Best test result: #1 of 4 in Michelin CrossClimate 3 & 3 Sport vs Pilot Sport 5 vs Primacy 5 (dry handling)
“The Tire Rack no longer has the selection with the major name brands it once did. I can order the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 in 225/45R18 from Costco but the Tire Rack doesn't offer it in that size. I can order the Continental Sport Contact 7 at Discount Tire in 225/45R18 but not at the Tire Rack. When my wife and I had a Corolla Hybrid, it took a 195/65R15. Michelin quit offering the CC2 in that size so the next best all-weather tire at the time that fit was the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 750. The Tire Rack never offered that tire but Discount Tire had it in stock locally. None of the tires I mentioned are exclusive tires for certain retailers. I enjoy the Tire Rack website and the testing they do, but they are no longer the go to merchant when buying tires like they once was.”
Best test result: #1 of 21 in 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
“Bad i have hs52 on my audi a3 8l quattro 1.8t i have no grip with rain.. Like cant corner fast it just goes straight... Dry its fine but wet forget it. My oncle has the same experience with kuhmo on his bmw 118 diesel he got some rims and they had pretty good threats kumho on it. He said all it wanted was to drift and spin out. He said a couple of times it did a 180 he said never again i said same don't trust my car with these tyres. Im gonna get some new rim 17" and Goodyear asymmetric 6. To replace my 16" stock rims with kumho... I have had bad tyres but never this bad. Like 1 ere prix were even better in my Mercedes even doh they became ovals.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
88
Dry
Pilot Sport 5 +7
81
Why this score
Source
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Professional tests (TWG score)
91
85
Reviews found online
84
75
Dry Braking (% of best)
95%
100%
Dry Handling (% of best)
100%
100%
90
Wet
Pilot Sport 5 +8
82
Why this score
Source
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Professional tests (TWG score)
92
88
Reviews found online
87
72
Wet Braking (% of best)
97%
97%
Wet Braking - Concrete (% of best)
97%
94%
Wet Circle (% of best)
97%
91%
Wet Handling (% of best)
98%
99%
75
Comfort
Pilot Sport 5 +10
65
Why this score
Source
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Professional tests (TWG score)
71
–
Reviews found online
80
60
45
Noise
Ecsta HS52 +20
65
Why this score
Source
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Professional tests (TWG score)
30
64
82
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 5 +9
73
Why this score
Source
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Professional tests (TWG score)
87
78
Reviews found online
75
66
83
Handling
Pilot Sport 5 +8
75
Why this score
Source
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Reviews found online
83
75
Scores at a glance
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 vs Kumho Ecsta HS52: scores by category (0–100)
Category
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Kumho Ecsta HS52
Relative Score
82
76
Dry
88
81
Wet
90
82
Comfort
75
65
Noise
45
65
Treadwear
82
73
Handling
83
75
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.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
82
/ 100
Pilot Sport 5
76
/ 100
Ecsta HS52
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.
Discipline
Category
Pilot Sport 5
Ecsta HS52
Δ
Both?
Curved Aquaplaning
Curved
92%#5/6 · 2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test
82%#20/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test
+10.4
Different tests
Dry Braking
Dry
95%#9/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test
100%#1/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test
−4.7
Different tests
Dry Handling
Dry
100%#1/4 · Michelin CrossClimate 3 & 3 Sport vs Pilot Sport 5 vs Primacy 5
100%#3/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test
+0.2
Different tests
Rolling Resistance
Efficiency
90%#5/6 · 2024 TopTireReview Best UHP Tyres for Asia Test
67%#14/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test
+22.7
Different tests
Fuel Consumption
Fuel
95%#8/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
93%#46/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
+1.4
Different tests
Abrasion
Other
100%#1/10 · 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test
44%#30/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
+56.1
Different tests
Noise
Other
99%#3/6 · 2024 TopTireReview Best UHP Tyres for Asia Test
96%#16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
+3.0
Different tests
Price
Other
90%#2/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres
77%#5/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
+12.8
Different tests
Value
Other
39%#10/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
75%#5/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test
−35.5
Different tests
Wear
Other
90%#2/10 · 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test
61%#12/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
+29.2
Different tests
Overall Ranking
Overall
50%#2/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test
50%#2/55 · 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview
0.0
Different tests
Straight Aqua
Straight
99%#3/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test
95%#16/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test
+4.3
Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership
Total
0%#8/20 · 2025 Auto Bild Summer Performance Tyre Test
0%#7/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test
0.0
Different tests
Wet Braking
Wet
97%#3/6 · 2024 TopTireReview Best UHP Tyres for Asia Test
97%#3/16 · 2026 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
−0.1
Different tests
Wet Braking - Concrete
Wet
97%#3/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
94%#10/50 · 2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
+3.3
Different tests
Wet Circle
Wet
97%#4/6 · 2024 TopTireReview Best UHP Tyres for Asia Test
91%#15/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test
+5.5
Different tests
Wet Handling
Wet
98%#5/10 · 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test
99%#2/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test
−0.9
Different tests
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Pilot Sport 5
Pros
Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces
Cons
Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Positive
Community opinion on the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is overwhelmingly positive for daily street driving, praising its exceptional wet grip, tread longevity, and quiet comfort compared to run-flats and older performance tires. However, several enthusiasts note downsides for aggressive or track use, specifically citing softer sidewalls, muted steering feedback, and poor heat resistance leading to delamination under track conditions. Most drivers consider it an outstanding premium all-rounder for sporty street cars rather than a dedicated track or extreme-performance tire.
The Kumho Ecsta HS52 receives a polarized mix of reviews from the community, praised by many for its rigid sidewalls, strong dry grip, sharp steering responsiveness, and great value compared to premium alternatives. However, some users report disappointing wet weather performance, potential issues with aquaplaning resistance, and inconsistent test results across different sizes. Overall, it is viewed as a solid mid-range option, though experiences with wet traction and longevity vary significantly among drivers.
#Dry grip and handling#Wet weather performance#Sidewall stiffness#Price and value#Comparison with competitors#Fuel economy and weight#Tread wear and durability
Based on 17 community posts
Specs side by side
Attribute
A · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
B · Kumho Ecsta HS52
Category
Summer
Summer
Vehicle type
Passenger Car / Crossover
Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available
66
53
Rim diameters
16″ – 22″
14″ – 20″
Which one should you actually buy?
82
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
76
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta HS52
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better comfort, treadwear and wet. Pick the Kumho Ecsta HS52 if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire BYou want a quieter cabin
Kumho Ecsta HS52 scores 65 vs 45 on noise.
Pick tire AYou want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 75 vs 65 on comfort.
Pick tire AYou want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 82 vs 73 on treadwear.
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.