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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport LM705 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 39 + 259 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: SP Sport LM705 and Ecsta PS31 are level at 65.

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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. 67

    Dry

    SP Sport LM705 +4
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6660

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 65.9 = 67

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 63

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport LM705. 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. 62

    Wet

    Ecsta PS31 +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5968

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.4 = 62

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 69

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport LM705. 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. 62

    Snow

    SP Sport LM705 +4
    58
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5750

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 56.7 = 62

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 49.8 = 58

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    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 0.37).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    SP Sport LM705 +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7165

    SP Sport LM705: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 71.1 = 70

    Ecsta PS31: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.6 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Ecsta PS31 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5667

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 56.1 = 62

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 66.7 = 67

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    SP Sport LM705 +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6865

    SP Sport LM705: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 68.2 = 67

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport LM705. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    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 0.35).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS31 +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport LM705Ecsta PS31
    Reviews found online6669
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport LM705Kumho Ecsta PS31
Relative Score 65 65
Dry 67 63
Wet 62 69
Snow 62 58
Comfort 70 66
Noise 62 67
Treadwear 67 65
Handling (owners) 66 69

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 LM705

± 7

Ecsta PS31

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Sport LM705

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and smooth bump/pothole absorption
  • Very low road noise and quiet highway operation
  • High value for money compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Significantly compromised wet grip and poor performance in heavy rain
  • Soft sidewalls lead to mushy steering response and lack of high-speed handling feedback
  • Faster-than-expected wear reported by some users
All owner themes in the SP Sport LM705 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 LM705 B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available621
Rim diameters16″ – 19″15″ – 18″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—460 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport LM705

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Too close to call: Dunlop SP Sport LM705 and Kumho Ecsta PS31 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop SP Sport LM705 is stronger on dry, snow and comfort. Kumho Ecsta PS31 is stronger on wet and noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 69 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 67 vs 62 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SP Sport LM705 scores 67 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop SP Sport LM705 scores 62 vs 58 on snow.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport LM705
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
Check price on Amazon

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SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 69 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Dunlop SP Sport LM705, 67 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Dunlop SP Sport LM705, 62 vs 58 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 67 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Dunlop SP Sport LM705, 70 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport LM705 or Ecsta PS31?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 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