Tests – · none yet Owners 58 · 33 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — 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 + 14 road tests and 33 + 8,175 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta PS71 is ahead, 73–62
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Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,175 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)
“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
61
Dry
Ecsta PS71 +1475Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 78 Reviews found online 57 72 Ecsta LE Sport: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 56.6 = 61
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 72.2 = 75
No road tests of dry for Ecsta LE Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
65
Wet
Ecsta PS71 +2085Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 92 Reviews found online 63 75 Ecsta LE Sport: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 65
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 92.5 + 40% × 74.8 = 85
No road tests of wet for Ecsta LE Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
62
Comfort
Ecsta PS71 +870Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 59 66 Ecsta LE Sport: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 58.9 = 62
Ecsta PS71: 40% × 75.3 + 60% × 65.8 = 70
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta LE Sport. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison36Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests – 15 Reviews found online – ≈ 67 (est.) Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 36
No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71. 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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60
Treadwear
Ecsta LE Sport +951Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 62 (est.) 45 Reviews found online 55 61 Ecsta LE Sport: 60% × 62.3 (est.) + 40% × 55.3 = 60
Ecsta PS71: 60% × 45.1 + 40% × 60.6 = 51
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta LE Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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60
Handling (owners)
Ecsta PS71 +1373Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Reviews found online 60 73 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison48Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 48
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta LE Sport | Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 62 | 73 |
| Dry | 61 | 75 |
| Wet | 65 | 85 |
| Comfort | 62 | 70 |
| Noise | – | 36 |
| Treadwear | 60 | 51 |
| Handling (owners) | 60 | 73 |
| Efficiency | – | 48 |
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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
62
/ 100
Ecsta LE Sport
73
/ 100
Ecsta PS71
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Ecsta LE Sport | Ecsta PS71 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #10/11 2018 Auto Review 225/45 R17 Tyre Test | #4/52 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ecsta LE Sport
Pros
- Exceptional value compared to premium tier brands
- Strong dry and wet road grip when relatively new
- Predictable and progressive handling limits near the edge
Cons
- Rapid and uneven tread wear, particularly on front or driven wheels
- Fragile sidewalls prone to bubbling or damage from minor impacts
- Noticeable drop-off in performance and increased tramlining as the tread wears down
Tire B Ecsta PS71
Pros
- Outstanding wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
- High value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
- Predictable handling and solid cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions
Cons
- Noticeable road noise or droning at motorway speeds on certain vehicles
- Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or out-of-round/egg-shaped tires
- Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly vague steering response around center or tread block movement
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Community sentiment towards the Kumho Ecsta PS71 is generally positive, with drivers viewing it as an affordable, high-value mid-range/UHP tire that performs reliably compared to premium brands. Users praise its wet grip rating, competitive pricing, and overall road manners once warmed up, though some note it provides adequate rather than top-tier grip and raise questions regarding cold performance and tread life.
bimmerforums.co.uk
·1 upvote ·2024-05-05
“On Blackcircles all the 245/40 R19 ditch finders cost around £100 and have a poor wet grip & all the decent mid range cost around £170 and have A rated wet grip. Would you risk it for £240? I know I wouldn't. The cheapest A wet rated is a Kuhmo Ecsta PS71 at £136 if you really want to keep the cost down. If you want a relatively soft comfortable tyre then a Hankook S1 Evo 3 is an excellent choice.”
r/TyreReviews
·1 upvote ·2026-06-17
“Kumho PS71 Question Replaced an older (2021 or 2022 production) set of ps71 with a new set (production 39-42 week of 2024) and noticed something on the new sidewalls I hadn't seen on the old ones. The new ones have ps71 with either a 1 or a 2 under it right above the bead in very small text. I'm curious what they mean if anything at all.”
r/TeslaUK
·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28
“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
Top themes
#Value for money#Wet grip performance#UHP budget alternative#Tread wear durability#Warm-up temperature behavior#Tire pressure specifications
Based on 24 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta LE Sport | B · Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 133 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 22″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
Which one should you actually buy?
62
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
73
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, dry and handling. Pick the Kumho Ecsta LE Sport if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 65 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 61 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 73 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport scores 60 vs 51 on treadwear.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta PS71?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta PS71?
Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 65 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta PS71?
Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta PS71?
Kumho Ecsta PS71, 70 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta PS71?
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport, 60 vs 51 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