81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
68/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
91/100
108 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Kumho Ecsta PA51 vs Kumho Solus Vier KH21 — Compared (September 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
71
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
72/100
5 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better treadwear and handling. Pick the Kumho Solus Vier KH21 if comfort and dry matter 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)
Solus Vier KH21 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 69 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 83 |
| SimpleTire owners | 98 | – |
| America's Tire owners | 94 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PA51 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 85 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | 85 |
| SimpleTire owners | 98 | – |
| America's Tire owners | 89 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 63 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | – |
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Solus Vier KH21 leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 23 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 60 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | – |
| America's Tire owners | 92 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 96 | – |
| America's Tire owners | 89 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PA51 leads by 37
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 79 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 53 |
| SimpleTire owners | 94 | – |
| America's Tire owners | 90 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PA51 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PA51 | Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 78 |
| America's Tire owners | 92 | – |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PA51 | Kumho Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 71 |
| Dry | 79 | 83 |
| Wet | 86 | 85 |
| Snow | 76 | – |
| Comfort | 50 | 60 |
| Noise | 90 | – |
| Treadwear | 90 | 53 |
| Handling | 91 | 78 |
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
81
/ 100
Tire A
71
/ 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 Kumho Ecsta PA51 is widely regarded as a high-value, ultra-high-performance all-season tire that delivers impressive dry grip and ride comfort at a competitive price point. While the vast majority of users report satisfaction with its handling and noise levels, a small minority of drivers find its wet-weather performance and noise characteristics lacking compared to premium-tier alternatives.
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry pavement traction and cornering grip
- Quiet and smooth ride quality
- Attractive sidewall aesthetics
- Consistent, even tread wear over long-term use
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in heavy rain or standing water
- Some reports of increased road noise over time
- Limited availability in certain niche sizes
- Occasional traction loss under hard acceleration
Observations
- Users with performance-oriented sedans (e.g., Acura TL, Infiniti G35x) report that the tire effectively manages power delivery and provides a significant upgrade over worn OEM tires.
- Owners of daily drivers and SUVs frequently praise the tire's longevity and comfort, noting it performs well for suburban and highway commuting.
- Some users noted that while the tire is excellent for general use, it may not meet the extreme performance expectations of high-horsepower sports cars compared to top-tier dedicated performance tires.
The Kumho Solus Vier KH21 is perceived as a budget-friendly all-season option that provides adequate performance when new, particularly for drivers needing legal compliance with European winter regulations. However, user consensus highlights significant longevity issues, noting that performance, noise levels, and structural integrity degrade noticeably as the tread wears.
Pros
- Cost-effective pricing compared to premium alternatives
- Certified for winter use with the mountain and snowflake symbol
- Reliable grip and handling characteristics when tires are new
- Satisfactory performance in varied weather conditions for the price point
Cons
- Rapid and uneven tread wear, particularly on front axles
- Increased road noise and reduced comfort as the rubber compound hardens over time
- Susceptibility to balancing issues and structural deformation
- High sensitivity to ambient temperature and pressure fluctuations
Observations
- Users operating estate-style vehicles, such as the VW Passat, reported significant uneven wear patterns and balancing issues.
- Long-term owners noted that the tire's performance characteristics shift negatively after approximately two years of use.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta PA51 | B · Kumho Solus Vier KH21 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season Ultra High Performance tires | All Season Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 13 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10.5/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 500 A A | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 45,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
81
/ 100
Kumho
71
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better treadwear and handling. Pick the Kumho Solus Vier KH21 if comfort and dry matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 90 vs 53 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 91 vs 78 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho Solus Vier KH21 scores 60 vs 50 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Solus Vier KH21 scores 83 vs 79 on dry.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PA51
Tire B · Kumho Solus Vier KH21
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho Ecsta PA51 also compared with
Kumho Solus Vier KH21 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.