Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 17 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Pirelli Dragon Sport vs Kumho Ecsta PS71 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ecsta PS71 leads, 70–66 Narrow edge
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Tests 67 · 14 tests Owners 69 · 8,166 reviews
“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.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
Ecsta PS71 +1075Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) – 78 Reviews found online 64 71 -
70
Wet
Ecsta PS71 +1484Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) – 90 Reviews found online 70 73 -
65
Comfort
Ecsta PS71 +671Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) – 75 Reviews found online 61 65 -
–
Noise
No comparison38Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) – 18 -
64
Treadwear
Dragon Sport +1252Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Ecsta PS71 Professional tests (TWG score) – 45 Reviews found online 63 63 -
66
Handling
Ecsta PS71 +571Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Ecsta PS71 Reviews found online 66 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Dragon Sport | Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 70 |
| Dry | 65 | 75 |
| Wet | 70 | 84 |
| Comfort | 65 | 71 |
| Noise | – | 38 |
| Treadwear | 64 | 52 |
| Handling | 66 | 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
66
/ 100
Dragon Sport
70
/ 100
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 Dragon Sport
Pros
- Excellent tread life and durability for the price point
- High value-for-money compared to premium performance tires
- Strong dry grip and reliable wet weather performance for daily driving
Cons
- Soft sidewalls leading to vague steering feedback and understeer
- Susceptibility to sidewall damage and punctures from road hazards
- Performance limits fall short of true enthusiast-grade tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport series
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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Pirelli Dragon Sport
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Community sentiment towards the Kumho Ecsta PS71 is generally positive, with drivers viewing it as an affordable, high-value mid-range/UHP tire that performs reliably compared to premium brands. Users praise its wet grip rating, competitive pricing, and overall road manners once warmed up, though some note it provides adequate rather than top-tier grip and raise questions regarding cold performance and tread life.
r/TyreReviews
·1 upvote ·2026-06-17
“Kumho PS71 Question Replaced an older (2021 or 2022 production) set of ps71 with a new set (production 39-42 week of 2024) and noticed something on the new sidewalls I hadn't seen on the old ones. The new ones have ps71 with either a 1 or a 2 under it right above the bead in very small text. I'm curious what they mean if anything at all.”
r/TeslaUK
·2 upvotes ·2026-08-28
“go with Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV around £140 – £165. Good value for money”
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?”
Top themes
#Value for money#Wet grip performance#UHP budget alternative#Tread wear durability#Warm-up temperature behavior#Tire pressure specifications
Based on 24 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Dragon Sport | B · Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 22 | 133 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 20″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Pirelli Dragon Sport
70
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PS71 — better wet, dry and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Dragon Sport if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 84 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Pirelli Dragon Sport scores 64 vs 52 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 75 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho Ecsta PS71 scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · Pirelli Dragon Sport
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS71
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.