Tests – · 1 test Owners 64 · 24 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone WeatherGrip vs Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — 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 1 + 27 road tests and 24 + 3,669 owner reviews. How we score
Kinergy 4S2 is ahead, 70–65
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Tests 78 · 27 tests Owners 60 · 3,669 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (curved aquaplaning)
“Hankook's 3-peak all-season tire, also called all-weather, is finally available from TR, though it had been out awhile now, when it replaced the 4S (4s1?) that was sold in Canada, but not the US. Like all the other 3-peak all-seasons that they carry, TR classifies the 4S2 as grand touring all-season”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
Kinergy 4S2 +772Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 26 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 83 Reviews found online 63 56 WeatherGrip: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 62.8 = 65
Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 56.1 = 72
No road tests of dry for WeatherGrip. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
70
Wet
Kinergy 4S2 +878Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 26 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 87 Reviews found online 70 65 WeatherGrip: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 69.7 = 70
Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 64.9 = 78
No road tests of wet for WeatherGrip. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
74
Snow
WeatherGrip +272Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 21 tests ≈ 73 (est.) 79 Reviews found online 77 61 WeatherGrip: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.7 = 74
Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 61 = 72
No road tests of snow for WeatherGrip. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
64
Comfort
WeatherGrip +361Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 71 Reviews found online 62 54 WeatherGrip: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 61.6 = 64
Kinergy 4S2: 40% × 71.5 + 60% × 54.4 = 61
No road tests of comfort for WeatherGrip. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
67
Noise
WeatherGrip +463Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 21 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 62 Reviews found online 69 ≈ 66 (est.) WeatherGrip: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 67
Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 61.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 63
No road tests of noise for WeatherGrip. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S2. 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.
-
55
Treadwear
Kinergy 4S2 +1267Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests 56 72 Reviews found online 54 60 WeatherGrip: 60% × 56 + 40% × 53.9 = 55
Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 59.6 = 67
-
61
Handling (owners)
WeatherGrip +556Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Reviews found online 61 56 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison51Why this score
Source WeatherGrip Kinergy 4S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 21 tests – 51
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone WeatherGrip | Hankook Kinergy 4S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 70 |
| Dry | 65 | 72 |
| Wet | 70 | 78 |
| Snow | 74 | 72 |
| Comfort | 64 | 61 |
| Noise | 67 | 63 |
| Treadwear | 55 | 67 |
| Handling (owners) | 61 | 56 |
| Efficiency | – | 51 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
WeatherGrip
70
/ 100
Kinergy 4S2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | WeatherGrip | Kinergy 4S2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | #7/9 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WeatherGrip
Pros
- Outstanding snow and winter weather traction
- Confident wet weather and rain grip
- Smooth and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Faster tread wear due to the softer rubber compound
- Noticeable drop in fuel economy (MPG)
- Subpar dry pavement performance compared to dedicated summer or standard all-season tires
Tire B Kinergy 4S2
Pros
- Exceptional wet weather grip, braking, and aquaplaning resistance
- Strong performance and confidence in cold temperatures, light snow, and slush
- High overall value for money compared to premium tier alternatives
Cons
- Increased road noise and occasional highway 'whining' or howling between 120-140 km/h
- Some reports of faster-than-expected tread wear or uneven inner tread deformation
- Softer sidewalls can induce initial steering delay or a slight floating feel during aggressive cornering
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Firestone WeatherGrip
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Hankook Kinergy 4S2
The Hankook Kinergy 4S2 is widely regarded as a good-value 3PMSF all-weather tire, often recommended as a cheaper alternative to the Michelin CrossClimate 2 thanks to strong wet performance and good independent test results. Complaints include a stiff ride, highway road noise, fast or uneven tread wear, and weaker snow and ice grip for some owners. Several users noted that ice performance wasn't tested and that it suits milder, wet climates best.
r/TyreReviews
·3 upvotes ·2025-10-15
“Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Continental AllSeasonContact 2 For the past 3 years I have been using the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 195/55R15 and I am super happy with them, but a little over 50,000km in it is time to get new shoes this winter. I have driven in snow and they felt quite ok. Now I am looking to either get them again since I enjoyed them, or try the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 - but they only come in 185/55R15. I have read that narrower tires are better in the snow - most of the driving I do is on maintained roads but we do go into the mountains for a few weekends through winter usuallly. First of all, are the Continental a big step up from the Hankooks, like-for-like? Secondly, would the width difference be a significant factor in snow performance gain or dry/wet performance loss? And if it is better to have the narrower tire, would the Hankook in 185/55R15 be still a reasonable move from my current 195/55? Price-wise: Continental AllSeasonContact 2 185/55 R15 - 100Eur Hankook Kinergy 4S2 185/55 R15 - 79Eur Hankook Kinergy 4S2 195/55 R15 - 84Eur Cheers :) Read more”
bobistheoilguy.com
·2021-03-02
“Hankook's 3-peak all-season tire, also called all-weather, is finally available from TR, though it had been out awhile now, when it replaced the 4S (4s1?) that was sold in Canada, but not the US. Like all the other 3-peak all-seasons that they carry, TR classifies the 4S2 as grand touring all-season”
r/mercedes_benz
·8 upvotes ·2026-09-06
“Tire recommendations E-class Hi all, I've been enjoying my first E-class for a couple months now. The only thing that has been bothering me is the loud noise the tires make at about 130 kph. I've ruled everything out so I'm really certain it is just the tires. They are hankook kinergy 4s2 h750 all seasons, so a bit of noise is to be expected but these really make a loud humming noise at highway speeds. Does anyone have recommendation for quiet all season tires? They do need to have the 3pmsf certifaction. My sizes are front: 245/40 R19 & back: 275/35 R19. Read more”
Top themes
#Value vs CrossClimate 2#Wet traction#Snow and ice grip#Tread wear concerns#Ride comfort stiffness#Road noise#Tyre Reviews test results#EV and range use
Based on 34 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone WeatherGrip | B · Hankook Kinergy 4S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Weather | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 49 | 95 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 19″ | 14″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 640 A A | 500 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | 65,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 32 | 32 |
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Firestone WeatherGrip
70
/ 100
Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Winner: Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — better treadwear, wet and dry. Pick the Firestone WeatherGrip if noise and comfort matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 67 vs 55 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 78 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 72 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Firestone WeatherGrip scores 67 vs 63 on noise.
Tire A · Firestone WeatherGrip
Tire B · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
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WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Which is better in the wet, WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 78 vs 70 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 72 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 72 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Firestone WeatherGrip, 67 vs 63 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Firestone WeatherGrip, 64 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, WeatherGrip or Kinergy 4S2?
Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 67 vs 55 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