Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 vs Pirelli Cinturato C3
In this article we will be looking at independent tyre test data, and real world driver reviews of the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 and the Pirelli Cinturato C3 to find out which tyre is best for your own driving.
There are a few basic differences between the two tyres. The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 is an Max-Performance Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger-Cars, and the Pirelli Cinturato C3 is an Premium-Touring Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger-Cars
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been four tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 | one | |
| Pirelli Cinturato C3 | three |
While it might look like the Pirelli Cinturato C3 is better than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Dry Braking
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during four dry braking tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 stopped the vehicle in 2.07% less distance than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Dry Braking: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during two dry handling [s] tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was 0.53% faster around a lap than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Dry Handling [s]: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 and Pirelli Cinturato C3 performed equally well in dry handling [km/h] tests.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Dry Handling
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was better during two subj. dry handling tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scored 3.28% more points than the Pirelli Cinturato C3.
Best In Subj. Dry Handling: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
See how the Subj. Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during two wet braking tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 stopped the vehicle in 0.42% less distance than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Braking: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during two wet handling [s] tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was 1.88% faster around a wet lap than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Handling [s]: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during one wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was 0.96% faster around a wet lap than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Wet Handling
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during one subj. wet handling tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 scored 1.73% more points than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Subj. Wet Handling: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Subj. Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 had 2.56% higher lateral wet grip than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Circle: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during three straight aqua tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 floated at a 5.21% higher speed than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Straight Aqua: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during three curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 slipped out at a 2.04% higher speed than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during two subj. comfort tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 scored 4.83% more points than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was better during three noise tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 measured 1.63% quieter than the Pirelli Cinturato C3.
Best In Noise: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Wear
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during one wear tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 is predicted to cover 4.21% miles before reaching 1.6mm than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wear: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Wear winner was calculated >>
Value
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was better during one value tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 proved to have a 20.71% better value based on price/1000km than the Pirelli Cinturato C3.
Best In Value: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
See how the Value winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 had a 1.75% lower rolling resistance than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Abrasion
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 was better during one abrasion tests. On average the Pirelli Cinturato C3 lost 17.76% less particle wear matter than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Abrasion: Pirelli Cinturato C3
See how the Abrasion winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 Driver Reviews
Drivers generally report the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 delivers strong dry and wet grip with confident, predictable handling and very good steering precision for the price. Many describe it as comparable to premium options (e.g., Michelin Pilot Sport and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric lines) while offering standout value. Noise and comfort are often rated as good to very good, though a minority note it can be a bit firm or road-noisy depending on car/road. The main recurring complaint is vibration/balancing problems (often described as out-of-round tyres) on some sets, which can undermine an otherwise very positive experience.
Based on 25 reviews with an average rating of 84%
Pirelli Cinturato C3 Driver Reviews
Across 12 reviews, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 is described as an extremely confidence-inspiring tyre with standout wet and dry grip, strong braking and very secure, responsive handling that makes the car feel easy to place and control. Most drivers also find it quiet and comfortable for a touring-focused tyre, with several calling it excellent or “perfect” in mixed conditions. A smaller subset note notable road noise on certain surfaces and one user reports a significant fuel economy drop after fitting, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.
Based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 93%
They are not loud, but wouldn't they are necessarily quiet. You can hear them a bit depending on the road surface and speed.
Didn’t drive them too much in the rain, but seem to hold pretty well in wet conditions.
Mounted them in march this year and after 10-15k km I don’t see any major wear, but I would have to abstain on this one until I get them properly... Continue reading this review using the link below
Conclusion
In conclusion the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 performed better in subj. dry handling, noise and value, while the Pirelli Cinturato C3 performed better in dry braking, dry handling [s], wet braking, wet handling [s], wet handling [km/h], subj. wet handling, wet circle, straight aqua, curved aquaplaning, subj. comfort, wear, rolling resistance and abrasion.
Interestingly, both tyres performed equally well in dry handling and wet handling, showing that they are closely matched in these areas.
Which tyre is best for you depends a lot on your driving style and situation, plus what you want from the tyre. Comparing all the data in the tyre reviews database, on balance Pirelli Cinturato C3 seems to be the best tyre overall.
However, it's important to note that both tyres have their strengths.
Remember, the best tyre for you might depend on which of these factors are most important for your specific driving needs and conditions.
Overall Winner: Pirelli Cinturato C3
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Pirelli Cinturato C3 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tyre comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tyres:
Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.
Discussion
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