I put new 225 45 17 Kumho Ecsta MXs and SSR 17X7.5 Competitions on my '03 WRX Sedan in August I've had a chance to form some impressions on the tire for day-to-day (albeit "spirited") driving. I have just over 3,000 miles on the tires and had a chance to do my first wet weather driving on them yesterday.

The MXs are a very sticky tire that provides a huge increase in dry grip over the stock RE 92s. The Kumhos are unaffected by tight corners that made the old RE 92s scream like a scared Brownie at a sleep-over. My wheel/tire combination reduced unsprung weight of the WRX by a total of 17 lbs. The car corners quicker and at speeds above 80 MPH... holds a line much better than stock. Slightly more force is required to turn the steering wheel now, but the trade off is a much improved sense of "road feel." I think there was a little too much power boost on the original power-assist configuration. Downside to tire and wheel upsizing: a slight increase in fuel consumption and tire noise due to increased rolling resistance, but I've kept that at a minimum with the ultra-light SSR rims.

Much has been written about the tire noise off of MXs, but I don't really find it to be a significant problem. The WRX is not what I consider to be a "quiet" car in the first place. I hear moderate tire hum or whine at all speeds, but it's most noticeable from 35-50 MPH. At higher speeds, wind and engine noise masks much of the tire noise.

At $500 a set, the Kumho MXs are an incredible performance value. If you want a tire that performs as well and is quiet too, you have to pay much more. I like the price and performance advantages as a trade-off for quiet tires.

I had a chance to drive the tires for an hour in the rain yesterday. I can say that these "summer" tires are fine performers in the rain. Lots of wet grip, more so than the stock RE 92s. They are not designed or intended for driving on snow. The Kumho MX tread cuts standing water very well, so I noticed no hydroplaning at reasonable speeds. Sorry, I didn't have enough standing water yesterday to push the hydroplaning issue very far...I tend to ease the car into new performance values very slowly while on the highway.

After some experimentation, I decided on filling the tires to a pressure that will produce a PSI of 38 (rear) and 40 (front) when the tire is fully warmed-up. That means I'm filling the tires to around 36R and 38F cold PSI right now. I check the MX pressures at least every other week. I want a ride that is firm and easy on the gas mileage but will not wear the center tread faster than the rest of the wheel.

Tire wear: none noticable at 3,000 miles of daily freeway commuting and weekly trips on twisty, poorly maintained pavement.

I've paid almost twice as much for performance tires before, but I've never driven a better performing set of tires than the Kumho MX.

And the SSR Competitions...just a superb wheel in all respects