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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Powergy 2 vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 — 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 + 8 road tests and 102 + 1,068 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta Sport PS72 is ahead, 85–60

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Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Tire BKumho

Ecsta Sport PS72

Summer

± 5

Tests 78 · 8 tests Owners 83 · 1,068 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (wet handling (tester's mark))

“I’m on the Kumho sport ps72 and in the dry on road they are great, wet road- great, dry track also great but on wet track; a little unpredictable.”

Category by category

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

  1. 60

    Dry

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +26
    86
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 63 (est.)87
    Reviews found online5685

    Powergy 2: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 56.3 = 60

    Ecsta Sport PS72: 60% × 86.6 + 40% × 85.3 = 86

    No road tests of dry for Powergy 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +26
    88
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests≈ 64 (est.)88
    Reviews found online5988

    Powergy 2: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 62

    Ecsta Sport PS72: 60% × 88.1 + 40% × 87.5 = 88

    No road tests of wet for Powergy 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 60

    Comfort

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 66 (est.)58
    Reviews found online5675

    Powergy 2: 40% × 66.2 (est.) + 60% × 56.4 = 60

    Ecsta Sport PS72: 40% × 57.9 + 60% × 75.4 = 68

    No road tests of comfort for Powergy 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–63
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Ecsta Sport PS72: 60% × 62.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 64

    No owner ratings of noise for Ecsta Sport PS72. 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.

  5. –

    Treadwear

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–70
    Reviews found online–78

    Ecsta Sport PS72: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 78 = 73

  6. 55

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta Sport PS72 +31
    86
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Reviews found online5586
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePowergy 2Ecsta Sport PS72
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests–71
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Powergy 2Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Relative Score 60 85
Dry 60 86
Wet 62 88
Comfort 60 68
Noise – 64
Treadwear – 73
Handling (owners) 55 86
Efficiency – 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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

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
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
± 9

Powergy 2

± 5

Ecsta Sport PS72

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 Powergy 2

Pros

  • Quiet operation and low road noise, mentioned in multiple reviews
  • Smooth ride and good comfort
  • Good grip, including in corners

Cons

  • Vague road feedback and limited driver confidence at the limit, so it is hard to judge how much grip is left
  • Grip described as unsatisfying by one reviewer, which conflicts with other reviews
  • Some vibration at sustained high speeds (140-180 km/h) in one review, with no alignment or balancing fault reported
All owner themes in the Powergy 2 review

Tire B Ecsta Sport PS72

Pros

  • Exceptional value and significantly lower price point compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Strong and predictable grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Quieter road noise and high ride comfort relative to other performance tires

Cons

  • Occasional reports of out-of-round tires causing persistent vibrations at highway speeds
  • Stiffer sidewalls can result in a firmer ride or slight tracking issues when cold
  • Some users noted faster-than-expected wear under aggressive, spirited driving conditions
All owner themes in the Ecsta Sport PS72 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli Powergy 2

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

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 is largely positive, with drivers praising its impressive dry and wet grip, responsive handling, and low cabin noise compared to premium alternatives like the Michelin Pilot Sport series. Most owners view it as an outstanding value proposition, offering near-flagship performance at a significantly lower price point. Minor criticisms focus on potential treadwear longevity, lack of rim protection, mixed feedback on highway noise, and occasional wheel balance or vibration issues.

civicxi.com ·2026-01-19

“Anyone else running these tires? Is it possible the tire(s) out of round? New hypergram wheels/new tires w/ aluminum hubcentric rings. Has vibrations, but most noticed front right. Balanced again same thing. Took the hub rings off with significant decrease but still there. Will try again with plastic rings followed by swapping wheels front to rear. If still going on will have to live with it”
r/elektrischrijden ·1 upvote ·2026-09-02

“Ik heb nog een paar nieuwe banden liggen voor die maat. Continental PremiumContact 7. Had je voor heel weinig mogen hebben. Die zijn echt wel beter dan die Hankooks. Overigens hoeft een goede band niet heel duur te zijn. Ik was zelf niet tevreden mer Hankook. De laatste nieuwe banden die ik heb laten monteren waren Kumho's Ecsta sport PS72. Die zijn weliswaar goedkoop, maar komen uitstekend uit veel testen. Ze hebben ook echt meer grip dan de Hankooks en Vredesteins die ik hiervoor had.”
r/F30 ·6 upvotes ·2026-06-07

“Michelin PS5 vs Continental SC 7 vs Kumho PS72 for 437 wheels Looking for new tires for my F30 330i on 437M wheels (225/40R19 & 255/35R19). Main priorities are comfort, steering feel, low noise, and good grip for spirited driving. I’ve previously run Michelin PS5 and loved them, although they got a bit noisy over time. Now I’m deciding between: Michelin PS5 Continental SportContact 7 Kumho PS72 The Kumhos are much cheaper and reviews seem very positive. Are they really close to the PS5/SC7, or is it worth spending more?”
Top themes
#value for money#dry and wet grip#low road noise#Michelin PS4 comparison#balancing and vibration#ride comfort compliance#treadwear longevity

Based on 33 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Powergy 2 B · Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Category—Summer
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available5450
Rim diameters16″ – 20″17″ – 21″
Tread depth—9.4/32″
UTQG—320 A A
Treadwear warranty—30,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common2828

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Powergy 2

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72

Winner: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 86 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 86 vs 60 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 88 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 68 vs 60 on comfort.

Tire A · Pirelli Powergy 2
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
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Powergy 2 or Ecsta Sport PS72?

Which is better in the wet, Powergy 2 or Ecsta Sport PS72?

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72, 88 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Powergy 2 or Ecsta Sport PS72?

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72, 86 vs 60 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Powergy 2 or Ecsta Sport PS72?

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72, 68 vs 60 on our comfort 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