tirewheelguide

Falken ZIEX ZE329 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Falken ZIEX ZE329 vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 14 road tests and 23 + 8,168 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS71 is ahead, 70–50

Check price on Amazon · Ecsta PS71 or ZIEX ZE329 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Falken ZIEX ZE329
Tire AFalken

ZIEX ZE329

All-Season

Tests – · none yet Owners 41 · 23 reviews

Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

Tests 67 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,168 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”

Category by category

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

  1. 50

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +25
    75
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 56 (est.)77
    Reviews found online4071

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 56.4 (est.) + 40% × 39.6 = 50

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.3 + 40% × 71 = 75

    No road tests of dry for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 51

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +33
    84
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 56 (est.)91
    Reviews found online4573

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 55.8 (est.) + 40% × 44.8 = 51

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 90.9 + 40% × 73.1 = 84

    No road tests of wet for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 57

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)–
    Reviews found online48–

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 47.7 = 57

    No road tests of snow for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 51

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +20
    71
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 63 (est.)75
    Reviews found online3465

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 63 (est.) + 40% × 33.7 = 51

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 64.8 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    ZIEX ZE329 +26
    36
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 67 (est.)15
    Reviews found online53≈ 67 (est.)

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 62

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.5 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 36

    No road tests of noise for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 46

    Treadwear

    Ecsta PS71 +6
    52
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 55 (est.)45
    Reviews found online3263

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 32 = 46

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 45.1 + 40% × 62.5 = 52

    No road tests of treadwear for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 41

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS71 +30
    71
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE329Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online4171
Scores at a glance
CategoryFalken ZIEX ZE329Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 50 70
Dry 50 75
Wet 51 84
Snow 57 –
Comfort 51 71
Noise 62 36
Treadwear 46 52
Handling (owners) 41 71

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

ZIEX ZE329

Ecsta PS71

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 ZIEX ZE329

Pros

  • Affordable price point offering great value
  • Good traction and grip on dry pavement
  • Balanced overall performance for everyday commuting

Cons

  • Rapid and premature tread wear, falling short of expected mileage
  • Poor wet and winter weather traction, described as dangerous in snow
  • Excessive road noise and highway hum reported by multiple users
All owner themes in the ZIEX ZE329 review

Tire B Ecsta PS71

Pros

  • Outstanding wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
  • High value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Predictable handling and solid cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise or droning at motorway speeds on certain vehicles
  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or out-of-round/egg-shaped tires
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly vague steering response around center or tread block movement
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS71 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Falken ZIEX ZE329

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

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Kumho Ecsta PS71 is generally positive, with drivers viewing it as an affordable, high-value mid-range/UHP tire that performs reliably compared to premium brands. Users praise its wet grip rating, competitive pricing, and overall road manners once warmed up, though some note it provides adequate rather than top-tier grip and raise questions regarding cold performance and tread life.

r/tires ·5 upvotes ·2022-10-17

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
z4-forum.com ·2023-01-29

“Not exactly helpful but I've got Hankook winter tyres on my 330i and they're really good. mr wilks on here recommend Kumho Ecstas a couple of times so I got a set for my MC and I've been very pleased with them. And I got a set for £400 from Black Circles! ETA My Kumho Ecstas are also PS71.”
r/TyreReviews ·2 upvotes ·2024-10-25

“I've had the PS71 several years ago - it was ok, nothing spectacular. They might have changed the compound now, so it may be better. Its a good tire, I don't remember any real weaknesses, it just never felt like "yeah, this sticks like glue to the road". Edit: I just remembered - it was mediocre in the city - when the tire was not warmed up, but I reckon this is shared between most sport tires with high speed rating. Once warmed up was good.”
Top themes
#Value for money#Wet grip performance#UHP budget alternative#Tread wear durability#Warm-up temperature behavior#Tire pressure specifications

Based on 24 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken ZIEX ZE329 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategoryAll-SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—133
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Tread depth6/32″—
UTQG480 A A—
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken ZIEX ZE329

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Falken ZIEX ZE329 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 84 vs 51 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 71 vs 41 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Falken ZIEX ZE329 scores 62 vs 36 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 50 on dry.

Tire A · Falken ZIEX ZE329
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

ZIEX ZE329 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, ZIEX ZE329 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 84 vs 51 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZIEX ZE329 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 50 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, ZIEX ZE329 or Ecsta PS71?

Falken ZIEX ZE329, 62 vs 36 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, ZIEX ZE329 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 71 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZIEX ZE329 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 52 vs 46 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