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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Kinergy 4S vs Hankook Optimo 4S — 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 3 + 0 road tests and 14 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Optimo 4S is ahead, 75–69

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Hankook Kinergy 4S
Tire AHankook

Kinergy 4S

All Season

± 7

Tests 68 · 3 tests Owners 68 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 11 in 2017 All Season VS Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Hankook Optimo 4S
Tire BHankook

Optimo 4S

All Season

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 76 · 32 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 69

    Dry

    Optimo 4S +5
    74
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests70≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6777

    Kinergy 4S: 60% × 69.7 + 40% × 67.3 = 69

    Optimo 4S: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74

    No road tests of dry for Optimo 4S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 73

    Wet

    Optimo 4S +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests74≈ 77 (est.)
    Reviews found online7182

    Kinergy 4S: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 71 = 73

    Optimo 4S: 60% × 76.8 (est.) + 40% × 81.9 = 79

    No road tests of wet for Optimo 4S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 70

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests66–
    Reviews found online77–

    Kinergy 4S: 60% × 66.1 + 40% × 76.6 = 70

  4. 67

    Comfort

    Optimo 4S +8
    75
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6678

    Kinergy 4S: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 65.9 = 67

    Optimo 4S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 78.1 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Kinergy 4S or Optimo 4S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 60

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests56–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    Kinergy 4S: 60% × 56.3 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 60

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S. 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.

  6. 63

    Treadwear

    Optimo 4S +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests63≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6370

    Kinergy 4S: 60% × 62.8 + 40% × 62.9 = 63

    Optimo 4S: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 70.4 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Optimo 4S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Optimo 4S +11
    75
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Reviews found online6475
  8. 67

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4SOptimo 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests67–
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy 4SHankook Optimo 4S
Relative Score 69 75
Dry 69 74
Wet 73 79
Snow 70 –
Comfort 67 75
Noise 60 –
Treadwear 63 69
Handling (owners) 64 75
Efficiency 67 –

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
± 7

Kinergy 4S

± 8

Optimo 4S

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.

DisciplineCategoryKinergy 4SOptimo 4SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #12/30 2025 All Season 30 Tyre Braking Test #7/7 2016 ADAC All Season Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Kinergy 4S

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and stability in wet and torrential rain conditions
  • Strong performance in snow and slush, often cited as a viable alternative to dedicated winter tires
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Reports of premature tread wear and shorter-than-expected service life
  • Inconsistent dry-road handling and feedback compared to dedicated summer tires
  • Occasional reports of poor traction on greasy or specific wet road surfaces
All owner themes in the Kinergy 4S review

Tire B Optimo 4S

Pros

  • Excellent traction and confidence in snow and icy conditions
  • Strong performance in wet weather and standing water
  • High levels of ride comfort and low road noise

Cons

  • Dry road handling can feel slightly compromised compared to dedicated summer tires
  • Some reports of increased noise levels when the tires are brand new
  • Occasional reports of uneven tread wear or balancing issues
All owner themes in the Optimo 4S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy 4S B · Hankook Optimo 4S
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available6735
Rim diameters13″ – 18″13″ – 17″
UTQG500 - 600 A A520 - 600 A A
Sizes in common3535

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy 4S

Hankook Optimo 4S

Winner: Hankook Optimo 4S — better handling, comfort and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Optimo 4S scores 75 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Optimo 4S scores 75 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Optimo 4S scores 79 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Optimo 4S scores 69 vs 63 on treadwear.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S
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Tire B · Hankook Optimo 4S
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Kinergy 4S or Optimo 4S?

Which is better in the wet, Kinergy 4S or Optimo 4S?

Hankook Optimo 4S, 79 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Kinergy 4S or Optimo 4S?

Hankook Optimo 4S, 74 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Kinergy 4S or Optimo 4S?

Hankook Optimo 4S, 75 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy 4S or Optimo 4S?

Hankook Optimo 4S, 69 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