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Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D vs Kumho Ecsta PA31 — 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 45 + 23 owner reviews. How we score

SP Winter Sport 3D leads, 67–63 Narrow edge

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Kumho Ecsta PA31
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PA31

All Season Ultra High Performance tires

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 59 · 23 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Level
    63
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6060

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 63

    Ecsta PA31: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 63

    No road tests of dry for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for Ecsta PA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 73

    Wet

    SP Winter Sport 3D +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7466

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 73.7 = 73

    Ecsta PA31: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.5 = 67

    No road tests of wet for SP Winter Sport 3D. 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 PA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 70

    Snow

    SP Winter Sport 3D +11
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6951

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 70

    Ecsta PA31: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 59

    No road tests of snow for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for Ecsta PA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 64

    Comfort

    SP Winter Sport 3D +6
    58
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6154

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 61.1 = 64

    Ecsta PA31: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.6 = 58

    No road tests of comfort for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 63

    Noise

    Ecsta PA31 +4
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5867

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 63

    Ecsta PA31: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.7 = 67

    No road tests of noise for SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    SP Winter Sport 3D +1
    61
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6058

    SP Winter Sport 3D: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 62

    Ecsta PA31: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 61

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Winter Sport 3D. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta PA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    SP Winter Sport 3D +12
    55
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6755
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 3DKumho Ecsta PA31
Relative Score 67 63
Dry 63 63
Wet 73 67
Snow 70 59
Comfort 64 58
Noise 63 67
Treadwear 62 61
Handling (owners) 67 55

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
± 7

SP Winter Sport 3D

± 8

Ecsta PA31

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Winter Sport 3D

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction in deep and packed snow
  • Confident handling and braking performance on cold, wet roads
  • Great dry-road handling and steering response during winter temperatures

Cons

  • High and sometimes unbearable road noise as the tires age
  • Degradation of grip and hardening of rubber compound over multiple seasons
  • Faster or below-average tread life reported by some drivers
All owner themes in the SP Winter Sport 3D review

Tire B Ecsta PA31

Pros

  • Affordable price and high overall value
  • Smooth and quiet ride quality
  • Strong wet-weather grip and confidence

Cons

  • Tendency to develop temporary flat spots when parked for a few days
  • Occasional durability issues such as sidewall bubbles reported by some users
  • Not intended for high-performance track use or extreme grip
All owner themes in the Ecsta PA31 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D B · Kumho Ecsta PA31
CategoryWinterAll Season Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available217
Rim diameters16″ – 20″15″ – 18″
Tread depth10/32″11/32″
UTQG—500 A A
Treadwear warranty—50,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi50 psi
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Kumho Ecsta PA31

Narrow edge: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D — better handling, snow and wet. Pick the Kumho Ecsta PA31 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 67 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 70 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 73 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 64 vs 58 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA31
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SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Which is better in the wet, SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, 73 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Neither, by our numbers: 63 vs 63 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, 70 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Kumho Ecsta PA31, 67 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, 64 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Winter Sport 3D or Ecsta PA31?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 61 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