Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5
- TR Score
- 9.2/10
- Owners say
- 84% · 41
- TR Score
- 9.4/10
- Owners say
- 85% · 135
The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 and the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 have met in 6 independent tests and the record is level at 3-3. The Ecsta Sport PS72 was 0.8 dB quieter; the Pilot Sport 5 held 14.9% more grip in curved aquaplaning.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 if you want the most polished, predictable max-performance summer tyre with better aquaplaning security and clearly stronger wear life-ideal for fast-road driving in mixed wet conditions and for higher annual mileage. Choose the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 if you want the best bang-for-buck with notably lower noise and strong grip potential, and you're willing to give up some steering finesse/limit progression (and some wet hydroplaning margin) to save money.
Where the Ecsta Sport PS72 is stronger
- Excellent value proposition: consistently cheaper and scored best on value in Autobild (12.44 vs 15.42 price/1000, ~19% advantage)
- Low noise/refinement standout: repeatedly the quietest or among the quietest (e.g., AutoView Sport win on noise 47.8 vs 49.38 dB)
- Can deliver very strong wet braking in several tests (e.g., 23.07 m vs 24.37 m in Die Reifentester; 27.1 m vs 27.7 m in 52-tyre braking test)
Where the Pilot Sport 5 is stronger
- Most consistently confidence-inspiring handling feel: top subjective scores across multiple tests with predictable, progressive limit behaviour
- Aquaplaning security advantage: repeatedly stronger straight/curved aquaplaning (Auto Express straight 88.0 vs 83.6 km/h; curved 0.85 vs 0.70)
- Strong safety baseline in braking/overall balance even when not winning outright (e.g., AutoView Sport best wet braking 25.453 m vs 27.323 m)
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Ecsta Sport PS72 vs Pilot Sport 5 at a glance
| Category | Ecsta Sport PS72 | Gap | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won6 shared tests | 3 | 3 | |
| Dry15 measurements | 5 | The Pilot Sport 5 stopped 0.8% shorter in the dry (6 tests) | 7 |
| Wet17 measurements | 7 | The Pilot Sport 5 held 14.9% more grip in curved aquaplaning (2 tests) | 10 |
| Comfort9 measurements | 5 | The Ecsta Sport PS72 was 0.8 dB quieter (3 tests) | 1 |
| Value5 measurements | 1 | The Pilot Sport 5 had 1.3% lower rolling resistance (3 tests) | 4 |
| Tyre Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 9.2/10 | The Pilot Sport 5 by 0.2 | 9.4/10 |
| Owner rating41 and 135 reviews | 84% | Too close to call | 85% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 82% | Too close to call | 83% |
| Pricein the 2 tests that listed prices | Cheaper | The Pilot Sport 5 was dearer in 2 of 2 | +30.2% |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 86 | 48 sizes made in both | 66 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tyres; a tick marks the tyre ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 6 tests, 2025 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Ecsta Sport PS72 | Field | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test | P4 of 7 | P2 of 7 | |
| 2026 AutoView Value Sport Tyre Test | P2 of 4 | P3 of 4 | |
| 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test | P6 of 20 | P3 of 20 | |
| 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? | P4 of 50 | P9 of 50 | |
| 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | P1 of 8 | P5 of 8 | |
| 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | P5 of 9 | P4 of 9 |
Performance profile
13 measurements from the 6 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Ecsta Sport PS72
Pilot Sport 5
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 36 m stop against 34.2 m is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 85%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 5 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Ecsta Sport PS72
Pilot Sport 5
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Ecsta Sport PS72
Pilot Sport 5
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Ecsta Sport PS72 84% from 41 reviews and the Pilot Sport 5 85% from 135. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tyres posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Ecsta Sport PS72 | Gap | Pilot Sport 5 | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.33 | 0.8% | 35.04 | 1-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 89.93 | 0.2% | 90.11 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 100 | 1.3% | 101.3 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 6.7% | scored | 1-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 72.91 | 1.1% | 72.11 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 29.98 | 1.8% | 29.36 | 3-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 90.9 | 0.2% | 91.1 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 82.6 | 0.1% | 82.7 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 37.7% | scored | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 21.6 | 0.2% | 21.47 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 84.17 | 2.2% | 86.07 | 0-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2.07 | 14.9% | 2.29 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 0.6% | scored | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 7.5% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 61.37 | 0.8 dB | 62.13 | 3-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 48,230 | 23.7% | 59,670 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8.21 | 1.3% | 8.09 | 1-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1,605 | 15.7% | 1,353 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tyres shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 9.2 and the Pilot Sport 5 9.4 out of 10.
