Kenda KAISER KR20 review
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The Kenda KAISER KR20 receives sharply divided reviews, serving as either a cult-favorite budget drift tire or a heavily criticized budget street option. While grassroots drifters praise its exceptional longevity, predictable slide characteristics, and high resistance to delamination, everyday street drivers—particularly those in wet climates—frequently report severe traction loss, poor wet-weather performance, and excessive road noise resembling failing wheel bearings.
What owners say
No road-test results yet, so every score here comes from owner reviews found online.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
42/100From 87 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
Kenda KAISER KR20 specs & sizes
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Tread depth | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 44 psi |
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What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 87 owner reviews found online.
The Kenda KAISER KR20 receives sharply divided reviews, serving as either a cult-favorite budget drift tire or a heavily criticized budget street option. While grassroots drifters praise its exceptional longevity, predictable slide characteristics, and high resistance to delamination, everyday street drivers—particularly those in wet climates—frequently report severe traction loss, poor wet-weather performance, and excessive road noise resembling failing wheel bearings.
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and durability, especially for drifting and high-wear applications
- Highly cost-effective with an attractive price point
- Good dry traction and responsive handling once warmed up
- Resistant to heat-induced chunking and failure under track conditions
- Attractive, aggressive directional tread pattern
Cons
- Dreadful wet-weather traction and handling, often described as lethal or dangerously slick in the rain
- High road noise levels that develop over time, frequently compared to a bad wheel bearing
- Soft sidewalls can introduce a 'floating' or sloppy feel during normal daily driving
- Slow to warm up in colder or dry conditions
- Prone to abrupt breakaway and understeer without much progressive feedback
Worth knowing
- Drift and enthusiast drivers operating high-horsepower rear-wheel-drive vehicles (such as 240SX and various BMWs) heavily favor this tire for the rear axle due to its longevity and predictable sliding.
- Drivers mounting these tires on performance-oriented front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive hatchbacks and sedans frequently warn against front-axle use, noting severe understeer and dangerous snap-oversteer in wet conditions.
Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
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1 published test appearance
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2012 Autobild 50 tire Braking Test · 225/45 R17
39th of 44
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
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