Tests 61 · 12 tests Owners 70 · 17 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test (noise)
Head-to-head
Updated
Cooper Zeon CS8 vs Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 12 + 14 road tests and 17 + 126 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus Prime 3 K125 is ahead, 76–65
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Tests 77 · 14 tests Owners 75 · 126 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 53 in 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
Key facts
- In 4 tests that measured dry braking for both, Zeon CS8 won 0 and Ventus Prime 3 K125 won 4 (average 91% vs 99% of the best).
- In 4 tests that measured wet braking for both, Zeon CS8 won 0 and Ventus Prime 3 K125 won 4 (average 88% vs 98% of the best).
- In 3 tests that measured dry handling for both, Zeon CS8 won 0 and Ventus Prime 3 K125 won 3 (average 98% vs 100% of the best).
- In 3 tests that measured wet handling for both, Zeon CS8 won 0 and Ventus Prime 3 K125 won 3 (average 97% vs 98% of the best).
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61
Dry
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +2485Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 12 tests 54 89 Reviews found online 72 79 Dry Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 0–4 91% 99% Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 98% 100% Zeon CS8: 60% × 53.6 + 40% × 72.2 = 61
Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 78.8 = 85
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73
Wet
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +780Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 12 tests 73 81 Reviews found online 74 77 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 98% 94% Wet Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 0–4 88% 98% Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 97% 98% Zeon CS8: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 73.6 = 73
Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 81.4 + 40% × 77 = 80
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70
Comfort
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +373Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 70 72 Zeon CS8: 40% × 68.9 (est.) + 60% × 70 = 70
Ventus Prime 3 K125: 40% × 75.1 + 60% × 71.9 = 73
No road tests of comfort for Zeon CS8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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72
Noise
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +274Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 6 tests 76 80 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 99% 99% Zeon CS8: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72
Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 79.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 74
No owner ratings of noise for Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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58
Treadwear
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +765Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests 52 61 Reviews found online 66 72 Wear (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 70% 73% Zeon CS8: 60% × 52.2 + 40% × 66 = 58
Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 61 + 40% × 71.8 = 65
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69
Handling (owners)
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +675Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Reviews found online 69 75 -
42
Efficiency
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +2466Why this score
Source Zeon CS8 Ventus Prime 3 K125 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 8 tests 42 66 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 76% 81%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Cooper Zeon CS8 | Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 76 |
| Dry | 61 | 85 |
| Wet | 73 | 80 |
| Comfort | 70 | 73 |
| Noise | 72 | 74 |
| Treadwear | 58 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | 69 | 75 |
| Efficiency | 42 | 66 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
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Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Zeon CS8
76
/ 100
Ventus Prime 3 K125
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 8 tests that ran both, Cooper Zeon CS8 finished ahead 0 times and Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 8 times.
| Discipline | Category | Zeon CS8 | Ventus Prime 3 K125 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 91% | 99% | −8.4 | 0–4 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% | 100% | −2.0 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 78% #8/8 · 2019 Mid Range Tyre Test | 87% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 98% | 94% | +3.6 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% | 98% | −10.0 | 0–4 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 97% | 98% | −0.8 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 94% #6/8 · 2019 Mid Range Tyre Test | 67% #5/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 99% | 99% | −0.6 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 70% | 73% | −3.8 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 76% | 81% | −4.8 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 76% | 73% | +2.7 | 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #20/20 | #11/20 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Value | Cost | 63% | 68% | −4.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Grass Traction | Off-road | 93% | 99% | −6.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Gravel Handling | Off-road | 97% | 96% | +0.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Gravel Traction | Off-road | 92% | 100% | −7.7 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Mud Traction | Off-road | 93% | 89% | +4.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test · 225/55 R17 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #13/14 | #10/14 | – | 0–8 in 8 shared tests Newest: 2021 Test World Large Summer Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Zeon CS8
Pros
- Excellent wet-weather grip and braking performance
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Reports of premature sidewall perishing and cracking
- Inconsistent tread life with some users experiencing rapid wear
- Increased road noise as the tire reaches the end of its life
Tire B Ventus Prime 3 K125
Pros
- Excellent dry road grip and braking performance
- High value-for-money ratio compared to premium competitors
- Comfortable ride quality with effective vibration absorption
Cons
- Increased risk of hydroplaning as tread depth decreases
- Accelerated tread wear on heavier vehicles or under high-torque conditions
- Noise levels can increase noticeably after several thousand miles
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Cooper Zeon CS8 | B · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 60 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 20″ |
| UTQG | — | 240 - 500 A - AA A - B |
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Cooper Zeon CS8
76
/ 100
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — better dry, efficiency and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 85 vs 61 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 66 vs 42 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 80 vs 73 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 65 vs 58 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is straight aquaplaning
Cooper Zeon CS8 won 2 of 2 shared straight aquaplaning tests.
Tire A · Cooper Zeon CS8
Tire B · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
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Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Which is better in the wet, Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 80 vs 73 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 85 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 73 vs 70 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 65 vs 58 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Zeon CS8 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 66 vs 42 on our efficiency score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology