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Head-to-head Updated

Nitto NT555 vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — 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 + 14 road tests and 13 + 8,190 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PS71 is ahead, 70–53

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Nitto NT555
Tire ANitto

NT555

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 43 · 13 reviews

Kumho Ecsta PS71
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS71

Summer

± 5

Tests 68 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,190 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”

Category by category

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

  1. 54

    Dry

    Ecsta PS71 +21
    75
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 59 (est.)78
    Reviews found online4772

    NT555: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 47 = 54

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 77.6 + 40% × 71.7 = 75

    No road tests of dry for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 52

    Wet

    Ecsta PS71 +33
    85
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 56 (est.)92
    Reviews found online4475

    NT555: 60% × 56.3 (est.) + 40% × 44.4 = 52

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 91.8 + 40% × 74.6 = 85

    No road tests of wet for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 42

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 55 (est.)–
    Reviews found online23–

    NT555: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 22.7 = 42

    No road tests of snow for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 51

    Comfort

    Ecsta PS71 +18
    69
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 64 (est.)75
    Reviews found online4365

    NT555: 40% × 63.6 (est.) + 60% × 43.2 = 51

    Ecsta PS71: 40% × 74.6 + 60% × 65.3 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 59

    Noise

    NT555 +23
    36
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 66 (est.)16
    Reviews found online49≈ 66 (est.)

    NT555: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 49 = 59

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 15.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 36

    No road tests of noise for NT555. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta PS71. 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.

  6. 52

    Treadwear

    Level
    52
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 58 (est.)46
    Reviews found online4460

    NT555: 60% × 58.3 (est.) + 40% × 43.7 = 52

    Ecsta PS71: 60% × 46 + 40% × 59.9 = 52

    No road tests of treadwear for NT555. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 50

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PS71 +23
    73
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Reviews found online5073
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    48
    Why this score
    SourceNT555Ecsta PS71
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–48
Scores at a glance
CategoryNitto NT555Kumho Ecsta PS71
Relative Score 53 70
Dry 54 75
Wet 52 85
Snow 42 –
Comfort 51 69
Noise 59 36
Treadwear 52 52
Handling (owners) 50 73
Efficiency – 48

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
± 8

NT555

± 5

Ecsta PS71

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A NT555

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and sticky, hot-tar-like road adhesion
  • Enhanced handling and high-speed stability
  • Sporty aesthetic and semi-slick feel favored by enthusiasts

Cons

  • Subpar wet weather traction and dangerous in winter/cold conditions
  • Can struggle to maintain traction on higher-horsepower vehicles (e.g., V8 setups)
  • Notable road noise that increases as the tire wears
All owner themes in the NT555 review

Tire B Ecsta PS71

Pros

  • Outstanding wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
  • High value for money compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Predictable handling and solid cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise or droning at motorway speeds on certain vehicles
  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or out-of-round/egg-shaped tires
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to slightly vague steering response around center or tread block movement
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS71 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Nitto NT555

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Positive

Community members generally view the Kumho Ecsta PS71 as a capable and reliable mid-range ultra-high performance tire offering solid grip and value for money compared to premium alternatives. While perceived as good once warmed up, some drivers note that it does not quite reach the ultimate grip level of top-tier brands and question its tread wear longevity.

r/TyreReviews ·2 upvotes ·2024-10-25

“I've had the PS71 several years ago - it was ok, nothing spectacular. They might have changed the compound now, so it may be better. Its a good tire, I don't remember any real weaknesses, it just never felt like "yeah, this sticks like glue to the road". Edit: I just remembered - it was mediocre in the city - when the tire was not warmed up, but I reckon this is shared between most sport tires with high speed rating. Once warmed up was good.”
r/tires ·5 upvotes ·2022-10-17

“Those are Kumho Ecsta PS71s, thread width is supposed to be 245mm, the actual one is hardly 235. How so?”
bimmerforums.co.uk ·1 upvote ·2024-05-05

“On Blackcircles all the 245/40 R19 ditch finders cost around £100 and have a poor wet grip & all the decent mid range cost around £170 and have A rated wet grip. Would you risk it for £240? I know I wouldn't. The cheapest A wet rated is a Kuhmo Ecsta PS71 at £136 if you really want to keep the cost down. If you want a relatively soft comfortable tyre then a Hankook S1 Evo 3 is an excellent choice.”
Top themes
#value for money#wet and dry grip#tire wear longevity#sporty handling performance#warm up temperature behavior#mid-range alternative comparison

Based on 23 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Nitto NT555 B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available53133
Rim diameters15″ – 22″16″ – 22″
Tread depth10.3/32″—
UTQG300 A A—
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common4242

Which one should you actually buy?

Nitto NT555

Kumho Ecsta PS71

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Nitto NT555 if noise matters most to you. Nitto NT555 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 85 vs 52 on wet.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Nitto NT555 scores 59 vs 36 on noise.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 73 vs 50 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 54 on dry.

Tire A · Nitto NT555
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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NT555 or Ecsta PS71?

Which is better in the wet, NT555 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 85 vs 52 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, NT555 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 75 vs 54 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, NT555 or Ecsta PS71?

Nitto NT555, 59 vs 36 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, NT555 or Ecsta PS71?

Kumho Ecsta PS71, 69 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, NT555 or Ecsta PS71?

Neither, by our numbers: 52 vs 52 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