83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
258 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Kumho Ecsta PS31 vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — 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
79
/ 100
Objective (60%)
84/100
13 professional tests
User signal (40%)
77/100
84 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Kumho Ecsta PS71 if noise matters most to you.
Read full
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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)
Ecsta PS31 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 79 |
| Tire Rack owners | 85 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 85 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PS71 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 85 |
| Tire Rack owners | 81 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 79 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PS31 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 74 |
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 73 |
| SimpleTire owners | 89 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PS71 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 92 |
| SimpleTire owners | 89 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PS31 leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 71 |
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 79 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 82 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PS31 | Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 79 |
| Dry | 86 | 81 |
| Wet | 81 | 83 |
| Snow | 79 | – |
| Comfort | 83 | 74 |
| Noise | 89 | 92 |
| Treadwear | 81 | 71 |
| Handling | 79 | 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
83
/ 100
Tire A
79
/ 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 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.
The Kumho Ecsta PS71 is widely regarded as a high-value, mid-range performance tire that offers impressive wet and dry grip, often rivaling more expensive premium brands. While most users praise its handling and affordability, a subset of owners reports significant issues with road noise, inconsistent manufacturing quality, and occasional balancing difficulties.
Pros
- Excellent wet and dry traction
- High value-for-money proposition
- Predictable handling and cornering feedback
- Strong aquaplaning resistance
Cons
- Reports of road noise and droning at highway speeds
- Inconsistent manufacturing quality (balancing issues and 'egg-shaped' tires)
- Soft sidewall construction leading to a 'floaty' or unstable feel for some drivers
- Variable tread life depending on vehicle type and driving style
Observations
- Users with high-torque RWD vehicles (e.g., BMW, Jaguar) generally report high satisfaction with grip levels, though some note faster rear-tire wear.
- Owners of smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., MX-5) occasionally report a 'floaty' sensation due to tread block movement, which can be unsettling during spirited driving.
- Some users on larger rim sizes (19-20 inch) report increased road noise and sensitivity to road imperfections.
Community buzz
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Kumho Ecsta PS31
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Community discussions regarding the Kumho Ecsta PS71 generally present it as a solid, budget-friendly ultra-high-performance (UHP) summer tire offering good value, though opinions on its limits vary. Some users praise its handling transformations and decent wet/dry grip for spirited driving, while others note it feels merely adequate or mediocre until warmed up, preferring premium alternatives when budget permits.
r/tires
·5 upvotes ·2022-10-17
“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
r/TyreReviews
·3 upvotes ·2026-03-08
“Between those I'd go with the Premiumcontact 7 or the ZE320 if you want to save some money. The continental seems to be serious competition for premium UHP tyres, afaik it gets similar results to the PS5 in tests. I wouldn't touch any of the sporty tyres mentioned, except for the PS71 which I still wouldn't take over the Continental.”
r/TyreReviews
·2 upvotes ·2024-10-25
“I've had the PS71 several years ago - it was ok, nothing spectacular. They might have changed the compound now, so it may be better. Its a good tire, I don't remember any real weaknesses, it just never felt like "yeah, this sticks like glue to the road". Edit: I just remembered - it was mediocre in the city - when the tire was not warmed up, but I reckon this is shared between most sport tires with high speed rating. Once warmed up was good.”
r/TeslaUK
·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28
“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Value for money#Tire wear and longevity#UHP performance characteristics#Comparison with premium brands#Sidewall width and markings#Tire pressure management
Based on 19 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta PS31 | B · Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Ultra High Performance tires | Summer Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 4 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 18″ | 16″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 460 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Kumho
79
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Kumho Ecsta PS71 if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 81 vs 71 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 83 vs 74 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 86 vs 81 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 92 vs 89 on noise.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho Ecsta PS31 also compared with
Kumho Ecsta PS71 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.