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Head-to-head Updated

Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — 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 + 14 road tests and 40 + 8,168 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: ContiMaxContact MC6 72, Ecsta PS71 73.

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Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,168 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Level
    75
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 72 (est.)78
    Reviews found online7872

    ContiMaxContact MC6: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 78.4 = 75

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 72.2 = 75

    No road tests of dry for ContiMaxContact MC6. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 73

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +12
    85
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 73 (est.)92
    Reviews found online7475

    ContiMaxContact MC6: 60% × 72.6 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 73

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 92.5 + 40% × 74.8 = 85

    No road tests of wet for ContiMaxContact MC6. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 70

    Comfort

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 69 (est.)75
    Reviews found online7166

    ContiMaxContact MC6: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 71 = 70

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 75.3 + 60% × 65.8 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for ContiMaxContact MC6. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    36
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–15
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 36

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 64

    Treadwear

    ContiMaxContact MC6 +13
    51
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 65 (est.)45
    Reviews found online6361

    ContiMaxContact MC6: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 62.8 = 64

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 45.1 + 40% × 60.7 = 51

    No road tests of treadwear for ContiMaxContact MC6. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 79

    Handling (owners)

    ContiMaxContact MC6 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online7973
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    48
    Why this score
    SourceContiMaxContact MC6Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–48
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ContiMaxContact MC6Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 72 73
Dry 75 75
Wet 73 85
Comfort 70 70
Noise – 36
Treadwear 64 51
Handling (owners) 79 73
Efficiency – 48

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
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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

ContiMaxContact MC6

± 5

Ecsta PS71

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 ContiMaxContact MC6

Pros

  • Excellent dry and wet traction with high cornering confidence
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
  • Direct and responsive steering feedback

Cons

  • Mixed reports on tread life, with some users experiencing premature wear
  • Soft sidewalls susceptible to damage from curb impacts
  • Inconsistent noise levels, with some users finding them loud on rough tarmac
All owner themes in the ContiMaxContact MC6 review

Tire B Ecsta PS71

Pros

  • Outstanding wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
  • High value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Predictable handling and solid cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise or droning at motorway speeds on certain vehicles
  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or out-of-round/egg-shaped tires
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly vague steering response around center or tread block movement
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS71 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Continental ContiMaxContact MC6

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

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Kumho Ecsta PS71 is generally positive, with drivers viewing it as an affordable, high-value mid-range/UHP tire that performs reliably compared to premium brands. Users praise its wet grip rating, competitive pricing, and overall road manners once warmed up, though some note it provides adequate rather than top-tier grip and raise questions regarding cold performance and tread life.

r/tires ·5 upvotes ·2022-10-17

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
r/TeslaUK ·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28

“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
r/TyreReviews ·1 upvote ·2026-06-17

“Kumho PS71 Question Replaced an older (2021 or 2022 production) set of ps71 with a new set (production 39-42 week of 2024) and noticed something on the new sidewalls I hadn't seen on the old ones. The new ones have ps71 with either a 1 or a 2 under it right above the bead in very small text. I'm curious what they mean if anything at all.”
Top themes
#Value for money#Wet grip performance#UHP budget alternative#Tread wear durability#Warm-up temperature behavior#Tire pressure specifications

Based on 24 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3133
Rim diameters19″ – 21″16″ – 22″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Sizes in common33

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC6

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Too close to call: Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 and Kumho Ecsta PS71 are within 2 points overall. Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 is stronger on treadwear and handling. Kumho Ecsta PS71 is stronger on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 scores 64 vs 51 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 scores 79 vs 73 on handling.

Tire A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC6
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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ContiMaxContact MC6 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, ContiMaxContact MC6 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ContiMaxContact MC6 or Ecsta PS71?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 75 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, ContiMaxContact MC6 or Ecsta PS71?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 70 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, ContiMaxContact MC6 or Ecsta PS71?

Continental ContiMaxContact MC6, 64 vs 51 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