Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Too close to call: Ecsta PS71 SUV and Ecsta Sport PS72 are level at 82.

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Tests 78 · 2 tests Owners 92 · 162 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test (curved aquaplaning)

Tests 85 · 8 tests Owners 94 · 542 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 4 in 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test (noise)

“Kumho ecsta sport S. Huge improvement Just finished off the stock Michelin Pilot sport 4 street tires. They were so darn loud. I had my track tires on and they were significantly quieter than the PS4 tires. So I decided to switch to the Kumho Ecsta Sport S (PS72) in a 225/40/18 Immediately noticed a slightly more compliant ride (taller sidewall is the cause?) and much quieter even on crosshatch concrete. They’re relatively cheap at $160 per tire. Treadwear is much lower at 240 so I’ll see how long they last.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 88

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 SUV +3
    85
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)8882
    Reviews found online–91
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%92%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%99%
  2. 91

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 SUV +4
    87
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)9186
    Reviews found online–88
    Wet Braking (% of best)96%92%
    Wet Circle (% of best)97%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)99%98%
  3. –

    Comfort

    No comparison
    79
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online–75
  4. 60

    Noise

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +9
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score)6069
  5. –

    Treadwear

    No comparison
    85
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72
    Reviews found online–85
  6. –

    Handling

    No comparison
    87
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72
    Reviews found online–87
Scores at a glance
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS71 SUVKumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Relative Score 82 82
Dry 88 85
Wet 91 87
Comfort – 79
Noise 60 69
Treadwear – 85
Handling – 87

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Neutral
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Important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta PS71 SUV

Ecsta Sport PS72

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta PS71 SUVEcsta Sport PS72ΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 99% #2/11 · 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test 82% #9/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +16.9 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 96% #6/11 · 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test 92% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +3.3 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #7/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 99% #5/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test −0.7 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 77% #7/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 79% #6/9 · 2026 Motor Summer Tyre Test −1.3 Different tests
Grass Traction Grass 82% #9/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 69% #6/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +12.8 Different tests
Gravel Handling Gravel 98% #6/11 · 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test 99% #3/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test −1.3 Different tests
Gravel Traction Gravel 95% #5/11 · 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test 94% #3/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +0.3 Different tests
Noise Other 94% #11/11 · 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test 100% #1/4 · 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test −5.8 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 17% #6/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 20% #5/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test −3.3 Different tests
Sand Traction Sand 89% #3/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 93% #4/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test −4.3 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 97% #7/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 95% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +2.4 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 96% #5/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 92% #7/9 · 2026 Summer SUV Tyre Test +3.2 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 97% #6/11 · 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test 98% #8/9 · 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test −0.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #5/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 98% #4/9 · 2026 Motor Summer Tyre Test +1.2 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ecsta PS71 SUV

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry grip
  • Great value for money compared to premium brands
  • Low road noise and quiet highway ride

Cons

  • A few users reported higher-than-expected road noise
  • Occasional complaints about faster-than-desired tread wear on heavy SUVs
  • Slight tendency to wander in very cold temperatures
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS71 SUV review

Tire B Ecsta Sport PS72

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry grip with short braking distances
  • High value for money compared to Tier-1 premium brands
  • Stable, predictable handling and confident cornering

Cons

  • Reported instances of out-of-round tires causing high-speed steering vibrations
  • Occasional complaints about increased road noise on certain rough surfaces
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some users during aggressive, spirited driving
All owner themes in the Ecsta Sport PS72 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

Positive

Community opinion on the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 (and its 'Sport S' variant) is overwhelmingly positive, with many users praising its exceptional value, low noise levels, and impressive dry and wet grip that rivals premium tier brands like Michelin. While a few note potential drawbacks such as a lack of rim protection or varied longevity expectations, the general consensus is that these tires punch significantly above their weight class for the price.

r/TyreReviews ·73 upvotes ·2026-04-04

“New summer tires A while ago, I made a post during my search for a new set of summer tires. In the end, I chose the Kumho PS72 Ecsta Sport S. My previous tires included the Michelin PS4S, Bridgestone Turanza T005, Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3, and Toyo Proxes Sport 2. With the Michelins being my favorite in terms of driving feel. By now, I’ve driven around 1,000 km on the Kumhos, and I’m pleasantly surprised. They offer excellent grip on dry roads and in corners, and they still perform well in wet conditions. My car has over 300 hp and AWD, so grip is definitely important. I can highly recommend these tires, especially considering the price. In terms of feel and performance, they don’t seem to fall short of the Michelin PS4S I had before, yet they cost me about half as much.”

r/TyreReviews ·57 upvotes ·2025-06-21

“Thoroughly delighted with the new Kumho Ecsta Sport S (PS72) 500 miles ago I swapped out my “winter” (Pirelli WeatherActives) set for these Kumhos and I have been extremely satisfied with performance, cornering, and especially ride comfort and quietness. Mind you, this is the Ecsta Sport S, which is above the Ecsta Sport A/S and Sport in terms of sportiness. The price was also a delight, at just a hair above US$1,000 including labor. Car is a 2013 Audi Q5 with the supercharged 3.0 V6 running 20x9 Porsche Macan wheels. Read more”

r/TyreReviews ·38 upvotes ·2026-05-31

“Kumho Sport PS72 (225/40/18) Absolutely in love with these tyres so far! I’ve currently only done about 150 miles in the warm UK weather, the dry grip is unbelievable & it feels so responsive. I moved from Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6’s to these, so you’d probably consider it a ‘downgrade’ however from what I’ve felt so far it feels great, we’re getting heavy rain over the next 5/6 days so I’ll be able to test the wet grip & braking so I’ll report back for that. One massive downside… the severe lack of Rim protection (as seen in the photos) if you regularly parking near kerbs or you’re a woman this is not ideal.”

Top themes
#Dry and wet grip#Price and value#Ride comfort and noise#Comparison to Michelin#Handling and steering feel#Treadwear and longevity

Based on 29 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV B · Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4—
Sizes available—37
Rim diameters—17″ – 21″
Tread depth—9.4/32″
UTQG—320 A A
Treadwear warranty—30,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

Too close to call: Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV and Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 are within 2 points overall. Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV is stronger on wet and dry. Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 is stronger on noise.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 69 vs 60 on noise.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV scores 91 vs 87 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV scores 88 vs 85 on dry.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

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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 found online. 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.

82

Too close to call

Ecsta PS71 SUV

Amazon