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Dunlop Direzza DZ03 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 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 7 + 8,175 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS71 leads, 73–69 Narrow edge

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Dunlop Direzza DZ03
Tire ADunlop

Direzza DZ03

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 7 reviews

Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,175 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. 73

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 71 (est.)78
    Reviews found online7672

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 73

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

    No road tests of dry for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +17
    85
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 68 (est.)92
    Reviews found online6775

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68

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

    No road tests of wet for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 58

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +12
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 66 (est.)75
    Reviews found online5266

    Direzza DZ03: 40% × 66 (est.) + 60% × 51.9 = 58

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

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ03. 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
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta 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

    Direzza DZ03 +13
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 65 (est.)45
    Reviews found online6261

    Direzza DZ03: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 45.1 + 40% × 60.6 = 51

    No road tests of treadwear for Direzza DZ03. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Direzza DZ03 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online7473
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    48
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ03Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–48
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ03Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 69 73
Dry 73 75
Wet 68 85
Comfort 58 70
Noise – 36
Treadwear 64 51
Handling (owners) 74 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

Direzza DZ03

± 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 Direzza DZ03

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and cornering confidence
  • Significant lap time improvements compared to entry-level semi-slicks
  • High durability and consistent performance under intense heat cycles

Cons

  • Extremely high road noise, often compared to failing wheel bearings
  • Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
  • Poor performance in standing water with high risk of aquaplaning
All owner themes in the Direzza DZ03 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

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

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.

bimmerforums.co.uk ·1 upvote ·2024-05-05

“On Blackcircles all the 245/40 R19 ditch finders cost around £100 and have a poor wet grip & all the decent mid range cost around £170 and have A rated wet grip. Would you risk it for £240? I know I wouldn't. The cheapest A wet rated is a Kuhmo Ecsta PS71 at £136 if you really want to keep the cost down. If you want a relatively soft comfortable tyre then a Hankook S1 Evo 3 is an excellent choice.”
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.”
r/TeslaUK ·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28

“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
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 · Dunlop Direzza DZ03 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—133
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Narrow edge: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet and comfort. Pick the Dunlop Direzza DZ03 if treadwear matters most to you. Dunlop Direzza DZ03 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Direzza DZ03 scores 64 vs 51 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 70 vs 58 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ03
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Direzza DZ03 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ03 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ03 or Ecsta PS71?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 75 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ03 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 70 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ03 or Ecsta PS71?

Dunlop Direzza DZ03, 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