Bridgestone Potenza Sport vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
- TR Score
- 9.3/10
- Owners say
- 80% · 139
- TR Score
- 9.2/10
- Owners say
- 84% · 41
The Bridgestone Potenza Sport and the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 have met in 2 independent tests and the record is level at 1-1. The Potenza Sport stopped 4.1% shorter in the dry; the Ecsta Sport PS72 had 11.6% lower rolling resistance.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose Bridgestone Potenza Sport for spirited driving, heavy rain confidence, and the shortest braking distances; choose Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 for quieter commuting, better fuel/energy efficiency, and strong value if you're willing to trade some wet-braking margin.
Where the Potenza Sport is stronger
- Outstanding wet braking and wet-grip consistency (e.g., 30.0 m vs 35.9 m in AE, best-in-test)
- Strong dry braking and fastest/near-fastest dry handling laps
- Robust aquaplaning resistance (straight and curved) in AE
Where the Ecsta Sport PS72 is stronger
- Low rolling resistance (≈10-12% better than Bridgestone across tests) for improved efficiency
- High refinement: low noise and good ride comfort
- Competitive handling balance; top subjective wet handling in Die Reifentester
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.
Potenza Sport vs Ecsta Sport PS72 at a glance
| Category | Potenza Sport | Gap | Ecsta Sport PS72 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won2 shared tests | 1 | 1 | |
| Dry4 measurements | 3 | The Potenza Sport stopped 4.1% shorter in the dry (2 tests) | 0 |
| Wet8 measurements | 5 | 3 | |
| Comfort3 measurements | 1 | Level between the two. | 1 |
| Value2 measurements | 0 | The Ecsta Sport PS72 had 11.6% lower rolling resistance (2 tests) | 2 |
| Tyre Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 9.3/10 | The Potenza Sport by 0.1 | 9.2/10 |
| Owner rating139 and 41 reviews | 80% | The Ecsta Sport PS72 by 4 points | 84% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 67% | The Ecsta Sport PS72 by 15 points | 82% |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 129 | 59 sizes made in both | 86 |
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 2 tests in 2025
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 | Potenza Sport | Field | Ecsta Sport PS72 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | P2 of 8 | P1 of 8 | |
| 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | P2 of 9 | P5 of 9 |
Performance profile
5 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Potenza Sport
Ecsta Sport PS72
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. 7 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Potenza Sport
Ecsta Sport PS72
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
Potenza Sport
Ecsta Sport PS72
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Potenza Sport 80% from 139 reviews and the Ecsta Sport PS72 84% from 41. 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 | Potenza Sport | Gap | Ecsta Sport PS72 | Wins | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.26 | 4.1% | 35.72 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| 82 | 1% | 82.8 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | = | scored | 0-0 | |||||||||
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| 26.79 | 7.1% | 29.49 | 1-1 | |||||||||
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| 90.6 | 0.3% | 90.9 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 25% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 28.1 | 1.7% | 28.6 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| 81.4 | 0.8% | 80.75 | 1-1 | |||||||||
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| 0.75 | 7.1% | 0.7 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 25% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 6.8% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 9.34 | 11.6% | 8.25 | 0-2 | |||||||||
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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 Potenza Sport scores 9.3 and the Ecsta Sport PS72 9.2 out of 10.
| Potenza Sport | Category | Ecsta Sport PS72 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | Dry | 92 | ||
| 97 | Wet | 88 | ||
| 12 | Comfort | 35 | ||
| 9 | Value | 49 | ||
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
| Potenza Sport | Category | Ecsta Sport PS72 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Dry Grip | 9 | ||
| 8.6 | Wet Grip | 8.8 | ||
| 8.8 | Road Feedback | 8.6 | ||
| 8.9 | Handling | 8.6 | ||
| 6.1 | Wear | 8.3 | ||
| 7 | Comfort | 7.7 | ||
Owners rate the Potenza Sport 80% from 139 reviews and the Ecsta Sport PS72 84% from 41. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
- 80%from 139 reviews
- 67%would buy again
- 947,770 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners generally rate the Bridgestone Potenza Sport as a very sporty road tyre, with strong dry and wet grip and sharp, precise steering feel. The main drawback is longevity: around one in three owners complain about fast wear, sometimes markedly so. Road noise is another common issue (raised by around one in four), while a smaller but notable group report a big drop in grip and confidence in cold weather.
