Tests 77 · 14 tests Owners 73 · 124 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 13 in 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ventus Prime 3 K125 is ahead, 75–69
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Tests 76 · 19 tests Owners 59 · 3,355 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2022 AutoBild Sports Cars UHP Summer Tyre Test (noise)
“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.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
83
Dry
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +776Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 3 K125 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 87 84 Reviews found online 76 63 Dry Braking (% of best) 100% 99% Dry Handling (% of best) 100% 98% -
78
Wet
Ventus S1 evo3 +381Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 3 K125 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 81 88 Reviews found online 75 69 Wet Braking (% of best) 95% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) 97% 99% -
74
Comfort
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +1262Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 3 K125 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 76 65 Reviews found online 70 59 -
75
Noise
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +471Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 3 K125 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 81 74 -
64
Treadwear
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +955Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 3 K125 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 61 61 Reviews found online 68 46 -
73
Handling
Ventus Prime 3 K125 +1360Why this score
Source Ventus Prime 3 K125 Ventus S1 evo3 Reviews found online 73 60
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 75 | 69 |
| Dry | 83 | 76 |
| Wet | 78 | 81 |
| Comfort | 74 | 62 |
| Noise | 75 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 64 | 55 |
| Handling | 73 | 60 |
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
75
/ 100
Ventus Prime 3 K125
69
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo3
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus Prime 3 K125 | Ventus S1 evo3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | 99% #3/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test | +1.2 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 98% #7/8 · 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test | +2.0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 82% #7/10 · 2019 SUV 4x4 Summer Tyre Test | 82% #5/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test | −0.1 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 99% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | 98% #2/11 · 2022 AutoBild Sports Cars UHP Summer Tyre Test | +1.1 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 59% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test | 81% #6/10 · 2022 AMS Performance Summer Tyre Test | −22.0 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 62% #18/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 70% #13/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −8.4 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 58% #11/15 · 2021 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 | 76% #7/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | −18.0 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 13% #8/18 · 2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer Tyre Test | 17% #6/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test | −4.2 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 95% #10/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 98% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | −2.7 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 80% #7/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | −20.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 100% #2/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | 70% #7/8 · 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test | +30.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 70% #7/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | 67% #8/8 · 2019 Sport Auto 20 Inch UHP Tyre Test | +3.0 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #13/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 0% #13/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 95% #6/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test | 95% #6/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +0.1 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 97% #9/10 · 2020 Teknikens 17 Inch Summer Tyre Test | 99% #3/11 · 2022 AutoBild Sports Cars UHP Summer Tyre Test | −1.4 | 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
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
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
Mixed
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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?”
vwvortex.com
·1 upvote ·2025-09-20
“My thoughts with the Hankooks on my '25R vs the Bridgestones on my '23R. Hankooks WAY louder but better ride quality & traction. As far as rotating - I rotate at least every two weeks (off before AutoX and on immediately after - I have dedicated AutoX tires ). I don't even pay attention to what position they're in. Zero issues.”
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”
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 60 | 110 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 17″ – 22″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
75
/ 100
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
69
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 if wet matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 73 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 74 vs 62 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 64 vs 55 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scores 83 vs 76 on dry.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.