Summer tire Updated September 2026

Kenda KAISER KR20 review

Name: Kenda KAISER KR20
Brand: Kenda

± 7

Relative score from owner reviews only

Better than 12% of the summer tires we score.

Owners 39 · 87 reviews analysed

How scores work

Check price on Amazon · KAISER KR20 Compare with another tire

Add your size for an exact match

Width/AspectRRim

The Amazon link then searches this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Kenda KAISER KR20 has a Relative Score of 48 out of 100 among summer tires. 87 owner reviews rate it 39 out of 100. 48% would buy it again.

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.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

39/100

From 87 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 48%

Dry

Overall dry

Wet

Overall wet

Snow & ice

Overall snow & ice

Comfort

Overall comfort

Noise

Overall noise

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

Handling

Overall handling

Own these tires? Write a review →

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.

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 45

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Bild

Kenda KAISER KR20 specs & sizes

Specifications
Tread depth	10/32″
UTQG	300 A A
Sidewall	Blackwall
Max pressure	44 psi

We don't have the size list for this tire yet. Search the retailer for your size:

Check price on Amazon