Summer tire Updated November 2026

Kumho Ecsta HS52 review

Name: Kumho Ecsta HS52
Brand: Kumho

± 5

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Better than 96% of the summer tires we score.

Owners 75 · 2,387 reviews analysed Road tests 83 · 7 tests

How scores work

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Kumho Ecsta HS52 has a Relative Score of 79 out of 100 among summer tires. In 8 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 3 times. Testers rate it best for wet (89) and weakest for efficiency (43). 2,387 owner reviews rate it 75 out of 100. 75% would buy it again.

Projected tread life in 5 wear tests: about 45,000 km (28,000 miles) on average, newest 2026.

Strength: Wet 89 — 2nd of 55 (2024 Summer tire Market Overview), 2nd of 20 (2024 AutoBild Summer tire Test)
Strength: Dry 86 — 1st of 21 (2022 Auto Bild Summer tire Test), 2nd of 55 (2024 Summer tire Market Overview)
Weak point: Efficiency 43 — 15th of 16 (2026 ADAC Summer tire Test), 46th of 50 (2023 ADAC Summer tire Test)

Community sentiment Mixed Read the buzz

#Dry grip and handling#Wet weather performance#Sidewall stiffness#Price and value#Comparison with competitors

Owners rate it 8 points lower than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

How scores work

Relative score: 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
Road tests: 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
Owner reviews: 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

75/100

From 2,387 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 75%

Dry

Overall dry

Wet

Overall wet

Comfort

Overall comfort

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

Handling

Overall handling

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

83/100

Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.

Dry

Wet

Noise

Treadwear

Efficiency

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 2,387 owner reviews found online.

The Kumho Ecsta HS52 receives overwhelmingly positive feedback from users, who frequently praise its impressive wet and dry grip, comfortable ride quality, and low noise levels. Positioned as a strong upper mid-range alternative to premium brands, drivers note that it offers exceptional value for money without sacrificing daily reliability and handling performance.

Pros

Excellent wet and dry weather traction
Low road noise and quiet operation
Smooth and comfortable ride quality
High value for money compared to premium brands
Precise steering response and solid cornering stability

Cons

A few reports of accelerated or abnormal tread wear
Slightly sensitive to tire pressure regarding comfort
Occasional complaints of high-speed vibration or imbalance early on
Minor criticisms regarding lateral grip on specific wet surfaces

Worth knowing

Drivers of smaller hatchbacks and city cars (like the Skoda Fabia and Lancia Ypsilon) noted marked improvements in grip and wet weather braking over OEM tires.
Users operating heavier vehicles, such as SUVs and hybrids, praised the tire's stability, load management in heavy rain, and noise reduction.

8 published test appearances (7 in the score)

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2026 ADAC Summer tire Test · 225/50R17

9th of 16

Best: Wet Braking · 3rd Weakest: Fuel Consumption · 15th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	3rd of 16
Dry Braking	9th of 16
Straight Aquaplaning	5th of 16
Wear	8th of 16
Fuel Consumption	15th of 16
Abrasion	12th of 16
Wet Braking (concrete)	3rd of 16

Source: ADAC

2024 AutoBild Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

5th of 20

Best: Wet Braking · 2nd Weakest: Curved Aquaplaning · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 20
Wet Handling	2nd of 20
Dry Braking	2nd of 20
Dry Handling	3rd of 20
Rolling Resistance	16th of 20
Straight Aquaplaning	10th of 20
Curved Aquaplaning	20th of 20
Noise	7th of 20
Value	5th of 20
Wear	12th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	12th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2024 ADAC Summer tire Test · 215/55 R17

3rd of 16

Best: Wear · 1st Weakest: Straight Aquaplaning · 16th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	5th of 16
Dry Braking	12th of 16
Straight Aquaplaning	16th of 16
Curved Aquaplaning	12th of 16
Noise	16th of 16
Value	1st of 16
Price	5th of 16
Wear	1st of 16
Fuel Consumption	13th of 16
Abrasion	3rd of 16
Wet Braking (concrete)	2nd of 16

Source: ADAC

2024 Summer tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16

2nd of 55

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 55
Dry Braking	2nd of 55

Source: Auto Bild

2023 ADAC Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

8th of 50

Best: Dry Braking · 4th Weakest: Fuel Consumption · 46th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	17th of 50
Dry Braking	4th of 50
Straight Aquaplaning	14th of 50
Value	13th of 50
Wear	12th of 50
Fuel Consumption	46th of 50
Abrasion	30th of 50
Wet Braking (concrete)	10th of 50

Source: ADAC

2023 Autoklub ČR Budget Summer Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

4th of 6

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Autoklub ČR

2022 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 215/55 R17

6th of 21

Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Curved Aquaplaning · 18th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	5th of 21
Wet Handling	14th of 21
Wet Circle	15th of 21
Dry Braking	1st of 21
Dry Handling	12th of 21
Rolling Resistance	14th of 21
Straight Aquaplaning	16th of 21
Curved Aquaplaning	18th of 21
Noise	8th of 21
Value	2nd of 21
Wear	5th of 21
Total Cost of Ownership	7th of 21

Source: Auto Bild

2022 Summer tire Market Overview · 215/55 R17

3rd of 44

Best: Dry Braking · 2nd Weakest: Wet Braking · 6th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	6th of 44
Dry Braking	2nd of 44

Source: Auto Bild

Kumho Ecsta HS52 specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

Specifications
EU label: wet grip	A in 80% of sizes
EU label: energy	C in 59% of sizes
EU label: external noise	68–72 dB

Size	Retailer
175/65 R14	Amazon
185/60 R14	Amazon
185/55 R15	Amazon
185/60 R15	Amazon
185/65 R15	Amazon
195/50 R15	Amazon
195/55 R15	Amazon
195/65 R15	Amazon
205/60 R15	Amazon
205/65 R15	Amazon
185/50 R16	Amazon
185/55 R16	Amazon
195/45 R16	Amazon
195/50 R16	Amazon
195/55 R16	Amazon
205/50 R16	Amazon
205/55 R16	Amazon
205/60 R16	Amazon
215/45 R16	Amazon
215/55 R16	Amazon
215/60 R16	Amazon
225/55 R16	Amazon
225/60 R16	Amazon
235/60 R16	Amazon
205/45 R17	Amazon
205/50 R17	Amazon
205/55 R17	Amazon
215/45 R17	Amazon
215/50 R17	Amazon
215/55 R17	Amazon
215/60 R17	Amazon
215/65 R17	Amazon
225/45 R17	Amazon
225/50 R17	Amazon
225/55 R17	Amazon
225/60 R17	Amazon
225/65 R17	Amazon
235/45 R17	Amazon
235/55 R17	Amazon
235/60 R17	Amazon
195/55 R18	Amazon
215/50 R18	Amazon
215/55 R18	Amazon
215/60 R18	Amazon
225/40 R18	Amazon
225/45 R18	Amazon
225/50 R18	Amazon
225/55 R18	Amazon
235/45 R18	Amazon
235/50 R18	Amazon
245/45 R18	Amazon
205/55 R19	Amazon
195/55 R20	Amazon

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What owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of the scores above.

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.

r/Mazda323 ·6 upvotes

“Mini review of the Kumho Ecsta HS52 I was running some Hankook's on my GT before and the tire wall not stiff enough. Now I've mounted these Kumho Ecsta HS52's and I highly recommend them: The tire wall is nicely rigid and they grip great in the dry, took quite some intent to make them loose traction. Additionally, I've accidentally ran over a pretty big sharp looking rock at decent speed that aimed right in a tread groove (thinnest part) and the thing shrugged it off no problem. And all of this for a damn good price too! So if anyone's looking for good tires, now you know.”

2026-06-14

r/TyreReviews ·1 upvote

“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.”

2026-01-22

r/CarTalkUK ·1 upvote

“I have kuhmo ecsta hs52's on my renault megane during spring and summer and they are really good. No complaints at all. My milage did go up a little bit but that's it”

2025-01-11

r/tires ·3 upvotes

“What’s up with these tyres? Kumho ectsa hs52 date code 3923, tyres are (UK) legal regards tread but I can’t imagine this damage is normal. Both front tyres have this, looks like the tread is tearing apart in multiple places. I did not fit these tyres but it was mot’d 3 months ago and has done 2k miles since. I’ve owned the car 11 months but only noticed this very recently. I am getting them replaced on Monday with little use before then but I’m curious how this has happened. Is it just a shit brand? Wear is even across the face so I don’t think it would be the alignment or anything to do with the car and the damage is random across the contact patch. It’s a Peugeot 508 2l diesel so quite a bit of weight on the nose. Fitting Bridgestone Turanza 6. Rear tyres are good, but a different brand (horizon horace 2122 date)”

2025-09-23

r/TyreReviews ·1 upvote

“Yup, noticed that on my car too, went from a dot 2023 225/45/r17 PS5 to 205/50/r17 Kumho ecsta hs52 and while i went down in width, speed went up about 5-7km/h during a tight hairpin i always frequent, i feel a lot more confident chucking it towards the apex and not fear understeer ( my car is FWD).”

2025-06-16

Sentiment breakdown

Positive41%

Mixed18%

Negative24%

Neutral18%

Top themes

#Dry grip and handling#Wet weather performance#Sidewall stiffness#Price and value#Comparison with competitors#Fuel economy and weight#Tread wear and durability

From 17 threads and comments.