Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 15 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 vs Firestone Firehawk AS — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 15 + 8 owner reviews. How we score
Firehawk AS is ahead, 69–63
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Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 8 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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64
Dry
Firehawk AS +670Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 62 71 Ecsta STX KL12: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 61.8 = 64
Firehawk AS: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 70
No road tests of dry for Ecsta STX KL12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
No road tests of dry for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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61
Wet
Firehawk AS +869Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 57 68 Ecsta STX KL12: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.4 = 61
Firehawk AS: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 69
No road tests of wet for Ecsta STX KL12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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64
Snow
Firehawk AS +266Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 59 62 Ecsta STX KL12: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 59.1 = 64
Firehawk AS: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.4 = 66
No road tests of snow for Ecsta STX KL12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
No road tests of snow for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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63
Comfort
Firehawk AS +669Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 61 69 Ecsta STX KL12: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 60.6 = 63
Firehawk AS: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 68.8 = 69
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta STX KL12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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67
Noise
Firehawk AS +370Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 67 74 Ecsta STX KL12: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 67
Firehawk AS: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 70
No road tests of noise for Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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62
Treadwear
Firehawk AS +870Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 59 72 Ecsta STX KL12: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 58.7 = 62
Firehawk AS: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.9 = 70
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta STX KL12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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57
Handling (owners)
Firehawk AS +1067Why this score
Source Ecsta STX KL12 Firehawk AS Reviews found online 57 67
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 | Firestone Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 69 |
| Dry | 64 | 70 |
| Wet | 61 | 69 |
| Snow | 64 | 66 |
| Comfort | 63 | 69 |
| Noise | 67 | 70 |
| Treadwear | 62 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 57 | 67 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
Ecsta STX KL12
69
/ 100
Firehawk AS
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ecsta STX KL12
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- High tread life and durability
- Strong wet weather grip and cornering stability
Cons
- Potential for increased road noise over time
- Inconsistent traction performance on certain vehicle chassis
- Accelerated wear on poor road surfaces
Tire B Firehawk AS
Pros
- Exceptionally quiet and smooth ride quality
- Strong dry handling and improved cornering response
- Good water dispersion and wet road performance for most users
Cons
- Potential susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain according to select reviewers
- Requires proper balancing to prevent irregular tread wear
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 | B · Firestone Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer High Performance tires | All Season High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 7 | 5 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 22″ | 15″ – 18″ |
| Tread depth | 11.5/32″ | 11/32″ |
| UTQG | 420 A A | 480 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 50,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 44 psi |
| Sizes in common | 0 | 0 |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta STX KL12
69
/ 100
Firestone Firehawk AS
Winner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 15 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Firestone Firehawk AS rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 67 vs 57 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 69 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 70 vs 62 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 70 vs 64 on dry.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta STX KL12
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk AS
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Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Firestone Firehawk AS, 69 vs 61 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Neither, by our numbers: 64 vs 66 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 67 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Firestone Firehawk AS, 69 vs 63 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta STX KL12 or Firehawk AS?
Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 62 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