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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 — 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 + 12 road tests and 8,175 + 39 owner reviews. How we score

Cinturato P7 C2 is ahead, 76–68

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Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 6

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,175 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?”

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2
Tire BPirelli

Cinturato P7 C2

Summer

± 6

Tests 76 · 12 tests Owners 77 · 39 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 14 in 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test (wet handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Cinturato P7 C2 +10
    85
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 9 tests7889
    Reviews found online7280

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 72.2 = 75

    Cinturato P7 C2: 60% × 88.9 + 40% × 80.3 = 85

  2. 85

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +3
    82
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 10 tests9285
    Reviews found online7577
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–092%88%

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 92.5 + 40% × 74.8 = 85

    Cinturato P7 C2: 60% × 85 + 40% × 77.3 = 82

  3. 70

    Comfort

    Cinturato P7 C2 +10
    80
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests7582
    Reviews found online6678

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 75.3 + 60% × 65.8 = 70

    Cinturato P7 C2: 40% × 82.2 + 60% × 77.8 = 80

  4. 36

    Noise

    Cinturato P7 C2 +33
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 6 tests1571
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 36

    Cinturato P7 C2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 51

    Treadwear

    Cinturato P7 C2 +10
    61
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 4 tests4553
    Reviews found online6173

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 45.1 + 40% × 60.6 = 51

    Cinturato P7 C2: 60% × 53 + 40% × 73.2 = 61

  6. 73

    Handling (owners)

    Cinturato P7 C2 +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Reviews found online7379
  7. 48

    Efficiency

    Cinturato P7 C2 +16
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 7 tests4864
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS71Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2
Relative Score 68 76
Dry 75 85
Wet 85 82
Comfort 70 80
Noise 36 69
Treadwear 51 61
Handling (owners) 73 79
Efficiency 48 64

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
± 6

Ecsta PS71

± 6

Cinturato P7 C2

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 1 tests that ran both, Kumho Ecsta PS71 finished ahead 1 times and Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryEcsta PS71Cinturato P7 C2ΔHead-to-head
Wet Braking Wet 92% 88% +4.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 · 225/50 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/17 #9/17 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 · 225/50 R17

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 Cinturato P7 C2

Pros

  • Exceptionally low road noise and quiet highway cruising
  • Superior ride comfort and excellent bump absorption
  • Reliable and balanced dry and wet handling for daily driving

Cons

  • Inconsistent wet weather grip or loss of confidence in wet conditions reported by some users
  • Rapid tread wear or disappointing longevity noted on certain vehicle applications
  • Performance and compound feel can be negatively affected by significant ambient temperature drops
All owner themes in the Cinturato P7 C2 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.

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.”
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”
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

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 B · Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1332
Rim diameters16″ – 22″16″
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2

Winner: Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 — better noise, efficiency and dry. Pick the Kumho Ecsta PS71 if wet matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 scores 69 vs 36 on noise.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 scores 64 vs 48 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 scores 85 vs 75 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 scores 80 vs 70 on comfort.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Tire B · Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2
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Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 82 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2, 85 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2, 69 vs 36 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2, 80 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2, 61 vs 51 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ecsta PS71 or Cinturato P7 C2?

Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2, 64 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