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Head-to-head Updated

Continental 4x4 Contact vs Kumho Ecsta KU19 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 43 + 8 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta KU19 is ahead, 74–46

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Kumho Ecsta KU19
Tire BKumho

Ecsta KU19

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 8 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 49

    Dry

    Ecsta KU19 +24
    73
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 56 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online3975

    4x4 Contact: 60% × 55.8 (est.) + 40% × 38.5 = 49

    Ecsta KU19: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 75.4 = 73

    No road tests of dry for 4x4 Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for Ecsta KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 52

    Wet

    Ecsta KU19 +24
    76
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 57 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online4578

    4x4 Contact: 60% × 56.7 (est.) + 40% × 45 = 52

    Ecsta KU19: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 78 = 76

    No road tests of wet for 4x4 Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Ecsta KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 55

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)–
    Reviews found online45–

    4x4 Contact: 60% × 62.3 (est.) + 40% × 44.6 = 55

    No road tests of snow for 4x4 Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 49

    Comfort

    Ecsta KU19 +25
    74
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online3977

    4x4 Contact: 40% × 62.7 (est.) + 60% × 39.2 = 49

    Ecsta KU19: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76.5 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for 4x4 Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Ecsta KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 57

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online44–

    4x4 Contact: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 44 = 57

    No road tests of noise for 4x4 Contact. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 36

    Treadwear

    Ecsta KU19 +33
    69
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 49 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online1771

    4x4 Contact: 60% × 48.6 (est.) + 40% × 16.9 = 36

    Ecsta KU19: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for 4x4 Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 29

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta KU19 +49
    78
    Why this score
    Source4x4 ContactEcsta KU19
    Reviews found online2978
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental 4x4 ContactKumho Ecsta KU19
Relative Score 46 74
Dry 49 73
Wet 52 76
Snow 55 –
Comfort 49 74
Noise 57 –
Treadwear 36 69
Handling (owners) 29 78

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

4x4 Contact

± 8

Ecsta KU19

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 4x4 Contact

Pros

  • Good traction and grip on both dry and wet roads
  • Low road noise and a smooth, comfortable ride quality
  • Competent handling for light on-road and mild seasonal driving

Cons

  • Extremely rapid and disappointing tread wear for a premium tire
  • Poor performance and grip in deep snow, ice, and muddy off-road conditions
  • High price point relative to the short lifespan and fuel economy provided
All owner themes in the 4x4 Contact review

Tire B Ecsta KU19

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry grip performance
  • Superior noise suppression at highway speeds
  • High value-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands

Cons

  • Softer sidewall construction may not suit all driving styles
  • Limited long-term tread life data available from current user reports
  • Potential for inconsistent handling feel if mixed with stiffer-sidewall tires on the same axle
All owner themes in the Ecsta KU19 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental 4x4 Contact B · Kumho Ecsta KU19
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available231
Rim diameters15″ – 20″18″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
UTQG360 - 420 A A—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental 4x4 Contact

Kumho Ecsta KU19

Winner: Kumho Ecsta KU19 — better handling, treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho Ecsta KU19 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 78 vs 29 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 69 vs 36 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 74 vs 49 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 73 vs 49 on dry.

Tire A · Continental 4x4 Contact
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta KU19
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4x4 Contact or Ecsta KU19?

Which is better in the wet, 4x4 Contact or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 76 vs 52 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, 4x4 Contact or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 73 vs 49 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, 4x4 Contact or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 74 vs 49 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, 4x4 Contact or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 69 vs 36 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology