Hankook tires : our opinion and best deals in the UK 2022

Although Hankook entered the tire industry half a century later than competing tire brands, the brand has still established a strong position in the market by providing affordable, high-performance tires with an excellent durability guarantee. Since its catalog is so extensive, this guide will help you determine which Hankook tire models are for you.

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 1
8/10

Best Hankook all-season tire

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

The best all-season Hankook tire

Hankook's goal with its Kinergy 4S2 is to provide reliable driving 365 days a year without changing tires. It also impresses with its short braking distances and low rolling noise.

55,12 £ on Norauto

The structure of the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 is made of high-grip silica. This ensures exceptional wet grip even at very low temperatures. In addition, the seamless reinforced belt cover ensures high tread rigidity. Ensuring safety and grip in all conditions took a lot of work for the designers of the Kinergy 4S2.

As you can see, the ride results with the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 car tire are more than satisfactory. The patterns with wide, wide-angle side grooves divert 2 to 3 times more water than conventional solutions. As a result, the risk of aquaplaning is significantly reduced.

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 2
7/10

Best Hankook summer tire

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125

The best summer Hankook tire

The Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 is a premium summer tire designed for family and passenger cars. It guarantees optimal performance on dry surfaces.

46,42 £ on 123pneus
Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2 3
8/10

Best Hankook winter tire

Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2

The best winter Hankook tire

With the Winter i'Cept Evo2, you get the best driving performance in all winter conditions. The road handling is exceptional whether on snow or ice.

67,12 £ on Norauto

The Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2 is an ambitious winter tire offering that claims to offer "ultra-high" performance in winter driving conditions. But what is the reality? First, what can be said is that Hankook engineers designed this tire with a multitude of features in mind to make winter driving safer. These include the asymmetrical tread pattern, 3D sipes and wider side grooves that will increase traction and reduce the risk of hydroplaning.

It is worth noting that the tread of the Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2 is composed of additional silica to keep the tire flexible in freezing conditions and provide better grip on wet roads.

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 4
9/10

Best Hankook Runflat tire

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

The best Hankook Runflat tire

The Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 continues the tradition of Hankook's ultra-high performance tires. Like the S1 Evo 2, it offers a very safe, sporty, yet comfortable driving experience on wet or dry roads.

88,80 £ on Norauto

In addition to being Runflat, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 features external locking grooves for excellent wet grip. It also prevents aquaplaning on slippery surfaces. This car tire benefits from enlarged outer blocks to provide the best possible support when cornering. Maximum steering grip is guaranteed by the dual action of the hybrid aramid reinforcement belt, which secures the flat contact patch in all conditions.

With this car tire, handling is improved by 15%. And like all new generation Hankook tires, this one is made from Hankook's new HSSC (Highly Enriched Synthetic Silica Compound). This is a formulation in which pure silica is vulcanized at low temperatures twice as long as competing brands' tires.

Buying guide • November 2023

Best Hankook tire

Any specific needs?

The best all-season Hankook tire

The best summer Hankook tire

The best winter Hankook tire

The best Hankook Runflat tire

Your guide : Samuel

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Comparison table of the best Hankook tires

All season tire Summer tire Winter tire Runflat tire
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 5
8/10
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 6
7/10
Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2 7
8/10
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 8
9/10
OUR SELECTION
Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Hankook's goal with its Kinergy 4S2 is to provide reliable driving 365 days a year without changing tires. It also impresses with its short braking distances and low rolling noise.
The Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 is a premium summer tire designed for family and passenger cars. It guarantees optimal performance on dry surfaces.
With the Winter i'Cept Evo2, you get the best driving performance in all winter conditions. The road handling is exceptional whether on snow or ice.
The Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 continues the tradition of Hankook's ultra-high performance tires. Like the S1 Evo 2, it offers a very safe, sporty, yet comfortable driving experience on wet or dry roads.
Types
All seasons
Summer
Winter
Summer Runflat
Dimensions
205/55 R16
205/55 R16
215/55 R16
245/35 R18
Running noise
72 dB
71 dB
72 dB
72 dB
Wet traction
B
A
C
A
Fuel efficiency
C
E
E
E

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Our opinion on the Hankook tires

Primary Item (H2)Sub Item 1 (H3)

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Our opinion on Hankook tires

Hankook tires are an affordable alternative to other major brands like Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear or Bridgestone. But does lower cost mean lower quality? Industry experts praise Hankook's rigorous testing standards: all tires are tested under multiple conditions in real time before being released to the market. Like many top-rated brands, Hankook reports tire scores based on a rating system called Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG). And the UTQG scores of most Hankook tires range from good to very good.

