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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS31 vs Nitto NT555 — Compared

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

Ecsta PS31 is ahead, 65–54

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS31

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 259 reviews

Tire BNitto

NT555

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 47 · 13 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Ecsta PS31 +7
    57
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6351
  2. 69

    Wet

    Ecsta PS31 +15
    54
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6849
  3. 58

    Snow

    Ecsta PS31 +15
    43
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online5026
  4. 67

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS31 +8
    59
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6549
  5. 67

    Noise

    Ecsta PS31 +6
    61
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6653
  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Ecsta PS31 +10
    55
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6548
  7. 67

    Handling

    Ecsta PS31 +13
    54
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6754
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS31Nitto NT555
Relative Score 65 54
Dry 64 57
Wet 69 54
Snow 58 43
Comfort 67 59
Noise 67 61
Treadwear 65 55
Handling 67 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta PS31

NT555

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 NT555

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and sticky, hot-tar-like road adhesion
  • Enhanced handling and high-speed stability
  • Sporty aesthetic and semi-slick feel favored by enthusiasts

Cons

  • Subpar wet weather traction and dangerous in winter/cold conditions
  • Can struggle to maintain traction on higher-horsepower vehicles (e.g., V8 setups)
  • Notable road noise that increases as the tire wears
All owner themes in the NT555 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS31 B · Nitto NT555
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2153
Rim diameters15″ – 18″15″ – 22″
Tread depth10/32″10.3/32″
UTQG460 A A300 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Nitto NT555

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better wet, snow and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 69 vs 54 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 58 vs 43 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 67 vs 54 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 65 vs 55 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS31
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Tire B · Nitto NT555
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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.

65

Leads

Ecsta PS31

Amazon