Kumho Ecsta V730 vs Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires

The South Korean tire maker, Kumho Tire, was founded in 1960 and is a subsidiary of the Chinese tire maker Doublestar. The tire manufacturer rolls out high-quality tires for SUVs, light trucks, CUVs, minivans, and passenger cars in different categories. Similarly, Mickey Thompson is an American tire manufacturer that rolls out similar tires in various categories such as all-season, all-terrain, winter, mud-terrain, rugged-terrain, and UHP.

Under the ultra-high-performance category, we pick the Kumho Ecsta V730 and the Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires as they represent distinct approaches to ultra-high-performance tires, catering to drivers with specific performance priorities.

The Kumho Ecsta V730 is a track-focused tire that is also street-legal, emphasizing extreme grip and precise handling for autocross, track days, and spirited driving. Its aggressive, near-slick tread pattern with minimal void areas maximizes contact with the pavement, delivering exceptional dry traction and responsiveness. The rubber compound is engineered for optimal performance at high temperatures, providing consistent grip lap after lap. While street-legal, its primary design leans heavily towards maximizing performance in dry conditions, and wet traction and ride comfort are secondary considerations.

In contrast, the Mickey Thompson Street Comp is designed with a greater emphasis on street performance, balancing high levels of dry grip with better wet traction and more acceptable noise levels for everyday driving. Its asymmetric tread pattern features large outer shoulder blocks for enhanced cornering and a high-silica compound to improve grip in both wet and dry conditions. While capable of spirited driving, it aims to be more versatile than a dedicated track tire, offering a more comfortable and practical experience for regular road use while still providing impressive performance when pushed.

Kumho Ecsta V730 tires

Designed primarily for track use and spirited driving on the street, the Kumho Ecsta V730, introduced in 2021, is an ultra-high-performance summer tire. Its aggressive, low-void tread pattern maximizes contact with the pavement, delivering exceptional levels of dry grip and precise handling. The high-grip compound is engineered to perform optimally at high temperatures, providing consistent traction for autocross and track days.

While street-legal, the V730 prioritizes dry performance above anything else. Its minimal tread depth and design may result in reduced wet traction capabilities compared to more street-oriented tires. Ride comfort and noise levels are also secondary considerations. The V730's focus is on providing maximum grip and responsiveness for drivers seeking peak performance in dry conditions.

With an 8.4 overall score, the Kumho Ecsta V730 assures great handling and traction with a fantastic tread life.

Get Kumho Ecsta V730 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires

Introduced in 2012, the Mickey Thompson Street Comp is an ultra-high-performance summer tire engineered for street use on modern American muscle cars and pro-touring applications. Its asymmetric tread design, featuring large outer shoulder blocks and a high-silica compound, delivers superior dry and wet traction along with enhanced cornering capabilities.

The Mickey Thompson is designed to provide crisp steering response and confident handling at high speeds. Its lightweight construction contributes to improved acceleration and shorter braking distances. While focused on performance, the Street Comp also aims for a relatively comfortable and quiet ride for a UHP tire, making it suitable for both spirited driving and everyday cruising.

Boasting an 8.4 overall, the Mickey Thompson Street Comp promises solid grip, traction, control, and handling along with consistent wearability.

Get Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Kumho Ecsta V730 vs Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires on traction

Tire traction is extremely important in the case of ultra-high-performance, where a slight negligence in grip can lead to any mishap when driving at high speeds. The Kumho and the Mickey Thompson tires promise superb grip and traction on dry and wet surfaces during warmer conditions. Let’s check their scores.

Securing 8.5 in traction, the Ecsta V730 features an innovative tread pattern with wide shoulder blocks that boost traction and control, while the strategic, lateral sipes assure enhanced wet performance. Thanks to the inboard circumferential grooves, the Kumho tire expels water out of the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet traction. Meanwhile, the zigzag-shaped center under-groove aids in improving wet grip by creating a vortex effect that improves water flow.

