Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 10 reviews
Falken FK451 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Falken FK451 vs Hankook Ventus R-S4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 10 + 211 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus R-S4 leads, 71–68 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 211 reviews
“I had the DW's on my Porsche 911 last year and really liked them. I liked them so much, I just installed a set on my C6 base. I waiting for the 3' of snow to melt before I try them out.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
66
Dry
Ventus R-S4 +975Why this score
Source FK451 Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 65 79 FK451: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 79.4 = 75
No road tests of dry for FK451. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
No road tests of dry for Ventus R-S4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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70
Wet
FK451 +367Why this score
Source FK451 Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 70 66 FK451: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 70.2 = 70
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 66.2 = 67
No road tests of wet for FK451. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
No road tests of wet for Ventus R-S4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
68
Comfort
FK451 +365Why this score
Source FK451 Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 67 60 FK451: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 67.4 = 68
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60 = 65
No road tests of comfort for FK451 or Ventus R-S4. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison69Why this score
Source FK451 Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 71 Ventus R-S4: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.9 = 69
No road tests of noise for Ventus R-S4. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
67
Treadwear
Ventus R-S4 +471Why this score
Source FK451 Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 68 74 FK451: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 67.5 = 67
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.2 = 71
No road tests of treadwear for FK451. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
No road tests of treadwear for Ventus R-S4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
-
65
Handling (owners)
Ventus R-S4 +1580Why this score
Source FK451 Ventus R-S4 Reviews found online 65 80
Scores at a glance
| Category | Falken FK451 | Hankook Ventus R-S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 71 |
| Dry | 66 | 75 |
| Wet | 70 | 67 |
| Comfort | 68 | 65 |
| Noise | – | 69 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 71 |
| Handling (owners) | 65 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
FK451
71
/ 100
Ventus R-S4
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A FK451
Pros
- Exceptional price-to-performance ratio
- Strong wet and dry traction
- Excellent tread life and durability
Cons
- Potential for rubber cracking between treads over long-term storage or extended age
- Some users report a slightly less 'alive' or communicative steering feel compared to premium performance tires
- Availability concerns as it is an older model often superseded by newer iterations
Tire B Ventus R-S4
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and wear resistance ("wears like iron")
- Highly consistent performance and resistance to overheating or getting greasy during long sessions
- Stiff sidewalls providing precise steering response and excellent feedback
Cons
- Slow to come up to optimal operating temperature, especially in cooler weather or for autocross
- Slightly lower ultimate dry grip compared to top-tier rivals like the Bridgestone RE-71R/RE-71RS
- High road noise and a harsh ride due to stiff sidewalls
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Falken FK451
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Hankook Ventus R-S4
Community sentiment regarding the Hankook Ventus R-S4 is predominantly positive, with drivers praising its high initial dry grip, track performance, and smooth, quiet street ride. Users frequently note its durability over multiple heat cycles and track days, though questions remain concerning daily driving longevity and sudden grip fall-off later in life. Comparisons to other tires highlight its superior traction compared to all-season alternatives.
corvetteforum.com
“I had the DW's on my Porsche 911 last year and really liked them. I liked them so much, I just installed a set on my C6 base. I waiting for the 3' of snow to melt before I try them out.”
corvetteforum.com
“Quote: Originally Posted by LbulletM Came back to say this. I bought the HanKooks and LOVE THEM!! Good wear but most of all Super Quiet. To each their own, not trying to start a war...just giving personal experience with the product....I dont drive in a matter to need High performance so I cant speak to cornering or load or any of the other gearhead tire talk....Smooth and Quiet!”
Top themes
#track day durability#dry grip performance#heat cycling behavior#daily driving longevity#quiet ride quality
Based on 9 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Falken FK451 | B · Hankook Ventus R-S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Falken FK451
71
/ 100
Hankook Ventus R-S4
Narrow edge: Hankook Ventus R-S4 — better handling, dry and treadwear. Pick the Falken FK451 if wet and comfort matter most to you. Falken FK451 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 80 vs 65 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 75 vs 66 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 71 vs 67 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Falken FK451 scores 70 vs 67 on wet.
Tire A · Falken FK451
Tire B · Hankook Ventus R-S4
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FK451 or Ventus R-S4?
Which is better in the wet, FK451 or Ventus R-S4?
Falken FK451, 70 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, FK451 or Ventus R-S4?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 75 vs 66 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, FK451 or Ventus R-S4?
Falken FK451, 68 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, FK451 or Ventus R-S4?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 71 vs 67 on our treadwear 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