tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Hankook OPTIMO K715 vs Kumho Solus KH17 — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 6 + 56 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: OPTIMO K715 60, Solus KH17 59.

Check price on Amazon · OPTIMO K715 Check price on Amazon · Solus KH17
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Hankook OPTIMO K715
Tire AHankook

OPTIMO K715

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 56 · 6 reviews

Kumho Solus KH17
Tire BKumho

Solus KH17

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 55 · 56 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 61

    Dry

    OPTIMO K715 +3
    58
    Why this score
    SourceOPTIMO K715Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online5853

    OPTIMO K715: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 57.9 = 61

    Solus KH17: 60% × 61.9 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 58

    No road tests of dry for OPTIMO K715. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for Solus KH17. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 63

    Wet

    Level
    63
    Why this score
    SourceOPTIMO K715Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6060

    OPTIMO K715: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 63

    Solus KH17: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 60.3 = 63

    No road tests of wet for OPTIMO K715. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Solus KH17. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 63

    Comfort

    OPTIMO K715 +4
    59
    Why this score
    SourceOPTIMO K715Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6154

    OPTIMO K715: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 60.9 = 63

    Solus KH17: 40% × 65.8 (est.) + 60% × 54.4 = 59

    No road tests of comfort for OPTIMO K715 or Solus KH17. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 55

    Treadwear

    Solus KH17 +2
    57
    Why this score
    SourceOPTIMO K715Solus KH17
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online4851

    OPTIMO K715: 60% × 59.8 (est.) + 40% × 48 = 55

    Solus KH17: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.3 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for OPTIMO K715. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Solus KH17. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  5. 53

    Handling (owners)

    Solus KH17 +3
    56
    Why this score
    SourceOPTIMO K715Solus KH17
    Reviews found online5356
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook OPTIMO K715Kumho Solus KH17
Relative Score 60 59
Dry 61 58
Wet 63 63
Comfort 63 59
Treadwear 55 57
Handling (owners) 53 56

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

OPTIMO K715

± 8

Solus KH17

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 1 tests that ran both, Hankook OPTIMO K715 finished ahead 1 times and Kumho Solus KH17 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryOPTIMO K715Solus KH17ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/15 #9/15 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2011 European Summer Tyre Test - 175/65 R14 · 175/65 R14

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A OPTIMO K715

Pros

  • Reliable grip in both wet and dry road conditions
  • Satisfactory tread life for light-duty compact vehicles
  • Unexpectedly capable performance in light snow conditions

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread wear performance across different driving styles
  • Reports of premature sidewall cracking or structural degradation
  • Underwhelming performance characteristics for some compact car owners
All owner themes in the OPTIMO K715 review

Tire B Solus KH17

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Strong dry weather traction and road feedback
  • Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life with reports of premature wear
  • Mixed performance in wet conditions
  • Susceptibility to sidewall bubbles and structural issues
All owner themes in the Solus KH17 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook OPTIMO K715 B · Kumho Solus KH17
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1311
Rim diameters13″ – 15″13″ – 18″
UTQG300 - 460 A A - B—
Sizes in common55

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook OPTIMO K715

Kumho Solus KH17

Too close to call: Hankook OPTIMO K715 and Kumho Solus KH17 are within 2 points overall. Hankook OPTIMO K715 is stronger on comfort and dry. Hankook OPTIMO K715 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook OPTIMO K715 scores 63 vs 59 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook OPTIMO K715 scores 61 vs 58 on dry.

Tire A · Hankook OPTIMO K715
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho Solus KH17
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

OPTIMO K715 or Solus KH17?

Which is better in the wet, OPTIMO K715 or Solus KH17?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, OPTIMO K715 or Solus KH17?

Hankook OPTIMO K715, 61 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, OPTIMO K715 or Solus KH17?

Hankook OPTIMO K715, 63 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, OPTIMO K715 or Solus KH17?

Neither, by our numbers: 55 vs 57 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