Among the many components of a car that’s seen the greatest evolution, refinement, and progress in the past few decades, tires take the crown. But, are Kumho Crugen tires that good, and are they worth it?
In today’s market, even folks with as much first-hand experience and exposure as I can still struggle when it comes to recommending tires. Yet, amongst the myriad of options on the market, there’s Kumho.
Kumho’s Crugen series of premium tires strike a great balance between performance, comfort, and value. Still, when looking at its dry-weather and wet-weather performance, there’s room for improvement.
Nonetheless, you can be assured of excellent ride quality, despite its relatively affordable price point. And, with as much positive feedback as this, clearly, I’m not the only one who’s really liking Kumho Crugen tires.
With that in mind, I’ll be looking at 3 of the top dogs in the Kumho Crugen series of tires:
REVIEW #1: Kumho Crugen HT51
The Kumho Crugen HT51 is a robust all-season highway tire, made for SUVs and trucks. So, if you have an SUV or truck, this might be for you. It’s engineered for reliable traction across various weather conditions.
Available in a wide range of sizes, from 15-inch to 22-inch diameters, it caters to both light-duty SUVs and heavy-duty trucks. Besides that, there are a few neat design features that are worth bearing in mind.
The tire’s symmetrical tread design, featuring a stiff center block, enhances straight-line stability and dry traction, making it a versatile choice for diverse driving needs. So, what else do you need to know?
1. Dry Traction, Handling, & Steering Feel
In dry conditions, the Kumho Crugen HT51 delivers impressive performance, especially considering its price point. The longitudinal traction is excellent, preventing tire squeal even under heavy loads.
Stopping distances are pretty short too, and it handily rivals more expensive premium tires. In addition, I’m glad to report that its cornering grip and traction are commendable for a highway all-season tire.
This level of grip and traction ought to be very beneficial not just for everyday driving and commuting, but also in emergency situations, such as emergency, evasive manoeuvres. As such, good stuff all around.
Alas, the HT51 is admittedly not the most responsive. The steering doesn’t react quickly to inputs and lacks linearity, which might affect the driving experience, especially for those who prefer a more engaging ride.
2. Wet and Snow Traction
The HT51’s performance in wet conditions is a mixed bag. While it handles hydroplaning well, thanks to its four wide circumferential zigzag grooves, it falls short in cornering grip and longitudinal traction.
You’ll find that the Kumho Crugen HT51 feels nervous in wet corners and requires longer distances to stop, especially at higher speeds. Besides rain, the HT51 isn’t a winter tire, yet it can handle a bit of snow.
Awarded the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snow Flake) symbol, the HT51 is capable of handling light-to-medium snow. It provides ample traction and a confident cornering ability on snow-covered roads.
However, it understandably struggles with packed or deep snow and is not suitable for ice, necessitating a switch to proper winter tires for these conditions. As such, these aren’t a suitable or safe substitute.
3. Comfort and Noise
On highways, the Kumho Crugen HT51 excels in comfort, with very minimal vibration and noise intrusion. However, you’ll note that the ride quality and comfort deteriorate over potholes or broken roads.
This is where it tends to produce a noticeable thump and doesn’t settle quickly after hitting a bump. That’s not all too bad though, and for what the Kumho Crugen HT51 actually costs, it’s not too bad.
4. Treadwear and Off-Road Durability
One of the HT51’s strong suits is its durability. It comes with a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty for regular sizes and a 45,000-mile warranty for LT-metric sizes, making it a long-lasting and cost-effective option.
Though, if you’re thinking of beating it up off the beaten path, it’ll take it somewhat decently. The Kumho Crugen HT51 performs adequately on dirt and gravel, offering sufficient traction and stability.
Its sturdy casing handles small rocks and debris well, though it’s less effective on wet hardpacked surfaces, mud, and large rocks. Consequently, while it’s not an off-road tire, it can handle a bit of it just fine.
In conclusion, the Kumho Crugen HT51 is a superbly solid all-season highway tire (especially when you’re taking into account its price), offering good dry traction, snow handling, and excellent durability.
While it has room for improvement in wet conditions and steering responsiveness, its strengths in comfort, tread life, and overall stability make it a viable option for SUV and truck owners seeking a durable tire.
REVIEW #2: Kumho Crugen HP71
The Kumho Crugen HP71 is an all-season tire designed for crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks, emphasizing comfort and wet-weather performance. There are some noteworthy aspects of its design to take note of.
It features a tread design with deep sipes and four circumferential grooves for effective water evacuation, ensuring maximum traction in various conditions. The tire’s stability is enhanced by five ribs.
This is then combined with a wider center rib, which helps you and your car to maintain more a stable ride at any speed. So, the HP71s are certainly a bit more comprehensive in terms of their physical design.
