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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk AS vs Kumho Ecsta KU31 — Compared

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

Ecsta KU31 leads, 66–65 Narrow edge

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Tire AFirestone

Firehawk AS

All Season High Performance tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 8 reviews

Tire BKumho

Ecsta KU31

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 66 · 165 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Ecsta KU31 +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online6467
  2. 65

    Wet

    Ecsta KU31 +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online6469
  3. 62

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online56–
  4. 65

    Comfort

    Ecsta KU31 +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online6164
  5. 66

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online66–
  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Firehawk AS +3
    63
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online6661
  7. 61

    Handling

    Ecsta KU31 +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta KU31
    Reviews found online6167
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Firehawk ASKumho Ecsta KU31
Relative Score 65 66
Dry 65 67
Wet 65 69
Snow 62 –
Comfort 65 67
Noise 66 –
Treadwear 66 63
Handling 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Firehawk AS

Ecsta KU31

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 Firehawk AS

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth ride quality
  • Strong dry handling and improved cornering response
  • Good water dispersion and wet road performance for most users

Cons

  • Potential susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain according to select reviewers
  • Requires proper balancing to prevent irregular tread wear
All owner themes in the Firehawk AS review

Tire B Ecsta KU31

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Strong dry and wet weather handling
  • Progressive and predictable feedback at the limit

Cons

  • Increased road noise and potential 'droning' as tread wears
  • Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting rapid wear
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to less precise steering feel for some drivers
All owner themes in the Ecsta KU31 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk AS B · Kumho Ecsta KU31
CategoryAll Season High Performance tiresSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4—
Rim diameters15″ – 18″—
Tread depth11/32″—
UTQG480 A A—
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk AS

Kumho Ecsta KU31

Too close to call: Firestone Firehawk AS and Kumho Ecsta KU31 are within 2 points overall. Firestone Firehawk AS is stronger on treadwear. Kumho Ecsta KU31 is stronger on handling and wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta KU31 scores 67 vs 61 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta KU31 scores 69 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 66 vs 63 on treadwear.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk AS
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta KU31
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

Narrow edge

Ecsta KU31

Amazon