I am currently in the choice of two tyres ... namely the bridgestone s-02 PP and the Kumho 712.

A few preliminaries

1) The S-02 costs about 1400 Australian Dollars
2) The Kumho's costs about 900 Dollars

The sizes are as follows

Both are correctly rated W and have at least 89 and 92 ratings.

However, the S-02 is 205/55/16 and 225/50/16 while the Kumho's are 225/50/16 (or I think 25/45/16) and 245/45/16

Any recommendations among the two? What is the effect of having the large tyres (Kumhos), would it actually be better since the contact pitch would be bigger, and would the sidewall be popping out too much?

Thanks ...

 

There is no comparing these two tires. If you are an aggressive driver the way to go is the OE Bridgestone S02. If you are looking for a good tire at a good price then the Kumho will be a good choice.
Let me know.
Thank you

Jim

 

Would it not mean that the Kumho's would be decently close in performance? Because the width is now larger than the S-02's? Or does the contact area with the road not matter?

The S-02's are smaller than the OEM's right, so it would already mean that it is not as good perfromance as the stocks.

 

Jim, I believe SO2 that yuchen is refering to is the PolePosition (PP) not the Original Equipment (OE) SO2s.

Yuchen, I would never choose the PP SO2 over the OE SO2. However, If it must be the PP then you should look at getting the 245/45 16 PP for the rear instead of the 225. And yes, there is a big difference between the OE and PP SO2.

 

The Kumho tires are not going to give you similar performance to the S02 in the dry. They will give you excellent wet traction and longer wear with a good ride quality but not close in the dry.

Jim