Head-to-head Updated

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco vs Hankook OPTIMO ME02 K424 — 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 + 0 road tests and 49 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

K425 Kinergy Eco is ahead, 67–56

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 67

    Dry

    K425 Kinergy Eco +8
    59
    Why this score
    SourceK425 Kinergy EcoOPTIMO ME02 K424
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online6655

    K425 Kinergy Eco: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.2 = 67

    OPTIMO ME02 K424: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 59

    No road tests of dry for K425 Kinergy Eco. 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 OPTIMO ME02 K424. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 70

    Wet

    K425 Kinergy Eco +20
    50
    Why this score
    SourceK425 Kinergy EcoOPTIMO ME02 K424
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online7043

    K425 Kinergy Eco: 60% × 70.1 (est.) + 40% × 69.5 = 70

    OPTIMO ME02 K424: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 42.6 = 50

    No road tests of wet for K425 Kinergy Eco. 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 OPTIMO ME02 K424. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 66

    Comfort

    K425 Kinergy Eco +7
    59
    Why this score
    SourceK425 Kinergy EcoOPTIMO ME02 K424
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6454

    K425 Kinergy Eco: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64 = 66

    OPTIMO ME02 K424: 40% × 65.8 (est.) + 60% × 54.3 = 59

    No road tests of comfort for K425 Kinergy Eco. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

    No road tests of comfort for OPTIMO ME02 K424. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourceK425 Kinergy EcoOPTIMO ME02 K424
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–61

    OPTIMO ME02 K424: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 60.9 = 64

    No road tests of noise for OPTIMO ME02 K424. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 63

    Treadwear

    Level
    63
    Why this score
    SourceK425 Kinergy EcoOPTIMO ME02 K424
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6061

    K425 Kinergy Eco: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 60.1 = 63

    OPTIMO ME02 K424: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.2 = 63

    No road tests of treadwear for K425 Kinergy Eco. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for OPTIMO ME02 K424. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 65

    Handling (owners)

    K425 Kinergy Eco +14
    51
    Why this score
    SourceK425 Kinergy EcoOPTIMO ME02 K424
    Reviews found online6551
Scores at a glance
Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco vs Hankook OPTIMO ME02 K424: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryHankook K425 Kinergy EcoHankook OPTIMO ME02 K424
Relative Score 67 56
Dry 67 59
Wet 70 50
Comfort 66 59
Noise – 64
Treadwear 63 63
Handling (owners) 65 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 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
± 8

K425 Kinergy Eco

± 8

OPTIMO ME02 K424

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 K425 Kinergy Eco

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium brands
  • Reliable and stable handling in dry conditions

Cons

  • Inconsistent or poor wet-weather traction
  • High levels of cabin noise, particularly on coarse asphalt
  • Stiff, rigid ride quality
All owner themes in the K425 Kinergy Eco review

Tire B OPTIMO ME02 K424

Pros

  • Available in hard-to-find niche sizes such as for the Geo Metro
  • Long-lasting tread life due to a harder rubber compound
  • Affordable pricing and accessible delivery

Cons

  • Alarmingly poor wet grip leading to frequent skidding and loss of control
  • Extended stopping distances in rainy conditions despite vehicle safety systems like ABS and traction control
  • Noticeable squealing during dry cornering due to hard compound
All owner themes in the OPTIMO ME02 K424 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco B · Hankook OPTIMO ME02 K424
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available27—
Rim diameters13″ – 16″—
UTQG220 - 400 A A—
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco

Hankook OPTIMO ME02 K424

Winner: Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco — better wet, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Hankook OPTIMO ME02 K424 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco scores 70 vs 50 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco scores 65 vs 51 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco scores 67 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco scores 66 vs 59 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco
Tire B · Hankook OPTIMO ME02 K424

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

K425 Kinergy Eco or OPTIMO ME02 K424?

Which is better in the wet, K425 Kinergy Eco or OPTIMO ME02 K424?

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco, 70 vs 50 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, K425 Kinergy Eco or OPTIMO ME02 K424?

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco, 67 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, K425 Kinergy Eco or OPTIMO ME02 K424?

Hankook K425 Kinergy Eco, 66 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, K425 Kinergy Eco or OPTIMO ME02 K424?

Neither, by our numbers: 63 vs 63 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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