82
/ 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 May 2026
Kumho Ecsta PS31 vs Sumitomo HTR Z III — 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
Sumitomo
Sumitomo HTR Z III
81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
84/100
42 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Kumho Ecsta PS31 and Sumitomo HTR Z III are within 2 points overall. Kumho Ecsta PS31 is stronger on snow. Sumitomo HTR Z III is stronger on dry and comfort.
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)
HTR Z III leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 85 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 87 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | 95 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 81 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | 82 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PS31 leads by 27
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 79 | 52 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 86 |
| SimpleTire owners | 89 | 91 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Ecsta PS31 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 89 | 87 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | 82 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta PS31 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 80 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PS31 | Sumitomo HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 82 | 81 |
| Dry | 86 | 92 |
| Wet | 81 | 81 |
| Snow | 79 | 52 |
| Comfort | 83 | 89 |
| Noise | 89 | 87 |
| Treadwear | 81 | 82 |
| Handling | 79 | 80 |
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
82
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
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 Sumitomo H/TR Z III is widely regarded as a high-value performance tire that offers a compelling balance of dry grip, comfort, and affordability. While it is frequently praised as a cost-effective alternative to premium brands for daily driving and spirited street use, some users note limitations in extreme wet-weather cornering and high-horsepower traction.
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry handling and steering feedback
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Predictable performance for daily driving
Cons
- Inconsistent wet-weather side grip during cornering
- Limited traction under heavy acceleration on high-horsepower vehicles
- Not suitable for winter or freezing conditions
- Variable tread life depending on driving style and vehicle weight
Observations
- High-horsepower RWD vehicles (e.g., 500whp Mustang) may experience significant wheel spin compared to premium performance tires.
- Users with staggered setups report good longevity, though the inability to rotate tires can accelerate wear on the rear axle.
- Owners of lighter, nimble vehicles like the Mini Cooper report high satisfaction with handling and wet-weather performance.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta PS31 | B · Sumitomo HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Ultra High Performance tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | 4 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 18″ | 19″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 460 A A | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 50 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
82
/ 100
Kumho
81
/ 100
Sumitomo
Too close to call: Kumho Ecsta PS31 and Sumitomo HTR Z III are within 2 points overall. Kumho Ecsta PS31 is stronger on snow. Sumitomo HTR Z III is stronger on dry and comfort.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 79 vs 52 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 92 vs 86 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 89 vs 83 on comfort.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire B · Sumitomo HTR Z III
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho Ecsta PS31 also compared with
Sumitomo HTR Z III 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.