fit perfectly and don't rub. These are the tires (or at least the size) that should have come from the factory. Here are the pluses and minuses:

Pluses:
1) They're modestly taller than the OEM 235/45/17s, so they fill the wheel well a little better, but don't look particularly bulky or tall.
2) They're almost a full inch wider--which looks great and overhangs the wheel just enough to protect it from minor curb attacks.
3) The 255/45/17's are recommended for use on a 8" wheel. (The 255/40's that folks have been installing are actually not recommended for rims below 8.5").
4) They ride AMAZING. There's a tiny bit more "cushion" when hitting potholes (which I like) without softening the ride and making it feel like a Buick.

Minuses: These throw the speedometer and odometer readings off by 2.73% because they have a bigger circumference.. So at 60 MPH the speedometer will read 58.3 MPH. Although, any change in tire size will have some effect.

The tires themselves are high-performance, all-weather and were only $106/ea on TireRack. They're well rated on all the big sites and they have amazing traction. Hope they last more than the 17k I got out of the (crappy) Bridgestones.

I'll try to post some pics in a week after the Wheel Doctor comes to fix the curb rash on my rims. I feel safe having them fixed now that I know my new fat tires will rub the curb before the rims do.

 

what a coincidence...you didn't happen to read this thread where i was just recommending these tires (not the size) to someone else, did you? ...these Kumho tires have surprised me big time...i went with the 235/45/17 size though...i'd love to see some pics...

 

Good review. I'm looking forward to your pics too.

 

pics!

 

i give it 3 more posts before someone says

ah fuck, i did it...okay starting now...

and make sure to get some ground-level shots so we can see how wide they are...

 

Ok---I have some pics of the 255/45/17's, but I can't figure out how to upload them. Can someone point me to a link with instructions? Thanks.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90613

 

As requested, here are some photos. Ignore the curb rash on the wheels...

 

That looks good! Thanks for the pics.

 

hmmm...i guess i'd have to see them in person with my car next to yours because i don't notice a difference in width...i know it's only an inch wider, but i was expecting something more...still look awesome though...mine came with the red dot on the tire as well...

 

They look great, but that wasn't my goal when choosing these. My goals for upsizing to 255's were:

1) To protect the rims (I live in the city and parallel park every day).
2) To have better traction (The OEM Bridgestones were awful on everything but dry pavement).

 

I just posted a comment on duckengine's thread - I have the Kumho 245/45s and I think the large size gave me uneven tread wear in the center. I ran them at 32psi for about 10000 miles then went down to 30 front and 26 rear but still wore out the middles. The Kumhos were OK - quiet for a while, but I think they need rotation more than every 10000 miles because after that 10k rotation, they started singing and now (25000miles) they are finally almost quiet again - but bald. They were definitely better than the EL42s, but I'm going to try the Hankook Ventus V4 ES H105 next - in the 235 size.

 

Stevelit,
Could it have been some other issue's why you had more wear in the middle compared to the outside.. like alignment or something else?..

Markoman, why do you say this..
3) The 255/45/17's are recommended for use on a 8" wheel. (The 255/40's that folks have been installing are actually not recommended for rims below 8.5").

Per this website, http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html, they are not recommended for either sizes.

 

wow... they look like 4x4's IMO..

 

A few folks had questions about whether 255/45/17's were appropriate for an 8-inch rim. The manufacturer (Kumho) seems to think so.

http://www.kumhousa.com/tiremodelres...o=45&width=255

 

IMO, I really don't like how they look. They do look like 4x4 tires. I'm sure they ride nice but appearance wise they look bad.

 

I'm with this guy; no accounting for taste I guess. It seems someone needs to tell Honda that they spent years of engineering time and millions of dollars but put the wrong size tire on the car.

 

Honda did put the wrong size but that's just my opinion. I'm sure factory tires are a great compromise between ride, noise, wear, and cost but they leave a lot to be desired. I just did the 255/40/17 BFG G-force KDW and can't be more happy in every aspect including looks. They just look right on the car compared to the cheap looking factory hockey pucks.

As for #4 on the original poster's list, my Buick makes the TL's cornering feel like a joke. The cars aren't in the same league.

 

The only problem is that BFG recommends this tire for a 8.5" wide rim as a minimum, and the OEM wheel is only 8" wide. If the tire fails, won't there be an issue with warranty?

 

This tire/rim combo is fine. Hard to believe the OEM rim is only 8" wide since the 255s look completely at home there.

 

I'm due for new tires, currently running 245/45/17 Conti eXtreme Contacts. Have no fit problems running these tires.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried 255/40/17's and has the A Spec suspension??

I don't think it's gonna matter much, seems like I have lots of clearance with the 245's 'lock to lock". 10 more mm ( 5 per side ) shouldn't cause any rubbing, but feedback from someone running 255/40/17's with A Spec would help.