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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — 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 14 + 19 road tests and 126 + 3,376 owner reviews. How we score

Ventus Prime 3 K125 is ahead, 76–68

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Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Tire AHankook

Ventus Prime 3 K125

Summer

± 6

Tests 77 · 14 tests Owners 75 · 126 reviews

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

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Tire BHankook

Ventus S1 evo3

Summer

± 6

Tests 77 · 19 tests Owners 57 · 3,376 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (wet braking)

“Tire preferences? My MK8 has a little over 18,000 miles now and the stock tires look like they’ve already gone to sh*t? Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 aren’t as good as they advertise? What do you recommend for tires?”

Category by category

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

  1. 85

    Dry

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +10
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 18 tests8986
    Reviews found online7960

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

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 85.6 + 40% × 59.8 = 75

  2. 80

    Wet

    Ventus S1 evo3 +1
    81
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 18 tests8190
    Reviews found online7768

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

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 89.6 + 40% × 68 = 81

  3. 73

    Comfort

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +14
    59
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests7564
    Reviews found online7256

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 40% × 75.1 + 60% × 71.9 = 73

    Ventus S1 evo3: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 55.8 = 59

  4. 74

    Noise

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 14 tests8077
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Ventus Prime 3 K125: 60% × 79.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 74

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73

    No owner ratings of noise for Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3. 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. 65

    Treadwear

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +12
    53
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 4 tests6161
    Reviews found online7242

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

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 60.8 + 40% × 41.5 = 53

  6. 75

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus Prime 3 K125 +16
    59
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Reviews found online7559
  7. 66

    Efficiency

    Ventus S1 evo3 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 15 tests6668
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus Prime 3 K125Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Relative Score 76 68
Dry 85 75
Wet 80 81
Comfort 73 59
Noise 74 73
Treadwear 65 53
Handling (owners) 75 59
Efficiency 66 68

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.

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Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Ventus Prime 3 K125

± 6

Ventus S1 evo3

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 Prime 3 K125Ventus S1 evo3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/53 · 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test 96% #7/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 98% #7/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 87% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 60% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% #10/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 98% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 100% #1/53 · 2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test 94% #6/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #5/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 100% #2/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 67% #5/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 80% #3/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 88% #9/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 99% #2/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 58% #11/15 · 2021 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 56% #13/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 84% #9/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 97% #3/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 59% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test 74% #6/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #13/20 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test #14/20 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 62% #18/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 58% #15/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #8/18 2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer Tyre Test #6/8 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B Ventus S1 evo3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in wet and dry conditions
  • Low road noise and high ride comfort
  • Competitive pricing compared to premium tier-one brands

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on rear axles or heavy vehicles
  • Soft sidewalls leading to reduced steering feedback and precision
  • Vulnerability to sidewall damage or bubbling from potholes
All owner themes in the Ventus S1 evo3 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125

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

Tire B

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

Mixed

Community sentiment toward the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 is mixed, with users frequently praising its strong dry and wet grip, comfort, and competitive pricing. However, notable drawbacks include relatively fast tread wear, reports of increasing road noise over time, and mixed experiences with OEM specs versus premium competitors like Michelin.

r/Golf_R ·6 upvotes ·2026-04-29

“Tire preferences? My MK8 has a little over 18,000 miles now and the stock tires look like they’ve already gone to sh*t? Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 aren’t as good as they advertise? What do you recommend for tires?”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-02-03

“Small tire size change having different ratings? (Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3) Hi all, I'm looking for a good all round tire for my MX5 (I'm in the non snowy regions of the UK so summer tires) and a pretty popular recommendation are the Ventus S1 Evo 3s. At the MX5's stock size of 205/45/R17 they are rated at A for fuel and wet performance, and 68db of noise, which is great! However I'd like to size up to 215/45/R17, and for whatever reason the ratings drop to B for fuel and wet performance, and most importantly to me, 71db of noise. I was just wondering how such a small difference in size changes things quite drastically? I know these ratings aren't that important, but it seems strange to me they'd change at all Thanks! Read more”
teslamotorsclub.com ·2023-01-26

“You will love the Ventus S1 EVO3's, I purchased a set back in May 2020 for $473 delivered. In your climate driving at Texas speeds (75-85) efficiency is gonna be about 270-295 Wh/m. I just ordered a set of the iON EVO AS to try out as I have a need for snow use but not bad enough for snow tires.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Value for money#Road noise levels#Tread wear and longevity#OEM fitments and EV variants#Run-flat identification confusion#Ride comfort

Based on 33 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available60110
Rim diameters15″ – 20″17″ – 22″
UTQG240 - 500 A - AA A - B200 - 420 A - AA A
Sizes in common1717

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. Where the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 75 vs 59 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 73 vs 59 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 65 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 85 vs 75 on dry.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Neither, by our numbers: 80 vs 81 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 85 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 73 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 73 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125, 65 vs 53 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ventus Prime 3 K125 or Ventus S1 evo3?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 68 on the efficiency 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