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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Hankook Ventus ST — 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 27 + 1 road tests and 3,669 + 23 owner reviews. How we score

Ventus ST is ahead, 76–70

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Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Tire AHankook

Kinergy 4S2

All Season

± 4

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)

“I had the Kinergy 4s2 tires and they were not good. They wore unevenly, especially on the outsides of the fronts and handling was poor. When cornering the tire felt like the sidewall was folding under which would explain the increased wear on the outside tread block of the tires . The alignment was verified to be perfect. Go with the CC2 or anything Nokian . I ran some old Nokian WRG2s and was very impressed. Id imagine the latest versions are also very good.”

Hankook Ventus ST
Tire BHankook

Ventus ST

Summer

± 7

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 83 · 23 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 8 in 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Ventus ST +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 1 tests8371
    Reviews found online5683

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 56 = 72

    Ventus ST: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 82.7 = 75

  2. 78

    Wet

    Level
    78
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 1 tests8775
    Reviews found online6583

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 64.9 = 78

    Ventus ST: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 83.1 = 78

  3. 71

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests79–
    Reviews found online61–

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 60.8 = 71

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Ventus ST +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests72≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5479

    Kinergy 4S2: 40% × 71.5 + 60% × 54.4 = 61

    Ventus ST: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 79.2 = 76

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

  5. 63

    Noise

    Ventus ST +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 1 tests6269
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 61.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 63

    Ventus ST: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 68

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST. 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. 67

    Treadwear

    Ventus ST +10
    77
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests72≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online6084

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 59.6 = 67

    Ventus ST: 60% × 72.9 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 77

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

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus ST +26
    82
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Reviews found online5682
  8. 51

    Efficiency

    Ventus ST +6
    57
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Ventus ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 1 tests5157
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy 4S2Hankook Ventus ST
Relative Score 70 76
Dry 72 75
Wet 78 78
Snow 71 –
Comfort 61 76
Noise 63 68
Treadwear 67 77
Handling (owners) 56 82
Efficiency 51 57

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Kinergy 4S2

± 7

Ventus ST

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 4S2Ventus STΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 92% #6/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 95% #2/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #3/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 98% #5/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% #4/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 98% #2/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 93% #7/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 99% #3/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #8/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 98% #3/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #9/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 97% #5/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 86% #9/9 · 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 81% #8/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 74% #3/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test 58% #6/8 · 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #7/9 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 #2/8 2018 All Road 265/60 R18 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B Ventus ST

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability, often doubling the mileage of competing tires
  • Significantly reduced road noise and improved ride comfort compared to factory-fitted premium tires
  • Strong dry grip and dependable, predictable wet-weather performance

Cons

  • Slightly reduced feedback or a skating sensation in heavy standing water/deep puddles
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise as the tires approach the end of their tread life
  • Availability can sometimes be limited depending on the region and retailer
All owner themes in the Ventus ST review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Mixed

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/tires ·2 upvotes ·2024-11-16

“We're able to get the Kinergy 4S2 from Discount Tires (America's Tires) for less than half the price of. the Cross Climate 2's. We plan to give them a try on a Nissan LEAF and Prius Prime. Hot take: Hit the "found a lower price" feature on the Discount Tire site and see what they offer you! We were very pleasantly surprised!”
r/croautomobili ·22 upvotes ·2025-10-29

“Zimske gume - premium ili neka srednja klasa? Nakon 2 proklizavanja u skretanju ovaj vikend (po kiši) zaključila sam da je vrijeme da kupim nove gume. Otkako sam uzela auto (prosinac 2022.) imam jedne te iste cjelogodišnje gume, Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 225/45/R17. Prošlu zimu kad je bilo snijega jedva sam kući s posla išla koliko sam se klizala po ulici, kiša još nekako ali snijeg i led katastrofa. Ove godine je i na kiši počeo proklizavati. Auto je zadnji pogon, 115ks ništa specijalno. Ono što me zanima je koliko ima smisla uzeti neke premium gume obzirom da godišnje radim oko 15k kilometara, većinski po gradu (Slavonija), tu i tamo autoput do Zg, možda 2 puta godišnje Mađarska/Austrija/Slovenija. Vidim da svi hvale Continental Wintercontact TS870 ali poprilično su skupe pa imate li možda preporuku za nešto jeftinije, a kvalitetno? Više me zanima da su dobre za kišu jer snijega nema nešto specijalno i sve će biti bolje nego ove koje sad imam. Što se dimenzije tiče imam jedne alu felge pa bih onda uzela istu dimenziju čisto da se ne moram izut iz cipela zbog troškova s kupovanjem još i felgi. TLDR: Zimska guma, 225/45/R17, zadnji pogon, što kupiti? Read more”
r/KiaNiroEV ·2 upvotes ·2026-01-20

“New Tyres - Kia dealership recommend Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 H750 215/55R17 98W Just had my 40,000 service at my local Kia dealership for my ‘22 E Niro. I am going to get my tyres changed elsewhere to save a few £££’s but am just wondering if the Hankooks are a good tyre? I am looking at around £140-160 per tyre and wondering if this is a good tyre for the price or if anyone has better suggestion for similar price or cheaper?”
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

Tire B

Hankook Ventus ST

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2 B · Hankook Ventus ST
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available9510
Rim diameters14″ – 20″17″ – 22″
UTQG500 A A—
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Hankook Ventus ST

Winner: Hankook Ventus ST — better handling, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Ventus ST scores 82 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus ST scores 76 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Ventus ST scores 77 vs 67 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Hankook Ventus ST scores 57 vs 51 on efficiency.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
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Tire B · Hankook Ventus ST
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Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Which is better in the wet, Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 78 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Hankook Ventus ST, 75 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Hankook Ventus ST, 68 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Hankook Ventus ST, 76 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Hankook Ventus ST, 77 vs 67 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Kinergy 4S2 or Ventus ST?

Hankook Ventus ST, 57 vs 51 on our efficiency 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