Tests – · none yet Owners 68 · 10 reviews
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 vs Toyo R888 R — 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 + 2 road tests and 10 + 30 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta XS KU36 is ahead, 69–63
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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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72
Dry
R888 R +375Why this score
Source Ecsta XS KU36 R888 R Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 73 72 Ecsta XS KU36: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 72
R888 R: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 72.3 = 75
No road tests of dry for Ecsta XS KU36. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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70
Wet
Ecsta XS KU36 +1555Why this score
Source Ecsta XS KU36 R888 R Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 52 Reviews found online 69 60 Ecsta XS KU36: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 69.1 = 70
R888 R: 60% × 52.3 + 40% × 59.9 = 55
No road tests of wet for Ecsta XS KU36. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
61
Comfort
Ecsta XS KU36 +358Why this score
Source Ecsta XS KU36 R888 R Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 58 53 Ecsta XS KU36: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 57.5 = 61
R888 R: 40% × 66.3 (est.) + 60% × 53.3 = 58
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta XS KU36 or R888 R. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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64
Treadwear
Ecsta XS KU36 +1054Why this score
Source Ecsta XS KU36 R888 R Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 63 47 Ecsta XS KU36: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 64
R888 R: 60% × 59.2 (est.) + 40% × 46.5 = 54
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta XS KU36. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for R888 R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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71
Handling (owners)
Level71Why this score
Source Ecsta XS KU36 R888 R Reviews found online 71 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 | Toyo R888 R |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 63 |
| Dry | 72 | 75 |
| Wet | 70 | 55 |
| Comfort | 61 | 58 |
| Treadwear | 64 | 54 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 71 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
Ecsta XS KU36
63
/ 100
R888 R
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ecsta XS KU36
Pros
- Exceptional dry surface grip and cornering confidence
- Strong, rigid sidewall construction
- High value-to-performance ratio
Cons
- High levels of road noise that tend to worsen over time
- Lack of steering precision and on-center feel
- Rapid tread wear consistent with aggressive performance compounds
Tire B R888 R
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and cornering stability
- Sharp, communicative steering feedback
- Strong, stiff sidewall construction
Cons
- High levels of road noise, particularly at highway speeds
- Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
- Poor performance and potential for aquaplaning in standing water
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 | B · Toyo R888 R |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 45 |
| Rim diameters | — | 13″ – 20″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36
63
/ 100
Toyo R888 R
Winner: Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 — better wet, treadwear and comfort. Pick the Toyo R888 R if dry matters most to you. Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 70 vs 55 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 64 vs 54 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36 scores 61 vs 58 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Toyo R888 R scores 75 vs 72 on dry.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta XS KU36
Tire B · Toyo R888 R
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Ecsta XS KU36 or R888 R?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta XS KU36 or R888 R?
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36, 70 vs 55 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta XS KU36 or R888 R?
Toyo R888 R, 75 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta XS KU36 or R888 R?
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36, 61 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta XS KU36 or R888 R?
Kumho Ecsta XS KU36, 64 vs 54 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