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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS71 vs Vredestein Sportrac 2 — 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 + 0 road tests and 8,204 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS71 leads, 73–69 Narrow edge

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Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,204 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?”

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 +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / – tests78≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7265

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.9 = 75

    Sportrac 2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66

    No road tests of dry for Sportrac 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 85

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +11
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests92≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7575

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 74.7 = 85

    Sportrac 2: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 74

    No road tests of wet for Sportrac 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 69

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +6
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests74≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6560

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 74.5 + 60% × 65.3 = 69

    Sportrac 2: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 60.1 = 63

    No road tests of comfort for Sportrac 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 36

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests16–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 36

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71. 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.

  5. 52

    Treadwear

    Sportrac 2 +18
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests46≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6072

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 46 + 40% × 59.9 = 52

    Sportrac 2: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Sportrac 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 73

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS71 +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Reviews found online7369
  7. 48

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS71Sportrac 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests48–
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS71Vredestein Sportrac 2
Relative Score 73 69
Dry 75 66
Wet 85 74
Comfort 69 63
Noise 36 –
Treadwear 52 70
Handling (owners) 73 69
Efficiency 48 –

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

Ecsta PS71

± 8

Sportrac 2

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

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 Sportrac 2

Pros

  • Excellent wet weather grip and braking performance
  • High durability and long tread life
  • Predictable and responsive handling characteristics

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, particularly during deceleration
  • Lack of steering feedback and precision for spirited driving
  • Inconsistent performance reports among different users
All owner themes in the Sportrac 2 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

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.

z4-forum.com ·2023-01-29

“Not exactly helpful but I've got Hankook winter tyres on my 330i and they're really good. mr wilks on here recommend Kumho Ecstas a couple of times so I got a set for my MC and I've been very pleased with them. And I got a set for £400 from Black Circles! ETA My Kumho Ecstas are also PS71.”
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?”
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.”
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

Vredestein Sportrac 2

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS71 B · Vredestein Sportrac 2
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available133—
Rim diameters16″ – 22″—
UTQG—280 - 300 A A
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Vredestein Sportrac 2

Narrow edge: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, dry and comfort. Pick the Vredestein Sportrac 2 if treadwear matters most to you. Vredestein Sportrac 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Vredestein Sportrac 2 scores 70 vs 52 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 69 vs 63 on comfort.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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Tire B · Vredestein Sportrac 2
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Ecsta PS71 or Sportrac 2?

Which is better in the wet, Ecsta PS71 or Sportrac 2?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta PS71 or Sportrac 2?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Ecsta PS71 or Sportrac 2?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 69 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ecsta PS71 or Sportrac 2?

Vredestein Sportrac 2, 70 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