Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta HS51 vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Ecsta Sport PS72 leads, 83–80 Narrow edge

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

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

Tire AKumho

Ecsta HS51

Summer Premium Touring tires

Tests 78 · 4 tests Owners 89 · 527 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (straight aqua)

Tests 85 · 8 tests Owners 94 · 542 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (total cost of ownership)

“Kumho ecsta sport S. Huge improvement Just finished off the stock Michelin Pilot sport 4 street tires. They were so darn loud. I had my track tires on and they were significantly quieter than the PS4 tires. So I decided to switch to the Kumho Ecsta Sport S (PS72) in a 225/40/18 Immediately noticed a slightly more compliant ride (taller sidewall is the cause?) and much quieter even on crosshatch concrete. They’re relatively cheap at $160 per tire. Treadwear is much lower at 240 so I’ll see how long they last.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 87

    Dry

    Ecsta HS51 +2
    85
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)8782
    Reviews found online8791
    Dry Braking (% of best)92%92%
    Dry Handling (% of best)97%99%
  2. 84

    Wet

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +3
    87
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)8486
    Reviews found online8388
    Wet Braking (% of best)91%84%
    Wet Handling (% of best)92%98%
  3. 84

    Comfort

    Ecsta HS51 +5
    79
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online8475
  4. 68

    Noise

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)6869
  5. 77

    Treadwear

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +8
    85
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72
    Reviews found online7785
  6. 80

    Handling

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +7
    87
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72
    Reviews found online8087
Scores at a glance
Kumho Ecsta HS51 vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryKumho Ecsta HS51Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Relative Score 80 83
Dry 87 85
Wet 84 87
Comfort 84 79
Noise 68 69
Treadwear 77 85
Handling 80 87

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

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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta HS51

Ecsta Sport PS72

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta HS51Ecsta Sport PS72ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 92% #19/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 92% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #20/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 99% #5/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test −1.9 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 85% #9/10 · 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 97% #4/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test −12.2 Different tests
Noise Other 97% #5/10 · 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 92% #9/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +5.2 Different tests
Value Other 99% #3/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 89% #7/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test +10.3 Different tests
Wear Other 88% #3/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 76% #13/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test +12.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 8% #13/43 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Shootout 25% #4/7 · 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test −17.3 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 100% #1/10 · 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 95% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #9/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 0% #6/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #10/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 84% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +7.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 92% #9/10 · 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 98% #4/9 · 2026 Motor Summer Tyre Test −5.9 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ecsta HS51

Pros

  • Impressive wet and dry weather traction
  • Excellent value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Low road noise and enhanced ride comfort

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause a wobbly or loose feeling during aggressive cornering
  • Some users experienced faster-than-expected tread wear on the front axle
  • Occasional complaints regarding poor steering feedback and high-speed handling at the limit
All owner themes in the Ecsta HS51 review

Tire B Ecsta Sport PS72

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry grip with short braking distances
  • High value for money compared to Tier-1 premium brands
  • Stable, predictable handling and confident cornering

Cons

  • Reported instances of out-of-round tires causing high-speed steering vibrations
  • Occasional complaints about increased road noise on certain rough surfaces
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some users during aggressive, spirited driving
All owner themes in the Ecsta Sport PS72 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta HS51

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

Positive

Community opinion on the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 (and its 'Sport S' variant) is overwhelmingly positive, with many users praising its exceptional value, low noise levels, and impressive dry and wet grip that rivals premium tier brands like Michelin. While a few note potential drawbacks such as a lack of rim protection or varied longevity expectations, the general consensus is that these tires punch significantly above their weight class for the price.

r/TyreReviews ·73 upvotes ·2026-04-04

“New summer tires A while ago, I made a post during my search for a new set of summer tires. In the end, I chose the Kumho PS72 Ecsta Sport S. My previous tires included the Michelin PS4S, Bridgestone Turanza T005, Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3, and Toyo Proxes Sport 2. With the Michelins being my favorite in terms of driving feel. By now, I’ve driven around 1,000 km on the Kumhos, and I’m pleasantly surprised. They offer excellent grip on dry roads and in corners, and they still perform well in wet conditions. My car has over 300 hp and AWD, so grip is definitely important. I can highly recommend these tires, especially considering the price. In terms of feel and performance, they don’t seem to fall short of the Michelin PS4S I had before, yet they cost me about half as much.”

r/TyreReviews ·57 upvotes ·2025-06-21

“Thoroughly delighted with the new Kumho Ecsta Sport S (PS72) 500 miles ago I swapped out my “winter” (Pirelli WeatherActives) set for these Kumhos and I have been extremely satisfied with performance, cornering, and especially ride comfort and quietness. Mind you, this is the Ecsta Sport S, which is above the Ecsta Sport A/S and Sport in terms of sportiness. The price was also a delight, at just a hair above US$1,000 including labor. Car is a 2013 Audi Q5 with the supercharged 3.0 V6 running 20x9 Porsche Macan wheels. Read more”

r/TyreReviews ·38 upvotes ·2026-05-31

“Kumho Sport PS72 (225/40/18) Absolutely in love with these tyres so far! I’ve currently only done about 150 miles in the warm UK weather, the dry grip is unbelievable & it feels so responsive. I moved from Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6’s to these, so you’d probably consider it a ‘downgrade’ however from what I’ve felt so far it feels great, we’re getting heavy rain over the next 5/6 days so I’ll be able to test the wet grip & braking so I’ll report back for that. One massive downside… the severe lack of Rim protection (as seen in the photos) if you regularly parking near kerbs or you’re a woman this is not ideal.”

Top themes
#Dry and wet grip#Price and value#Ride comfort and noise#Comparison to Michelin#Handling and steering feel#Treadwear and longevity

Based on 29 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta HS51 B · Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
CategorySummer Premium Touring tires—
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available—37
Rim diameters—17″ – 21″
Tread depth—9.4/32″
UTQG—320 A A
Treadwear warranty—30,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta HS51

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

Winner: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 — better treadwear, handling and wet. Pick the Kumho Ecsta HS51 if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 85 vs 77 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 87 vs 80 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta HS51 scores 84 vs 79 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 87 vs 84 on wet.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta HS51
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

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

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 found online. 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.

83

Narrow edge

Ecsta Sport PS72

Amazon