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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta KU19 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared

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

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–72

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta KU19

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 8 reviews

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 74 · 12,686 reviews

“Reminder: Tires are the key to this car Just replaced my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires with a new set ahead of the rainy season. Lasted 36K miles. It was the best mod to the car and a fresh set reminded just how good a brand new set is. The car is glued to the road, riding wonderfully smooth and quiet. Spend the money, get the best tires for you. The tune can wait. And it will need it.”

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +13
    85
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU19Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–88
    Reviews found online7481
  2. 74

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +13
    87
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU19Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–91
    Reviews found online7581
  3. 73

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU19Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–83
    Reviews found online7671
  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU19Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online–72
  5. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU19Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online6861
  6. 76

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU19Pilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online7678
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta KU19Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Relative Score 72 80
Dry 72 85
Wet 74 87
Comfort 73 78
Noise – 74
Treadwear 67 70
Handling 76 78

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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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta KU19

Pilot Sport 4

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 KU19

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry grip performance
  • Superior noise suppression at highway speeds
  • High value-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands

Cons

  • Softer sidewall construction may not suit all driving styles
  • Limited long-term tread life data available from current user reports
  • Potential for inconsistent handling feel if mixed with stiffer-sidewall tires on the same axle
All owner themes in the Ecsta KU19 review

Tire B Pilot Sport 4

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction with outstanding resistance to aquaplaning
  • Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and a reduction in cabin noise compared to standard run-flat tires
  • Progressive and predictable breakaway limits during spirited driving

Cons

  • Faster-than-average treadwear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear-wheel-drive performance cars
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to a slight lack of initial steering precision and a vague feel at the limit for hardcore enthusiasts
  • Performance drops off significantly in cold, freezing, or snowy winter conditions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta KU19

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 line as a premium upgrade offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM or run-flat tires. While celebrated for performance, users frequently discuss its high price tag, faster treadwear, and noticeable drop in EV efficiency. Some drivers also note increased road noise and reduced traction when temperatures drop near freezing.

r/BMW ·1 upvote ·2024-09-24

“I basically always ran Michelins on the BMWs I had. Pilot Super Sport on the E91 335d (which unexpectedly did really well wrt longevity with 600nm+ and a heavy foot) and now PS4 ZP (so the runflat type) on my 320hp F31 330d. They are just really really good. Pretty pricey though.”
f30.bimmerpost.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by weston.__ I will be going down the non-rft route, Pilot Sport 4. You're not the only one to say the ride quality with non-rft is a massive improvement and this is the reason why I will change once the time comes. I went from Bridgestone S001 RFT to 'go-flats' and have found the suppleness an obvious difference. Since I put the pressure to the mid point between the low and high load plated pressures I have yet to have any of the heartstopping thumps come through the suspension that the Bridgestone seemed prone to.”
r/TeslaModelS ·1 upvote ·2025-03-27

“I was running pilot sport 4s on my MS. (19” wheels) I was lucky to get 13,000-14,000. I just switched to Kumho Majesty 9’s for about 1/3 the price. Currently have 4,000 miles on them and just to rotated. Fingers crossed I can get 13,000 miles out of them.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Run-flat replacement upgrade#Treadwear and longevity#Cold weather performance#Road noise and comfort#EV range and efficiency#Comparison to Continental tires

Based on 246 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta KU19 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available162
Rim diameters18″16″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta KU19

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 73 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 70 vs 67 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta KU19
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
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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.

80

Leads

Pilot Sport 4

Amazon