Tests 77 · 14 tests Owners 71 · 2,521 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 21 in 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)
“Aim for rainy condition. Best are 1.Bridgestone Turanza 005 2.Hankook ventus prime 4.”
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 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 14 + 14 road tests and 2,521 + 8,191 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus Prime 4 is ahead, 75–68
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.
Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,191 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.
-
79
Dry
Ventus Prime 4 +475Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 12 tests 83 78 Reviews found online 73 72 Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 82.7 + 40% × 73 = 79
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.7 = 75
-
77
Wet
Ecsta PS71 +885Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 13 tests 79 92 Reviews found online 75 75 Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 74.5 = 77
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 91.8 + 40% × 74.6 = 85
-
69
Comfort
Level69Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 70 75 Reviews found online 67 65 Ventus Prime 4: 40% × 70.3 + 60% × 67.4 = 69
Ecsta PS71: 40% × 74.6 + 60% × 65.3 = 69
-
61
Noise
Ventus Prime 4 +2536Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 8 tests 58 16 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 57.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 61
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 36
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
74
Treadwear
Ventus Prime 4 +2252Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests 79 46 Reviews found online 67 60 Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 78.5 + 40% × 66.9 = 74
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 46 + 40% × 59.8 = 52
-
72
Handling (owners)
Ecsta PS71 +173Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Reviews found online 72 73 -
84
Efficiency
Ventus Prime 4 +3648Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 4 Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 7 tests 84 48
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus Prime 4 | Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 75 | 68 |
| Dry | 79 | 75 |
| Wet | 77 | 85 |
| Comfort | 69 | 69 |
| Noise | 61 | 36 |
| Treadwear | 74 | 52 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 73 |
| Efficiency | 84 | 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
75
/ 100
Ventus Prime 4
68
/ 100
Ecsta PS71
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus Prime 4 | Ecsta PS71 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 92% #16/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 95% #9/52 · 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #6/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test | 98% #12/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 90% #4/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test | 92% #2/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | – | Different tests |
| Curved Aquaplaning | Wet | 93% #6/7 · 2025 Al Volante Summer Tyre Test | 86% #6/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 91% #16/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 100% #1/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 87% #14/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 100% #2/52 · 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking (concrete) | Wet | 77% #15/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 95% #5/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 98% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 99% #5/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #2/8 · 2025 Moottori Summer Tyre Test | 100% #2/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 90% #4/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test | 89% #4/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 95% #4/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test | 94% #10/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 99% #4/8 · 2025 Moottori Summer Tyre Test | 97% #17/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Abrasion | Treadwear | 72% #6/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 51% #14/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wear | Treadwear | 77% #6/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 50% #14/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 100% #1/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 93% #17/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 95% #10/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test | 83% #15/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 69% #9/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 83% #6/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #4/20 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test | #7/20 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Value | Cost | 64% #5/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | 37% #11/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #11/16 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test | #4/52 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ventus Prime 4
Pros
- Exceptional wet and dry grip providing high confidence
- Significantly reduced road noise and smooth, quiet ride quality
- Competitively priced offering great value compared to top-tier premium brands
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear reported by some users, leading to shorter overall tire life
- Noticeable decrease in wet traction and grip as the tread wears down past the halfway mark
- Stiffer sidewalls can translate to a firmer ride or reduced comfort on rough surfaces
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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Positive
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
Community opinion on the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 is largely positive, with drivers viewing it as a comfortable, quiet, and capable touring tire. Users frequently praise its strong dry and wet performance alongside its compelling price-to-performance ratio compared to premium alternatives like Michelin. Some uncertainties exist regarding long-term tread wear and slight fuel economy impacts, but owners generally report satisfactory everyday reliability.
r/TireQuestions
·1 upvote ·2026-10-09
“Found a cut on one of my tires, is it 100% cooked? Three month old Hankook Ventus Prime 4 and I found a cut/split. It’s holding air fine but it is cooked?”
r/TyreReviews
·6 upvotes ·2024-03-16
“Hankook Ventus Prime 4 vs Kumho Ecsta HS52? Hey there! Went to this reddit after reading a lot of reviews on the website, a bit of a newbie in general. I have read about many models and settled on 2 possible ones due to pricing and availability in my country (not looking for any other options). In my price range and requirements I've settled on Ventus Prime 4 initially (50% cheaper than Primacy that my car came stock with), but have also seen some good stuff said about HS52. I was quite settled on the first one since it scored very well in 2022 Autobild review, but now that 2024 came out a lot of numbers are completely different (predicted tread life alone took a huge dive) and Hankook is now 4 positions lower than Kumho. To add to this, Hankook was only 10% more expensive thank Kumho in my country, but now there was a price drop and and now there is 20% price difference, so set of Kumhos comes out noticeable cheaper. Spec wise they seems very similar with some trade-offs in different departments. I'm not really looking to save as much money as possible, but with latest reviews I'm not sure if there is any improvement worth paying for. Any thoughts? Thanks. Read more”
r/croautomobili
·1 upvote ·2026-09-23
“Top top top guma, stavio prosle godine kad sam kupio auto, odmah na Kupres isao, snijega i leda bilo dosta, ali izdale me nisu Imam i ljetne hankook ventus prime 4 isto odlicna guma”
Top themes
#value for money#comfort and low noise#wet and dry grip#comparison with premium brands#tread longevity questions#touring versus sports handling
Based on 41 community posts
Tire B
Positive
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Community members generally view the Kumho Ecsta PS71 as a capable and reliable mid-range ultra-high performance tire offering solid grip and value for money compared to premium alternatives. While perceived as good once warmed up, some drivers note that it does not quite reach the ultimate grip level of top-tier brands and question its tread wear longevity.
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/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?”
bimmerforums.co.uk
·1 upvote ·2024-05-05
“On Blackcircles all the 245/40 R19 ditch finders cost around £100 and have a poor wet grip & all the decent mid range cost around £170 and have A rated wet grip. Would you risk it for £240? I know I wouldn't. The cheapest A wet rated is a Kuhmo Ecsta PS71 at £136 if you really want to keep the cost down. If you want a relatively soft comfortable tyre then a Hankook S1 Evo 3 is an excellent choice.”
Top themes
#value for money#wet and dry grip#tire wear longevity#sporty handling performance#warm up temperature behavior#mid-range alternative comparison
Based on 23 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus Prime 4 | B · Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | — | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 66 | 133 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| UTQG | 200 - 420 A A | — |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Sizes in common | 39 | 39 |
Which one should you actually buy?
75
/ 100
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
68
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 4 — better efficiency, noise and treadwear. Pick the Kumho Ecsta PS71 if wet matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want lower fuel or energy use
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 84 vs 48 on efficiency.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 61 vs 36 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 74 vs 52 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 77 on wet.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus Prime 4
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Which is better in the wet, Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 77 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Hankook Ventus Prime 4, 79 vs 75 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Hankook Ventus Prime 4, 61 vs 36 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 69 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Hankook Ventus Prime 4, 74 vs 52 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Ventus Prime 4 or Ecsta PS71?
Hankook Ventus Prime 4, 84 vs 48 on our efficiency 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