Hankook produces a wide range of high-quality tires that have an impressive mix of durability, performance and affordability. Its tires also come with a variety of warranties, which is part of the reason for their high customer satisfaction rate. If you're looking for high-quality, durable, affordable and reliable tires, Hankook may be for you. We regret, however, that Hankook's catalog is very limited when it comes to tires for truck and SUV owners.

Hankook has always had a reputation for producing high quality tires at affordable prices. In fact, a good way to think about its market position is to compare it to the Korean company Hyundai, which makes high-end vehicles at an affordable price. However, Hankook tires do not have the history and heritage of Pirelli, for example, but they do offer high quality products at a very fair price. Thus, with a strategy of high quality production at low cost, Hankook's most popular tires are generally priced between 40 and 90 euros. With such a wide range of products, however, the premium for performance and luxury vehicles can sell for up to 180 euros. In all categories, Hankook tires are very value-oriented.

Overall, the Korean tire manufacturer offers affordable, high-performance and touring tires for sedans, trucks and SUVs. They have received excellent customer reviews, have a solid reputation in the industry, and have a wide variety of tires. Hankook offers an excellent tread life guarantee, technological innovation and excellent customer satisfaction scores. If you're looking for a high-performance, economical tire for your sedan, Hankook is the answer.

Goodyear tires or Hankook tires?

Goodyear Tires

There's no doubt that Goodyear makes some of the best tires in the world, and the brand is also involved in motorsports, working with automakers to develop the best tires to withstand extreme driving conditions.

It is the constant research and development that sets Goodyear apart. Through constant creative innovation, Goodyear ensures that every tire it delivers is state-of-the-art. Some of these innovations include ArmorGrip, which incorporates Kevlar into every tire to make them strong and durable. There is also Active Corner Grip technology that improves the handling and grip of the tires with reinforced inner sidewalls when cornering.

Hankook Tires

Hankook is a Korean tire brand with a 76-year history and is available in more than 180 countries. It is one of the fastest growing tire companies, leading the way in tire design and performance. It is constantly developing new tires with innovations that are always up to date.

Today, Hankook is one of the most famous original equipment suppliers for Korean cars such as Kia and Hyundai as well as European carmakers such as Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Hankook's wide variety of models and affordable prices make it a popular choice for smaller budgets. Despite this entry/mid-range positioning, Hankook continues to innovate by using dynamic profile control technology that minimizes tire shape changes during high-speed driving.

Verdict

Whether you choose Hankooks or Goodyears, we think you can't go wrong, as both offer great options that will satisfy your driving style. Goodyear's commitment to safety and innovation can be positively compared to Hankook's commitment to quality and driving comfort. The two brands produce different models that vary in both specifications and price. Thus, comparing specific models can be more beneficial to those shopping for a new tire.

How to choose your Hankook tire

Most consumers choose to replace their vehicle's worn tires with something equivalent in size and capacity. This makes a lot of sense; your car was designed to perform well on the type and size of tires it is mounted on. So, if you had Hankook tires, it is highly recommended that you replace them with similar Hankook tires. If you previously had other brands of tires, you may also want to consider replacing them with Hankook tires, but with the same basic features.

Criterion 1 : Tire size

Whether you want to replace your Hankook tires with something equivalent or replace other brands of tires with Hankook tires, you'll need to know the right size. Car or light truck tire size is usually expressed as a short series of numbers and letters found on the driver's side door . It usually looks like this: 245/40 R18.

The first number (245) indicates the width of the tire at its widest point in millimeters. The next number (40) is the so-called aspect ratio. The final number in the series is the wheel diameter in inches. The last number (18) indicates the diameter of the rim on which the tire should be mounted. The "R", on the other hand, indicates that it is a radial tire, which virtually all modern tires are.

