Kumho Ecsta PS71
WatchThe Kumho Ecsta PS71 is a mid-range Ultra High Performance summer tire that consistently impresses with confident wet-weather grip and secure, predictable handling. It often feels close to more expensive premium options for day-to-day pace, especially in the rain, and many drivers rate it as strong value. The main compromises are higher road noise and tread life that can be below average depending on vehicle and driving style.
Videos
These are the BEST UUHP TIRES you can buy for your car in 2022/23!
In Depth Tire Comparisons
View More ComparisonsAll Tests
View Test ResultsAlternative Tires
| Size | Fuel | Wet | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 inch | |||
| 205/55R16 91 V | B | B | 70 |
| 205/60R16 92 V | A | A | 71 |
| 205/60R16 92 V | A | A | 71 |
| 205/60R16 96 V XL | C | B | 70 |
| 205/60R16 92 V | A | A | 71 |
| 17 inch | |||
| 215/45R17 91 V XL | A | A | 72 |
| 265/65R17 112 V | C | A | 72 |
| 235/65R17 108 V XL | C | A | 72 |
| 235/65R17 108 V | C | A | 72 |
| 225/45R17 91 W | C | B | 70 |
| 215/45R17 91 W XL | B | A | 70 |
| 225/45R17 91 W | C | B | 70 |
| 215/55R17 94 W | D | A | 70 |
| 215/55R17 94 W | B | A | 71 |
| 225/45R17 94 W XL | B | A | 69 |
| 225/45R17 94 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/45R17 94 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 205/50R17 93 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/45R17 91 Y | D | A | 71 |
| 225/50R17 98 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/45R17 91 W | C | A | 71 |
| 215/45R17 91 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/50R17 98 W XL | C | A | 71 |
| 215/55R17 94 W | D | A | 70 |
| 225/45R17 91 Y | D | A | 71 |
| 225/45R17 91 W | C | A | 71 |
| 225/50R17 98 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/50R17 98 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 215/55R17 94 W | D | A | 70 |
| 205/50R17 93 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 215/45R17 91 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 215/45R17 91 W XL | B | A | 70 |
| 215/55R17 94 H | A | B | 69 |
| 225/45R17 94 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/50R17 98 W XL | C | A | 71 |
| 18 inch | |||
| 235/60R18 103 T | B | A | 71 |
| 235/60R18 103 T | B | A | 71 |
| 235/60R18 103 T | B | A | 71 |
| 235/60R18 107 V XL | A | A | 72 |
| 235/60R18 107 V XL | A | A | 72 |
| 235/60R18 107 W XL | C | B | 72 |
| 235/60R18 107 W XL | C | B | 72 |
| 235/60R18 107 W XL | C | B | 72 |
| 245/45R18 100 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 245/40R18 97 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 245/45R18 100 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 225/40R18 92 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 225/40R18 92 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 245/40R18 97 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 225/40R18 92 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 245/45R18 100 Y XL | C | A | 72 |
| 255/35R18 94 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 19 inch | |||
| 235/35R19 91 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 20 inch | |||
| 255/45R20 101 V | B | A | 71 |
| 255/45R20 105 V XL | B | A | 73 |
| 255/45R20 101 V | B | A | 71 |
| 255/45R20 101 V | B | A | 71 |
| 255/45R20 105 V XL | B | A | 73 |
| 255/45R20 105 V XL | B | A | 73 |
| 255/45R20 101 V | B | A | 71 |
| 245/35R20 95 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 255/45R20 105 Y XL | C | A | 73 |
| 245/35R20 95 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
| 245/35R20 95 Y XL | D | A | 72 |
Questions and Answers for the Kumho Ecsta PS71
Ask a questionWhich pressure do You recommend for track. I use 2.9 kg on road.
Hi! Is PS71 or PS91 better for a use on a Hobby-car only in the summer? The rim is 8x18 and the car is an Alfa Romeo Spider MY2001.
Does the Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV come with rim protection?
Are ECSTA PS71’s a run flat tire? We have recently had these fitted to our 2020 A1 Audi, replacing Goodyear Eagle F1’s. Tire size is 215/40/18
Ask a question
We will never publish or share your email address
Review Summary
Based on 80 user reviews
Most drivers rate the Kumho Ecsta PS71 positively for strong wet and dry grip, predictable handling, and good value, often comparing it favorably to pricier premium options. Noise and faster wear appear as the main trade-offs, with several reports of increased road noise over time and below-average tread life for some vehicles. A minority report balancing/'egg-shaped' defects and tramlining, but these are not universal. Overall, the PS71 is a well-liked mid-range UHP tire focused on grip and value.
Strengths
- Wet grip
- Dry grip
- Predictable handling
- Value for money
- High-speed stability
- Comfort (generally)
Areas for Improvement
- Road noise
- Tread wear/longevity
- Balancing issues/egg-shaped defects
Top 3 Kumho Ecsta PS71 Reviews
They were great in the dry, but where I really noticed their edge was in the wet. They give plenty of confidence while driving, braking, turning, and braking in the turn on wet roads, and this was exactly like the reviews I had read before.