| Ecsta Sport PS72 | Category | Pilot Sport 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | Dry | 93 | ||
| 88 | Wet | 96 | ||
| 35 | Comfort | 22 | ||
| 49 | Value | 59 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| Ecsta Sport PS72 | Category | Pilot Sport 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Dry Grip | 9 | ||
| 8.8 | Wet Grip | 9 | ||
| 8.6 | Road Feedback | 8.1 | ||
| 8.6 | Handling | 8.3 | ||
| 8.3 | Wear | 8 | ||
| 7.7 | Comfort | 8.2 | ||
Owners rate the Ecsta Sport PS72 84% from 41 reviews and the Pilot Sport 5 85% from 135. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
- 84%from 41 reviews
- 82%would buy again
- 160,312 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners rate the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 highly overall (average 81.6%), most often praising its strong value for money and genuinely impressive dry performance, with confident handling and high-speed stability. Wet grip also comes through as a notable strength for around a third of reviewers, helping it feel safe and predictable in poor weather. Comfort and road noise are generally seen as good for a performance tyre, though a smaller but meaningful group find it noisier or less refined than expected. The main recurring downside is vibration or balancing/out-of-round issues mentioned by around one in six owners, with tread life only getting mixed, limited commentary so far.
- Excellent value for money versus premium rivals
- Strong dry grip with lots of confidence
- Sharp, capable dry handling through corners
- Stable and planted at motorway/high speeds
- Vibration/balancing or out-of-round issues at speed
- Can be noisy on some surfaces or at higher speeds
- Tread life concerns from a minority (seems to wear quickly for some)
Summarised by AI from 38 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tyre page.
All 41 Ecsta Sport PS72 reviewsBought them to replace Hankook ventus prime 4 (Touring type of tyres), did a bunch of research before buying, they were really cheap ! So i bought them, you notice the difference in handling and cornering immediately, yes they are UHP and they deliver on that, not that the hankook's were inferior but the Kumhos are a different experience during fast cornering. I drive mainly on mountain passes, they stick like glue on the tarmac they hold well on the wet, haven't drove hard yet on really heavy rain but they seem to do great, no aquaplaning as of now. Sidewalls are not hard as a rock but they aren't soft, they don't deform during cornering, riding on them is nice and comfortable. The only negative as a first impression is this, went from a 68db tyre to a 71db on the highway noise is significant worse with those Kumho, you can feel and hear every imperfection of the road, if you care about the noise buy the version with the foam inside I think they call it K version or something.
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
- 85%from 135 reviews
- 83%would buy again
- 1,150,326 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners rate the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 very highly overall, with most highlighting standout grip in both the dry and wet and plenty of confidence for fast road driving. Comfort and refinement are also frequently praised for a UHP tyre, with many finding it quiet and easy-going day to day. Wear is more divisive: many report strong mileage, but around one in ten complain of quicker wear than expected (and a smaller group mention uneven wear). Around one in eight owners also wish for sharper, more precise steering feel compared with sportier rivals.
- Outstanding wet grip and confidence in the rain
- Very strong dry grip with big reserves
- Comfortable, compliant ride for a performance tyre
- Refined, relatively quiet motorway manners (especially when new)
- Steering feel can be a bit vague or slower to respond than rivals
- Can wear quicker than expected for some drivers
- Not happy when pushed hard on track; can overheat and lose grip
Summarised by AI from 121 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tyre page.
All 135 Pilot Sport 5 reviewsI have driven on PS5 for the first season in my 150HP car (Cupra Leon ST).
The grip both in dry and in the wet is excellent - I tried to push them to the limit many times and have never been able to lose the grip so far.
Although I have to mention that they feel very soft close at the limit - even though the grip always delivers in the end, the tyre often „floats” when turning that you may start wondering if the tyre will make it out of the corner.
Due to their softness, I find them comfortable as for the summer tyre on small bumps.
Summing up - the grip is excellent, very safe and stable, breaking is sharp and… the tyre itself looks amazing.
Something worth mentioning is that the rim protector doesn’t exist in this tyre - if that’s something you care about, the PS5 is not for you.
Although I can’t find any cons in terms of safety in PS5, as a tyre geek, I think about replacing them for the next season for something with more sharp/sporty steering (I would appreciate any recommendations).
