Skip advert
Advertisement

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 review

A refined and economical new tyre that is great to drive in the wet and dry, and out-performs more established rivals.

An impressive first outing for the new Kumho, which delivered great performances on both the wet and dry handling circuits and was refined too. It didn’t get off to the best start, though, recording the eighth-best wet braking score. 

It was no better in wet cornering or in the aquaplaning tests, coming in eighth in the straight-line test, and joint eighth in the curved test, well short of the standard. And yet, when lapping the wet circuit it hardly put a wheel wrong. Traction was great, it was stable and allowed fine adjustment of its handling balance, so that it was on the best line everywhere and set the fourth-fastest lap time. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

It was similar in the dry, a poor braking result contrasted by a great performance on the track that saw it claim equal fourth. It needed to be steered hard to find the best lines and was rather noisy under pressure, and while it wasn’t the most agile and willing, it had good traction. It topped the table in refinement, recording the lowest noise levels on both the reference surfaces and took the sting out of abrupt impacts. Rounding off its performance, it delivered the second-lowest rolling resistance, adding economy to its list of strengths.

Blackcircles.com says…

“This tyre has had positive reactions: 4.8/5 overall. Reviews highlight great grip in wet or dry conditions and a quiet ride.”

Results

Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72  
Overall99.1% 
Price£84.99 
Wet braking88.78th
Wet handling99.04th
Wet cornering97.48th
Straight aquaplaning95.08th
Curved aquaplaning82.5=8th
Dry braking92.38th
Dry handling99.2=4th
Noise and refinement1001st
Rolling resistance95.12nd

Buy the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 from Blackcircles.com...

Skip advert
Advertisement
In This Review

New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,025Avg. savings £3,033 off RRP*Used from £11,900
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £2,408 off RRP*Used from £17,100
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,921 off RRP*Used from £6,795
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £4,614 off RRP*Used from £9,908
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Volkswagen T-Roc ride review: small SUV shows plenty of promise
Volkswagen T-Roc prototype - front

New Volkswagen T-Roc ride review: small SUV shows plenty of promise

We ride shotgun in the latest Volkswagen T-Roc, giving us a taste of what’s shaping up to be next year’s hottest small SUV
Road tests
16 Oct 2025
400bhp family SUVs have become common in the EV era, but they're completely pointless
Opinion - Volvo XC40 Recharge

400bhp family SUVs have become common in the EV era, but they're completely pointless

Editor Paul Barker thinks new car firms don't have heritage behind them, so power figures and straight line speed are an easy way to grab headlines
Opinion
15 Oct 2025
New Genesis GV60 Pure 2025 review: a capable EV that’s often overlooked
Genesis GV60 Pure - front tracking

New Genesis GV60 Pure 2025 review: a capable EV that’s often overlooked

The GV60 isn’t quite as popular as its Ioniq 5 and EV6 siblings, but perhaps it should be
Road tests
16 Oct 2025