Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta LE Sport vs Michelin Primacy 4+ — Compared

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

Primacy 4+ is ahead, 78–63

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta LE Sport

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 33 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 9 in 2013 Auto Review Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4+

Summer

Tests 83 · 10 tests Owners 72 · 39 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 11 in 2023 UTAC Summer Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Primacy 4+ +16
    79
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta LE SportPrimacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online5973
  2. 65

    Wet

    Primacy 4+ +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta LE SportPrimacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–79
    Reviews found online6475
  3. 65

    Comfort

    Primacy 4+ +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta LE SportPrimacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online6172
  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta LE SportPrimacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
  5. 62

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4+ +21
    83
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta LE SportPrimacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–91
    Reviews found online5971
  6. 62

    Handling

    Primacy 4+ +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta LE SportPrimacy 4+
    Reviews found online6269
Scores at a glance
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport vs Michelin Primacy 4+: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryKumho Ecsta LE SportMichelin Primacy 4+
Relative Score 63 78
Dry 63 79
Wet 65 77
Comfort 65 72
Noise – 72
Treadwear 62 83
Handling 62 69

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.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta LE Sport

Primacy 4+

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 LE SportPrimacy 4+ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 11% #9/9 · 2013 Auto Review Performance Summer Tyre Test 80% #3/11 · 2023 UTAC Summer Tire Test R17 −68.9 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ecsta LE Sport

Pros

  • Exceptional value compared to premium tier brands
  • Strong dry and wet road grip when relatively new
  • Predictable and progressive handling limits near the edge

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, particularly on front or driven wheels
  • Fragile sidewalls prone to bubbling or damage from minor impacts
  • Noticeable drop-off in performance and increased tramlining as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the Ecsta LE Sport review

Tire B Primacy 4+

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and a smooth, compliant 'limousine-like' feel over bumps
  • Strong and reliable grip in both wet and dry conditions, inspiring confidence
  • Noticeable improvement in quietness and traction compared to predecessor tires or factory options

Cons

  • Loud road noise and a harsh drone on rough or coarse asphalt surfaces
  • Soft sidewalls can reduce steering agility and initial responsiveness compared to dedicated sport tires
  • High premium price point relative to competitors
All owner themes in the Primacy 4+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta LE Sport B · Michelin Primacy 4+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta LE Sport

Michelin Primacy 4+

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4+ — better treadwear, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 83 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 79 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 77 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 72 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4+

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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

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

78

Leads

Primacy 4+

Amazon