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tyre: 86 sizes of the Ecsta Sport PS72 and 66 of the Pilot Sport 5, 48 of them made in both.
| Category | Ecsta Sport PS72 | Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Summer | Summer |
| Sizes made | 86 sizes, 17 to 21 inch | 66 sizes, 16 to 22 inch |
| Made in both | 48 sizes 205/40 R17205/45 R17215/40 R17215/45 R17215/50 R17215/55 R17225/45 R17225/50 R17225/55 R17235/45 R17245/40 R17245/45 R17and 36 more | |
| EU label wet grip | A95%B5% | A89%B11% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C77%B10%A8%D5% | C82%B10%A9% |
| EU label noise | 70-74 dB B100% | 70-75 dB B100% |
| On the market since | - | 2022 |
| Replaced | Kumho Ecsta PS91 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (2015) |
| Awards | Winner: Summer Value Performer (17in and above) (WhatTyre, 2026/27) | Winner: Best Tyres for Hot Hatches (Compact Sports Cars) (DriverReviews, 2026/27) Winner: Best Tyres for Hot Hatches (DriverReviews, 2024/25) |
| Price in the shared tests | The Pilot Sport 5 was the dearer tyre in 2 of the 2 tests that listed prices, by 30.2% on average. Each test priced the tyres in its own market at the time; only the gap is comparable. | |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
This head-to-head pits two tyres aimed at the same buyer-max-performance summer rubber for fast road driving-but coming from very different value philosophies. The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 (PS5) is the long-standing premium benchmark for “do-everything” grip and refinement, while the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 is the aggressive challenger that tries to deliver near-premium performance at a much lower entry price.
Across six shared professional tests in multiple sizes (225/40-245/45, 18-19”), the pattern is clear: Michelin more consistently delivers polished, confidence-building behaviour-especially in subjective handling and aquaplaning security-whereas the Kumho repeatedly impresses with low noise, strong outright grip metrics in some formats, and standout value. The real decision isn't “which is good?” (both are), but whether you prioritise premium composure and longevity (Michelin) or maximum day-to-day value and quietness (Kumho).
Conclusion
On core performance, the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is the more dependable all-rounder. It repeatedly tops subjective steering/handling scores (e.g., +12.5% in AutoView Sport; +25% in Autobild) and is consistently stronger in aquaplaning (Auto Express: straight aquaplaning 88.0 vs 83.6 km/h; curved 0.85 vs 0.70). It also brings a major ownership advantage in wear (Autobild: 59,670 km vs 48,230 km, ~+24%), which helps offset its typically high purchase price-though testers still flagged price as its main drawback and noted an isolated case of shoulder wear damage after repeated limit running.
The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 is the smarter buy when value, refinement, and “real life” livability matter most. It's repeatedly among the quietest tyres (wins on noise in multiple tests, including AutoView Sport and Autobild) and can match or beat Michelin in several objective grip metrics depending on size and test method-most notably wet braking in some comparisons (e.g., 27.1 m vs 27.7 m in the 52-tyre braking test; 23.07 m vs 24.37 m in Die Reifentester). The trade-off is that multiple reports describe weaker or less trustworthy limit behaviour/steering precision (slower response, earlier understeer or abrupt breakaway), plus generally poorer rolling resistance than Michelin in the tests where it's measured.
Practical takeaway: if you drive hard often, want the most predictable steering at the limit, regularly face standing water, and plan to keep tyres for high mileage, the PS5 justifies itself. If you want a quieter, cheaper tyre that still delivers genuinely fast-road grip-and you're realistic about ultimate finesse and wet hydroplaning margins-the PS72 is one of the strongest “near-premium for less” options in this class.
Ecsta Sport PS72 vs Pilot Sport 5: your questions
Is the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 or the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 the better tyre?
The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 and the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 have met in 6 independent tests and the record is level at 3-3. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Ecsta Sport PS72 scores 9.2 and the Pilot Sport 5 9.4 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Ecsta Sport PS72 or the Pilot Sport 5?
The Pilot Sport 5 led 10 of the 17 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it held 14.9% more grip in curved aquaplaning across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Pilot Sport 5 led 7 of the 15 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 0.8% shorter in the dry across 6 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Pilot Sport 5 had 1.3% lower rolling resistance (3 tests). Owners rate wear 8.3/10 for the Ecsta Sport PS72 and 8/10 for the Pilot Sport 5.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
The Ecsta Sport PS72 was 0.8 dB quieter (3 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.7/10 for the Ecsta Sport PS72 and 8.2/10 for the Pilot Sport 5.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Ecsta Sport PS72 84% from 41 reviews and the Pilot Sport 5 85% from 135. 82% of Ecsta Sport PS72 owners would buy it again, against 83% for the Pilot Sport 5.
Which is more expensive?
In the 2 tests that listed prices, the Pilot Sport 5 was the dearer tyre in 2 of them, by 30.2% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Ecsta Sport PS72 is made in 86 sizes (17 to 21 inch) and the Pilot Sport 5 in 66 (16 to 22 inch). 48 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Ecsta Sport PS72 is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Pilot Sport 5 A and C.
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Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.
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