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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Kumho PorTran KC53 — 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 + 0 road tests and 3,659 + 287 owner reviews. How we score

Kinergy 4S2 is ahead, 71–63

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Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Tire AHankook

Kinergy 4S2

All Season

± 4

Tests 78 · 27 tests Owners 60 · 3,659 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (curved aquaplaning)

“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”

Kumho PorTran KC53
Tire BKumho

PorTran KC53

Summer Touring tires

± 9

Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 287 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Kinergy 4S2 +9
    63
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / – tests83≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5661

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

    PorTran KC53: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 60.8 = 63

    No road tests of dry for PorTran KC53. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 78

    Wet

    Kinergy 4S2 +13
    65
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / – tests87≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6563

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

    PorTran KC53: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 62.8 = 65

    No road tests of wet for PorTran KC53. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 72

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests79–
    Reviews found online61–

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 60.9 = 72

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Kinergy 4S2 +3
    58
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests72≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5453

    Kinergy 4S2: 40% × 71.6 + 60% × 54.4 = 61

    PorTran KC53: 40% × 65.4 (est.) + 60% × 52.5 = 58

    No road tests of comfort for PorTran KC53. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 64

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests62–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 61.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 64

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S2. 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

    Kinergy 4S2 +6
    61
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests72≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online6057

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 59.7 = 67

    PorTran KC53: 60% × 63.1 (est.) + 40% × 57 = 61

    No road tests of treadwear for PorTran KC53. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    PorTran KC53 +4
    60
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Reviews found online5660
  8. 51

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2PorTran KC53
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests51–
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy 4S2Kumho PorTran KC53
Relative Score 71 63
Dry 72 63
Wet 78 65
Snow 72 –
Comfort 61 58
Noise 64 –
Treadwear 67 61
Handling (owners) 56 60
Efficiency 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
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
± 4

Kinergy 4S2

± 9

PorTran KC53

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 4S2PorTran KC53ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/9 2026 AMS All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 #7/16 2019 ADAC Van 215/65 R16 C 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 PorTran KC53

Pros

  • Significantly quieter and more refined road noise compared to stock or competitor tires
  • Smoother, more forgiving ride quality (frequently noted by motorhome owners)
  • Excellent value for money and affordable pricing

Cons

  • Occasional wheel spin or reduced forward traction when accelerating quickly in the wet
  • Potential for accelerated edge wear under certain loads if pressures are not meticulously managed
  • Isolated reports of premature sidewall cracking after a few years
All owner themes in the PorTran KC53 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!”
subaruoutback.org ·3 upvotes ·2022-11-09

“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.”
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
#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

Kumho PorTran KC53

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2 B · Kumho PorTran KC53
CategoryAll SeasonSummer Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverVan
Sizes available9527
Rim diameters14″ – 20″14″ – 18″
UTQG500 A A—
Sizes in common99

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Kumho PorTran KC53

Winner: Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — better wet, dry and treadwear. Where the Kumho PorTran KC53 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 78 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 72 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 67 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 61 vs 58 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
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Tire B · Kumho PorTran KC53
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Kinergy 4S2 or PorTran KC53?

Which is better in the wet, Kinergy 4S2 or PorTran KC53?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 78 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Kinergy 4S2 or PorTran KC53?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 72 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Kinergy 4S2 or PorTran KC53?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 61 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy 4S2 or PorTran KC53?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 67 vs 61 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