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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus Prime2 vs Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — 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 + 14 road tests and 1,557 + 126 owner reviews. How we score

Ventus Prime 3 K125 is ahead, 78–64

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Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Tire BHankook

Ventus Prime 3 K125

Summer

± 5

Tests 77 · 14 tests Owners 75 · 126 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 53 in 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +21
    85
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 65 (est.)89
    Reviews found online6279

    Ventus Prime2: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 61.7 = 64

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 78.8 = 85

    No road tests of dry for Ventus Prime2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +12
    80
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 69 (est.)81
    Reviews found online6877

    Ventus Prime2: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 67.5 = 68

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 81.4 + 40% × 77 = 80

    No road tests of wet for Ventus Prime2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 64

    Comfort

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)75
    Reviews found online6172

    Ventus Prime2: 40% × 67.2 (est.) + 60% × 61.1 = 64

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 40% × 75 + 60% × 71.8 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Ventus Prime2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests–79
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 79.4 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 74

    No owner ratings of noise for Ventus Prime 3 K125. 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. 59

    Treadwear

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 62 (est.)61
    Reviews found online5472

    Ventus Prime2: 60% × 62.1 (est.) + 40% × 54.3 = 59

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 61 + 40% × 71.8 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Ventus Prime2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 63

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +12
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Reviews found online6375
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–66
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus Prime2Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Relative Score 64 78
Dry 64 85
Wet 68 80
Comfort 64 73
Noise – 74
Treadwear 59 65
Handling (owners) 63 75
Efficiency – 66

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

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
± 8

Ventus Prime2

± 5

Ventus Prime 3 K125

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryVentus Prime2Ventus Prime 3 K125ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/19 2015 European Tyre Test 205/55 R16 #8/18 2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ventus Prime2

Pros

  • Impressive wet weather traction and standing water displacement
  • Low road noise and enhanced ride comfort
  • Good value for money relative to premium tier competitors

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by some users
  • Premature sidewall crazing and cracking observed within a few years
  • Vague steering feedback or lack of dry cornering confidence when pushed
All owner themes in the Ventus Prime2 review

Tire B Ventus Prime 3 K125

Pros

  • Excellent dry road grip and braking performance
  • High value-for-money ratio compared to premium competitors
  • Comfortable ride quality with effective vibration absorption

Cons

  • Increased risk of hydroplaning as tread depth decreases
  • Accelerated tread wear on heavier vehicles or under high-torque conditions
  • Noise levels can increase noticeably after several thousand miles
All owner themes in the Ventus Prime 3 K125 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus Prime2 B · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2960
Rim diameters15″ – 19″15″ – 20″
UTQG220 - 380 AA - B A240 - 500 A - AA A - B
Sizes in common2020

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus Prime2

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125

Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 85 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 80 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 75 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 73 vs 64 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus Prime2
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Tire B · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
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Ventus Prime2 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus Prime2 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 80 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus Prime2 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 85 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus Prime2 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 73 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ventus Prime2 or Ventus Prime 3 K125?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 65 vs 59 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