Tests 66 · 11 tests Owners 78 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test (value)
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ecsta HS52 leads, 76–72 Narrow edge
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Tests 66 · 11 tests Owners 78 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test (value)
Tests 81 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 2,301 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 55 in 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview (dry braking)
“Mini review of the Kumho Ecsta HS52 I was running some Hankook's on my GT before and the tire wall not stiff enough. Now I've mounted these Kumho Ecsta HS52's and I highly recommend them: The tire wall is nicely rigid and they grip great in the dry, took quite some intent to make them loose traction. Additionally, I've accidentally ran over a pretty big sharp looking rock at decent speed that aimed right in a tread groove (thinnest part) and the thing shrugged it off no problem. And all of this for a damn good price too! So if anyone's looking for good tires, now you know.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 79 | 85 |
| Reviews found online | 85 | 76 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 98% | 100% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 98% | 100% |
| Source | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 73 | 84 |
| Reviews found online | 75 | 71 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 87% | 87% |
| Wet Braking - Concrete (% of best) | 90% | 94% |
| Wet Circle (% of best) | 87% | 91% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 92% | 97% |
| Source | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 59 | – |
| Reviews found online | 75 | 60 |
| Source | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 76 | 64 |
| Source | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 46 | 78 |
| Reviews found online | 73 | 66 |
| Source | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 82 | 75 |
| Category | Laufenn S Fit EQ+ | Kumho Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 76 |
| Dry | 82 | 82 |
| Wet | 74 | 79 |
| Comfort | 65 | 65 |
| Noise | 73 | 65 |
| Treadwear | 57 | 73 |
| Handling | 82 | 75 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
S Fit EQ+
Ecsta HS52
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.
| Discipline | Category | S Fit EQ+ | Ecsta HS52 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curved Aquaplaning | Curved | 81% #9/10 · 2021 Motor Summer Tyre Test | 82% #18/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −0.8 | Different tests |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% #14/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 100% #2/55 · 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview | −2.2 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #6/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 100% #3/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test | −1.4 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 88% #5/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 88% #16/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test | −0.1 | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 95% #40/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 93% #46/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | +1.6 | Same test |
| Abrasion | Other | 36% #46/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 44% #30/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | −7.9 | Same test |
| Noise | Other | 100% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 96% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | +3.2 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 67% #6/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 77% #5/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | −9.8 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 92% #2/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 98% #2/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −5.8 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 73% #7/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 77% #5/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −4.3 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 11% #9/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 17% #6/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −5.6 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 96% #9/10 · 2026 Auto Zeitung 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 94% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | +2.0 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #9/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 0% #7/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 87% #20/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 87% #5/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | +0.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking - Concrete | Wet | 90% #21/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 94% #10/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | −4.1 | Same test |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 87% #20/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 91% #15/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −4.2 | Same test |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 92% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 97% #14/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −4.6 | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
The Kumho Ecsta HS52 receives a polarized mix of reviews from the community, praised by many for its rigid sidewalls, strong dry grip, sharp steering responsiveness, and great value compared to premium alternatives. However, some users report disappointing wet weather performance, potential issues with aquaplaning resistance, and inconsistent test results across different sizes. Overall, it is viewed as a solid mid-range option, though experiences with wet traction and longevity vary significantly among drivers.
“What’s up with these tyres? Kumho ectsa hs52 date code 3923, tyres are (UK) legal regards tread but I can’t imagine this damage is normal. Both front tyres have this, looks like the tread is tearing apart in multiple places. I did not fit these tyres but it was mot’d 3 months ago and has done 2k miles since. I’ve owned the car 11 months but only noticed this very recently. I am getting them replaced on Monday with little use before then but I’m curious how this has happened. Is it just a shit brand? Wear is even across the face so I don’t think it would be the alignment or anything to do with the car and the damage is random across the contact patch. It’s a Peugeot 508 2l diesel so quite a bit of weight on the nose. Fitting Bridgestone Turanza 6. Rear tyres are good, but a different brand (horizon horace 2122 date)”
“I had the kumho ecsta hs52's on my previous car. I was very satisfied with them. Good grip in the dry and wet and very responsive. Kumho in general makes really good tires”
“Bad i have hs52 on my audi a3 8l quattro 1.8t i have no grip with rain.. Like cant corner fast it just goes straight... Dry its fine but wet forget it. My oncle has the same experience with kuhmo on his bmw 118 diesel he got some rims and they had pretty good threats kumho on it. He said all it wanted was to drift and spin out. He said a couple of times it did a 180 he said never again i said same don't trust my car with these tyres. Im gonna get some new rim 17" and Goodyear asymmetric 6. To replace my 16" stock rims with kumho... I have had bad tyres but never this bad. Like 1 ere prix were even better in my Mercedes even doh they became ovals.”
Based on 17 community posts
| Attribute | A · Laufenn S Fit EQ+ | B · Kumho Ecsta HS52 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Laufenn S Fit EQ+
Kumho Ecsta HS52
Winner: Kumho Ecsta HS52 — better treadwear and wet. Pick the Laufenn S Fit EQ+ if noise and handling matter most to you.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 73 vs 57 on treadwear.
Laufenn S Fit EQ+ scores 73 vs 65 on noise.
Laufenn S Fit EQ+ scores 82 vs 75 on handling.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 79 vs 74 on wet.
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Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.