1. Dry Handling & Performance
On dry roads, the Kumho Crugen HP71 offers stable handling, though responsiveness is average compared to sportier tires. It’s not made for sporty driving but provides sufficient grip and stability for everyday use.
The widened center rib and reinforced shoulder blocks contribute to its stability. This ultimately gives the tire a bit more responsiveness than typical touring tires. But, how does it handle sporty, spirited driving?
Frankly, the HP71 is not ideal for sporty driving. It lacks the feedback, responsiveness, and agility required for aggressive driving. The tire tends to lose traction and exhibit sidewall flexing under hard cornering.
2. Wet Weather & Snow Traction
The Kumho Crugen HP71 excels if you’re driving in wet conditions, with really nice traction and stability. Its design effectively keeps water away from the blocks, resulting in impressive grip and control for your car.
The tire maintains stability in straight lines and corners and has relatively short braking distances in wet conditions. Its aquaplaning resistance is good, ensuring improved stability even through water patches.
Once again, just like the HT51, the Kumho Crugen HP71 isn’t a winter tire. Consequently, though the HP71 performs adequately in light snow, it does struggle quite a bit in heavier snow and wintery conditions.
The block design helps find traction in light snow, but it’s not sufficient enough for heavy or packed snow. On ice, the tire performs decently, thanks to a rubber compound designed for freezing temperatures.
3. Comfort & Refinement
For day-to-day driving and daily commuting, you’ll surely be happy to hear that the Kumho Crugen HP71 stands out in its class for comfort and noise reduction. It’s a highly competitive offering given its rivals.
It handles road imperfections and smaller holes well, offering a smooth ride. Thus, it’s a great tire for bad roads. The tire’s variable pitch technology reduces noise, making it quiet even at highway speeds.
4. Treadwear, Warranty, & Off-Road Driving
Kumho offers a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty for the HP71. While this is a pretty decent length for a warranty, it’s slightly shorter than some competitors. I’d argue that it’s still a compelling enough offer.
Its durability and longevity make it a cost-effective choice. Be wary, though, that it’s not suitable for off-roading. It’ll handle light dirt roads, but more challenging off-road conditions are beyond its capabilities.
All in all, the Crugen HP71 is a well-rounded all-season tire, offering a balance of performance, comfort, and value. Its main strengths lie in dry and wet driving, combined with its comfort and noise levels.
This makes it a highly compelling package for most drivers. You should take note of its limitations in heavy snow conditions, particularly for those of you who live and drive in regions with harsh winter weather.
REVIEW #3: Kumho Crugen HP91
The Kumho Crugen HP91 is a high-performance all-season tire designed for SUVs and crossovers. It stands out for its blend of comfort, handling, and durability. But, there are differences between it and its siblings.
A slight deviation from the earlier models, the HP91 features an asymmetric tread pattern, which helps to further enhance your car’s overall grip and stability, making it suitable for a variety of driving conditions.
1. Dry Traction & Dynamic Handling
In dry conditions, the HP91 excels with its responsive handling and strong grip. Its design allows for quick steering response and stable cornering, making it a reliable choice for drivers who value performance.
If you look more closely, you’ll notice key design details in the HP91’s construction, such as its solid center rib contributes to its excellent straight-line stability, providing a confident driving experience.
The HP91 is a good option for drivers who occasionally enjoy a sportier driving style, which can provide a satisfying experience for spirited driving, though it may not match that of dedicated sports tires.
2. Wet Weather & Snow Driving
The Kumho Crugen HP91 performs rather admirably in wet conditions. The wide circumferential grooves effectively evacuate water from your car’s tires in heavy rain, reducing the risk of hydroplaning.
This design ensures good traction and braking performance on wet roads, which is good to see. However, some drivers might find its wet grip slightly less impressive compared to its dry performance.
While the HP91 is capable of handling light snow, it is not the best choice for severe winter. Its all-season compound and tread provide adequate traction with a bit of snow, but you’ll still need proper winter tires.
3. On-Road Comfort & Noise
The HP91 scores well in terms of ride comfort and overall tire noise. It readily absorbs road imperfections effectively, even heavy potholes or damage on the road surface, providing a smooth driving experience.
The tire’s road noise is also commendable, with a quiet performance that can further enhance the overall comfort, especially on long drives. These are great for lengthy road trips, ensuring a comfier ride.
4. Treadwear & Overall Conclusion
Kumho has designed the HP91 with longevity in mind. The tire’s wear characteristics are favorable, which can offer a longer lifespan compared to some competitors, which is great for long-term cost savings.
This durability, combined with its performance, makes it a great value buy for drivers. Overall, the Kumho Crugen HP91 is a well-rounded tire that offers a good balance of performance, comfort, and durability.
Its capabilities in both dry and wet conditions, combined with its comfortable ride and longevity, make it a compelling choice for SUV and crossover drivers, rounding off a great trio of Kumho Crugen tires.
