Tests – · none yet Owners 44 · 4 reviews
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 PA51 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 4 + 165 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta PA51 is ahead, 68–52
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 67 · 165 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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54
Dry
Ecsta PA51 +1468Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 47 68 SP Sport 2050: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 46.9 = 54
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 68.2 = 68
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 PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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50
Wet
Ecsta PA51 +1868Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 55 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 43 67 SP Sport 2050: 60% × 55 (est.) + 40% × 43.3 = 50
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.3 = 68
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 PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
–
Snow
No comparison62Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online – 57 Ecsta PA51: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 56.7 = 62
No road tests of snow for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
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57
Comfort
Ecsta PA51 +966Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 46 63 SP Sport 2050: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 46 = 57
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 66
No road tests of comfort for SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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57
Noise
Ecsta PA51 +1269Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 40 73 SP Sport 2050: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 40.4 = 57
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 69
No road tests of noise for SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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51
Treadwear
Ecsta PA51 +2071Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 58 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 41 72 SP Sport 2050: 60% × 58 (est.) + 40% × 40.7 = 51
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 71.8 = 71
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).
-
47
Handling (owners)
Ecsta PA51 +1966Why this score
Source SP Sport 2050 Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online 47 66
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Sport 2050 | Kumho Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 52 | 68 |
| Dry | 54 | 68 |
| Wet | 50 | 68 |
| Snow | – | 62 |
| Comfort | 57 | 66 |
| Noise | 57 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 51 | 71 |
| Handling (owners) | 47 | 66 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
52
/ 100
SP Sport 2050
68
/ 100
Ecsta PA51
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
Tire B Ecsta PA51
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry pavement traction and cornering grip
- Quiet and smooth ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in heavy rain or standing water
- Some reports of increased road noise over time
- Limited availability in certain niche sizes
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Sport 2050 | B · Kumho Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 13 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10.5/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 500 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 45,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
52
/ 100
Dunlop SP Sport 2050
68
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PA51
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better treadwear, handling and wet. 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 want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 71 vs 51 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 66 vs 47 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 68 vs 50 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 68 vs 54 on dry.
Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 2050
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA51
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SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51?
Which is better in the wet, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 68 vs 50 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 68 vs 54 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 69 vs 57 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 66 vs 57 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, SP Sport 2050 or Ecsta PA51?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 71 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