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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse vs Kumho Ecsta PS31 — 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 726 + 259 owner reviews. How we score

SP Sport FastResponse is ahead, 72–66

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Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS31

Summer

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. 72

    Dry

    SP Sport FastResponse +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7563

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 75 = 72

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 63.1 = 65

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport FastResponse. 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 PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 75

    Wet

    SP Sport FastResponse +7
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7668

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 73.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.2 = 75

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport FastResponse. 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 PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    57
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online–49

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 48.8 = 57

    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 0.33).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    SP Sport FastResponse +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7165

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 70

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 65 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport FastResponse or Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–67

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 67 = 67

    No road tests of noise for Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    SP Sport FastResponse +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6665

    SP Sport FastResponse: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.7 = 66

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport FastResponse. 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 PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    SP Sport FastResponse +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport FastResponseEcsta PS31
    Reviews found online7267
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport FastResponseKumho Ecsta PS31
Relative Score 72 66
Dry 72 65
Wet 75 68
Snow – 57
Comfort 70 67
Noise – 67
Treadwear 66 65
Handling (owners) 72 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
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

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 FastResponse

Ecsta PS31

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 FastResponse

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Low road noise and high initial ride comfort
  • Precise steering response and solid dry cornering grip

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some spirited drivers
  • Softer sidewalls can introduce slight flex or floatiness during high-speed maneuvers
  • Road noise can increase noticeably as the tires near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport FastResponse 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 FastResponse B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available721
Rim diameters15″ – 17″15″ – 18″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—460 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common33

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Winner: Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse — better dry, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 72 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 75 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse scores 70 vs 67 on comfort.

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

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

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 75 vs 68 on our wet score.

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

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 72 vs 65 on our dry score.

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

Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse, 70 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport FastResponse or Ecsta PS31?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 65 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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