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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Hankook Ventus Prime 4 — Compared

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

Ventus Prime 4 is ahead, 75–68

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

Tests 67 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,166 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 52 in 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout (wet braking)

“On Blackcircles all the 245/40 R19 ditch finders cost around £100 and have a poor wet grip & all the decent mid range cost around £170 and have A rated wet grip. Would you risk it for £240? I know I wouldn't. The cheapest A wet rated is a Kuhmo Ecsta PS71 at £136 if you really want to keep the cost down. If you want a relatively soft comfortable tyre then a Hankook S1 Evo 3 is an excellent choice.”

Tire BHankook

Ventus Prime 4

Summer

Tests 77 · 13 tests Owners 74 · 2,495 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (fuel consumption)

“Az enyémen Ventus Prime4 van, 23 májusi dottal, 23 május végén véve. Két nyár és 20.000km alatt sosem tapasztaltam hogy picit is gond lenne vele, pedig voltam bőven esőben vele. Az esp nekem akkor villogott nagyon mikor eltört a rugó, de az is inkább kanyarban, nem kigyorsításnál. Lengéscsillapítók rendben vannak?”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Ventus Prime 4 +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7883
    Reviews found online7176
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%98%
  2. 84

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +6
    78
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)9080
    Reviews found online7376
    Wet Braking (% of best)100%95%
    Wet Braking - Concrete (% of best)95%77%
    Wet Circle (% of best)99%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)80%98%
  3. 71

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7570
    Reviews found online6571
  4. 38

    Noise

    Ventus Prime 4 +25
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)1861
  5. 52

    Treadwear

    Ventus Prime 4 +21
    73
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)4576
    Reviews found online6369
  6. 71

    Handling

    Ventus Prime 4 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4
    Reviews found online7174
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS71Hankook Ventus Prime 4
Relative Score 68 75
Dry 75 80
Wet 84 78
Comfort 71 70
Noise 38 63
Treadwear 52 73
Handling 71 74

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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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta PS71

Ventus Prime 4

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta PS71Ventus Prime 4ΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 86% #6/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 77% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test +8.6 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 96% #9/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 100% #3/44 · 2022 Summer Tyre Market Overview −4.1 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #12/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 98% #7/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test −0.4 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 79% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 91% #6/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test −12.6 Different tests
Fuel Consumption Fuel 93% #17/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test −7.0 Different tests
Abrasion Other 51% #14/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 82% #4/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test −30.7 Different tests
Noise Other 95% #20/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test 96% #11/12 · 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested −0.4 Different tests
Price Other 91% #4/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 96% #2/8 · 2023 Motor Summer Tyre Test −5.5 Different tests
Value Other 70% #8/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test 90% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test −19.2 Different tests
Wear Other 78% #5/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 79% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test −1.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 40% #10/14 · 2020 TCS Summer Tire Test R18 17% #6/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test +23.3 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 96% #6/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 99% #5/7 · 2025 Al Volante Summer Tyre Test −3.2 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 78% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 95% #4/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test −17.3 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 92% #2/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 90% #4/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test +1.7 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 89% #4/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 90% #4/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test −1.1 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #19/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0% #4/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 100% #2/52 · 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout 95% #4/12 · 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested +5.1 Different tests
Wet Braking - Concrete Wet 95% #5/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 77% #15/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test +18.3 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 99% #5/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test 98% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +1.0 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 80% #6/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 98% #5/12 · 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested −18.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ecsta PS71

Pros

  • Outstanding wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
  • High value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Predictable handling and solid cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise or droning at motorway speeds on certain vehicles
  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or out-of-round/egg-shaped tires
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly vague steering response around center or tread block movement
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS71 review

Tire B Ventus Prime 4

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip providing high confidence
  • Significantly reduced road noise and smooth, quiet ride quality
  • Competitively priced offering great value compared to top-tier premium brands

