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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 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 1 + 14 road tests and 93 + 8,204 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Ventus V12 evo2 69, Ecsta PS71 70.

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Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,204 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. 71

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests7178
    Reviews found online7172

    Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 70.9 = 71

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.9 = 75

  2. 71

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +14
    85
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 13 tests6992
    Reviews found online7375

    Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 69.2 + 40% × 72.9 = 71

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 74.7 = 85

  3. 66

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 68 (est.)74
    Reviews found online6565

    Ventus V12 evo2: 40% × 68 (est.) + 60% × 64.9 = 66

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 74.5 + 60% × 65.3 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Ventus V12 evo2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 73

    Noise

    Ventus V12 evo2 +37
    36
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests7716
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 76.8 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 73

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 36

    No owner ratings of noise for Ventus V12 evo2 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.

  5. 61

    Treadwear

    Ventus V12 evo2 +9
    52
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 64 (est.)46
    Reviews found online5860

    Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 61

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 46 + 40% × 59.9 = 52

    No road tests of treadwear for Ventus V12 evo2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 70

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS71 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online7073
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    48
    Why this score
    SourceVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–48
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus V12 evo2Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 69 70
Dry 71 75
Wet 71 85
Comfort 66 69
Noise 73 36
Treadwear 61 52
Handling (owners) 70 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
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
± 7

Ventus V12 evo2

± 5

Ecsta PS71

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryVentus V12 evo2Ecsta PS71ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test 95% #9/52 · 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test 98% #12/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 88% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test 100% #2/52 · 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 95% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test 100% #2/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #1/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test 97% #17/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/5 2017 Car and Driver UHP 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 V12 evo2

Pros

  • Excellent value and cost-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
  • Strong, reliable grip in both dry and wet conditions with good aquaplaning resistance
  • Comfortable ride with low initial road noise

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause a floaty feel or roll during aggressive cornering and track use
  • Road noise increases noticeably as the tires wear down
  • Treadwear is relatively fast, leading to shorter overall mileage
All owner themes in the Ventus V12 evo2 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 V12 evo2

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

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.

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?”
r/TyreReviews ·1 upvote ·2026-06-17

“Kumho PS71 Question Replaced an older (2021 or 2022 production) set of ps71 with a new set (production 39-42 week of 2024) and noticed something on the new sidewalls I hadn't seen on the old ones. The new ones have ps71 with either a 1 or a 2 under it right above the bead in very small text. I'm curious what they mean if anything at all.”
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 V12 evo2 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available38133
Rim diameters15″ – 21″16″ – 22″
UTQG320 - 380 A - AA A—
Sidewall—Blackwall
Sizes in common2626

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus V12 evo2

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Too close to call: Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 and Kumho Ecsta PS71 are within 2 points overall. Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 is stronger on noise and treadwear. Kumho Ecsta PS71 is stronger on wet, dry and comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 scores 73 vs 36 on noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 scores 61 vs 52 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 71 on dry.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus V12 evo2
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Ventus V12 evo2 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus V12 evo2 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus V12 evo2 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Ventus V12 evo2 or Ecsta PS71?

Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, 73 vs 36 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus V12 evo2 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 69 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ventus V12 evo2 or Ecsta PS71?

Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, 61 vs 52 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