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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta HS51 vs Pirelli Cinturato P7 — 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 6 + 8 road tests and 1,667 + 311 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta HS51 leads, 72–68 Narrow edge

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Kumho Ecsta HS51
Tire AKumho

Ecsta HS51

Summer

± 5

Tests 75 · 6 tests Owners 68 · 1,667 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test (wet handling)

Pirelli Cinturato P7
Tire BPirelli

Cinturato P7

Summer

± 7

Tests 73 · 8 tests Owners 61 · 311 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 12 in 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Ecsta HS51 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 7 tests7778
    Reviews found online6964
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–192%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%

    Ecsta HS51: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 69 = 74

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 63.5 = 72

  2. 76

    Wet

    Ecsta HS51 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 7 tests7980
    Reviews found online7268
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%99%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–175%93%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–192%93%

    Ecsta HS51: 60% × 79.4 + 40% × 71.7 = 76

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 80 + 40% × 68.3 = 75

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    61
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online–54

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 61

    No road tests of snow for Cinturato P7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 68

    Comfort

    Cinturato P7 +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 68 (est.)89
    Reviews found online6761

    Ecsta HS51: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 67.1 = 68

    Cinturato P7: 40% × 89.4 + 60% × 60.8 = 72

    No road tests of comfort for Ecsta HS51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 66

    Noise

    Ecsta HS51 +3
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 6 tests6561
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)65
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–097%97%

    Ecsta HS51: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 66

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 61.1 + 40% × 65.4 = 63

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta HS51. 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.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Ecsta HS51 +12
    58
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests7361
    Reviews found online6555
    Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–171%73%

    Ecsta HS51: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 64.9 = 70

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 60.6 + 40% × 54.9 = 58

  7. 68

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta HS51 +5
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Reviews found online6863
  8. 57

    Efficiency

    Cinturato P7 +18
    75
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS51Cinturato P7
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 6 tests5775
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–185%88%
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta HS51Pirelli Cinturato P7
Relative Score 72 68
Dry 74 72
Wet 76 75
Snow – 61
Comfort 68 72
Noise 66 63
Treadwear 70 58
Handling (owners) 68 63
Efficiency 57 75

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

Ecsta HS51

± 7

Cinturato P7

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.

In the overall rankings of 4 tests that ran both, Kumho Ecsta HS51 finished ahead 1 times and Pirelli Cinturato P7 3 times.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta HS51Cinturato P7ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 92% 96% −4.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Dry Handling Dry 98% 99% −0.8 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 100% 99% +1.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Wet Braking Wet 75% 93% −18.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Wet Handling Wet 92% 93% −1.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Noise Noise 97% 97% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Wear Treadwear 71% 73% −1.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 ADAC SUV Summer Tyre Test · 235/55 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 85% 88% −3.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 82% 57% +24.5 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18
Overall Ranking Overall #3/11 #10/11 – 1–3 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Autonavigator Summer Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ecsta HS51

Pros

  • Impressive wet and dry weather traction
  • Excellent value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Low road noise and enhanced ride comfort

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause a wobbly or loose feeling during aggressive cornering
  • Some users experienced faster-than-expected tread wear on the front axle
  • Occasional complaints regarding poor steering feedback and high-speed handling at the limit
All owner themes in the Ecsta HS51 review

Tire B Cinturato P7

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality when new
  • Strong dry traction, stability, and confident cornering grip
  • Low rolling resistance contributing to improved fuel economy

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear and reduced mileage lifespan
  • Noticeable increase in road noise and harshness as the tread wears down
  • Subpar wet-weather and cold-temperature grip compared to competitors
All owner themes in the Cinturato P7 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta HS51 B · Pirelli Cinturato P7
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2749
Rim diameters14″ – 18″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—500 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common88

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta HS51

Pirelli Cinturato P7

Narrow edge: Kumho Ecsta HS51 — better treadwear and noise. Pick the Pirelli Cinturato P7 if efficiency and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 75 vs 57 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta HS51 scores 70 vs 58 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 72 vs 68 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Kumho Ecsta HS51 scores 66 vs 63 on noise.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta HS51
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Tire B · Pirelli Cinturato P7
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Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Which is better in the wet, Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 75 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Kumho Ecsta HS51, 66 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 72 vs 68 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Kumho Ecsta HS51, 70 vs 58 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ecsta HS51 or Cinturato P7?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 75 vs 57 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