Nankang Sportnex AS2+ vs Kumho Ecsta PS71
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Kumho Ecsta PS71 finished ahead 2 times and the Sportnex AS2+ once. The Sportnex AS2+ was stronger in comfort and value, the Ecsta PS71 in dry.
Performance profile
5 measurements from the 3 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Sportnex AS2+
Ecsta PS71
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 97%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 6 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Sportnex AS2+
Ecsta PS71
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
Sportnex AS2+
Not ahead in any category
Ecsta PS71
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Sportnex AS2+ 68% from 29 reviews and the Ecsta PS71 77% from 94. 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. Wins count the tests in which each tyre did better.
| Measurement | Sportnex AS2+ | Gap | Ecsta PS71 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Ecsta PS71 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking m | 36.69 | 2.8% | 35.69 | 0-3 |
| Dry Handling s | 54.4 | 0.8% | 53.94 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | 75% | scored | 0-1 |
| Wet Level | ||||
| Wet Braking m | 40.27 | 5.6% | 38.43 | 1-2 |
| Wet Handling s | 59.65 | 1.5% | 60.83 | 2-0 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | = | scored | 0-0 |
| Straight Aqua km/h | 88.32 | = | 88.29 | 1-1 |
| Curved Aquaplaning m/sec2 | 2.77 | 4.3% | 2.89 | 0-1 |
| Comfort Sportnex AS2+ ahead | ||||
| Subj. Comfort pts | scored | 13.6% | scored | 1-0 |
| Noise dB | 67.35 | 1.2 dB | 68.5 | 1-1 |
| Value Sportnex AS2+ ahead | ||||
| Rolling Resistance kg / t | 9.17 | 1.3% | 9.29 | 1-0 |
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.
Head to head in 3 tests, 2018 to 2022
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 | Sportnex AS2+ | Field | Ecsta PS71 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Tyre Reviews UUHP Summer Tyre Test | P5 of 10 | P6 of 10 | |
| 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout | P39 of 53 | P18 of 53 | |
| 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test | P14 of 16 | P8 of 16 |
Sportnex AS2+ vs Ecsta PS71: your questions
Is the Nankang Sportnex AS2+ or the Kumho Ecsta PS71 the better tyre?
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Kumho Ecsta PS71 finished ahead 2 times and the Sportnex AS2+ once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Sportnex AS2+ scores 7.2 and the Ecsta PS71 8.5 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Sportnex AS2+ or the Ecsta PS71?
Across the shared tests the wet measurements are split 4-4 between the Sportnex AS2+ and the Ecsta PS71.
Which is better in the dry?
The Ecsta PS71 led 5 of the 5 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 2.8% shorter in the dry across 3 tests.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 6.7/10 for the Sportnex AS2+ and 7.4/10 for the Ecsta PS71.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Sportnex AS2+ 68% from 29 reviews and the Ecsta PS71 77% from 94. 52% of Sportnex AS2+ owners would buy it again, against 63% for the Ecsta PS71.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Sportnex AS2+ is made in 1 sizes (17 to 17 inch) and the Ecsta PS71 in 133 (16 to 22 inch). 0 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Sportnex AS2+ is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Ecsta PS71 A and C.
Which is the newer tyre?
The Sportnex AS2+ is the newer design: it reached the market in 2019, the Ecsta PS71 in 2016. The Sportnex AS2+ replaced the Nankang AS2.
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Run either of these?
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.