Tests – · 1 test Owners 70 · 165 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta PA51 vs Nexen N Fera AU5 — 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 1 + 0 road tests and 165 + 6 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta PA51 is ahead, 70–56
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Tests – · none yet Owners 50 · 6 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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70
Dry
Ecsta PA51 +1654Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 70 46 Ecsta PA51: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 70.3 = 70
N Fera AU5: 60% × 58.9 (est.) + 40% × 46.2 = 54
No road tests of dry for Ecsta PA51. 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 N Fera AU5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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71
Wet
Ecsta PA51 +1655Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 72 50 Ecsta PA51: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 71
N Fera AU5: 60% × 59.1 (est.) + 40% × 49.6 = 55
No road tests of wet for Ecsta PA51. 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 N Fera AU5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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64
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 60 – Ecsta PA51: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 64
No road tests of snow for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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67
Comfort
Ecsta PA51 +661Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 65 57 Ecsta PA51: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 65.4 = 67
N Fera AU5: 40% × 66.9 (est.) + 60% × 56.9 = 61
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PA51 or N Fera AU5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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70
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 74 – Ecsta PA51: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 74.2 = 70
No road tests of noise for Ecsta PA51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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72
Treadwear
Ecsta PA51 +1557Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 70 ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 74 51 Ecsta PA51: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 74.2 = 72
N Fera AU5: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.3 = 57
No road tests of treadwear for N Fera AU5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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68
Handling (owners)
Ecsta PA51 +1454Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 N Fera AU5 Reviews found online 68 54
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PA51 | Nexen N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 56 |
| Dry | 70 | 54 |
| Wet | 71 | 55 |
| Snow | 64 | – |
| Comfort | 67 | 61 |
| Noise | 70 | – |
| Treadwear | 72 | 57 |
| Handling (owners) | 68 | 54 |
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
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
Recomputed
Headline score
70
/ 100
Ecsta PA51
56
/ 100
N Fera AU5
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 PA51
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry pavement traction and cornering grip
- Quiet and smooth ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in heavy rain or standing water
- Some reports of increased road noise over time
- Limited availability in certain niche sizes
Tire B N Fera AU5
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and longevity, lasting multiple years of daily commuting
- Very quiet and comfortable ride quality with smooth highway manners
- Soft sidewalls contribute to high comfort levels even at higher tire pressures
Cons
- Softer sidewalls lead to noticeable flex and reduced responsiveness in hard cornering
- Lower dry grip levels compared to more aggressive performance tires like the Nexen N Fera SU1
- Potential for traction loss or wheel spin during wet weather take-offs, particularly on powerful rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta PA51 | B · Nexen N Fera AU5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 13 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10.5/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 500 A A | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 45,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PA51
56
/ 100
Nexen N Fera AU5
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better dry, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Nexen N Fera AU5 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 70 vs 54 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 71 vs 55 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 72 vs 57 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 68 vs 54 on handling.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PA51
Tire B · Nexen N Fera AU5
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Ecsta PA51 or N Fera AU5?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PA51 or N Fera AU5?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 71 vs 55 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PA51 or N Fera AU5?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 70 vs 54 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PA51 or N Fera AU5?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 67 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta PA51 or N Fera AU5?
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 72 vs 57 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