Tests – · none yet Owners 49 · 6 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta KH11 vs Nexen N Blue HD+ — 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 0 + 5 road tests and 6 + 82 owner reviews. How we score
N Blue HD+ is ahead, 71–56
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Tests 70 · 5 tests Owners 71 · 82 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2017 Mid Range Tyre Test (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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54
Dry
N Blue HD+ +1872Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests ≈ 59 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 47 71 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 59 (est.) + 40% × 46.5 = 54
N Blue HD+: 60% × 73.6 + 40% × 70.5 = 72
No road tests of dry for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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56
Wet
N Blue HD+ +1773Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests ≈ 59 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 50 74 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 56
N Blue HD+: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 73.9 = 73
No road tests of wet for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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53
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) – Reviews found online 42 – Ecsta KH11: 60% × 60.2 (est.) + 40% × 42.4 = 53
No road tests of snow for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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55
Comfort
N Blue HD+ +1671Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 49 72 Ecsta KH11: 40% × 65.4 (est.) + 60% × 48.6 = 55
N Blue HD+: 40% × 70 + 60% × 71.9 = 71
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta KH11. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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58
Noise
N Blue HD+ +967Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 67 Reviews found online 46 ≈ 67 (est.) Ecsta KH11: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 46.1 = 58
N Blue HD+: 60% × 66.6 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 67
No road tests of noise for Ecsta KH11. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for N Blue HD+. 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.
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59
Treadwear
N Blue HD+ +766Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 62 (est.) 64 Reviews found online 55 67 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 62.1 (est.) + 40% × 54.7 = 59
N Blue HD+: 60% × 64.5 + 40% × 67.2 = 66
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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51
Handling (owners)
N Blue HD+ +2071Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Reviews found online 51 71 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison55Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 N Blue HD+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests – 55
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta KH11 | Nexen N Blue HD+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 56 | 71 |
| Dry | 54 | 72 |
| Wet | 56 | 73 |
| Snow | 53 | – |
| Comfort | 55 | 71 |
| Noise | 58 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 59 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 51 | 71 |
| Efficiency | – | 55 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
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.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
56
/ 100
Ecsta KH11
71
/ 100
N Blue HD+
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 KH11
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and longevity with proper maintenance
- Balanced performance in both wet and dry conditions for select users
- Attractive cost compared to premium competitors like Pirelli and Michelin
Cons
- Soft sidewalls leading to poor handling stability and a rolling sensation
- Inconsistent or disappointing grip, particularly in wet weather
- Rapid and unexpected tread wear reported by some users
Tire B N Blue HD+
Pros
- Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
- High level of ride comfort and very low road noise
- Reliable and stable grip in both dry and wet conditions for normal driving
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear reported by some users
- Vague handling and loss of predictability when pushed hard or cornered aggressively
- Occasional reports of shoulder cracking or ruptures
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta KH11 | B · Nexen N Blue HD+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 3 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 8.9/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 340 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
56
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta KH11
71
/ 100
Nexen N Blue HD+
Winner: Nexen N Blue HD+ — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho Ecsta KH11 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Nexen N Blue HD+ scores 71 vs 51 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Nexen N Blue HD+ scores 72 vs 54 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Nexen N Blue HD+ scores 73 vs 56 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Nexen N Blue HD+ scores 71 vs 55 on comfort.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta KH11
Tire B · Nexen N Blue HD+
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Ecsta KH11 or N Blue HD+?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta KH11 or N Blue HD+?
Nexen N Blue HD+, 73 vs 56 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta KH11 or N Blue HD+?
Nexen N Blue HD+, 72 vs 54 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Ecsta KH11 or N Blue HD+?
Nexen N Blue HD+, 67 vs 58 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta KH11 or N Blue HD+?
Nexen N Blue HD+, 71 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta KH11 or N Blue HD+?
Nexen N Blue HD+, 66 vs 59 on our treadwear 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