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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta KU31 vs Kumho Ecsta HS51 — Compared

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

Ecsta HS51 is ahead, 72–66

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta KU31

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 66 · 165 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 9 in 2010 EVO FWD Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BKumho

Ecsta HS51

Summer

Tests 75 · 6 tests Owners 69 · 1,662 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 11 in 2021 Autonavigator Summer Tire Test R16 (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    Ecsta HS51 +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU31Ecsta HS51
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online6771
  2. 69

    Wet

    Ecsta HS51 +8
    77
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU31Ecsta HS51
    Professional tests (TWG score)–79
    Reviews found online6973
  3. 67

    Comfort

    Ecsta HS51 +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU31Ecsta HS51
    Reviews found online6469
  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU31Ecsta HS51
    Professional tests (TWG score)–65
  5. 63

    Treadwear

    Ecsta HS51 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU31Ecsta HS51
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online6165
  6. 67

    Handling

    Ecsta HS51 +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta KU31Ecsta HS51
    Reviews found online6768
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta KU31Kumho Ecsta HS51
Relative Score 66 72
Dry 67 74
Wet 69 77
Comfort 67 69
Noise – 66
Treadwear 63 70
Handling 67 68

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.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta KU31

Ecsta HS51

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 KU31Ecsta HS51ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 11% #9/9 · 2010 EVO FWD Tyre Test 80% #3/11 · 2021 Autonavigator Summer Tire Test R16 −68.9 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ecsta KU31

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Strong dry and wet weather handling
  • Progressive and predictable feedback at the limit

Cons

  • Increased road noise and potential 'droning' as tread wears
  • Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting rapid wear
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to less precise steering feel for some drivers
All owner themes in the Ecsta KU31 review

Tire B Ecsta HS51

Pros

  • Impressive wet and dry weather traction
  • Excellent value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Low road noise and enhanced ride comfort

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause a wobbly or loose feeling during aggressive cornering
  • Some users experienced faster-than-expected tread wear on the front axle
  • Occasional complaints regarding poor steering feedback and high-speed handling at the limit
All owner themes in the Ecsta HS51 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta KU31 B · Kumho Ecsta HS51
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—27
Rim diameters—14″ – 18″

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta KU31

Kumho Ecsta HS51

Winner: Kumho Ecsta HS51 — better wet, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta HS51 scores 77 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta HS51 scores 74 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta HS51 scores 70 vs 63 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta KU31
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta HS51
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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.

72

Leads

Ecsta HS51

Amazon