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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Goodyear Eagle NCT5 vs Kumho Ecsta PS31 — 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.

Tire A Goodyear

Goodyear Eagle NCT5

Summer Premium Touring tires

Goodyear Eagle NCT5 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
67/100
91 owner reviews
Dry
75
Wet
61
Snow
–
Comfort
69
Noise
–
Treadwear
78
Handling
61

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Kumho

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Kumho Ecsta PS31 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
258 owner reviews
Dry
86
Wet
81
Snow
79
Comfort
83
Noise
89
Treadwear
81
Handling
79

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better wet, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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 PS31 leads by 11
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
75
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
86
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
Tire Rack owners – 85
Tyre Reviews owners 75 83
SimpleTire owners – 93

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Ecsta PS31 leads by 20
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
61
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
81
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
Tire Rack owners – 81
Tyre Reviews owners 61 78
SimpleTire owners – 87

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
–
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
79
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
SimpleTire owners – 79

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ecsta PS31 leads by 14
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
69
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
83
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
Tire Rack owners – 84
Tyre Reviews owners 69 78
SimpleTire owners – 89

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
–
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
89
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
SimpleTire owners – 89

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Ecsta PS31 leads by 3
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
78
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
81
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
Tire Rack owners – 82
Tyre Reviews owners 78 75
SimpleTire owners – 88

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Ecsta PS31 leads by 18
A — Goodyear Eagle NCT5
61
B — Kumho Ecsta PS31
79
Why this score
SourceEagle NCT5Ecsta PS31
Tyre Reviews owners 61 79

Scores at a glance

Goodyear Eagle NCT5 vs Kumho Ecsta PS31: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryGoodyear Eagle NCT5Kumho Ecsta PS31
Relative Score 69 82
Dry 75 86
Wet 61 81
Snow – 79
Comfort 69 83
Noise – 89
Treadwear 78 81
Handling 61 79

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

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.

Tire A Goodyear Eagle NCT5

The Goodyear Eagle NCT5 is a polarizing tire that is widely recognized for its exceptional tread longevity and durability, often serving as a long-lasting OEM choice. However, user consensus is heavily divided regarding its performance, with many drivers reporting unpredictable wet-weather grip, high road noise, and a harsh ride quality that detracts from the overall driving experience.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and high mileage durability
  • Strong resistance to punctures and road hazards
  • Reliable performance in dry conditions for touring purposes
  • Good value for money regarding cost-per-mile

Cons

  • Unpredictable and often poor wet-weather traction
  • High levels of road noise
  • Harsh ride comfort, particularly in Run-Flat variants
  • Lack of steering feedback and progressive handling

Observations

  • BMW owners frequently reported that the Run-Flat versions of this tire contributed to a stiff, uncomfortable ride and increased road noise.
  • Users of compact vehicles (e.g., Perodua Myvi) generally found the tire suitable for daily commuting, whereas owners of performance-oriented sedans often criticized the lack of grip and handling precision.
  • Heavy vehicles and those used for towing noted that the tire maintained its structural integrity well, though wet-weather performance remained a common point of failure.
Tire B Kumho Ecsta PS31

The Kumho Ecsta PS31 is widely regarded as a high-value, budget-friendly performance tire that excels in daily driving comfort and quietness. While it offers impressive dry grip and reliable wet weather performance for most drivers, enthusiasts often note that its soft sidewalls result in less steering precision and reduced feedback during aggressive cornering compared to premium ultra-high-performance alternatives.

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
  • Strong dry traction for daily and spirited street driving
  • Predictable and capable wet weather performance for most conditions

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls lead to vague steering response and 'squirm' during aggressive maneuvers
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance reported by some users, particularly in deep standing water
  • Tread life can be shorter than expected for some driving styles
  • Increased noise levels as the tire wears down

Observations

  • Users with smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Mazda Miata, Honda Civic) often praise the comfort and value, while those with heavier or more powerful vehicles report more pronounced sidewall flex and handling vagueness.
  • Drivers running low-profile sizes on rough roads report a higher susceptibility to sidewall bubbles and damage from potholes, suggesting a need for road hazard coverage.
  • The tire is frequently noted as a significant upgrade in comfort and noise reduction when replacing OEM run-flat tires.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Eagle NCT5 B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresSummer Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—4
Rim diameters—17″ – 18″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—460 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear

Kumho

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better wet, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 81 vs 61 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 79 vs 61 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 83 vs 69 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 86 vs 75 on dry.

Tire A · Goodyear Eagle NCT5
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS31

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.