Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 66 · 9 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 10 in 2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tyre Test (dry handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect vs Kumho Ecsta V730 — 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 3 + 1 road tests and 9 + 187 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect is ahead, 70–57
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Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 50 · 187 reviews
Best test result: #4 of 11 in 2022 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test (dry handling)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
74
Dry
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +173Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests 74 72 Reviews found online 76 76 Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 99% 99% Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 73.6 + 40% × 75.6 = 74
Ecsta V730: 60% × 71.6 + 40% × 76.3 = 73
-
72
Wet
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +3735Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 74 ≈ 44 (est.) Reviews found online 68 21 Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 73.7 + 40% × 68.4 = 72
Ecsta V730: 60% × 43.8 (est.) + 40% × 21.4 = 35
No road tests of wet for Ecsta V730. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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–
Snow
No comparison50Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online – 35 Ecsta V730: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 35.1 = 50
No road tests of snow for Ecsta V730. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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67
Comfort
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +1453Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 66 45 Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 65.8 = 67
Ecsta V730: 40% × 64 (est.) + 60% × 45.3 = 53
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect. 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 Ecsta V730. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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69
Noise
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +564Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 70 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) 61 Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 70 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69
Ecsta V730: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 64
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect. 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.
No road tests of noise for Ecsta V730. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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58
Treadwear
Ecsta V730 +159Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 62 (est.) Reviews found online 53 55 Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 53.4 = 58
Ecsta V730: 60% × 62.2 (est.) + 40% × 54.6 = 59
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect. 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 Ecsta V730. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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74
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect +569Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Reviews found online 74 69 -
67
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect Ecsta V730 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 67 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect | Kumho Ecsta V730 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 57 |
| Dry | 74 | 73 |
| Wet | 72 | 35 |
| Snow | – | 50 |
| Comfort | 67 | 53 |
| Noise | 69 | 64 |
| Treadwear | 58 | 59 |
| Handling (owners) | 74 | 69 |
| Efficiency | 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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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
70
/ 100
Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
57
/ 100
Ecsta V730
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect finished ahead 0 times and Kumho Ecsta V730 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect | Ecsta V730 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 99% | −0.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/11 | #4/11 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
Pros
- Significant lap time improvements and reliable dry grip
- Enhanced wet performance and aquaplaning resistance compared to predecessor tires
- Surprising daily driving comfort and compliance
Cons
- Initial tread scrubbing and vibration when brand new
- Can struggle under extremely high track temperatures (e.g., 54C)
- Some users reported soft sidewalls or vague feedback near the limit
Tire B Ecsta V730
Pros
- Excellent dry grip and predictable handling characteristics at the limit.
- High heat tolerance with minimal 'greasy' drop-off during long track sessions.
- Superior tread life and durability compared to many direct 200TW competitors.
Cons
- Poor wet weather performance, particularly with standing water or worn tread.
- Requires significant heat to reach optimal operating temperature, making them poor for cold-weather street use.
- Harsh ride quality and high road noise due to the stiff sidewall construction.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect | B · Kumho Ecsta V730 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 6 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 8.5/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
57
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta V730
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect — better wet, comfort and noise. Where the Kumho Ecsta V730 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect scores 72 vs 35 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect scores 67 vs 53 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect scores 69 vs 64 on noise.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta V730
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Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect or Ecsta V730?
Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect or Ecsta V730?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect, 72 vs 35 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect or Ecsta V730?
Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 73 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect or Ecsta V730?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect, 69 vs 64 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect or Ecsta V730?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect, 67 vs 53 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect or Ecsta V730?
Neither, by our numbers: 58 vs 59 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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