Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 Tire Review & Rating

The Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 has been developed to not only provide more than adequate off-road traction on a variety of terrains, but high performance street capabilities as well. Designed for drivers of pickups, SUV’s and Jeeps, the KL78 is the latest member of the Road Venture all-terrain lineup.

A cut and chip resistant tread compound is used on this tire along with asymmetric tread pattern. On-road dry traction performance is enhanced through the independent tread blocks, which also create added steering response and better overall feel when driven at higher speeds on the highway.

The tire’s circumferential grooves, multiple lateral grooves and interlocking sipes increase wet pavement handling and add more biting edges in the snow, as well as off-road terrain. These grooves further reduce the risk of hydroplaning and improve braking performance. The KL78 addresses ride comfort and noise reduction by utilizing a variable pitch tread sequence in the block design.

Off-road, this Kumho tire is built to go through mud, gravel, sand, dirt, grass and other terrain, in addition to snow and ice. The tire’s optimized tread groove tapers around the tread to allow the tire to self-clean itself of mud, snow and dirt for enhanced loose surface grip.

Inside the tire you will find two high-tensile steel belts that are reinforced with nylon to provide added strength and durability throughout the speed range. They also increase stability and provide increased ride quality. Kumho also uses their unique ESCOT technology to ensure the best tire consistency possible. The Road Venture KL78 is available in 15-20 inch sizes, and in D and E load ranges for heavy-duty use.

Pros

• Excellent dry and wet traction
• Solid AT performance
• Cornering and braking are better than average
• Tires ride comfortably
• Lower road noise

Cons

• Would like to see a little better tread life
• Increase snow and ice performance

Overall Thoughts

Note: Kumho will be phasing out the KL78 and replacing it with the newly released Road Venture AT51. You can read our full review here.

While not excelling in any one particular area, the KL78 does provide very good all-around performance on and off road. Although it may not do any one thing particularly well, there are also no real glaring weaknesses at the same time.Traction on grass, gravel, sand, mud and light snow is really quite good. Steering response is average, as is the ride quality.

The only real problems for this model is a few complaints on a shorter treadlife. Tread wear has been an issue for some drivers in tire owner reviews. The other area is winter traction and handling. Although it gets you around, we’d like to see a boost in braking and acceleration in deep snow and on hard-pack or ice.

Overall, we rank this Kumho AT tire in the middle of the pack for tires in this class. The lower price over similar models from BFGoodrich, Goodyear and others, make it a pretty good value for the most part.

Click Here For Current Kumho Coupons

Click Here To Find Current Price

What Vehicles Will The Kumho KL78 Fit?

(This is not a complete list of ALL vehicles this tire will fit)

• Acura MDX
• BMW X5
• Chevrolet Colorado, Caprice Station Wagon, Avalanche, Tahoe
• Dodge Dakota, Durango, Nitro, Ram
• Ford F-150, Edge
• GMC Canyon, Yukon, Sierra
• Honda Passport, Pilot, Odyssey
• Infiniti QX56
• Isuzu Rodeo, Amigo, Trooper II
• Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Liberty
• Mercedes-Benz ML450, R320
• Mitsubishi Endeavor
• Nissan Xterra, Pathfinder, Frontier, Titan
• Porsche Cayenne
• Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, Land Cruiser, Tundra, Sequoia, Rav4
• Volvo XC90

Tire Sizes

15″

LT30X9.50R-15/C 104 S OWL
LT31X10.50R-15/C 109 S OWL
LT32X11.50R-15/C 113S OWL
LT33X12.50R-15/C 108S OWL
LT215/75R-15/C 100/97S OWL
P225/75R-15 100S OWL
P235/75R-15 105S OWL
P235/75R-15 108S XL OWL
LT235/75R-15/C 104/101 OWL

16″

P235/70R-16 104S OWL
P245/70R-16 106S OWL
P255/70R-16 109S OWL
P265/70R-16 112S OWL
LT305/70R-16/E 124Q BSW
P225/75R-16 104S OWL
LT225/75R-16/D 110/107Q OWL
LT225/75R-16/E 115/112Q OWL
LT245/75R-16/E 120/116Q OWL
P245/75R-16 109S OWL
P265/75R-16 114S OWL
LT265/75R-16/C 112/109S OWL
LT265/75R-16/D 119/116S OWL
LT265/75R-16/E 123/120Q OWL
LT285/75R-16/D 122/119Q OWL
LT315/75R-16/D 121Q BSW
LT215/85R-16/E 115/112 OWL
LT215/85R-16/E 115/112Q BSW
LT215/85R-16/D 110/107Q OWL
LT235/85R-16/E 120/116Q OWL

17″

33X12.50R-17/D 114S OWL
35X12.50R-17 111S OWL
P235/65R-17 103S BSW
P245/65R-17 105S BSW
P255/65R-17 108S OWL
265/65R-17 112H BSW
P245/70R-17 108S BSW
P265/70R-17 113S OWL
LT265/70R-17/C 109/112Q OWL
LT265/70R-17/E 121/118S BSW
LT285/70R-17/D 121/118Q OWL
P285/70R-17 117S BSW
P285/70R-17 117S OWL
LT315/70R-17/D 121/118Q BSW
LT245/75R-17/E 121/118Q OWL
LT235/80R-17/E 120/117Q OWL

18″

LT325/60R-18/D 119S BSW
LT275/65R-18/E 123/120Q OWL
P275/65R-18 114S OWL
LT285/65R-18/D 108/112Q OWL
LT325/65R-18/D 121S BSW
LT355/65R-18/D 125S BSW
P265/70R-18 114S OWL
LT275/70R-18/E 125/122Q BSW

20″

P305/50R-20 120S BSW
LT355/50R-20/E 122S BSW
275/55R-20 XL 117S BSW
305/55R-20/C 121/118Q BSW
P275/60R-20 114S BSW
LT325/60R-20/D 121S BSW
LT355/60R-20/D 122S BSW

22″

LT325/50R-22/E 121S BSW

Price Range

Prices on the KL78 range from approximately $115 and up. You may also find occasional rebates, discounts, coupons and special offers on this tire.

Click Here To Find The Current Prices On All Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 Sizes

Warranty

Kumho provides a limited warranty on the KL78. Tire uniformity is guaranteed for one-year or the first 2/32 inch of wear. Materials and workmanship are warranted for 6-years and include free replacement during the first 2/32 inch of wear. A prorated amount is given for the remaining time period or down to the final 2/32 inch of tread depth.

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