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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 — 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 24 + 0 road tests and 3,636 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport A/S 3 is ahead, 76–71

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Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Tire AHankook

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)

“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”

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +5
    77
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / – tests83≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online5682

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

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    No road tests of dry for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 78

    Wet

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +3
    81
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / – tests87≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online6484

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

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    No road tests of wet for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 72

    Snow

    Kinergy 4S2 +1
    71
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests79≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6172

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

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71

    No road tests of snow for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 64

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +7
    71
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests77≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online5571

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

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 71.2 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 66

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests66–
    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. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests71≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6071

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

    Pilot Sport A/S 3: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport A/S 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport A/S 3 +26
    82
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Reviews found online5682
  8. 54

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Pilot Sport A/S 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests54–
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy 4S2Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
Relative Score 71 76
Dry 72 77
Wet 78 81
Snow 72 71
Comfort 64 71
Noise 66 –
Treadwear 67 69
Handling (owners) 56 82
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
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

± 8

Pilot Sport A/S 3

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 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 Pilot Sport A/S 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip in both wet and dry weather conditions
  • Outstanding cornering stability and steering responsiveness
  • Stiff sidewalls providing superior handling compared to competitors

Cons

  • Noticeable and bothersome road noise
  • Heavy tire construction
  • Shorter than expected tread life for certain drivers on abrasive surfaces
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport A/S 3 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

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.

r/tires ·4 upvotes ·2025-03-18

“Hankook Worn out after 15k miles Took my car in for a standard tire rotation and was informed all 4 tires only had 4/32 of tread remaining left. I was shocked. I've only put about 15k miles on in the 2.5 years I've had the tires. I don't drive aggressively at all. Mix of city and highway. Anyways, I got about a 75% credit on the Hankook Kinergy 4s2 all weather tires and only paid about $70 out of pocket towards my new tires (plus $90 balancing and mounting fee)! I went with the Falken Aklimate that were about $150 a tire. Just wanted to share my story. Can the softer rubber in all weather tires cause them to wear out faster in the summer? Only other thing I can think of is my car was parked outside for 2 summers in a south facing parking lot so maybe the sun just baked them and cause the tread to wear faster? But I would think that would be more dry rot related than tread wear. 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?”
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”
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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2 B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available956
Rim diameters14″ – 20″19″ – 20″
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 — better handling, comfort and dry. Where the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 82 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 71 vs 64 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 77 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 scores 81 vs 78 on wet.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
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Kinergy 4S2 or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Which is better in the wet, Kinergy 4S2 or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 81 vs 78 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Kinergy 4S2 or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 77 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Kinergy 4S2 or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 71 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Kinergy 4S2 or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, 71 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy 4S2 or Pilot Sport A/S 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 69 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