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Hankook Ventus ME01 K144 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus ME01 K144 vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — 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 + 14 road tests and 9 + 8,175 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS71 is ahead, 73–47

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Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,175 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. 46

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +29
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 54 (est.)78
    Reviews found online3572

    Ventus ME01 K144: 60% × 54.1 (est.) + 40% × 34.7 = 46

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 72.2 = 75

    No road tests of dry for Ventus ME01 K144. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 47

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +38
    85
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 53 (est.)92
    Reviews found online3875

    Ventus ME01 K144: 60% × 52.9 (est.) + 40% × 38.4 = 47

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 92.5 + 40% × 74.8 = 85

    No road tests of wet for Ventus ME01 K144. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 52

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +18
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 65 (est.)75
    Reviews found online4466

    Ventus ME01 K144: 40% × 64.5 (est.) + 60% × 43.9 = 52

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 75.3 + 60% × 65.8 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Ventus ME01 K144. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    36
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–15
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 36

    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.

  5. 51

    Treadwear

    Level
    51
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 57 (est.)45
    Reviews found online4161

    Ventus ME01 K144: 60% × 57.3 (est.) + 40% × 40.9 = 51

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 45.1 + 40% × 60.6 = 51

    No road tests of treadwear for Ventus ME01 K144. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 41

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS71 +32
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online4173
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    48
    Why this score
    SourceVentus ME01 K144Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–48
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus ME01 K144Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 47 73
Dry 46 75
Wet 47 85
Comfort 52 70
Noise – 36
Treadwear 51 51
Handling (owners) 41 73
Efficiency – 48

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
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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Ventus ME01 K144

± 5

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 Ventus ME01 K144

Pros

  • High levels of cabin comfort
  • Extremely quiet operation

Cons

  • Poor traction on both wet and dry surfaces
  • Increased braking distances required
  • Weak sidewall construction prone to damage
All owner themes in the Ventus ME01 K144 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

Hankook Ventus ME01 K144

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/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.”
z4-forum.com ·2023-01-29

“Steve; have a look at Kuhmo Ecsta PS71s. I just fitted a set on my new wheels for my 440i. Weapon of choice for the 'non tyre snob' IMHO. Much cheaper than the 'big' brands, heat up quickly and they also look really nice (for a black round tyre). Can't comment on noise, as the exhaust on mine is so noisy I can't hear the radio, let alone tyres!”
r/TeslaUK ·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28

“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
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 · Hankook Ventus ME01 K144 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—133
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus ME01 K144

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Hankook Ventus ME01 K144 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 47 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 73 vs 41 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 46 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 70 vs 52 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus ME01 K144
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Ventus ME01 K144 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus ME01 K144 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 47 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus ME01 K144 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 46 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus ME01 K144 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 70 vs 52 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ventus ME01 K144 or Ecsta PS71?

Neither, by our numbers: 51 vs 51 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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