Kumho IZen KW23

I bought four Kumho Kw23 winter tyres a few weeks and only past the few days only really shown how good their are. I live in a hilly part of Bradford and since I had a early start I thought I would try the untreated hill roads by me. I went up hills which I would have avoided with my usual tyres, I kept the traction button on but not once did the wheels slip. The roads has a covering off snow with a lot of ice about. I was not sure about spending £££ on winter tyres since for the past few years I have used winter socks but glad I did. Bought the tyres and wheels from Mytyres

I bought some of these for winter 2010 before the weather got really bad and I'm so glad I did. I've never used winter tyres before so I have nothing to compare to but compared with normal summer tyres they are a revelation. I used them throughout December and they got me to work everyday with no drama, great on the ice and snow and not really noticeably worse than my summer tyres in the dry and wet.
They felt much softer than summer tyres and absorbed bumps better, but the downside of this was a bit of steering feel was lost. No noticeable increase in noise or fuel consumption.
I've just bought another set for my new Volvo ready for the coming months before the prices of winter rubber sky rockets!

Fittted four of these tyres this winter because i was slow off the mark getting them last year on my punto and all i can say is buy some they are amazing on my little punto even with the thin wheels on is it scary in the snow and ice if you have never tried winter tyres get some kumhos i got mine from pellon auto centre dot com the guys there was really helpfull and they recommened these tyres over the more expensive.

What a difference these make to getting around on the snow and ice. I replaced a set of Continental Premium Contacts which were just leathal in the cold conditions, come to that they weren't so good whenever there was slippery stuff around. With the Izens I can now negotiate the steep hill up to our road,going past less fortunate vehicles stuck (including a landrover) because of the icy surface. Coming downhill even better, where others including 4wd were sliding and broadsiding the IZens carried me down without drama. Like any other tyres black ice still presents a hazard. Have driven a few motorway miles in the wet with no problems. Too early to comment on wear but then again in the UK you are only going to leave these on for the deep winter months and have them off once the temperature starts to average above 7c. May seem like a lot to fork out for 3 months of use each year but if like me you live where the gritters don't visit then I sugggest you won't regret switching to these every winter and then storing them every spring.

These have been on my car for just over a month now so I can't really comment on the wear.
In the wet they aren't brilliant but neither are they terrible, and in the dry they have been perfectly adequate, but where they excel as you would expect is in cold and snow.
The past week has seen a lot of snow and these tyres have taken me places where the only other cars on the road were Landrover Defenders! You find yourself stuck behind cars without winter tyres wondering why they are going so slowly!

They don't offer much in the road feedback and handling stakes in the dry when you can push on a bit, they just feel a bit vague but this is not what you buy this tyre for. You buy it to get where you need to be in bad weather and at this they are brilliant at.

Fitted to rear of 320D for European trip mid December 2009. Michelin Alpines already on front. I was greatly relieved and surprised at how much grip these Kumhos gave. Had snow for whole trip and of course here in UK. My BMW left virtually all other cars standing. Went up icy slopes where I couldn't walk and other vehicles failed. I've ordered some for my wife's Corsa which at the moment is nowhere near as good in the ice and snow as my rear-drive BMW.