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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical vs Kumho Ecsta PA31 — 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
Tire B Kumho

Kumho Ecsta PA31

All Season Ultra High Performance tires

Kumho Ecsta PA31 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
86/100
21 owner reviews
Dry
92
Wet
90
Snow
79
Comfort
88
Noise
91
Treadwear
86
Handling
60
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Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Kumho Ecsta PA31 — better noise, snow and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ecsta PA31 leads by 19
A
73
B
92
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
Tire Rack owners 72 80
Tyre Reviews owners – 73
SimpleTire owners – 96

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Ecsta PA31 leads by 31
A
59
B
90
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
Tire Rack owners 58 79
Tyre Reviews owners – 63
SimpleTire owners – 95

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ecsta PA31 leads by 40
A
39
B
79
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
Tire Rack owners 39 65
SimpleTire owners – 82

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ecsta PA31 leads by 36
A
52
B
88
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
Tire Rack owners 53 76
Tyre Reviews owners – 63
SimpleTire owners – 92

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ecsta PA31 leads by 44
A
47
B
91
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
SimpleTire owners – 92

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Ecsta PA31 leads by 38
A
48
B
86
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
Tire Rack owners 51 68
Tyre Reviews owners – 50
SimpleTire owners – 93

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical leads by 13
A
73
B
60
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalEcsta PA31
Tyre Reviews owners – 60

Scores at a glance

CategoryDunlop SP Sport 5000 SymmetricalKumho Ecsta PA31
Relative Score 55 84
Dry 73 92
Wet 59 90
Snow 39 79
Comfort 52 88
Noise 47 91
Treadwear 48 86
Handling 73 60

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

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 5000 Symmetrical

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Kumho Ecsta PA31

The Kumho Ecsta PA31 is widely regarded as a high-value, budget-friendly tire that delivers impressive dry and wet weather handling for daily driving. While most users praise its stability and comfort, some report issues with temporary flat-spotting after the vehicle has been parked for extended periods.

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong wet and dry traction
  • Responsive handling and cornering stability
  • Comfortable and quiet ride quality

Cons

  • Tendency to develop temporary flat spots after sitting
  • Occasional reports of sidewall durability issues
  • Not intended for high-performance track use

Observations

  • Users reported successful application on diverse platforms ranging from vintage compacts like the Corolla FX16 to larger sedans like the BMW 528i.
  • The tire was noted as a viable, cost-effective option for the rear fitment of heavy motorcycles like the Honda Gold Wing GL1800.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical B · Kumho Ecsta PA31
Category—All Season Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—7
Rim diameters—15″ – 18″
Tread depth—11/32″
UTQG—500 A A
Treadwear warranty—50,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Kumho

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA31 — better noise, snow and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical if handling matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Kumho Ecsta PA31 scores 91 vs 47 on noise.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Kumho Ecsta PA31 scores 79 vs 39 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta PA31 scores 86 vs 48 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PA31 scores 88 vs 52 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA31
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.