Criterion 2 : Rated speed

Tires carry a speed rating, including Hankook tires, which indicates not only how fast they can be driven safely for an extended period of time, but also the overall performance potential of the tires. Tires for high-performance cars have a higher speed rating than those for family sedans and SUVs.

The speed rating of your car's original tires is the maximum speed the car could reach, plus a large built-in safety margin. This speed rating is expressed as a letter in the alphanumeric code immediately following the tire size. The letters range from L to Y and cover maximum speed ranges from 120 km/h to over 300 km/h.

Criterion 3 : Wear information

These aretwo pieces of data that will help you estimate the number of miles you can expect from a Hankook tire: the treadwear index and the tire mileage guarantee. The treadwear rating is indicated as a number on the sidewall of the tire after the word "treadwear". The higher the number, the longer the tire will last. But the tests that are used to determine tread wear are not precise. So there is a lot of variability in this number.

A better way to assess potential tire life and compare the expected longevity of different tires you might consider is to look at the brand's tread life guarantees . Many tires, including those from Hankook, have tread life warranties in addition to the default manufacturing quality warranties.

Criterion 4 : Weather conditions

Yourtires must withstand a wide variety of weather conditions: rain, heat, snow, ice, etc. All of these affect tire performance. Because of this, to stay safe, you need to buy Hankook tires that work not only in your most common weather conditions, but also in the most extreme conditions you may face.

If the climate is relatively warm (the temperature doesn't drop below freezing), you can choose all-season and/or summer tires. However, to maximize your safety in all conditions, you will need pairs of summer tires and pairs of winter or all-season tires. Be careful, all-season tires may not be sufficient for the harsh winter conditions in your area.

Criterion 5 : Road type

Different operating conditions require different tire characteristics. If you drive mainly in the city, choose Hankook tires with optimal braking distanceon both dry and wet roads. City driving with its many stops and starts is very demanding on tires. So choose tires with a longer service life.

For driving mainly on roads or highways, look for tires that offer comfort in terms of both vibration and noise, as well as tires with excellent grip and stability.

Five unique benefits of Hankook tires

Hankook Kontrol Technology

Most Hankook tires are equipped with its exclusive Kontrol technology, comprising 3 key elements of performance, safety and comfort. Hankook tires are optimized to ensure that they deliver the best possible performance in different weather conditions and on different types of roads. Hankook also ensures that its tires can provide a safe driving experience even in harsh weather conditions. Finally, Hankook tires are designed to minimize road noise and vibration while providing a refined and comfortable ride.

Multi-Spoke Technology

Hankook takes advantage of its multi-spoke technology, including a silica-based rubber compound, which can adapt to different road conditions. With this technology, Hankook is able to produce tires that perform well in a wide range of weather conditions. This technology improves the tire's contact area with the road and reduces its rolling resistance. As a result, Hankook tires offer superb handling, improved steering responsiveness and increased fuel efficiency.

Virtual Compound Design System

Most tire manufacturers create hundreds of rubber samples each year and use them to test various formulations and tread combinations. However, Hankook uses a virtual compound design system based on artificial intelligence to correctly predict the properties present in different rubber compounds. This helps increase the number of rubber samples they can test, which saves time. Ultimately, Hankook is able to provide higher quality, safer, and longer lasting tires that offer better value to the buyer.

Mileage Guarantee

Most Hankook tires come with a mileage warranty against tread wear, which helps protect the buyer from premature wear. Some of the Hankook tires that come with a wear mileage guarantee include the Optimo H727, Optimo H725, Kinergy PT, Optimo H724, Dynapro HT and Kinergy GT lines. Also included are the Ventus As, Dynapro HP2, Optimo 426, Ventus H101, Ventus ST, Optimo H431, Optimo H725A, Ventus V2 Concept and Dynapro HT lines. Under this warranty, if an eligible tire wears evenly across its tread to its treadwear indicators before reaching the guaranteed mileage, it will be replaced.

Road Hazard Warranty

Hankook tires come with a road hazard warranty. For this warranty, Hankook offers to replace your tire if it is removed from service due to damage caused by any road accident that occurs anywhere in the world. The tires that include this warranty are Kinergy GT and PT, Optimo H725, H426 and H727, Dynapro AT/M and HP2, Ventus V12 Evo, AS, V4 ES, V2 Concept and S1 Noble. In addition, you will be responsible for assembly, balancing, applicable taxes, disposal fees and other related service charges.

