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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk SZ90 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 2 + 14 road tests and 25 + 126 owner reviews. How we score

Ventus Prime 3 K125 is ahead, 77–55

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Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Tire BHankook

Ventus Prime 3 K125

Summer

± 5

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.

  1. 55

    Dry

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +30
    85
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 12 tests5889
    Reviews found online5179

    Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 57.9 + 40% × 51.3 = 55

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 78.8 = 85

  2. 53

    Wet

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +27
    80
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 12 tests5181
    Reviews found online5677

    Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 50.8 + 40% × 56 = 53

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 81.4 + 40% × 77 = 80

  3. 52

    Comfort

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +21
    73
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 64 (est.)75
    Reviews found online4572

    Firehawk SZ90: 40% × 63.8 (est.) + 60% × 44.7 = 52

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 40% × 75.1 + 60% × 71.9 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Firehawk SZ90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 58

    Noise

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +16
    74
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests5380
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 52.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 58

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 79.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 74

    No owner ratings of noise for Firehawk SZ90 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.

  5. 57

    Treadwear

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 61 (est.)61
    Reviews found online5172

    Firehawk SZ90: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.2 = 57

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 61 + 40% × 71.8 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk SZ90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 53

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +22
    75
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Reviews found online5375
  7. 62

    Efficiency

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests6266
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Firehawk SZ90Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Relative Score 55 77
Dry 55 85
Wet 53 80
Comfort 52 73
Noise 58 74
Treadwear 57 65
Handling (owners) 53 75
Efficiency 62 66

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
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Less important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 9

Firehawk SZ90

± 5

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.

DisciplineCategoryFirehawk SZ90Ventus Prime 3 K125ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars Tyre Test 100% #1/53 · 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #9/9 · 2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 82% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars Tyre Test 100% #1/53 · 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 95% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 95% #9/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 99% #2/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 85% #8/9 · 2017 Auto Bild UHP Tyre Test 84% #9/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/9 2017 Auto Bild Sports Cars Tyre Test #8/18 2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Firehawk SZ90

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet surface grip
  • Effective water displacement and braking performance
  • Competitive price point

Cons

  • Excessive road noise
  • Rapid or uneven tread wear
  • Unpredictable handling and stability issues
All owner themes in the Firehawk SZ90 review

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
All owner themes in the Ventus Prime 3 K125 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk SZ90 B · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—60
Rim diameters—15″ – 20″
UTQG—240 - 500 A - AA A - B

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk SZ90

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125

Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — better dry, wet and handling. 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 55 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 80 vs 53 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 75 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 73 vs 52 on comfort.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk SZ90
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Tire B · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
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Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Which is better in the wet, Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 80 vs 53 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 85 vs 55 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 74 vs 58 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 73 vs 52 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 65 vs 57 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Firehawk SZ90 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 66 vs 62 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