Tests – · none yet Owners 58 · 33 reviews
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport vs Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 — 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 + 0 road tests and 33 + 10 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta XS KU36 is ahead, 69–62
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Tests – · none yet Owners 68 · 10 reviews
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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61
Dry
Ecsta XS KU36 +1172Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta XS KU36 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 57 73 Ecsta LE Sport: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 56.6 = 61
Ecsta XS KU36: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 72
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).
No road tests of dry for Ecsta XS KU36. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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65
Wet
Ecsta XS KU36 +570Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta XS KU36 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 63 69 Ecsta LE Sport: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 65
Ecsta XS KU36: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 69.1 = 70
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).
No road tests of wet for Ecsta XS KU36. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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62
Comfort
Ecsta LE Sport +161Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta XS KU36 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 59 58 Ecsta LE Sport: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 58.9 = 62
Ecsta XS KU36: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 57.5 = 61
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta XS KU36. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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60
Treadwear
Ecsta XS KU36 +464Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta XS KU36 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 55 63 Ecsta LE Sport: 60% × 62.3 (est.) + 40% × 55.3 = 60
Ecsta XS KU36: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 64
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).
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta XS KU36. 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 XS KU36 +1171Why this score
Source Ecsta LE Sport Ecsta XS KU36 Reviews found online 60 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta LE Sport | Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 62 | 69 |
| Dry | 61 | 72 |
| Wet | 65 | 70 |
| Comfort | 62 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 60 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 60 | 71 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
62
/ 100
Ecsta LE Sport
69
/ 100
Ecsta XS KU36
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 XS KU36
Pros
- Exceptional dry surface grip and cornering confidence
- Strong, rigid sidewall construction
- High value-to-performance ratio
Cons
- High levels of road noise that tend to worsen over time
- Lack of steering precision and on-center feel
- Rapid tread wear consistent with aggressive performance compounds
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta LE Sport | B · Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
62
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
69
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36
Winner: Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 — better dry, handling and wet. Where the Kumho Ecsta LE Sport is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 72 vs 61 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 71 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 70 vs 65 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 64 vs 60 on treadwear.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta XS KU36
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Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta XS KU36?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta XS KU36?
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36, 70 vs 65 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta XS KU36?
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36, 72 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta XS KU36?
Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 61 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta LE Sport or Ecsta XS KU36?
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36, 64 vs 60 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