Tests – · 1 test Owners 67 · 13 reviews
Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate 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 (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 13 + 211 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus R-S4 leads, 72–68 Narrow edge
Add your size for an exact match
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests – · none yet Owners 74 · 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.
-
68
Dry
Ventus R-S4 +876Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 69 80 Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 68
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 80.1 = 76
No road tests of dry for Eagle Exhilarate. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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 0.42).
-
71
Wet
Eagle Exhilarate +467Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 72 66 Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 65.8 = 67
No road tests of wet for Eagle Exhilarate. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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 0.55).
-
60
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) – Reviews found online 54 – Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 64.4 (est.) + 40% × 53.7 = 60
No road tests of snow for Eagle Exhilarate. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
-
66
Comfort
Eagle Exhilarate +759Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 64 55 Eagle Exhilarate: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.4 = 66
Ventus R-S4: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 54.7 = 59
No road tests of comfort for Eagle Exhilarate or Ventus R-S4. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
68
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 69 – Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 68.9 = 68
No road tests of noise for Eagle Exhilarate. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
64
Treadwear
Ventus R-S4 +973Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 62 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 67 78 Eagle Exhilarate: 60% × 62.4 + 40% × 66.8 = 64
Ventus R-S4: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 78.1 = 73
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 0.35).
-
69
Handling (owners)
Ventus R-S4 +1382Why this score
Source Eagle Exhilarate Ventus R-S4 Reviews found online 69 82
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate | Hankook Ventus R-S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 72 |
| Dry | 68 | 76 |
| Wet | 71 | 67 |
| Snow | 60 | – |
| Comfort | 66 | 59 |
| Noise | 68 | – |
| Treadwear | 64 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 69 | 82 |
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Eagle Exhilarate
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 Eagle Exhilarate
Pros
- Strong dry pavement handling and sporty steering response
- High level of ride comfort and bump absorption
- Reliable wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance for many users
Cons
- Reports of significant road noise, described by some as intrusive
- Inconsistent tread life and potential for uneven wear
- Polarizing performance in snow and ice conditions
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
Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
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.
“Super happy w Hankook Ventus R-S4s. Follow-up question. I'm 10 track days into owning my first set of Hankook Ventus R-S4s. Thanks for the recommendation. I rotate them after every 2 days on my ND miata. I'm noticing the forewarned heat cycling now. TBH - I like them more now. Car moves around more and i have to modulate brakes myself. When they were new I couldn't get the abs engaged - there was just too much grip for the stock equipment. Anyway, my question is - my research says that with this Tire the grip can drop off quickly. Is that accurate? now that I'm getting into this gray area where they are definitely starting to heat cycle out am I going to leave an event Sunday with 80% new level grip and show up to my next track day two Weeks later at 30%? Edit. I’m working with some assumptions here that might not be valid. I’m assuming I’m getting heat cycling performance drop because I was warned I would heat cycle them out before I wore them down to chords. I am definitely experiencing a noticeable drop in mechanical grip during breaking. I am much more capable of getting into the ABS now than I was on the first days on these tires. My last track weekend was also on a set of pads that are near life end so I think that variable is accounted for. That same weekend was cooler than normal and I noticed the performance drop the entire day not, for example, on cold tires or late in a heavy session.”
“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.”
Based on 9 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate | B · Hankook Ventus R-S4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 37 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 500 AA A | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 45,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Vertical Serrated Band | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
Hankook Ventus R-S4
Narrow edge: Hankook Ventus R-S4 — better handling, treadwear and dry. Pick the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate if comfort and wet matter most to you. Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 82 vs 69 on handling.
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 73 vs 64 on treadwear.
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 76 vs 68 on dry.
Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate scores 66 vs 59 on comfort.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Eagle Exhilarate or Ventus R-S4?
Which is better in the wet, Eagle Exhilarate or Ventus R-S4?
Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate, 71 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Eagle Exhilarate or Ventus R-S4?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 76 vs 68 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Eagle Exhilarate or Ventus R-S4?
Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate, 66 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Eagle Exhilarate or Ventus R-S4?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 73 vs 64 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