88
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
88/100
18 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Firestone Firehawk AS vs Kumho Ecsta KU31 — 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.
VS
75
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
76/100
165 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better comfort, treadwear and wet. Pick the Kumho Ecsta KU31 if handling matters most to you.
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Category breakdown
7 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
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Firehawk AS | Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 83 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | Firehawk AS | Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 50 | 75 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Firehawk AS | Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 45 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | Firehawk AS | Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 74 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | Firehawk AS | Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 72 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Ecsta KU31 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Firehawk AS | Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 76 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Firehawk AS | Kumho Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 88 | 75 |
| Dry | 94 | 83 |
| Wet | 87 | 75 |
| Snow | 79 | – |
| Comfort | 94 | 74 |
| Noise | 90 | – |
| Treadwear | 92 | 72 |
| Handling | 70 | 76 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
88
/ 100
Tire A
75
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Firestone FireHawk AS is generally regarded as a high-value, sporty all-season tire that offers impressive dry grip and handling characteristics. While many users praise its longevity and aesthetic appeal, there is a notable divide regarding its wet-weather performance, with some users reporting significant concerns regarding hydroplaning.
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and durability
- Strong dry traction and cornering stability
- Attractive aesthetic design
- High value-to-price ratio
- Responsive steering feedback and sidewall stiffness
Cons
- Significant concerns regarding hydroplaning in heavy rain
- Potential for tread cracking after extended high-mileage use
- Availability issues at local retail outlets
Observations
- Owners of RWD performance vehicles like the Ford Mustang and Infiniti G35 report high satisfaction with cornering and handling.
- The tire demonstrates robust durability on high-torque FWD vehicles, effectively resisting belt shifting compared to other brands.
- Drivers of heavy, body-on-frame sedans appreciate the increased sidewall stiffness for improved steering feedback.
The Kumho Ecsta KU31 is widely regarded as a high-value, mid-range performance tire that offers impressive dry and wet grip for its price point. While many users report performance comparable to premium brands, consensus notes that the tire can become noisy as it wears and may exhibit inconsistent longevity depending on vehicle weight and driving style.
Pros
- Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
- Strong dry and wet weather handling
- Progressive and predictable feedback at the limit
- Quiet and comfortable ride when new
Cons
- Increased road noise and potential 'droning' as tread wears
- Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting rapid wear
- Soft sidewalls can lead to less precise steering feel for some drivers
- Occasional reports of balancing issues or structural defects like sidewall bulges
Observations
- Heavier vehicles, such as large sedans and wagons, may experience accelerated inner-edge wear or 'feathering' if alignment is not perfectly maintained.
- Users with high-performance or remapped vehicles report that the tire handles increased torque well, though it may require more frequent rotation to maintain even wear.
- Some owners of vehicles with stiff or lowered suspension noted that the soft sidewalls provide good comfort but can feel slightly 'lethargic' during aggressive cornering.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Firehawk AS | B · Kumho Ecsta KU31 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season High Performance tires | Summer Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 4 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 480 A A | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
88
/ 100
Firestone
75
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better comfort, treadwear and wet. Pick the Kumho Ecsta KU31 if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 94 vs 74 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 92 vs 72 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 87 vs 75 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 94 vs 83 on dry.
Tire A · Firestone Firehawk AS
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta KU31
More comparisons
Also compared with
Firestone Firehawk AS also compared with
Kumho Ecsta KU31 also compared with
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.