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Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21 — 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 + 5 road tests and 3,659 + 980 owner reviews. How we score

Kinergy 4S2 is ahead, 70–60

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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”

Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
Tire BYokohama

BluEarth-4S AW21

All Season

± 8

Tests 58 · 5 tests Owners 63 · 980 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 16 in 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test (snow braking)

Category by category

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

Key facts

  • In 4 tests that measured dry braking for both, Kinergy 4S2 won 4 and BluEarth-4S AW21 won 0 (average 94% vs 88% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured wet braking for both, Kinergy 4S2 won 4 and BluEarth-4S AW21 won 0 (average 93% vs 88% of the best).
  1. 72

    Dry

    Kinergy 4S2 +13
    59
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 5 tests8355
    Reviews found online5665
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–094%88%

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 54.5 + 40% × 65.4 = 59

  2. 78

    Wet

    Kinergy 4S2 +7
    71
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 5 tests8771
    Reviews found online6571
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–092%78%
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–094%91%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–093%88%
    Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–189%91%

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 71.1 + 40% × 70.8 = 71

  3. 72

    Snow

    Kinergy 4S2 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 2 tests7966
    Reviews found online6168
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–086%85%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–188%95%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–093%91%

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 66.5 + 40% × 67.7 = 67

  4. 61

    Comfort

    BluEarth-4S AW21 +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests72≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5461

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 60.6 = 63

    No road tests of comfort for BluEarth-4S AW21. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 64

    Noise

    Kinergy 4S2 +11
    53
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 2 tests6243
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%98%

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 43.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 53

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21. 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 +18
    49
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / 1 tests7248
    Reviews found online6051
    Abrasion (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–093%57%
    Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–085%56%

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 47.6 + 40% × 51.1 = 49

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    BluEarth-4S AW21 +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Reviews found online5661
  8. 51

    Efficiency

    Kinergy 4S2 +9
    42
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 21 / 2 tests5142
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–096%95%
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy 4S2Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
Relative Score 70 60
Dry 72 59
Wet 78 71
Snow 72 67
Comfort 61 63
Noise 64 53
Treadwear 67 49
Handling (owners) 56 61
Efficiency 51 42

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Kinergy 4S2

± 8

BluEarth-4S AW21

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.

In the overall rankings of 4 tests that ran both, Hankook Kinergy 4S2 finished ahead 4 times and Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryKinergy 4S2BluEarth-4S AW21ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 94% 88% +5.4 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 92% 78% +13.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% 91% +3.5 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Braking Wet 93% 88% +4.5 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Braking (concrete) Wet 89% 91% −2.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Ice Braking Snow 86% 85% +0.8 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Braking Snow 88% 95% −7.5 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Traction Snow 93% 91% +2.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Noise Noise 98% 98% +0.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Abrasion Treadwear 93% 57% +36.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wear Treadwear 85% 56% +29.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 96% 95% +1.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Tyre Weight Other 93% 78% +14.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Overall Ranking Overall #3/16 #14/16 – 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test · 205/55 R16

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 BluEarth-4S AW21

Pros

  • Excellent grip and stability on wet and flooded roads
  • Strong traction and confidence-inspiring performance in snow and ice
  • Good value for money compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Higher road noise levels ('howling' or noticeable hum) compared to some other brands
  • Softer cornering feel and reduced precision during hot summer months
  • Minor negative impact on fuel economy for some drivers
All owner themes in the BluEarth-4S AW21 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

Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2 B · Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available95104
Rim diameters14″ – 20″14″ – 22″
UTQG500 A A—
Sizes in common5858

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21

Winner: Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — better treadwear, dry and noise. Where the Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 67 vs 49 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 72 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 64 vs 53 on noise.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Hankook Kinergy 4S2 scores 51 vs 42 on efficiency.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
Check price on Amazon

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Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Which is better in the wet, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 78 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 72 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

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

Which is quieter, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 64 vs 53 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 63 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 67 vs 49 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Kinergy 4S2 or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Hankook Kinergy 4S2, 51 vs 42 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