83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
86/100
15 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — 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
94
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
94/100
1,941 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 93 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 97 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 47 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | 90 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 68 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 84 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 62 |
| SimpleTire owners | 92 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 92 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 80 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 78 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ leads by 36
Why this score
| Source | Ecsta STX KL12 | Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 78 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 | Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 94 |
| Dry | 91 | 96 |
| Wet | 81 | 94 |
| Snow | 87 | – |
| Comfort | 89 | 94 |
| Noise | 92 | 92 |
| Treadwear | 83 | 91 |
| Handling | 60 | 96 |
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
94
/ 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 STX KL12 is widely regarded as a high-value tire that offers impressive longevity and reliable grip for the price point. While most users report high satisfaction with its performance and durability, a minority of drivers have experienced issues with traction, particularly on specific luxury SUV platforms.
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- High tread life and durability
- Strong wet weather grip and cornering stability
- Deep initial tread depth
Cons
- Potential for increased road noise over time
- Inconsistent traction performance on certain vehicle chassis
- Accelerated wear on poor road surfaces
Observations
- Users driving the BMW X3 reported significant traction issues, suggesting the tire may not be well-suited for the handling characteristics of certain performance-oriented SUVs.
- Drivers report high mileage longevity, with some users claiming up to 75,000 miles of service.
The Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3+ is widely regarded as a high-performance all-season tire that excels in wet and dry handling, often serving as a superior replacement for harsh OEM run-flat tires. While users consistently praise its confidence-inspiring grip and versatility across varying temperatures, opinions are polarized regarding its tread longevity and noise levels as the tire ages.
Pros
- Exceptional wet weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
- Significant improvement in ride comfort compared to OEM run-flat tires
- Predictable and stable handling characteristics in dry conditions
- Strong performance versatility across a wide range of ambient temperatures
Cons
- Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature wear
- Increased road noise reported by some users, particularly as the tire wears
- Higher rolling resistance compared to standard tires, impacting fuel/range efficiency
- Stiff sidewall construction can lead to a harsher ride on poor road surfaces
Observations
- Tesla owners frequently report a noticeable decrease in range (10-20%) due to the tire's rolling resistance.
- Drivers of performance vehicles (e.g., Corvette, BMW M-series) appreciate the balance of grip and daily usability, though some note a loss of sharpness compared to dedicated summer tires.
Community buzz
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Kumho Ecsta STX KL12
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
The community generally views the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ as a high-performing all-season tire that delivers exceptional dry and wet grip, great cornering stability, and low noise compared to stock options. Most users praise them as an ideal compromise for daily drivers who want warm-weather performance without swapping to dedicated summer tires, though some users note they struggle in heavy winter snow compared to competitors like Continental.
r/AMG
·8 upvotes ·2018-07-26
“new tires = BIG difference in traction (pilot sport a/s 3+)”
r/GolfGTI
·4 upvotes ·2020-02-14
“Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Tires just installed Just got the tires on this morning with an alignment and proper balancing. Holy cow, night and day difference from the original Bridgestones on the car. Car handles so much better. It honestly makes me feel like I just bought a new car. If you have any questions or are considering getting them, feel free to ask!”
r/GolfGTI
·4 upvotes ·2019-01-29
“I have had the Michelin Pilot sport A/S3+ for my last two sets of tires, and I had the hydro-edge before that on my old Toyota. So much grip around corners and good rain performance.”
r/Audi
·3 upvotes ·2026-07-09
“Are you talking about the all seasons or the summer tires? The summer tires are a terrible choice and you will likely go off the road at some point. Summer tires get hard as a rock in cold temps since they are not meant to be used in winter. If you're talking about the all seasons, I had Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on my 2016 S6 and they were just terrible in snow. So bad that I replaced them after only ~10k miles and put on some Conti Extreme Contact DWS, which were far superior in bad weather. If you want a true all season that can be useful in winter, I'd go with the Contis. But if you are going to be driving in bad weather regularly, get dedicated snows. All seasons are passable here and there but not confidence inspiring.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry traction#Winter and snow performance#Daily driving compromise#Handling and cornering grip#Comparison with summer tires#Ride comfort and noise
Based on 15 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer High Performance tires | Ultra High Performance All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 7 | — |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 11.5/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 420 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Kumho
94
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 96 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 94 vs 81 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 91 vs 83 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 96 vs 91 on dry.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta STX KL12
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ 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.