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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate vs Kumho Ecsta KU19 — 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 1 + 0 road tests and 13 + 8 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta KU19 is ahead, 74–68

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Kumho Ecsta KU19
Tire BKumho

Ecsta KU19

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 8 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 68

    Dry

    Ecsta KU19 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6875

    Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 68

    Ecsta KU19: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 75.4 = 73

    No road tests of dry for Eagle Exhilarate. 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 KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 71

    Wet

    Ecsta KU19 +5
    76
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online7178

    Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 70.9 (est.) + 40% × 71.1 = 71

    Ecsta KU19: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 78 = 76

    No road tests of wet for Eagle Exhilarate. 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 KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 60

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)–
    Reviews found online53–

    Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 60

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

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Ecsta KU19 +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6477

    Eagle Exhilarate: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65

    Ecsta KU19: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 76.5 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for Eagle Exhilarate. 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 KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online69–

    Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 67

    No road tests of noise for Eagle Exhilarate. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Ecsta KU19 +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests63≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6771

    Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 62.9 + 40% × 66.9 = 64

    Ecsta KU19: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta KU19. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 68

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta KU19 +10
    78
    Why this score
    SourceEagle ExhilarateEcsta KU19
    Reviews found online6878
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Eagle ExhilarateKumho Ecsta KU19
Relative Score 68 74
Dry 68 73
Wet 71 76
Snow 60 –
Comfort 65 74
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 64 69
Handling (owners) 68 78

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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Eagle Exhilarate

± 8

Ecsta KU19

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 Eagle Exhilarate

Pros

  • Strong dry pavement handling and sporty steering response
  • High level of ride comfort and bump absorption
  • Reliable wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance for many users

Cons

  • Reports of significant road noise, described by some as intrusive
  • Inconsistent tread life and potential for uneven wear
  • Polarizing performance in snow and ice conditions
All owner themes in the Eagle Exhilarate review

Tire B Ecsta KU19

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry grip performance
  • Superior noise suppression at highway speeds
  • High value-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands

Cons

  • Softer sidewall construction may not suit all driving styles
  • Limited long-term tread life data available from current user reports
  • Potential for inconsistent handling feel if mixed with stiffer-sidewall tires on the same axle
All owner themes in the Ecsta KU19 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate B · Kumho Ecsta KU19
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available371
Rim diameters17″ – 22″18″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
UTQG500 AA A—
Treadwear warranty45,000 mi—
SidewallVertical Serrated Band—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

Kumho Ecsta KU19

Winner: Kumho Ecsta KU19 — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Kumho Ecsta KU19 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 78 vs 68 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 74 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 73 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 76 vs 71 on wet.

Tire A · Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta KU19
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Eagle Exhilarate or Ecsta KU19?

Which is better in the wet, Eagle Exhilarate or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 76 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Eagle Exhilarate or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 73 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Eagle Exhilarate or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 74 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Eagle Exhilarate or Ecsta KU19?

Kumho Ecsta KU19, 69 vs 64 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