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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 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 22 + 8,191 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS71 is ahead, 73–64

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Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,191 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. 65

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +10
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 66 (est.)78
    Reviews found online6372

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.4 = 65

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.7 = 75

    No road tests of dry for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 67

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +18
    85
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 68 (est.)92
    Reviews found online6675

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 65.8 = 67

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 91.8 + 40% × 74.6 = 85

    No road tests of wet for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 61

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 66 (est.)75
    Reviews found online5865

    Direzza DZ102: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 57.7 = 61

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 74.6 + 60% × 65.3 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    36
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–16
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 36

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 60

    Treadwear

    Direzza DZ102 +8
    52
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 63 (est.)46
    Reviews found online5660

    Direzza DZ102: 60% × 62.8 (est.) + 40% × 56.1 = 60

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 46 + 40% × 59.8 = 52

    No road tests of treadwear for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 61

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS71 +12
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online6173
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    48
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–48
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ102Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 64 73
Dry 65 75
Wet 67 85
Comfort 61 69
Noise – 36
Treadwear 60 52
Handling (owners) 61 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 DZ102

± 5

Ecsta PS71

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryDirezza DZ102Ecsta PS71ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/8 2015 Australian Motor 235/35 R19 Tyre Test #4/52 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Direzza DZ102

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong dry pavement grip and cornering stability
  • Surprisingly high levels of ride comfort for a performance tire

Cons

  • Rapid or inconsistent tread wear
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Increased road noise as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Direzza DZ102 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 DZ102

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

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

Community members generally view the Kumho Ecsta PS71 as a capable and reliable mid-range ultra-high performance tire offering solid grip and value for money compared to premium alternatives. While perceived as good once warmed up, some drivers note that it does not quite reach the ultimate grip level of top-tier brands and question its tread wear longevity.

z4-forum.com ·2023-01-29

“Steve; have a look at Kuhmo Ecsta PS71s. I just fitted a set on my new wheels for my 440i. Weapon of choice for the 'non tyre snob' IMHO. Much cheaper than the 'big' brands, heat up quickly and they also look really nice (for a black round tyre). Can't comment on noise, as the exhaust on mine is so noisy I can't hear the radio, let alone tyres!”
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?”
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.”
Top themes
#value for money#wet and dry grip#tire wear longevity#sporty handling performance#warm up temperature behavior#mid-range alternative comparison

Based on 23 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—133
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
UTQG460 A A—
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ102

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Dunlop Direzza DZ102 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 73 vs 61 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 60 vs 52 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Direzza DZ102 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ102 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ102 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ102 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 69 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ102 or Ecsta PS71?

Dunlop Direzza DZ102, 60 vs 52 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