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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport 01 vs Kumho Ecsta PS31 — 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 897 + 259 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS31 is ahead, 65–55

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Dunlop SP Sport 01
Tire ADunlop

SP Sport 01

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 48 · 897 reviews

Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS31

Summer

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 259 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 57

    Dry

    Ecsta PS31 +6
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5160

    SP Sport 01: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.2 = 57

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.7 = 63

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport 01. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 55

    Wet

    Ecsta PS31 +14
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5068

    SP Sport 01: 60% × 59.2 (est.) + 40% × 49.7 = 55

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 67.7 = 69

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport 01. 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 PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 49

    Snow

    Ecsta PS31 +9
    58
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online3549

    SP Sport 01: 60% × 59.1 (est.) + 40% × 34.5 = 49

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 49.1 = 58

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport 01. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 54

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS31 +11
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4764

    SP Sport 01: 40% × 64.2 (est.) + 60% × 46.6 = 54

    Ecsta PS31: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.8 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport 01. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

    No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

  5. 61

    Noise

    Ecsta PS31 +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5266

    SP Sport 01: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 61

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 66 = 66

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Ecsta PS31 +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5165

    SP Sport 01: 60% × 60.9 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 57

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport 01. 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 PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 53

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS31 +15
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 01Ecsta PS31
    Reviews found online5368
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport 01Kumho Ecsta PS31
Relative Score 55 65
Dry 57 63
Wet 55 69
Snow 49 58
Comfort 54 65
Noise 61 66
Treadwear 57 65
Handling (owners) 53 68

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

SP Sport 01

± 7

Ecsta PS31

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Sport 01

Pros

  • Precise steering response and sharp turn-in
  • Good dry grip and cornering stability
  • Comfortable and relatively quiet ride when new

Cons

  • Noticeable increase in road noise and droning as the tire wears
  • Deteriorating wet weather traction and reduced grip once tread wears below 4mm
  • Rapid or uneven tread wear reported by some heavier vehicle owners
All owner themes in the SP Sport 01 review

Tire B Ecsta PS31

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
  • Strong dry traction for daily and spirited street driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls lead to vague steering response and 'squirm' during aggressive maneuvers
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance reported by some users, particularly in deep standing water
  • Tread life can be shorter than expected for some driving styles
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS31 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport 01 B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available221
Rim diameters17″ – 18″15″ – 18″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG280 A A460 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport 01

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 68 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 69 vs 55 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 65 vs 54 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 58 vs 49 on snow.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 01
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
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SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 69 vs 55 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 63 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 58 vs 49 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 66 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 65 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport 01 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 65 vs 57 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