Kumho Solus HA31 Review: I Tested This Budget All-Weather Tire

I put a set of Kumho Solus HA31s on a budget-focused RAV4 build for six months — daily commuting, a January storm, and a couple of heavy downpours — to see whether this all-weather tire’s low price comes with the trade-offs I expected.

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How I Tested This Tire

I ran a set of Solus HA31s (225/65R17) on a 2022 Toyota RAV4 for about six months — daily commuting on I-25 and C-470, a gravel forest access road outside Golden, and a January storm that gave me a real look at packed snow and slush on the way up to Idaho Springs. I also drove through a couple of heavy downpours specifically to evaluate wet braking and cornering confidence.

This isn’t a lab test — I don’t have skid-pad or controlled braking-distance equipment. Where I mention specific figures like the 60,000-mile warranty or independent wet/dry test rankings, those come from Kumho’s published specs and third-party test aggregators, not something I measured myself.

Quick Verdict: Who Should Buy This Tire

Buy it if: you want genuine 3PMSF winter capability without paying premium prices, and you’re not pushing the tire hard in wet cornering or aggressive dry driving.

Skip it if: wet-weather confidence at the limit is a priority, or you want a tire with a stronger track record on tread durability over the long haul.

Dry Performance

Dry handling was adequate but not a strength. Steering felt reasonably direct on my commute, but independent test data consistently ranks the HA31 below premium and even mid-range rivals on dry braking distance — by a modest but real margin. I didn’t notice anything alarming in daily driving, but I also wasn’t pushing it hard through corners.

Wet Performance

Snow and Ice Performance

This is where the Solus HA31 earns its keep. It carries a genuine Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating, and it handled packed snow and slush on my January test drive with real confidence — noticeably better than a standard all-season would in the same conditions.

Several independent reviews echo this, and one owner directly compared it favorably to Michelin’s X-Ice Snow at a fraction of the price, reporting similar cold-weather confidence.

Independent test data backs this up on the technical side too — short snow braking distances and good snow handling show up consistently across the review aggregators I checked, even where the same sources flag weaker wet and dry results.

Ride Comfort and Road Noise

Comfort was a pleasant surprise given the price point. The HA31’s close road contact and arrowhead tread design kept the ride composed on rougher pavement, and road noise stayed reasonable on the highway — not class-leading, but nothing I’d call a downside either.

Tread Life and Durability

Kumho backs the Solus HA31 with a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, and my own six-month test didn’t turn up anything concerning — tread wear looked even and on pace with expectations.

Price and Value

Street prices for common sizes ran $100–$140 per tire in my price checks as of mid-2026, which puts it meaningfully below premium all-weather competitors like the Michelin CrossClimate2 or Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. Given the genuine winter capability at this price, I think it’s a fair value for a driver prioritizing budget and snow performance over class-leading wet and dry grip.

Don’t Confuse This With the Kumho Solus 4S HA32

Kumho’s naming here trips people up regularly. The Solus 4S HA32 is a separate product — originally developed for the European market, with its own distinct tread design and Red Dot Design Award recognition — not simply an updated version of the HA31 sold in the US.

If you’re cross-shopping and see “HA32” or “4S” in a listing, you’re looking at a different tire, even though some retailers and review aggregators use the terms loosely. The HA31 reviewed here remains the actively sold model across major US retailers as of this writing.

Vehicles Where This Tire Fits Well

I recommended the Solus HA31 as the best value all-weather option in my Toyota RAV4 tire guide, and it’s a reasonable fit for other budget-focused crossovers and passenger cars where genuine winter capability matters more than class-leading wet or dry performance.

It’s available across roughly 79 sizes from compact passenger cars up through mid-size SUVs — check your exact size against your door jamb sticker, or use our tire size calculator if you’re unsure.

Pros and Cons Summary

• Pro: Genuine 3PMSF winter certification with real snow and ice confidence
• Pro: Comfortable ride for the price point
• Pro: Significantly cheaper than premium all-weather competitors
• Pro: Backed by a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty
• Con: Wet grip and dry braking both trail premium and mid-range rivals in independent testing
• Con: At least one credible report of sidewall cracking around 40,000 miles
• Con: Not carried by TireRack — available through SimpleTire, PriorityTire, and Amazon instead
• Con: Easy to confuse with the unrelated Kumho Solus 4S HA32

Recalls and Complaints

As of this writing, there are no open NHTSA recalls affecting the Kumho Solus HA31. The complaints that do show up in owner reviews — wet grip and the isolated sidewall durability report covered above — are performance concerns rather than an active recall, but they’re worth weighing before you buy.

Always check your specific DOT code against NHTSA’s recall database before installing any tire, new or used — it takes about thirty seconds and it’s the easiest safety check most people skip.

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