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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS31 vs Nexen N Fera SU1 — 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 + 3 road tests and 259 + 165 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS31 leads, 65–63 Narrow edge

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Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS31

Summer

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 259 reviews

Nexen N Fera SU1
Tire BNexen

N Fera SU1

Summer

± 8

Tests 63 · 3 tests Owners 62 · 165 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Ecsta PS31 +5
    58
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 65 (est.)55
    Reviews found online6064

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.7 = 63

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 54.9 + 40% × 63.7 = 58

    No road tests of dry for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Ecsta PS31 +4
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 69 (est.)62
    Reviews found online6867

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 68

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 62.2 + 40% × 67.1 = 64

    No road tests of wet for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 58

    Snow

    Level
    58
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online4949

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 49.2 = 58

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 49.3 = 58

    No road tests of snow for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for N Fera SU1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Level
    65
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 68 (est.)66
    Reviews found online6465

    Ecsta PS31: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.9 = 65

    N Fera SU1: 40% × 65.7 + 60% × 65 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 66

    Noise

    N Fera SU1 +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)69
    Reviews found online6670

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.3 = 66

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 69.3 + 40% × 69.5 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Ecsta PS31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    N Fera SU1 +1
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)70
    Reviews found online6559

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 59.4 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta PS31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 68

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS31 +2
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Reviews found online6866
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS31Nexen N Fera SU1
Relative Score 65 63
Dry 63 58
Wet 68 64
Snow 58 58
Comfort 65 65
Noise 66 69
Treadwear 65 66
Handling (owners) 68 66
Efficiency – 76

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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
± 7

Ecsta PS31

± 8

N Fera SU1

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 PS31

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
  • Strong dry traction for daily and spirited street driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls lead to vague steering response and 'squirm' during aggressive maneuvers
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance reported by some users, particularly in deep standing water
  • Tread life can be shorter than expected for some driving styles
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS31 review

Tire B N Fera SU1

Pros

  • Exceptional value and significantly lower price compared to premium brands
  • Remarkably quiet ride and high overall comfort
  • Strong dry and wet grip for daily commuting and spirited driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause vague handling, body roll, or a floating sensation on heavier vehicles
  • Faster than average tread wear or inconsistent durability for some users
  • Reports of rubber cracking or splitting along the sidewalls and tread blocks over time
All owner themes in the N Fera SU1 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS31 B · Nexen N Fera SU1
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2197
Rim diameters15″ – 18″15″ – 24″
Tread depth10/32″9/32″
UTQG460 A A300 A A
Treadwear warranty—25,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi51 psi
Sizes in common1717

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Nexen N Fera SU1

Narrow edge: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better dry and wet. Pick the Nexen N Fera SU1 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 63 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 68 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Nexen N Fera SU1 scores 69 vs 66 on noise.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS31
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Tire B · Nexen N Fera SU1
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Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 68 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 63 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Neither, by our numbers: 58 vs 58 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Nexen N Fera SU1, 69 vs 66 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 65 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Ecsta PS31 or N Fera SU1?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 66 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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