- Very strong dry grip with a predictable, confidence-inspiring feel
- Impressive wet grip for a performance-focused summer tyre
- Sharp, precise steering response and good road feedback
- Strong dry handling and cornering ability
- Short tread life / rapid wear for many owners
- Loud road noise, often getting intrusive
- Noticeable performance drop in cold conditions
Summarised by AI from 129 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tyre page.
All 139 Potenza Sport reviewsOn road it's like having a semislick which is capable of handling water showers like an UHP tyre. On track you can feel it's not a semislick, but you can enjoy a stable performance allowing you 100% of fun with 80% lap time or something like that.
On the road wear on external shoulder is high, on track it's really impressive lap after lap.
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.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tyre: 129 sizes of the Potenza Sport and 86 of the Ecsta Sport PS72, 59 of them made in both.
| Category | Potenza Sport | Ecsta Sport PS72 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Summer | Summer |
| Sizes made | 129 sizes, 16 to 24 inch | 86 sizes, 17 to 21 inch |
| Made in both | 59 sizes 205/45 R17215/40 R17215/45 R17225/45 R17225/50 R17225/55 R17245/40 R17205/40 R18215/40 R18215/45 R18225/35 R18225/40 R18and 47 more | |
| EU label wet grip | A75%B21%C3%D0% | A95%B5% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C44%D38%A9%B8%E1% | C77%B10%A8%D5% |
| EU label noise | 68-75 dB B81%A19% | 70-74 dB B100% |
| On the market since | 2021 | - |
| Replaced | Bridgestone Potenza S001 | Kumho Ecsta PS91 |
| Replaced by | Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo | - |
| Awards | - | Winner: Summer Value Performer (17in and above) (WhatTyre, 2026/27) |
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.
Two very different routes to UHP summer performance meet here: Bridgestone's Potenza Sport, a benchmark Max-Performance tyre known for outright grip, versus Kumho's Ecsta Sport PS72, a value-driven newcomer that has recently punched above its weight. Both were tested head-to-head in 225/40 R18 across two 2025 European group tests with contrasting emphases.
Across the tests, Bridgestone repeatedly delivered class-leading stopping power and pace, especially in the wet, while Kumho countered with lower rolling resistance, excellent refinement, and surprising handling competence. The headline? One tyre majors on speed and security; the other leans into efficiency and comfort-yet occasionally challenges the leaders on track-style metrics.
Conclusion
If your priority is maximum grip and short stopping distances-particularly in the wet-the Bridgestone Potenza Sport is the more confidence-inspiring choice. It won every dry and wet handling metric in Auto Express, topped wet braking there by a huge margin (30.0 m vs 35.9 m, nearly two to three car lengths), and consistently led dry braking (e.g., 34.9 m vs 36.8 m). It also posted stronger aquaplaning results in that test. The trade-off is efficiency: rolling resistance is notably higher in both tests.
The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 offers compelling value with lower running costs and high refinement. It posted the lowest noise and significantly better fuel/energy efficiency (≈10-12% lower rolling resistance in both tests). In Die Reifentester it even edged the overall win on balance, with strong wet handling scores and competitive aquaplaning-proof it can perform at a very high level. However, its wet braking proved inconsistent across tests, which is a meaningful safety consideration.
Bottom line: choose Potenza Sport for fast road driving, all-weather summer confidence, and the shortest stops; pick Ecsta Sport PS72 if you value quiet comfort and lower ownership costs, and are comfortable trading some wet-braking margin for price and efficiency.
Potenza Sport vs Ecsta Sport PS72: your questions
Is the Bridgestone Potenza Sport or the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 the better tyre?
The Bridgestone Potenza Sport and the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 have met in 2 independent tests and the record is level at 1-1. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Potenza Sport scores 9.3 and the Ecsta Sport PS72 9.2 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Potenza Sport or the Ecsta Sport PS72?
The Potenza Sport led 5 of the 8 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The Potenza Sport led 3 of the 4 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 4.1% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Ecsta Sport PS72 had 11.6% lower rolling resistance (2 tests). Owners rate wear 6.1/10 for the Potenza Sport and 8.3/10 for the Ecsta Sport PS72.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7/10 for the Potenza Sport and 7.7/10 for the Ecsta Sport PS72.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Potenza Sport 80% from 139 reviews and the Ecsta Sport PS72 84% from 41. 67% of Potenza Sport owners would buy it again, against 82% for the Ecsta Sport PS72.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Potenza Sport is made in 129 sizes (16 to 24 inch) and the Ecsta Sport PS72 in 86 (17 to 21 inch). 59 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Potenza Sport is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Ecsta Sport PS72 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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