Kumho Solus TA51a Review: Best Ultra High Performance All-Season Tire

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The Kumho Solus TA51a is an all-season touring tire designed for sedans and coupes. Kumho Tire is a South Korean tire manufacturer that was founded in 1960. The company produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks, and commercial trucks. This review will provide an in-depth look at the key features and performance of the Solus TA51a all-season tire.

We’ll examine the tread design, traction, ride comfort, handling, treadwear, fuel efficiency, available sizes, warranty details, and pricing. After reviewing the pros and cons, we’ll provide a final verdict on whether the Solus TA51a is a good choice for your vehicle.

Tread Design and Traction

The Kumho Solus TA51a features an asymmetric tread design optimized for all-season performance. The outside shoulder has large, stable blocks to provide responsive dry handling while the inner shoulder has independent tread blocks with multiple sipes to enhance wet traction.

In dry conditions, the stable outer tread blocks grip the road well, reducing the chance of sliding during sharp turns or emergency maneuvers. Test drivers report very responsive and predictable handling on dry pavement. The silica-enhanced tread compound also provides ample grip when accelerating, braking, and cornering.

For wet weather driving, the independent inner tread blocks flex to adapt to the road surface while the numerous sipes evacuate water. This results in short braking distances on wet roads and secure handling through rain, puddles, and light snow.

While not a dedicated winter tire, the Kumho Solus TA51a performs decently on packed snow. The sipes allow the tread to conform and get a grip while the zig-zag central grooves help with snow evacuation. Just don’t expect excellent ice traction from an all-season tire.

Overall, the asymmetric tread design provides a good balance of dry handling responsiveness and wet weather traction for a tire marketed as an all-season grand touring option. Drivers praise the grip and control provided across various road conditions.

Ride Comfort of Kumho Solus TA51a

The Kumho Solus TA51a provides a comfortable and quiet ride across different road surfaces. The asymmetric tread design helps reduce road noise, especially on concrete highways and coarse asphalt. At moderate to high speeds on smooth roads, noise levels are low with minimal intrusive droning or vibration.

On rough and uneven surfaces, the tires absorb bumps and impacts well without excessive harshness entering the cabin. This makes for a relaxed driving experience and reduced driver fatigue. The tires perform best for ride comfort when inflated towards the higher end of the recommended pressure range.

At lower pressures, the sidewalls have more flex which can translate into a softer ride, but the tread elements don’t maintain their intended shape as well. This allows more road noise and impact harshness to transmit into the cabin. At higher pressures, the tread keeps its rigidity and stability for a smoother, quieter ride.

Overall, the Kumho Solus TA51a delivers a refined, comfortable driving experience across diverse road conditions. The tires effectively minimize noise intrusion and vibration thanks to the asymmetric tread pattern and stiff sidewall construction. Maintaining the recommended tire pressure helps optimize ride comfort on this tire.

Handling and Steering Response

The Kumho Solus TA51a provides excellent handling and steering response thanks to its asymmetric tread design. The outside shoulder features a continuous rib that gives the tire added cornering grip, while the inside shoulder has independent tread blocks for enhanced handling balance.

Drivers report precise and responsive steering feel from the TA51a, even at highway speeds. The continuous rib on the outboard shoulder helps keep the tire stable during hard cornering maneuvers. The rigid tread blocks and stiff sidewalls give the tire a connected feel with the road surface.

At high speeds, the TA51a maintains composure and stability. The tread design and construction give it solid high speed manners without excessive noise or wandering. The tire feels firmly planted to the road, with no unexpected changes in behavior.

Drivers report a sense of control and confidence in the TA51a when traveling at higher rates of speed. Overall, the Kumho Solus TA51a provides an engaging driving experience with its strong cornering grip, responsive steering, and high speed composure. Drivers seeking a tire that handles curves with precision and stability should be satisfied with the performance of the TA51a.

Treadwear and Durability

The Kumho Solus TA51a tire has impressive treadwear and durability. Most drivers can expect 40,000 to 50,000 miles of treadlife from these tires before needing to be replaced. This is longer than many comparable tires in this category.

The tread design and rubber compound help resist uneven treadwear, so the tires should wear down evenly across the tread for most drivers. The tires maintain their grip and performance longer as a result of the even wear.

These tires also hold up well to rough and damaged roads. The sidewalls are designed to resist impacts from potholes and debris. The tread rubber compound is cut-resistant and durable, so it won’t chip or crack easily on poor road surfaces.

Drivers have reported the Kumho Solus TA51a tires continuing to perform well even when driving on badly maintained or construction area roads. The combination of long treadlife, even treadwear, and durability make the Kumho Solus TA51a a long-lasting tire that can stand up to the rigors of daily driving.