Our opinion on alternative brands

We believe these are the best alternative brands to the Hankook tires:

Michelin
Goodyear
Cooper
Bridgestone
Pirelli

Michelin performs exceptionally well in almost every tire category. It ranks high in reader satisfaction surveys, expert reviews and very well in user reviews. There isn't just one great tire model at Michelin, either. The brand tops the list in several categories, making it a safe bet, even if it's not the cheapest on the market. It offers many more truck and SUV tire models than Hankook.

Foundedby Frank Seiberling in 1898, Goodyear Tyres is now one of the top four tire manufacturers in the world. It makes tires for aircraft, bicycles, motorcycles, cars and heavy machinery. For cars, Goodyear has earned its reputation by offering tires with tenacious grip and exceptionally responsive handling. The brand offers a slightly higher price range than Hankook, but the quality is there.

Consideredthe new kid on the block (despite being founded in 1914), Cooper makes tires that are considerably cheaper than most other brands, including Hankook. But quality is not compromised. Unlike major brands like Michelin and Goodyear, Cooper is an independent tire manufacturer. Finding Cooper tires can be difficult, as they are primarily sold online or at participating dealerships.

Bridgestonemakes two brands of tires-Bridgestone and Firestone. The companies merged in 1988 and now offer a variety of passenger, truck and SUV tires. Bridgestone has always been an innovative player in the industry and has done well in the shift to more environmentally friendly products.

Pirellidesigns high-performance tires for high-performance sports cars and SUVs. If you're looking for tires for your family sedan, look elsewhere, like Hankook. But if you have a powerful sports car or SUV, Pirelli might be the best tire brand for you.

Tips

Consider your driving style when buying tires

To make sure you enjoy your ride, look for tires that match your driving style. Generally speaking, touring tires with a lower speed rating (S, T or H sidewall ratings) are optimized for comfort at the expense of speed. If you like to feel every curve, look for tires that mention excellent handling or steering precision. These are usually the tires called "high performance."

Buy a tire pressure gauge and keep it handy in your car at all times

Ananometer will tell you if you need to add more air to your tires. You can find them at an auto dealer or supply store.

Check your tire pressure at least once a month and especially before a long trip

Don't forget that underinflation is a tire's #1 enemy, as it can cause damage that can lead to failure. However, overinflation can cause uneven wear as well as handling and braking problems.

In wet weather, slow down

Asyour speed decreases, the tire footprint (the amount of tire tread in contact with the road surface) increases, providing better traction. You also reduce the risk of hydroplaning if you run into puddles on the road.

Periodically check your tires for alignment

It'sespecially important to have your wheel alignment checked by an automotive professional if you notice your vehicle pulling to one side when you're driving.

FAQ

How many miles can you drive on Hankook tires?

Hankook offers a six-year limited warranty on all its products. This protection covers any defects in materials or workmanship from the date of purchase. In terms of tread life warranties, most Hankook tires are in the 50,000-mile range, but some of its models premium offer protection for up to 145,000 km.

How do you recognize a Hankook Run Flat tire?

Hankookproduces a number of Run Flat tires. This type of tire is created to ensure that in the event of a flat tire or sudden loss of pressure, the tire will continue to function for a limited period of time, allowing you to take your vehicle to a garage. Hankook indicates that a Run Flat model by printing HRS at the end of the product description on the sidewall of the tire.

What are the most popular types of Hankook tires?

Hankookproduces several models of high quality passenger tires. Hankook tires are a popular tire choice among family sedans and luxury cars. The most popular Hankook modelsare the Hankook Dynapro ATM RF10, the Hankook Kinergy PT H737 and the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 H457.

What is Hankook's customer satisfaction guarantee for purchasing its tires?

Hankookoffers a range of tires with a free 30-day trial. This trial is designed to give the buyer time to decide if they want to keep the tires or not. If you feel that you are not completely satisfied with the tires, you can simply return them to the location where you purchased them. From there, the dealer will take care of the rest.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information. See more

Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

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Our selection
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 9
Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 10
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2 11
Hankook Winter i'Cept Evo2
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 12
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

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