Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT 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 300 + 259 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS31 leads, 66–64 Narrow edge

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Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT
Tire ADunlop

SP Sport Maxx TT

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 300 reviews

“I have the Maxx TT on my car for about 1000 Km which included two slalom sessions. I am very pleased with the ride quality and dry traction. It is much quieter than the OEM tires. I have not had a chance to drive in wet road yet.”

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. 66

    Dry

    SP Sport Maxx TT +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6563

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66

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

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx TT. 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. 66

    Wet

    Ecsta PS31 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6468

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64 = 66

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

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport Maxx TT. 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 Maxx TTEcsta 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. 61

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS31 +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5365

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 53.3 = 61

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

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport Maxx TT 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 Maxx TTEcsta 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. 58

    Treadwear

    Ecsta PS31 +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTEcsta PS31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5365

    SP Sport Maxx TT: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 58

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

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport Maxx TT. 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. 61

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS31 +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport Maxx TTEcsta PS31
    Reviews found online6167
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT vs Kumho Ecsta PS31: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SP Sport Maxx TTKumho Ecsta PS31
Relative Score 64 66
Dry 66 65
Wet 66 68
Snow – 57
Comfort 61 67
Noise – 67
Treadwear 58 65
Handling (owners) 61 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 Maxx TT

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 Maxx TT

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and precise cornering stability
  • Stiff sidewalls providing sharp steering feedback and confidence
  • Better-than-average tread life and mileage for many everyday drivers

Cons

  • High levels of road noise and cabin hum at speeds above 50 mph
  • Stiff, harsh ride quality, particularly with run-flat variants
  • Inconsistent or poor grip in wet, damp, or cold weather conditions
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx TT 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

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT

Positive

Community members generally praise the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT for its quiet road manners, respectable dry and wet grip, and solid track and cold-weather road performance compared to stock competition-oriented tires. Some drivers note relatively soft sidewalls during aggressive slalom events on heavier vehicles or limited grip before coming up to temperature. Overall, drivers find it to be a capable, comfortable summer tire that balances performance and daily drivability.

Top themes
#quiet ride quality#track and slalom handling#wet and dry traction#cold weather performance#sidewall stiffness concerns#replacement for OEM tires

Based on 19 community posts

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS31

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT B · Kumho Ecsta PS31
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available521
Rim diameters16″ – 18″15″ – 18″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—460 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common33

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Narrow edge: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better treadwear, comfort and handling. Where the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 65 vs 58 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 67 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 67 vs 61 on handling.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS31

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SP Sport Maxx TT or Ecsta PS31?

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

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 68 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

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

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport Maxx TT or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 67 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport Maxx TT or Ecsta PS31?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 65 vs 58 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