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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Kinergy Eco 2 vs Michelin Primacy 4+ — 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 2 + 10 road tests and 1,595 + 40 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4+ is ahead, 77–61

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Hankook Kinergy Eco 2
Tire AHankook

Kinergy Eco 2

Summer

± 6

Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 50 · 1,595 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 15 in 2019 Summer and All Season Tyre Test (noise)

Michelin Primacy 4+
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4+

Summer

± 4

Tests 85 · 10 tests Owners 71 · 40 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (abrasion)

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Primacy 4+ +15
    78
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 9 tests7282
    Reviews found online5071

    Kinergy Eco 2: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 49.5 = 63

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 71 = 78

  2. 66

    Wet

    Primacy 4+ +13
    79
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 9 tests7582
    Reviews found online5375

    Kinergy Eco 2: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 53.4 = 66

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82 + 40% × 74.6 = 79

  3. 53

    Comfort

    Primacy 4+ +18
    71
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)73
    Reviews found online4569

    Kinergy Eco 2: 40% × 64 (est.) + 60% × 45.3 = 53

    Primacy 4+: 40% × 72.9 + 60% × 69.4 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Kinergy Eco 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 71

    Noise

    Primacy 4+ +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 7 tests7576
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Kinergy Eco 2: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 71

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+. 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.

  5. 55

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4+ +30
    85
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 60 (est.)95
    Reviews found online4870

    Kinergy Eco 2: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 47.6 = 55

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 94.9 + 40% × 69.7 = 85

    No road tests of treadwear for Kinergy Eco 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 49

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy 4+ +18
    67
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Reviews found online4967
  7. 75

    Efficiency

    Primacy 4+ +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceKinergy Eco 2Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests7578
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Kinergy Eco 2Michelin Primacy 4+
Relative Score 61 77
Dry 63 78
Wet 66 79
Comfort 53 71
Noise 71 72
Treadwear 55 85
Handling (owners) 49 67
Efficiency 75 78

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Kinergy Eco 2

± 4

Primacy 4+

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 Eco 2Primacy 4+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 94% #9/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 96% #3/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #5/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 98% #4/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% #10/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 82% #7/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 91% #7/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 91% #5/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #8/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 95% #6/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #4/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 96% #6/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 99% #3/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 90% #2/8 · 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 87% #4/11 · 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test 52% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #8/11 2021 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test #4/8 2025 EV Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Kinergy Eco 2

Pros

  • Reliable dry and wet road grip
  • Good value for the price point
  • Slow and even tread wear / long-lasting durability

Cons

  • Notable road noise reported by some users
  • Stiff ride quality that can amplify road bumps
  • Reduced performance and grip in wet or cold conditions as tread wears down
All owner themes in the Kinergy Eco 2 review

Tire B Primacy 4+

Pros

  • Strong wet and dry grip and braking confidence, often cited as a big improvement over Bridgestone, Dunlop and Nexen tyres, including on powerful cars and PHEVs that previously spun their tyres
  • Comfortable, compliant ride with soft sidewalls that suits softly sprung and family cars
  • Low and even tread wear, with several owners reporting little visible wear after 5,000–10,000 miles and one reporting about 60,000 km in hot climates

Cons

  • Road noise and drone, especially on rough asphalt, was described as severe by several owners (Skoda Yeti, Lexus), contradicting other reports of quiet running
  • Reduced grip and confidence in cold, damp conditions, with two UK owners saying the tyre behaves like a budget tyre
  • Premium pricing, with some owners questioning value when life fell short of expectations
All owner themes in the Primacy 4+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Kinergy Eco 2 B · Michelin Primacy 4+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4866
Rim diameters13″ – 17″16″ – 21″
UTQG200 - 400 A - B A—
Sizes in common66

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Kinergy Eco 2

Michelin Primacy 4+

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4+ — better treadwear, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 85 vs 55 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 71 vs 53 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 67 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 78 vs 63 on dry.

Tire A · Hankook Kinergy Eco 2
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4+
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Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

Which is better in the wet, Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 79 vs 66 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

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

Which is more comfortable, Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 71 vs 53 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 85 vs 55 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Kinergy Eco 2 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 75 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