Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 7 + 0 road tests and 2,387 + 51 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta HS52 is ahead, 79–61
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Tests 83 · 7 tests Owners 75 · 2,387 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 21 in 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
“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”
Tests – · none yet Owners 54 · 51 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests | 86 | ≈ 64 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 80 | 57 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 80.1 = 84
Neo Gen: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 57.3 = 61
No road tests of dry for Neo Gen. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests | 89 | ≈ 64 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 78 | 58 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 89.2 + 40% × 77.5 = 84
Neo Gen: 60% × 63.9 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 62
No road tests of wet for Neo Gen. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 59 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 33 |
Neo Gen: 60% × 58.6 (est.) + 40% × 33 = 48
No road tests of snow for Neo Gen. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 66 | 54 |
Ecsta HS52: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 65.9 = 67
Neo Gen: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.5 = 58
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta HS52. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Neo Gen. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests | 64 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | 56 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 63.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 65
Neo Gen: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 55.6 = 62
No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta HS52. 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.
No road tests of noise for Neo Gen. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests | 80 | ≈ 63 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 56 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 79.7 + 40% × 69.6 = 76
Neo Gen: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 60
No road tests of treadwear for Neo Gen. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 77 | 58 |
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests | 43 | – |
| Category | Kumho Ecsta HS52 | Nitto Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 61 |
| Dry | 84 | 61 |
| Wet | 84 | 62 |
| Snow | – | 48 |
| Comfort | 67 | 58 |
| Noise | 65 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 76 | 60 |
| Handling (owners) | 77 | 58 |
| Efficiency | 43 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Ecsta HS52
Neo Gen
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“Bad i have hs52 on my audi a3 8l quattro 1.8t i have no grip with rain.. Like cant corner fast it just goes straight... Dry its fine but wet forget it. My oncle has the same experience with kuhmo on his bmw 118 diesel he got some rims and they had pretty good threats kumho on it. He said all it wanted was to drift and spin out. He said a couple of times it did a 180 he said never again i said same don't trust my car with these tyres. Im gonna get some new rim 17" and Goodyear asymmetric 6. To replace my 16" stock rims with kumho... I have had bad tyres but never this bad. Like 1 ere prix were even better in my Mercedes even doh they became ovals.”
“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”
“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)”
Based on 17 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta HS52 | B · Nitto Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | All Season Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 53 | 28 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 20″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 9.7/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 280 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 10 | 10 |
Kumho Ecsta HS52
Nitto Neo Gen
Winner: Kumho Ecsta HS52 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 84 vs 61 on dry.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 84 vs 62 on wet.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 77 vs 58 on handling.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 76 vs 60 on treadwear.
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Kumho Ecsta HS52, 84 vs 62 on our wet score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 84 vs 61 on our dry score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 65 vs 62 on our noise score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 67 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 76 vs 60 on our treadwear score.
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
