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Dunlop SP Sport 2050 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport 2050 vs Kumho Ecsta KU31 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 4 + 165 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta KU31 is ahead, 67–52

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Dunlop SP Sport 2050
Tire ADunlop

SP Sport 2050

Summer Premium Touring tires

Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 44 · 4 reviews

Kumho Ecsta KU31
Tire BKumho

Ecsta KU31

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 66 · 165 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 54

    Dry

    Ecsta KU31 +13
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 2050Ecsta KU31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online4767

    SP Sport 2050: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 46.9 = 54

    Ecsta KU31: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.9 = 67

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport 2050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Ecsta KU31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 50

    Wet

    Ecsta KU31 +19
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 2050Ecsta KU31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 55 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online4368

    SP Sport 2050: 60% × 55 (est.) + 40% × 43.3 = 50

    Ecsta KU31: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 69

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport 2050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Ecsta KU31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 57

    Comfort

    Ecsta KU31 +10
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 2050Ecsta KU31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4664

    SP Sport 2050: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 46 = 57

    Ecsta KU31: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta KU31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 57

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 2050Ecsta KU31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)–
    Reviews found online40–

    SP Sport 2050: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 40.4 = 57

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport 2050. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 51

    Treadwear

    Ecsta KU31 +12
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 2050Ecsta KU31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 58 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online4161

    SP Sport 2050: 60% × 58 (est.) + 40% × 40.7 = 51

    Ecsta KU31: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 63

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport 2050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta KU31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  6. 47

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta KU31 +20
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 2050Ecsta KU31
    Reviews found online4767
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport 2050Kumho Ecsta KU31
Relative Score 52 67
Dry 54 67
Wet 50 69
Comfort 57 67
Noise 57 –
Treadwear 51 63
Handling (owners) 47 67

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
Recomputed
Headline score

SP Sport 2050

Ecsta KU31

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 SP Sport 2050

Pros

  • Adequate dry road grip and handling response
  • Satisfactory performance in dry and wet conditions for certain drivers
  • Reasonable noise levels on smooth road surfaces

Cons

  • Poor wet weather grip and handling
  • Fast treadwear with low mileage limits (some wearing out within 9,000 to 18,000 miles)
  • Noticeable road noise on damaged or rough road surfaces
All owner themes in the SP Sport 2050 review

Tire B Ecsta KU31

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Strong dry and wet weather handling
  • Progressive and predictable feedback at the limit

Cons

  • Increased road noise and potential 'droning' as tread wears
  • Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting rapid wear
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to less precise steering feel for some drivers
All owner themes in the Ecsta KU31 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport 2050 B · Kumho Ecsta KU31
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport 2050

Kumho Ecsta KU31

Winner: Kumho Ecsta KU31 — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop SP Sport 2050 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 4 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta KU31 scores 67 vs 47 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta KU31 scores 69 vs 50 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta KU31 scores 67 vs 54 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta KU31 scores 63 vs 51 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 2050
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta KU31
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SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta KU31?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta KU31?

Kumho Ecsta KU31, 69 vs 50 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta KU31?

Kumho Ecsta KU31, 67 vs 54 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta KU31?

Kumho Ecsta KU31, 67 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta KU31?

Kumho Ecsta KU31, 63 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