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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D vs Kumho Ecsta PA31 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

SP Winter Sport 3D is ahead, 66–61

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Tire BKumho

Ecsta PA31

All Season Ultra High Performance tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 57 · 23 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    SP Winter Sport 3D +3
    61
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6157
  2. 72

    Wet

    SP Winter Sport 3D +6
    66
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online7364
  3. 68

    Snow

    SP Winter Sport 3D +9
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6653
  4. 66

    Comfort

    SP Winter Sport 3D +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6354
  5. 64

    Noise

    Ecsta PA31 +2
    66
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online5965
  6. 63

    Treadwear

    SP Winter Sport 3D +4
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6155
  7. 67

    Handling

    SP Winter Sport 3D +14
    53
    Why this score
    SourceSP Winter Sport 3DEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6753
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Winter Sport 3DKumho Ecsta PA31
Relative Score 66 61
Dry 64 61
Wet 72 66
Snow 68 59
Comfort 66 61
Noise 64 66
Treadwear 63 59
Handling 67 53

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Recomputed
Headline score

SP Winter Sport 3D

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

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Kumho Ecsta PA31

Winner: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D — better handling, snow and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 67 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 68 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 72 vs 66 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D scores 66 vs 61 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA31
Check price on Amazon

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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

66

Leads

SP Winter Sport 3D

Amazon