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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Kumho Solus KH17 — Compared

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

Ecsta PS71 is ahead, 70–61

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

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

Best test result: #8 of 9 in 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 (overall ranking)

“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 BKumho

Solus KH17

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 58 · 56 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 15 in 2011 European Summer Tyre Test - 175/65 R14 (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +15
    60
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)78–
    Reviews found online7155
  2. 84

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +20
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)90–
    Reviews found online7363
  3. 71

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +8
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)75–
    Reviews found online6558
  4. 38

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)18–
  5. 52

    Treadwear

    Solus KH17 +8
    60
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)45–
    Reviews found online6355
  6. 71

    Handling

    Ecsta PS71 +13
    58
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Solus KH17
    Reviews found online7158
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS71Kumho Solus KH17
Relative Score 70 61
Dry 75 60
Wet 84 64
Comfort 71 63
Noise 38 –
Treadwear 52 60
Handling 71 58

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.

Important
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ecsta PS71

Solus KH17

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 PS71Solus KH17ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 22% #8/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 11% #9/15 · 2011 European Summer Tyre Test - 175/65 R14 +11.1 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 Solus KH17

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Strong dry weather traction and road feedback
  • Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life with reports of premature wear
  • Mixed performance in wet conditions
  • Susceptibility to sidewall bubbles and structural issues
All owner themes in the Solus KH17 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

Kumho Solus KH17

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 B · Kumho Solus KH17
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available13311
Rim diameters16″ – 22″13″ – 18″
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Kumho Solus KH17

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, dry and handling. Pick the Kumho Solus KH17 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 84 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 60 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 71 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 71 vs 63 on comfort.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Tire B · Kumho Solus KH17
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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.

70

Leads

Ecsta PS71

Amazon