Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,190 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)
“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — 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 14 + 23 road tests and 8,190 + 6,510 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 86–68
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Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,510 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))
“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
Key facts
- In 6 tests that measured dry braking for both, Ecsta PS71 won 1 and Pilot Sport 5 won 5 (average 94% vs 97% of the best).
- In 6 tests that measured wet braking for both, Ecsta PS71 won 2 and Pilot Sport 5 won 4 (average 94% vs 97% of the best).
- In 4 tests that measured straight aquaplaning for both, Ecsta PS71 won 3 and Pilot Sport 5 won 1 (average 98% vs 96% of the best).
- In 3 tests that measured dry handling for both, Ecsta PS71 won 0 and Pilot Sport 5 won 3 (average 93% vs 97% of the best).
- In 3 tests that measured curved aquaplaning for both, Ecsta PS71 won 0 and Pilot Sport 5 won 2 (average 88% vs 93% of the best).
-
75
Dry
Pilot Sport 5 +1792Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 23 tests 78 93 Reviews found online 72 90 Dry Braking (% of best) · 6 shared tests · wins 1–5 94% 97% Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 93% 97% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 92% 92% Dry (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 87% 93% Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.7 = 75
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.2 = 92
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85
Wet
Pilot Sport 5 +994Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 23 tests 92 94 Reviews found online 75 93 Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–2 88% 93% Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 3–1 98% 96% Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 89% 89% Wet (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 99% Wet Braking (% of best) · 6 shared tests · wins 2–4 94% 97% Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 97% Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 98% Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–1 92% 92% Ecsta PS71: 60% × 91.8 + 40% × 74.6 = 85
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.7 + 40% × 93.3 = 94
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69
Comfort
Pilot Sport 5 +978Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 9 tests 75 71 Reviews found online 65 84 Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 100% Ecsta PS71: 40% × 74.6 + 60% × 65.3 = 69
Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.5 = 78
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36
Noise
Pilot Sport 5 +1147Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 15 tests 16 33 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 96% 97% Exterior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 43% 71% Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 36
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 47
No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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52
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 5 +3486Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests 46 92 Reviews found online 60 78 Abrasion (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 51% 78% Wear (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 63% 87% Ecsta PS71: 60% × 46 + 40% × 59.9 = 52
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.9 = 86
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73
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 5 +1689Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Reviews found online 73 89 -
48
Efficiency
Pilot Sport 5 +1563Why this score
Source Ecsta PS71 Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 17 tests 48 63 Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 93% 95% Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–1 89% 89%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PS71 | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 86 |
| Dry | 75 | 92 |
| Wet | 85 | 94 |
| Comfort | 69 | 78 |
| Noise | 36 | 47 |
| Treadwear | 52 | 86 |
| Handling (owners) | 73 | 89 |
| Efficiency | 48 | 63 |
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
68
/ 100
Ecsta PS71
86
/ 100
Pilot Sport 5
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 6 tests that ran both, Kumho Ecsta PS71 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 6 times.
| Discipline | Category | Ecsta PS71 | Pilot Sport 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Dry | 87% | 93% | −5.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 94% | 97% | −2.3 | 1–5 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout · 225/40 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 93% | 97% | −3.3 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 92% | 92% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Curved Aquaplaning | Wet | 88% | 93% | −4.9 | 0–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 98% | 96% | +2.4 | 3–1 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet | Wet | 94% | 99% | −4.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 94% | 97% | −2.6 | 2–4 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Braking (concrete) | Wet | 95% | 97% | −1.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 99% | 98% | +0.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 92% | 92% | −0.1 | 1–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 89% | 89% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 94% | 100% | −6.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 43% | 71% | −28.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Noise | Noise | 96% | 97% | −1.4 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Abrasion | Treadwear | 51% | 78% | −27.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 63% | 87% | −23.6 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 93% | 95% | −1.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 89% | 89% | −0.7 | 1–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 83% | 58% | +25.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R18 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #7/20 | #8/20 | – | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Value | Cost | 65% | 62% | +3.7 | 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/52 | #2/52 | – | 0–6 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout · 225/40 R18 |
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
Tire B Pilot Sport 5
Pros
- Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
- Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
- Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces
Cons
- Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
- Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
- Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Positive
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Community members generally view the Kumho Ecsta PS71 as a capable and reliable mid-range ultra-high performance tire offering solid grip and value for money compared to premium alternatives. While perceived as good once warmed up, some drivers note that it does not quite reach the ultimate grip level of top-tier brands and question its tread wear longevity.
r/TyreReviews
·2 upvotes ·2024-10-25
“I've had the PS71 several years ago - it was ok, nothing spectacular. They might have changed the compound now, so it may be better. Its a good tire, I don't remember any real weaknesses, it just never felt like "yeah, this sticks like glue to the road". Edit: I just remembered - it was mediocre in the city - when the tire was not warmed up, but I reckon this is shared between most sport tires with high speed rating. Once warmed up was good.”
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?”
bimmerforums.co.uk
·1 upvote ·2024-05-05
“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.”
Top themes
#value for money#wet and dry grip#tire wear longevity#sporty handling performance#warm up temperature behavior#mid-range alternative comparison
Based on 23 community posts
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Community sentiment towards the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its outstanding wet grip, daily driving comfort, and impressive tread life. While widely recommended as a dependable, premium all-round performance tire, some enthusiasts criticize it for having a slightly numb steering feel, softer sidewalls, and poor heat resistance during track use compared to more aggressive alternatives.
r/CarTalkUK
·3 upvotes ·2023-11-19
“How good are pilot sport 5's in winter? Thinking between another set of ps5's on a new car or cross climate 2. Ps5: wearing really slowly, didn't catch a winter on old car yet Cc2: worn in 4 months to 3mm, very soft in bends causing body roll, really good in last year's snow through, and surface water is a non-issue. Also weird humming doe to tread pattern. I guess the question is, should i risk summer tyres with the odd snow fall we have around here?”
r/DubaiPetrolHeads
·3 upvotes ·2025-07-15
“Had both on my ST. The 4S is more performance oriented but it wore out much quicker in approximately 35k kms. PS5 is more comfortable and the wear is slower however it does get noisy towards its end of life. After the 2 sets of Michelins, I tried the Falken FK520 for half the cost of the Michelins but found it to more comfortable for daily driving as it is comparatively softer.”
r/saab
·90 upvotes ·2026-03-28
“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”
Top themes
#wet grip performance#tread life longevity#daily driving comfort#track heat delamination#premium pricing comparisons#road noise levels#steering feel feedback
Based on 173 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 133 | 66 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 22″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| UTQG | — | 320 - 340 A - B A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Sizes in common | 53 | 53 |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PS71
86
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 86 vs 52 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 75 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 73 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 63 vs 48 on efficiency.
Pick tire A
Your priority is straight aquaplaning
Kumho Ecsta PS71 won 3 of 4 shared straight aquaplaning tests.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
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Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 85 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 75 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 47 vs 36 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 78 vs 69 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 86 vs 52 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Ecsta PS71 or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 63 vs 48 on our efficiency 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