Drivers prioritizing longevity in their tires should be satisfied with the performance of these tires over many miles.

Fuel Efficiency of Kumho Solus TA51a

The Kumho Solus TA51a is designed with fuel efficiency in mind. It features a silica-enhanced tread compound that helps reduce rolling resistance. Independent testing shows the TA51a rates very well in rolling resistance compared to other touring all-season tires.

In real world driving, the low rolling resistance can result in improved gas mileage compared to higher rolling resistance tires. Owners report seeing anywhere from a 1-3 mpg improvement after installing a set of Solus TA51as, depending on the vehicle and driving conditions. This can add up to significant fuel savings over the life of the tires.

The round tread blocks and continuous center ribbing optimize the contact patch as the tire rolls for less drag. Kumho’s proprietary casing design also contributes to low rolling resistance. So drivers prioritizing fuel economy will be happy with the efficiency of the Solus TA51a.

Available Sizes

The Kumho Solus TA51a is available in a wide range of sizes to fit most passenger vehicles. This all-season tire comes in both metric and P-metric sizing conventions, covering rim diameters from 13″ up to 20.

Rim width compatibility ranges from 4.5″ up to 9.5″ depending on the tire size, allowing the Solus TA51a to fit most stock and aftermarket wheels. Section widths start at 155mm for compact cars and go all the way up to 275mm for sportier vehicles.

Some of the most common size options include:

• 185/65R15 – Fits 15″ rims with a width around 6″
• 205/55R16 – For 16″ rims around 7″ wide
• 225/50R17 – Compatible with 17″ wheels 7.5-8″ wide
• 245/45R18 – For wider 18″ rims from 8-9″

With sizing available for everything from subcompact cars to full-size SUVs, drivers should have no problem finding the right Solus TA51a to fit their vehicle.

The wide range caters to many popular OE and aftermarket wheels.

Warranty Coverage

The Kumho Solus TA51a comes with a manufacturer warranty that covers workmanship and materials defects for a period of 6 years from the date of purchase or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. The tire also includes a treadwear warranty with full replacement during the first 2/32″ of wear, pro-rated replacement from 2/32″ to 4/32″ wear, and no coverage after 4/32″ wear.

To qualify for the treadwear warranty, proper tire rotation every 6,000-8,000 miles is required. The treadwear warranty mileage is based on the tire’s UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading) treadwear rating, which rates expected tread life.

The Solus TA51a has a UTQG treadwear rating of 500, meaning the tread is warranted for 50,000 miles before being considered fully worn out at 4/32″ depth. Overall, the warranty coverage provides peace of mind on workmanship and premature treadwear when the tires are properly maintained.

As with any tire, following the manufacturer’s inflation pressure and maintenance recommendations is important for maximizing tread life to get the full benefit of the warranty.

Pricing

The Kumho Solus TA51a is competitively priced compared to similar all-season touring tires from other brands. Prices can range from around $75 to $150 depending on the tire size you need.

Here’s a breakdown of pricing for some common sizes:

• 215/60R16 – $75 to $100
• 225/60R17 – $85 to $120
• 235/55R17 – $95 to $130
• 245/50R18 – $110 to $150

The Kumho is slightly less expensive than premium tires like the Michelin Defender and the Continental PureContact LS. However, it’s priced very similarly to other mid-range all-season tires like the General AltiMAX RT43, Yokohama Avid Ascend, and Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring.

Overall, the Kumho Solus TA51a provides an excellent balance of performance, comfort, and tread life at a very reasonable price. Drivers looking for a dependable grand touring tire without paying premium prices will find a lot of value with the Kumho.

Conclusion

The Kumho Solus TA51a is an all-season touring tire that offers a good balance of performance, comfort, and value.

Here’s a summary of its pros and cons:

Pros

• Excellent wet traction and braking
• Smooth, quiet ride comfort
• Responsive handling and steering
• Above-average treadwear warranty
• Good value for the price

Cons

• Just average dry traction and grip
• Higher rolling resistance affects fuel efficiency
• Limited ultra high-performance sizes

This tire is best suited to family sedans, crossovers, minivans, and light trucks that are regularly driven on wet roads or in light snow. The combination of strong wet weather performance and comfortable ride quality make the Solus TA51a a great choice for vehicles used in rainier climates.

While it doesn’t offer the sharpest dry road grip or handling of an ultra high-performance tire, the Solus TA51a provides a good blend of key features at an affordable price point.

Overall rating: 4/5 stars

The Solus TA51a is an impressive all-season grand touring tire from Kumho that offers one of the best balances of performance, comfort, treadwear, and value in its category. It’s a great option for drivers prioritizing ride quality and wet weather traction over maximized dry road handling and grip.

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