Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Ecsta PS91 vs Goodyear EfficientGrip — Compared

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

EfficientGrip leads, 60–59 Narrow edge

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Tire AKumho

Ecsta PS91

Summer

Tests 76 · 6 tests Owners 47 · 485 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 10 in 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 (overall ranking)

“90% used Michelin super sports or New Kumho ecsta ps91. I am juggling between either getting a set of used 90% tread Michelin pss or 4s... or getting some new kumho ecsta ps91s. I’ve always thought Michelin had the best ride and profile appearance even in a high end sport tire but of course the price. If I go used they are about the same price as a set of new kumho. I have never tried the ps91 but they look like Michelin’s even the recessed rim guard looks similar and many reviews say performance and ride is similar.”

Tire BGoodyear

EfficientGrip

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 56 · 1,726 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 5 in 2010 Auto Bild Eco Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“Ultra contact is average, never tried e-primacy but currently on primacy 5 and they aren't worth the price . My brother drives on Goodyear efficient grip performance 2 currently, and they are way better than ultra contact ( he used them last year, and better than my michelin), so honestly it would be a no brainer to go with Goodyear for me. BUT since you're driving a mazda 3, can't you find continental premium contact in this size ? They are really GOOD, I had them last year, you always have good grip, dry/wet, doesn't matter, that tire is very alive in corner, it enjoys being pushed in corners, only downside is that they wear faster than Goodyear, but I say it's well worth it.”

Category by category

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

  1. 68

    Dry

    Ecsta PS91 +9
    59
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Professional tests (TWG score)75–
    Reviews found online5754
  2. 68

    Wet

    Ecsta PS91 +4
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Professional tests (TWG score)77–
    Reviews found online5562
  3. 38

    Snow

    EfficientGrip +29
    67
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Reviews found online1765
  4. 61

    Comfort

    EfficientGrip +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Reviews found online5357
  5. 67

    Noise

    Ecsta PS91 +9
    58
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online5444
  6. 49

    Treadwear

    EfficientGrip +11
    60
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Reviews found online3756
  7. 57

    Handling

    Ecsta PS91 +7
    50
    Why this score
    SourceEcsta PS91EfficientGrip
    Reviews found online5750
Scores at a glance
Kumho Ecsta PS91 vs Goodyear EfficientGrip: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryKumho Ecsta PS91Goodyear EfficientGrip
Relative Score 59 60
Dry 68 59
Wet 68 64
Snow 38 67
Comfort 61 63
Noise 67 58
Treadwear 49 60
Handling 57 50

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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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

Ecsta PS91

EfficientGrip

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 PS91EfficientGripΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #9/10 · 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 25% #4/5 · 2010 Auto Bild Eco Tyre Test −5.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ecsta PS91

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip providing high confidence during spirited driving
  • Significantly more affordable than premium flagship alternatives while offering comparable performance
  • Stiff sidewalls enhance steering response, cornering stability, and feedback

Cons

  • Accelerated tread wear and shorter lifespan, particularly with aggressive driving or on heavier vehicles
  • Stiff sidewalls result in a firmer, less comfortable ride that transmits road imperfections
  • Tendency to tramline or follow road grooves on straight highways
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS91 review

Tire B EfficientGrip

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth ride quality
  • Good fuel economy and rolling resistance
  • Reliable wet and dry grip for everyday driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls result in a mushy or 'jelly-like' steering feel during cornering
  • Vulnerability to sidewall damage, bulges, and punctures from road hazards
  • Faster-than-expected tread wear for some users
All owner themes in the EfficientGrip review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Kumho Ecsta PS91

Mixed

Community opinion on the Kumho Ecsta PS91 is generally mixed, praising them as a budget-friendly, good-looking max performance summer tire that rivals premium brands in daily driving comfort and appearance. However, multiple users note concerns regarding rapid tread wear, poor heat capacity under track conditions, and susceptibility to degrading under hard abuse compared to dedicated 200 treadwear or extreme performance tires.

r/G37 ·30 upvotes ·2026-03-21

“275/40 Square Can Fit on a Sedan Shout out to TireRack for having great information on actual tire size. Ecsta PS91 265/40 and ExtremeContact 275/40 has a tread width and section width difference of 0.1” and 0.2” respectively. Tires fit just about perfect. No rubbing so far, and don’t expect it to rub bc of the relatively minimal width change Really goes to show that tire brand matters for fitment Read more”

r/e46 ·222 upvotes ·2025-03-27

“Follow up on new wheels/tires for ZHP Well new wheels and tires are on aswell as aligned. I love the tire and fitment setup but really do not like the gunmetal grey color especially on imola. I will feel it out for a while but probably eventually powder coat to OEM silver. Wheels specs are 18 x 8.5 x ET50 with 255/35/18 Kuhmo Ecsta PS91 all around. -2.5 camber in the front and -2.8 in the rear.”

r/CarTrackDays ·1 upvote ·2026-07-20

“Pretty terrible idea, the PS91 will not have the same heat capacity as the V730, so your front/rear grip balance will change wildly during a session. With the non-200s on the front, at least you’ll understeer instead of oversteer/spin, but not ideal. An experienced driver might be able to work around this, if you’re new, this would be a dangerous situation. Similarly, I wouldn’t mix something like a yokohama AO52, which delivers all of its grip from cold and tends to overheat within a couple laps, with something like a hankook RS4, which famously takes some time to warm up and then delivers consistent grip for a long time”

Top themes
#budget friendly performance#ride quality and comfort#tread wear longevity#track and heat performance#tire mixing risks#fitment and appearance

Based on 16 community posts

Tire B

Goodyear EfficientGrip

Mixed

Community opinions on the Goodyear EfficientGrip family are divided. Many users praise their comfort, quietness, and strong wet braking capabilities compared to competitors, while others express concerns over soft sidewalls affecting cornering stability, durability against potholes, and traction limits in cold or greasy winter conditions.

Top themes
#Wet traction and grip#Comfort and road noise#Sidewall stiffness and handling#Durability and pothole damage#Dry road performance

Based on 17 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Ecsta PS91 B · Goodyear EfficientGrip
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available124
Rim diameters19″15″ – 20″
Tread depth9.5/32″10/32″
UTQG260 A A340 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall - Raised Black Lettering
Max pressure50 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Ecsta PS91

Goodyear EfficientGrip

Too close to call: Kumho Ecsta PS91 and Goodyear EfficientGrip are within 2 points overall. Kumho Ecsta PS91 is stronger on dry, noise and handling. Goodyear EfficientGrip is stronger on snow and treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear EfficientGrip scores 67 vs 38 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Goodyear EfficientGrip scores 60 vs 49 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS91 scores 68 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Kumho Ecsta PS91 scores 67 vs 58 on noise.

Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PS91
Tire B · Goodyear EfficientGrip

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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.

60

Narrow edge

EfficientGrip

Amazon