Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 vs Kumho Ecsta PS71
Hankook repeatedly delivers standout grip, especially in braking. It swept all dry braking matchups and led most wet stops, translating to shorter, more confidence-inspiring stopping distances and slightly higher dry and wet handling speeds. Kumho counters with stronger value metrics-lower purchase price, frequent value wins, and in some tests better aquaplaning resistance-plus a notably good overall ranking in AutoBild 2023 driven by balanced performance.
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 seven tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 | four | |
| Kumho Ecsta PS71 | three |
While it might look like the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 is better than the Kumho Ecsta PS71 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.
Key Strengths
- Class-leading braking: 6/6 dry wins and multiple wet wins with 5-9% shorter stops
- Consistent handling precision: quicker laps in dry and often in wet
- Lower noise and rolling resistance in several tests
- Generally stronger wear/value than PS71 in 2019-2020 results
- Lower purchase price and frequent value wins
- Strong aquaplaning resistance (straight/curved) in multiple tests
- Balanced performance with high overall placement in 2023 (5/21)
- Competitive wet braking in some sizes/years (e.g., 2020 braking overview)
Dry Braking
Looking at data from six tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during six dry braking tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 stopped the vehicle in 3.64% less distance than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Dry Braking: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during three dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was 1.16% faster around a lap than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from six tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during four wet braking tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 stopped the vehicle in 3.5% less distance than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Wet Braking: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 and Kumho Ecsta PS71 performed equally well in wet handling [km/h] tests.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta PS71 was better during two straight aqua tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta PS71 floated at a 0.97% higher speed than the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3.
Best In Straight Aqua: Kumho Ecsta PS71
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta PS71 was better during one curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta PS71 slipped out at a 2.75% higher speed than the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Kumho Ecsta PS71
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta PS71 was better during one subj. comfort tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta PS71 scored 14.29% more points than the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Kumho Ecsta PS71
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during three noise tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 measured 2.52% quieter than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Noise: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Wear
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during three wear tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 is predicted to cover 16.2% miles before reaching 1.6mm than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Wear: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Wear winner was calculated >>
Value
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during two value tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 proved to have a 5.57% better value based on price/1000km than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Value: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Value winner was calculated >>
Price
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Kumho Ecsta PS71 was better during three price tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta PS71 cost 8.89% less than the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3.
Best In Price: Kumho Ecsta PS71
See how the Price winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 was better during two rolling resistance tests. On average the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 had a 8.73% lower rolling resistance than the Kumho Ecsta PS71.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 Driver Reviews
Most drivers rate the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 highly, praising its excellent wet braking and very solid dry grip alongside a quiet, comfortable ride and strong value for money. Many note predictable, confidence-inspiring behavior and, for a good number of users, respectable tread life. The main drawback is a soft sidewall feel that limits steering precision and sporty feedback, so it suits grand-touring comfort more than hardcore performance. A minority report faster wear on certain fitments (notably some EV/OEM/runflat applications).
Based on 66 reviews with an average rating of 76%
Kumho Ecsta PS71 Driver 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 tyre focused on grip and value.
Based on 82 reviews with an average rating of 78%
First thing you notice with these tyres is just how much they improve the ride. The car had stock Dunlop Sport Maxx TT tyres and whilst these gave a sharper steering feel you felt every little ripple in the road. The Hankooks certainly smoothed things out, with only a small trade off in steering feel. Next is the grip. In both wet and dry I've been known to do some pretty stupid things, but I've yet to trigger the ABS or lose grip... Continue reading this review using the link below
I've always used kumho because the price well reflects in proformance if only they didn't need constant rebalencing.
I've had 4 duff pairs, ku31 x 2 pair, ku 39 x 2 pair that had to come off in the end they were so bad.
No amount of balencing can sort an egg shape tyre.
These new ps71 are very soft, squishy, feel like running on 20psi with 30g wheel wobble even after twice rebalencing them & 1 of them is egg shape.
I am worn out with trying to get them right & think after years of kumho on... Continue reading this review using the link below
Conclusion
Choose the Ecsta PS71 if you want solid, balanced performance at a lower price and are frequently exposed to deep-water conditions-its aquaplaning resistance often edges Hankook, and it delivered an excellent 5/21 overall in AutoBild 2023 alongside strong value and competitive wet braking that year. Value swings with wear: PS71 showed both higher and lower wear than Hankook depending on test, so local pricing and size-specific wear data matter. Bottom line: Hankook for maximum grip and refinement, Kumho for wallet-friendly all-roundability and aquaplaning confidence.
Key Differences
- Braking advantage: Hankook consistently shorter dry stops and usually shorter wet stops (up to ~9% better).
- Handling edge: Hankook marginally faster in dry and wet handling laps.
- Aquaplaning: Kumho often resists aquaplaning better (straight and curved).
- Noise/refinement: Hankook quieter (e.g., 72.2 dB vs 75.3 dB in 2023).
- Cost/value: Kumho cheaper up front and often better price-per-performance; Hankook's value improves when wear is favorable.
- Wear variability: Hankook led wear in 2019-2020 tests, but Kumho outlasted it in AutoBild 2023; results are size/test dependent.
Overall Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 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
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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.