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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Eagle NCT5 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 0 + 24 road tests and 91 + 3,636 owner reviews. How we score

Kinergy 4S2 is ahead, 71–57

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Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Tire BHankook

Kinergy 4S2

All Season

± 4

Tests 79 · 24 tests Owners 60 · 3,636 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.

  1. 56

    Dry

    Kinergy 4S2 +16
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests≈ 60 (est.)83
    Reviews found online4956

    Eagle NCT5: 60% × 60.1 (est.) + 40% × 49.1 = 56

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 82.6 + 40% × 56.4 = 72

    No road tests of dry for Eagle NCT5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 57

    Wet

    Kinergy 4S2 +21
    78
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests≈ 60 (est.)87
    Reviews found online5164

    Eagle NCT5: 60% × 60.1 (est.) + 40% × 51.4 = 57

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 86.6 + 40% × 64.3 = 78

    No road tests of wet for Eagle NCT5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–79
    Reviews found online–61

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 79 + 40% × 61.3 = 72

  4. 57

    Comfort

    Kinergy 4S2 +7
    64
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 66 (est.)77
    Reviews found online5155

    Eagle NCT5: 40% × 65.8 (est.) + 60% × 51 = 57

    Kinergy 4S2: 40% × 76.6 + 60% × 54.8 = 64

    No road tests of comfort for Eagle NCT5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–66
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 66

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 63

    Treadwear

    Kinergy 4S2 +4
    67
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests≈ 65 (est.)71
    Reviews found online6260

    Eagle NCT5: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.6 = 63

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 59.5 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for Eagle NCT5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 47

    Handling (owners)

    Kinergy 4S2 +9
    56
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Reviews found online4756
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    54
    Why this score
    SourceEagle NCT5Kinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–54
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Eagle NCT5Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Relative Score 57 71
Dry 56 72
Wet 57 78
Snow – 72
Comfort 57 64
Noise – 66
Treadwear 63 67
Handling (owners) 47 56
Efficiency – 54

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Eagle NCT5

± 4

Kinergy 4S2

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 NCT5

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and high mileage durability
  • Strong resistance to punctures and road hazards
  • Reliable performance in dry conditions for touring purposes

Cons

  • Unpredictable and often poor wet-weather traction
  • High levels of road noise
  • Harsh ride comfort, particularly in Run-Flat variants
All owner themes in the Eagle NCT5 review

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
All owner themes in the Kinergy 4S2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Goodyear Eagle NCT5

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Mixed

Community members frequently view the Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 as a solid, budget-friendly alternative to premium all-weather tires like the Michelin CrossClimate 2, highlighting its strong wet traction and good snow performance for the price. However, users report mixed experiences regarding tread longevity, with some noting rapid or uneven wear, as well as drawbacks such as highway humming noise, a stiff ride, and twitchy handling on ice.

teslamotorsclub.com ·3 upvotes ·2023-12-30

“I've been running the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 all seasons on my M3 for just over a year - great tyres, esp in the wet, although they take a few hundred miles to scrub in (a touch "slippery" until then, so care is needed pulling out of junctions, etc). They placed 2nd behing the CrossClimate 2s in the 2022 all-season tyre test on Tyre Reviews, and were considered better overall in milder, wet conditions (bulk of UK basically!), which is why I chose them over the CC2s. Only had the recent spell of wintry weather to check the snow/ice performance - no issues with snow, but felt twitchy on ice. Supply seems limited this year - only place I've seen them listed in M3 18" size is ATS Euromaster, whereas I could have also got them from Halfords & Kwikfit last year.”
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”
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
#Affordable CrossClimate alternative#Wet weather traction#Snow and winter performance#Tread wear longevity#Cabin road noise#Ride stiffness and comfort

Based on 33 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Eagle NCT5 B · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available495
Rim diameters17″ – 21″14″ – 20″
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Eagle NCT5

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Winner: Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — better wet, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 78 vs 57 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 72 vs 56 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 56 vs 47 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 64 vs 57 on comfort.

Tire A · Goodyear Eagle NCT5
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Tire B · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
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Eagle NCT5 or Kinergy 4S2?

Which is better in the wet, Eagle NCT5 or Kinergy 4S2?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 78 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Eagle NCT5 or Kinergy 4S2?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 72 vs 56 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Eagle NCT5 or Kinergy 4S2?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 64 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Eagle NCT5 or Kinergy 4S2?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 67 vs 63 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