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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Toyo Proxes 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 + 0 road tests and 3,669 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Kinergy 4S2 and Proxes ST are level at 71.

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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)

“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”

Toyo Proxes ST
Tire BToyo

Proxes ST

All Season

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 72 · 14 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

    Level
    72
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / – tests83≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5674

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

    Proxes ST: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 74.3 = 72

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

  2. 78

    Wet

    Kinergy 4S2 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / – tests87≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6577

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 64.8 = 78

    Proxes ST: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 76.9 = 75

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

  3. 72

    Snow

    Kinergy 4S2 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests79≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6165

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

    Proxes ST: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 67

    No road tests of snow for Proxes ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Proxes ST +10
    71
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5472

    Kinergy 4S2: 40% × 71.5 + 60% × 54.3 = 61

    Proxes ST: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.1 = 71

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

  5. 63

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests62–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

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

    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

    Proxes ST +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6072

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

    Proxes ST: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 70

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

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    Proxes ST +12
    68
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Reviews found online5668
  8. 51

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2Proxes ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / – tests51–
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy 4S2Toyo Proxes ST
Relative Score 71 71
Dry 72 72
Wet 78 75
Snow 72 67
Comfort 61 71
Noise 63 –
Treadwear 67 70
Handling (owners) 56 68
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
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

Proxes ST

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 Proxes ST

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-term durability
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality compared to other brands and run-flats
  • Strong dry and wet grip with good resistance to aquaplaning

Cons

  • Poor performance and limited traction in snow and ice
  • A small number of users experienced disappointing treadwear and longevity
  • Conflicting feedback regarding wet grip, with isolated reports of poor performance
All owner themes in the Proxes 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/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”
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/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

Toyo Proxes ST

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2 B · Toyo Proxes ST
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available951
Rim diameters14″ – 20″19″
UTQG500 A A—

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Toyo Proxes ST

Too close to call: Hankook Kinergy 4S2 and Toyo Proxes ST are within 2 points overall. Hankook Kinergy 4S2 is stronger on snow and wet. Toyo Proxes ST is stronger on handling, comfort and treadwear. Toyo Proxes ST rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Toyo Proxes ST scores 68 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Toyo Proxes ST scores 71 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 72 vs 67 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 78 vs 75 on wet.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Toyo Proxes ST
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Kinergy 4S2 or Proxes ST?

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

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 78 vs 75 on our wet score.

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

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

Which is better in snow, Kinergy 4S2 or Proxes ST?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 72 vs 67 on our snow score.

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

Toyo Proxes ST, 71 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy 4S2 or Proxes ST?

Toyo Proxes ST, 70 vs 67 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