Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 7 + 0 road tests and 2,365 + 86 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta HS52 is ahead, 78–62
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Tests 82 · 7 tests Owners 70 · 2,365 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 60 · 86 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests | 86 | ≈ 64 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 75 | 59 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 85.8 + 40% × 74.7 = 81
P 7: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 59.2 = 62
No road tests of dry for P 7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests | 88 | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 72 | 61 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 88.5 + 40% × 71.6 = 82
P 7: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 61.2 = 63
No road tests of wet for P 7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 60 | 54 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.2 = 65
P 7: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta HS52 or P 7. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests | 64 | – |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 67 (est.) | – |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 63.8 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 65
No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta HS52. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests | 78 | ≈ 64 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 66 | 60 |
Ecsta HS52: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 66 = 73
P 7: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 60.3 = 63
No road tests of treadwear for P 7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
| Source | Ecsta HS52 | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 75 | 58 |
| Category | Kumho Ecsta HS52 | Pirelli P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 62 |
| Dry | 81 | 62 |
| Wet | 82 | 63 |
| Comfort | 65 | 62 |
| Noise | 65 | – |
| Treadwear | 73 | 63 |
| Handling (owners) | 75 | 58 |
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.
Ecsta HS52
P 7
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.
“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).”
“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”
“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.”
Based on 17 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta HS52 | B · Pirelli P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | 53 | 3 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 20″ | 16″ – 18″ |
| Sizes in common | 2 | 2 |
Kumho Ecsta HS52
Pirelli P 7
Winner: Kumho Ecsta HS52 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 81 vs 62 on dry.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 82 vs 63 on wet.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 75 vs 58 on handling.
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 73 vs 63 on treadwear.
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Kumho Ecsta HS52, 82 vs 63 on our wet score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 81 vs 62 on our dry score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 65 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Kumho Ecsta HS52, 73 vs 63 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
