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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS31 vs Nitto NT555 — 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 259 + 13 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS31 is ahead, 65–51

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Kumho Ecsta PS31
Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS31

Summer

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 62 · 259 reviews

Nitto NT555
Tire BNitto

NT555

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 43 · 13 reviews

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 +9
    54
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online6047

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.7 = 63

    NT555: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 47.1 = 54

    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).

    No road tests of dry for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Ecsta PS31 +17
    51
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 56 (est.)
    Reviews found online6844

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

    NT555: 60% × 56.2 (est.) + 40% × 44.3 = 51

    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).

    No road tests of wet for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 58

    Snow

    Ecsta PS31 +16
    42
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online4923

    Ecsta PS31: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 49.1 = 58

    NT555: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 22.6 = 42

    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 NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS31 +14
    51
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6443

    Ecsta PS31: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.8 = 65

    NT555: 40% × 63.5 (est.) + 60% × 43.2 = 51

    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).

    No road tests of comfort for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 66

    Noise

    Ecsta PS31 +7
    59
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6649

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

    NT555: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 48.8 = 59

    No road tests of noise for Ecsta PS31 or NT555. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Ecsta PS31 +13
    52
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 58 (est.)
    Reviews found online6544

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

    NT555: 60% × 58.3 (est.) + 40% × 43.6 = 52

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for NT555. 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 +19
    49
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS31NT555
    Reviews found online6849
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS31Nitto NT555
Relative Score 65 51
Dry 63 54
Wet 68 51
Snow 58 42
Comfort 65 51
Noise 66 59
Treadwear 65 52
Handling (owners) 68 49

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Ecsta PS31

± 8

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
Sizes in common1111

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS31

Nitto NT555

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS31 — better handling, wet and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score. Nitto NT555 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 68 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 68 vs 51 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 58 vs 42 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS31 scores 65 vs 51 on comfort.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS31
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Tire B · Nitto NT555
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Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 68 vs 51 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 63 vs 54 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 58 vs 42 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 66 vs 59 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 65 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ecsta PS31 or NT555?

Kumho Ecsta PS31, 65 vs 52 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