I had Michelin primacy 4s before these Kumhos. The HS52 has very good dry grip. This is its strong point. The handling is good. But I would not call it comfortable. It feels hard when it hits a speed bumps or a pothole. It is noisy on the highway, of course it depends on how smooth the road is. But it is not quiet. It does feel stable on the highway though, feels quite planted and gives great confidence when driving.
I replaced these tyres after just over 2 years and about 18,000 km. The rubber got hard. It loses grip easily on hard acceleration at low speeds. And the braking is greatly affected as well. Especially during sudden emergency braking. This is the main reason I replaced it even though it had plenty of tread. I live in a hot and dry climate, so may be this affects the longevity of the rubber. When I bought these tyres they were not cheap at all, so I saved nothing going with Kumhos. I got them based on the great reviews I read. And the tyres are good when new. But may be would age better in a different climate.
I replaced these Kumhos with continental untracontact tyres. Which were on sale and were cheaper. The ultracontacts by comparison are quieter and much more comfortable. They absorbe the initial impact of hitting a speed bump and make it smoother. The grip is probably not as good as the Kumhos. I’m just sick of trying expensive tyres that perform poorly in a couple of years. I choose the ultracontacts as they were on sale and continental is a reputable brand.
The Kumhos rubber compound getting hand after just 2 years is not great but I got similar things happening with Michelins as well. I would still buy them if they were cheap though. Knowing that I will need to replace them after 2 years.
The included photos show the tyres after 2 years. The sidewalls look new but the tread does not look great even though it has plenty of depth.