Contrarily, the Street Comp scores an 8.6 out of 10 in traction, assuring consistent dry and wet traction in warmer conditions. Packed with advanced racing rubber compound, the Mickey Thompson UHP tire nicely interlocks with the surface for a ‘sticky’ traction and grip in dry and wet conditions. The circumferential grooves and lateral grooves on the shoulders come together to propel water out of the tread to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning and enhance wet traction.

With a slight scoring difference, the Mickey Thompson Street Comp edges out the Kumho Ecsta V730 in the traction race.

ADVANTAGE: Mickey Thompson Street Comp

Kumho Ecsta V730 vs Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires on handling

High-performance tires are all about handling, stability, and control at high speeds on tracks as well as streets. Just like the traction, there is a minor difference between the handling performance of the Ecsta V730 and the Street Comp. Let’s check their respective scores.

Upping its performance, the Kumho Ecsta V730 scores a formidable 8.7 in handling, assuring quick steering feedback and increased control with better cornering on streets and tracks alike. Thanks to the reinforced center rib block design, the UHP summer tire improves straight-line stability and steering response on dry surfaces. Moreover, the reinforced internal construction features a high-strength carcass for extra durability and increased cornering performance.

When it comes to steering response, the Mickey Thompson UHP tire scores an 8.8 in handling thanks to its twin, continuous center rib that provides aggressive steering feedback, control, and increased stability in dry and wet conditions. The asymmetric tread design and lightweight construction further assure precise steering response, enhanced cornering, and controllability at high speed.

Marginally, the Mickey Thompson Street Comp beats the Kumho Ecsta V730 yet again.

ADVANTAGE: Mickey Thompson Street Comp

Kumho Ecsta V730 vs Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires on longevity

In the end, it’s longevity that is usually the deciding factor for most tire buyers. However, UHP summer tires tend to wear fast due to their softer rubber compound. The Kumho and the Mickey Thompson are tightly locked in the tread life battle. Let’s check their longevity performance.

Boasting an 8.0 in longevity, the Kumho tire features an asymmetric tread pattern with an advanced rubber compound that deters irregular wear and promotes uniform wear on paved roads. While the wave-shaped micro-groove application disperses heat for longer wear, the reinforced sidewall design adds extra durability for maintaining the tire’s shape.

On the other hand, the Mickey Thompson equals the Kumho’s longevity score of 8.0 thanks to its unique tread design that returns consistent wear for a decent service life. The lightweight construction and asymmetric tread pattern further ensure uniform wearing at high speeds.

The Ecsta V730 and the Street Comp are neck and neck in longevity, leaving the tread life battlefield as a tie.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

When to use each

UHP summer tires are engineered for peak performance in warm conditions. Their specialized compounds and tread patterns maximize grip on both dry and wet pavement, providing exceptional handling, cornering, and braking capabilities. Designed for enthusiasts, they prioritize performance over tread life and cold-weather traction, offering a responsive and engaging driving experience when temperatures are above freezing.

Both tires are reliable and return almost similar performance, hence, you can pick either of them; you won’t regret it. However, if you need better longevity without compromising performance, you should pick UHP all-season tires.

Which one should you choose?

To sum up, the Kumho Ecsta V730 falls just short of the mark in handling and traction, making Mickey Thompson Street Comp the champion of this comparison with a 2-0 lead. In terms of longevity, both UHP summer tires are equally placed. Let’s go down to their prices to see if you can get a better value.

The 245/40R18 tire size, the Kumho Ecsta V730 costs around $207 per tire, and four such tires cost $828, while the Mickey Thompson Street Comp costs around $214 per tire, and four such tires cost $856 (a difference of $28 for a set).

Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Kumho Ecsta V730 if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru BRZ, or Honda S2000
• Want a UHP summer tire with great traction, handling, and longevity
• Want to experience the latest tire technology (2021 vs 2012)
• Prefer a slightly affordable yet capable UHP summer tire

You can go for the Mickey Thompson Street Comp if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Corvette, or Audi S3
• Want a UHP summer tire that returns improved grip and traction (8.6 vs 8.5)
• Prefer a tire that’s better in stability and handling (8.8 vs 8.7)

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.