tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta HS52 vs Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Ecsta HS52 leads, 76–72 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · Ecsta HS52 or BluEarth XT AE61 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire AKumho

Ecsta HS52

Summer

Tests 82 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 2,352 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (value)

“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.”

Tire BYokohama

BluEarth XT AE61

Summer

Tests 66 · 2 tests Owners 79 · 11 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2025 EV Tyre Test (noise)

Category by category

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

  1. 81

    Dry

    Ecsta HS52 +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61
    Professional tests (TWG score)8570
    Reviews found online7583
    Dry Braking (% of best)95%94%
    Dry Handling (% of best)99%98%
  2. 82

    Wet

    Ecsta HS52 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61
    Professional tests (TWG score)8868
    Reviews found online7280
    Wet Braking (% of best)99%90%
    Wet Circle (% of best)91%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)97%97%
  3. 65

    Comfort

    BluEarth XT AE61 +1
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61
    Professional tests (TWG score)–65
    Reviews found online6068
  4. 65

    Noise

    BluEarth XT AE61 +15
    80
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61
    Professional tests (TWG score)6489
  5. 73

    Treadwear

    Ecsta HS52 +11
    62
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61
    Professional tests (TWG score)7853
    Reviews found online6676
  6. 75

    Handling

    BluEarth XT AE61 +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61
    Reviews found online7580
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta HS52Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61
Relative Score 76 72
Dry 81 75
Wet 82 73
Comfort 65 66
Noise 65 80
Treadwear 73 62
Handling 75 80

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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta HS52

BluEarth XT AE61

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta HS52BluEarth XT AE61ΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 82% #18/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 85% #8/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test −3.6 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 95% #9/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 94% #6/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 +0.7 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #12/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 98% #5/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test +1.1 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 67% #14/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 77% #7/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test −10.4 Different tests
Noise Other 96% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test −3.6 Different tests
Value Other 100% #1/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 70% #7/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test +29.9 Different tests
Wear Other 77% #5/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 62% #7/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test +15.1 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 17% #6/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 14% #7/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test +2.4 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #16/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 80% #8/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test +15.3 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #12/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test 0% #8/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #2/55 · 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview 90% #6/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 +8.9 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 91% #15/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 98% #3/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test −6.9 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #14/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 97% #6/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 −0.5 Different tests

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
All owner themes in the Ecsta HS52 review

Tire B BluEarth XT AE61

Pros

  • Excellent grip and braking performance in both wet and dry conditions
  • Responsive and sharp steering handling
  • High stability during cornering due to rigid sidewall construction

Cons

  • Noticeable cabin noise, particularly on aged or rough road surfaces
  • Stiff sidewall construction results in a harsh ride on bumpy or unpaved roads
  • Comfort levels are highly dependent on road surface quality
All owner themes in the BluEarth XT AE61 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta HS52

Mixed

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/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.”
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/CarTalkUK ·1 upvote ·2025-01-11

“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”
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

Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta HS52 B · Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available5338
Rim diameters14″ – 20″16″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta HS52

Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61

Winner: Kumho Ecsta HS52 — better treadwear, wet and dry. Pick the Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61 if noise and handling matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61 scores 80 vs 65 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 73 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 82 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 81 vs 75 on dry.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta HS52
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Yokohama BluEarth XT AE61
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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.

76

Narrow edge

Ecsta HS52

Amazon