Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk AS 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 8 + 23 owner reviews. How we score

Firehawk AS is ahead, 69–63

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Firestone Firehawk AS
Tire AFirestone

Firehawk AS

All Season High Performance tires

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 8 reviews

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. 70

    Dry

    Firehawk AS +7
    63
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7160

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 70

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

    No road tests of dry for Firehawk AS. 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. 69

    Wet

    Firehawk AS +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6866

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 69

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

    No road tests of wet for Firehawk AS. 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. 66

    Snow

    Firehawk AS +7
    59
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6251

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.4 = 66

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

    No road tests of snow for Firehawk AS. 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. 69

    Comfort

    Firehawk AS +11
    58
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6954

    Firehawk AS: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 68.8 = 69

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

    No road tests of comfort for Firehawk AS. 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. 70

    Noise

    Firehawk AS +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7467

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 70

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

    No road tests of noise for Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Firehawk AS +9
    61
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7258

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.9 = 70

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk AS. 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)

    Firehawk AS +12
    55
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk ASEcsta PA31
    Reviews found online6755
Scores at a glance
Firestone Firehawk AS vs Kumho Ecsta PA31: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone Firehawk ASKumho Ecsta PA31
Relative Score 69 63
Dry 70 63
Wet 69 67
Snow 66 59
Comfort 69 58
Noise 70 67
Treadwear 70 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
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Firehawk AS

± 8

Ecsta PA31

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 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 · Firestone Firehawk AS B · Kumho Ecsta PA31
CategoryAll Season High Performance tiresAll Season Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available57
Rim diameters15″ – 18″15″ – 18″
Tread depth11/32″11/32″
UTQG480 A A500 A A
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi50,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi50 psi
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk AS

Kumho Ecsta PA31

Winner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better handling, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Firestone Firehawk AS rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 67 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 69 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 70 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 70 vs 63 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk AS
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA31

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Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Which is better in the wet, Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 67 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 66 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 67 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 69 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Firehawk AS or Ecsta PA31?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 61 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