Tests 82 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 2,352 reviews
“I have kuhmo ecsta hs52's on my renault megane during spring and summer and they are really good. No complaints at all. My milage did go up a little bit but that's it”
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta HS52 vs Michelin City Grip 2 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
City Grip 2 leads, 79–77 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 83 · 8 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
81
Dry
Ecsta HS52 +180Why this score
Source Ecsta HS52 City Grip 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 85 – Reviews found online 75 87 -
82
Wet
Level82Why this score
Source Ecsta HS52 City Grip 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 88 – Reviews found online 72 86 -
65
Comfort
City Grip 2 +974Why this score
Source Ecsta HS52 City Grip 2 Reviews found online 60 80 -
65
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta HS52 City Grip 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 64 – -
73
Treadwear
Ecsta HS52 +271Why this score
Source Ecsta HS52 City Grip 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 78 – Reviews found online 66 75 -
75
Handling
City Grip 2 +1186Why this score
Source Ecsta HS52 City Grip 2 Reviews found online 75 86
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta HS52 | Michelin City Grip 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 77 | 79 |
| Dry | 81 | 80 |
| Wet | 82 | 82 |
| Comfort | 65 | 74 |
| Noise | 65 | – |
| Treadwear | 73 | 71 |
| Handling | 75 | 86 |
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.
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
77
/ 100
Ecsta HS52
79
/ 100
City Grip 2
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 Ecsta HS52
Pros
- Excellent wet and dry weather traction
- Low road noise and quiet operation
- Smooth and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- A few reports of accelerated or abnormal tread wear
- Slightly sensitive to tire pressure regarding comfort
- Occasional complaints of high-speed vibration or imbalance early on
Tire B City Grip 2
Pros
- Exceptional grip in both dry and wet conditions
- Improved confidence and stability when cornering and leaning
- Solid mileage and tread longevity
Cons
- Slightly stiffer construction can reduce impact absorption or comfort on rough roads for certain riders
- Transmits noticeable road feedback and creases
- Requires a brief warm-up period of around 5 minutes to reach maximum stickiness
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Mixed
Kumho Ecsta HS52
The Kumho Ecsta HS52 receives a polarized mix of reviews from the community, praised by many for its rigid sidewalls, strong dry grip, sharp steering responsiveness, and great value compared to premium alternatives. However, some users report disappointing wet weather performance, potential issues with aquaplaning resistance, and inconsistent test results across different sizes. Overall, it is viewed as a solid mid-range option, though experiences with wet traction and longevity vary significantly among drivers.
r/tires
·3 upvotes ·2025-09-23
“What’s up with these tyres? Kumho ectsa hs52 date code 3923, tyres are (UK) legal regards tread but I can’t imagine this damage is normal. Both front tyres have this, looks like the tread is tearing apart in multiple places. I did not fit these tyres but it was mot’d 3 months ago and has done 2k miles since. I’ve owned the car 11 months but only noticed this very recently. I am getting them replaced on Monday with little use before then but I’m curious how this has happened. Is it just a shit brand? Wear is even across the face so I don’t think it would be the alignment or anything to do with the car and the damage is random across the contact patch. It’s a Peugeot 508 2l diesel so quite a bit of weight on the nose. Fitting Bridgestone Turanza 6. Rear tyres are good, but a different brand (horizon horace 2122 date)”
r/TyreReviews
·1 upvote ·2025-06-16
“Yup, noticed that on my car too, went from a dot 2023 225/45/r17 PS5 to 205/50/r17 Kumho ecsta hs52 and while i went down in width, speed went up about 5-7km/h during a tight hairpin i always frequent, i feel a lot more confident chucking it towards the apex and not fear understeer ( my car is FWD).”
r/Mazda323
·6 upvotes ·2026-06-14
“Mini review of the Kumho Ecsta HS52 I was running some Hankook's on my GT before and the tire wall not stiff enough. Now I've mounted these Kumho Ecsta HS52's and I highly recommend them: The tire wall is nicely rigid and they grip great in the dry, took quite some intent to make them loose traction. Additionally, I've accidentally ran over a pretty big sharp looking rock at decent speed that aimed right in a tread groove (thinnest part) and the thing shrugged it off no problem. And all of this for a damn good price too! So if anyone's looking for good tires, now you know.”
Top themes
#Dry grip and handling#Wet weather performance#Sidewall stiffness#Price and value#Comparison with competitors#Fuel economy and weight#Tread wear and durability
Based on 17 community posts
Tire B
Michelin City Grip 2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta HS52 | B · Michelin City Grip 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Motorcycle |
| Sizes available | 53 | — |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 20″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
77
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta HS52
79
/ 100
Michelin City Grip 2
Winner: Michelin City Grip 2 — better handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin City Grip 2 scores 86 vs 75 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin City Grip 2 scores 74 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta HS52
Tire B · Michelin City Grip 2
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.