Cons

  • Accelerated tread wear reported by some users, leading to shorter overall tire life
  • Noticeable decrease in wet traction and grip as the tread wears down past the halfway mark
  • Stiffer sidewalls can translate to a firmer ride or reduced comfort on rough surfaces
All owner themes in the Ventus Prime 4 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Kumho Ecsta PS71 is generally positive, with drivers viewing it as an affordable, high-value mid-range/UHP tire that performs reliably compared to premium brands. Users praise its wet grip rating, competitive pricing, and overall road manners once warmed up, though some note it provides adequate rather than top-tier grip and raise questions regarding cold performance and tread life.

r/TyreReviews ·1 upvote ·2026-06-17

“Kumho PS71 Question Replaced an older (2021 or 2022 production) set of ps71 with a new set (production 39-42 week of 2024) and noticed something on the new sidewalls I hadn't seen on the old ones. The new ones have ps71 with either a 1 or a 2 under it right above the bead in very small text. I'm curious what they mean if anything at all.”
r/TeslaUK ·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28

“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
r/tires ·5 upvotes ·2022-10-17

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
Top themes
#Value for money#Wet grip performance#UHP budget alternative#Tread wear durability#Warm-up temperature behavior#Tire pressure specifications

Based on 24 community posts

Tire B

Hankook Ventus Prime 4

Positive

Community opinion on the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 is largely positive, with drivers viewing it as a comfortable, quiet, and capable touring tire. Users frequently praise its strong dry and wet performance alongside its compelling price-to-performance ratio compared to premium alternatives like Michelin. Some uncertainties exist regarding long-term tread wear and slight fuel economy impacts, but owners generally report satisfactory everyday reliability.

r/TyreReviews ·6 upvotes ·2024-03-16

“Hankook Ventus Prime 4 vs Kumho Ecsta HS52? Hey there! Went to this reddit after reading a lot of reviews on the website, a bit of a newbie in general. I have read about many models and settled on 2 possible ones due to pricing and availability in my country (not looking for any other options). In my price range and requirements I've settled on Ventus Prime 4 initially (50% cheaper than Primacy that my car came stock with), but have also seen some good stuff said about HS52. I was quite settled on the first one since it scored very well in 2022 Autobild review, but now that 2024 came out a lot of numbers are completely different (predicted tread life alone took a huge dive) and Hankook is now 4 positions lower than Kumho. To add to this, Hankook was only 10% more expensive thank Kumho in my country, but now there was a price drop and and now there is 20% price difference, so set of Kumhos comes out noticeable cheaper. Spec wise they seems very similar with some trade-offs in different departments. I'm not really looking to save as much money as possible, but with latest reviews I'm not sure if there is any improvement worth paying for. Any thoughts? Thanks. Read more”
r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2026-10-09

“Found a cut on one of my tires, is it 100% cooked? Three month old Hankook Ventus Prime 4, covered less than 600miles. Found a small cut on the front right one. It is holding air fine. I will go to a tire shop to get checked asap, but chances that it’s ok? And what could have caused it? Hitting a curb? Thank you in advance!”
forums.hardwarezone.com.sg ·2024-11-12

“Ya. I read that review too. If I up the psi to 3, or 4 would result in hard and harsh bumps and much less comfy ride which I don't like. Therefore, I settle for 34 front and 32 back and started back to use Eco mode. I don't carry heavy loads and many pax in my car. I restricted it to 4 adult pax including myself as a driver, with or without loads at the boot.”
Top themes
#value for money#comfort and low noise#wet and dry grip#comparison with premium brands#tread longevity questions#touring versus sports handling

Based on 41 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 B · Hankook Ventus Prime 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available13366
Rim diameters16″ – 22″15″ – 20″
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Hankook Ventus Prime 4

Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 4 — better noise, treadwear and dry. Pick the Kumho Ecsta PS71 if wet matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 63 vs 38 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 73 vs 52 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 84 vs 78 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 80 vs 75 on dry.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Ventus Prime 4
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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.

75

Leads

Ventus Prime 4

Amazon