Summary, highly recommend.
The Kumho provides a surprising amount of grip for a regular street tire; which eventually breaks away predictably. You can feel the taller tread blocks moving around a little, but it adds to the fun enabling the car to move around a bit more than a track tire would perhaps let you.
The tires seemed to wear a minimal amount and were not overcome by heat or scorching as I had feared they would; running about 32psi.
Will be interested to see how they continue to wear and perform with a few more trackdays.
Latest Kumho Ecsta PS71 Reviews
If you're driving in hot climates (from 20C up) they're quite good (8/10) because handling, braking and stiffness feel just right. They are super noisy for a summer tire, above 90kmh they feel on par with Vredestein Quatrac Pro which are all season tires! The grip is not comparable to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S but that's to be expected.
Wet:
Rain behavior is interesting because they do slip (cars tamer than my Mustang probably wont make them slip at all) but they slip predictably and progressively without snapping, the central grooves are wider than usual so aquaplaning doesn't happen easily. They're okay in my opinion, grip is limited but they warn you soon enough.
Cold:
Kumho PS71 are terrible in the cold (below 10C) they are super stiff and they snap easily even in the dry (cool if you want to do some drifting but dangerous) and they're terrifying in wet conditions, I went on a 18% steep downhill at around 3C temperature on a relatively dry road (it rained the night before but most of the road was dry with some wet patches) and the wheels locked up with minimal and gentle brake input so I had to engine brake at 4k rpm to not slide, this would never happen with Continental SportContact or Bridgestone Potenza high-end summer tire. I never tested these tires below freezing or during winter luckily.
Durability:
No rim protection which on big wheels and low profile should be standard, wear is disappointing considering how stiff the tire is, probably the hard compound tears down more than softer rubber. Rear axle went flush with the wear bars before 18tkm and the front before 25tkm of course the Mustang will eat through the rear tires like butter considering how heavy and powerful it is but a Pilot Sport 4S will last almost 30tkm and provide significantly more grip throughout the entire lifespan...
Conclusion:
Good budget tire for hot climates, to be avoided at all cost in cold environment. I would not buy this tire again unless I get a super good deal (max 110€ per tire compared to Continental which are 160€)
I have another review closer to the beginning of life for these tires, this is a near end of life update
got the MX5 aligned recently, and although it drove well before (its hard to find a poor handling mx5) the toe out on the front destroyed the tires faster than they otherwise would have worn.
however with the new alignment (F: 0 toe; -1.5 camber; 4.5 caster R: -1.3 camber; -0.50mm toe) both the car and tires feel alot better.
I also have done a track day with them, they felt great for about 1 1/2 laps of a ~1 minute track but become really greasy afterward as they overheat somewhat quick. this said that is not a criticism of the tire as it is not designed for track work.
Dry grip on the Twisties / Touge is very good and unless you are really pushing it (to the dismay of local law enforcement) these have more than adequate grip for fun spirited driving. However you can get them loose if you try and of course will not have the pace of dedicated semislicks.
wet grip is very good, you can get them loose with some ease if you try, however to do so would not be 'driving to conditions'. for their class in an Australian climate their wet grip is great (probably not PS4S great, but not so bad it's dangerous.)
only thing I'd say is wear is not that great, granted i did have a poor alignment that accelerated wear, but i would eyeball the wear as below average for it's class. not horrible, not great either. the PS71's on my MX5 have lasted 15,000 km of driving on a harsh alignment (toe out on front) 60-70% of that driving was at 7-9 tenths on twisty roads, so abnormally hard compared to most.
I wouldn't recommend this tire to those who drive Touge / Track at pace often in summer or in a climate where you can run summer tires year round (like australia) . go for a semi slick in that case if you can stomach the poor wet performance. or a PS4/PS4s/PS5/PSs5 if it is in your size (PS4/PS5 also overheat on track so keep that in mind) a PS71 is simply not made for a Track/ heavy Touge use case.
if you need wet weather grip and take your car for a 6-8 tenths run every now and then but need a good daily tire, these tires will be great value for money.
a PSA:
get an alignment. Don't care if you've had the car for a month and the previous owner said they got one recently, get an alignment as any handling or wear issues cannot be blamed on the tire unless you personally have taken your car to get an alignment yourself. a fresh alignment, especially custom performance specs (do your research!) can have a monumental impact on how the car feels regardless of tire choice.
I do mostly driving up and down the Peak District for my commute, so there's a lot of twisty roads and lots of braking and acceleration due to the hills.
Grip is great in the dry and wet, and have good aquaplane resistance on a straight line. Decent grip around the corners, but can occasionally trigger the traction control if you accidentally floor it mid corner. Fuel economy is decent, and from my experience, it has fairly low roll resistance. Braking distance is average, but stable.
However, I can see why these have good performance for the price, and it's because of the poor wear.
Bought these with 7mm tread new on all corners. They are already down to 3mm at the front and 6mm at the back, after only 10,000 miles.
They were £86 per tire when I got them. Would probably buy them again, if I was strapped for cash. But might be better to get something a little bit more expensive, but with better wear resistance.
