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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop SP Sport FM800 vs Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 — Compared (May 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop SP Sport FM800

Summer Premium Touring tires

Dunlop SP Sport FM800 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
69 owner reviews
Dry
88
Wet
86
Comfort
84
Treadwear
82
Handling
83
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Kumho

Kumho Ecsta AST KU25

All Season High Performance tires

Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
65/100
8 owner reviews
Dry
83
Wet
66
Comfort
49
Treadwear
71
Handling
65
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Dunlop SP Sport FM800 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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Category breakdown

5 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport FM800 leads by 5
A
88
B
83
Why this score
SourceSP Sport FM800Ecsta AST KU25
Tyre Reviews owners 88 83

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) SP Sport FM800 leads by 20
A
86
B
66
Why this score
SourceSP Sport FM800Ecsta AST KU25
Tyre Reviews owners 86 66

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport FM800 leads by 35
A
84
B
49
Why this score
SourceSP Sport FM800Ecsta AST KU25
Tyre Reviews owners 84 49

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) SP Sport FM800 leads by 11
A
82
B
71
Why this score
SourceSP Sport FM800Ecsta AST KU25
Tyre Reviews owners 84 71

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport FM800 leads by 18
A
83
B
65
Why this score
SourceSP Sport FM800Ecsta AST KU25
Tyre Reviews owners 83 65

Scores at a glance

CategoryDunlop SP Sport FM800Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
Relative Score 84 67
Dry 88 83
Wet 86 66
Comfort 84 49
Treadwear 82 71
Handling 83 65

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Dunlop SP Sport FM800

The Dunlop SP Sport FM800 is widely regarded as a high-value, mid-budget tire that punches above its weight class in terms of wet and dry grip, comfort, and noise suppression. While most users praise its performance-to-price ratio, some report inconsistent tread longevity and a decline in performance as the rubber compound hardens over time.

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction
  • High value for money compared to premium brands
  • Low road noise and high ride comfort
  • Predictable handling and progressive grip limits

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life reported by some users
  • Performance degradation as the tire ages/hardens
  • Not suitable for high-horsepower or aggressive track use
  • Occasional reports of sidewall stiffness or lack of steering precision

Observations

  • Users on smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., VW Up, Ford Focus) report excellent handling and satisfaction.
  • Drivers of high-performance or heavy vehicles (e.g., C63s AMG, Jaguar XF) noted that the tire struggles with high torque and may experience premature or uneven wear.
  • Some users noted that steering feel can be perceived as vague on certain tire profiles, likely due to sidewall construction.
Tire B Kumho Ecsta AST KU25

The Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 is generally regarded as an affordable, entry-level tire suitable for daily commuting rather than performance-oriented driving. While users appreciate its dry-weather grip and aesthetic tread pattern, the tire is frequently criticized for significant road noise and inconsistent performance in wet conditions.

Pros

  • Attractive and aggressive tread design
  • Strong dry-weather traction and handling
  • High value-to-price ratio
  • Satisfactory tread longevity for daily driving

Cons

  • Excessive and intrusive road noise
  • Unpredictable and poor wet-weather performance
  • Abrupt loss of grip when pushed to limits
  • Not suitable for spirited or performance driving

Observations

  • Users noted that the tire's stiff sidewall provides good steering feedback, which some drivers appreciate for daily handling.
  • Performance characteristics are highly polarized, with some users reporting confidence in heavy rain while others report dangerous instability.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport FM800 B · Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresAll Season High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Kumho

Winner: Dunlop SP Sport FM800 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport FM800 scores 84 vs 49 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Sport FM800 scores 86 vs 66 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Sport FM800 scores 83 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SP Sport FM800 scores 82 vs 71 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport FM800
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
Check price on Amazon

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.