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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 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 13 + 10 road tests and 2,504 + 39 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4+ leads, 78–75 Narrow edge

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Hankook Ventus Prime 4
Tire AHankook

Ventus Prime 4

Summer

± 4

Tests 78 · 13 tests Owners 71 · 2,504 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 21 in 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“Simbolul cu mașina și fulgerul de pe Hankook Ventus Prime 4 arată că anvelopa e compatibilă și cu mașini electrice (EV), nu că e destinată exclusiv lor. Poate fi folosită fără probleme și pe mașini cu motor termic.”

Michelin Primacy 4+
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4+

Summer

± 4

Tests 85 · 10 tests Owners 70 · 39 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.

Key facts

  • In 6 tests that measured dry braking for both, Ventus Prime 4 won 4 and Primacy 4+ won 2 (average 97% vs 97% of the best).
  • In 6 tests that measured wet braking for both, Ventus Prime 4 won 2 and Primacy 4+ won 2 (average 93% vs 93% of the best).
  • In 5 tests that measured straight aquaplaning for both, Ventus Prime 4 won 1 and Primacy 4+ won 4 (average 94% vs 97% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured noise for both, Ventus Prime 4 won 1 and Primacy 4+ won 3 (average 99% vs 99% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured dry handling for both, Ventus Prime 4 won 2 and Primacy 4+ won 1 (average 99% vs 99% of the best).
  1. 80

    Dry

    Ventus Prime 4 +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 9 tests8482
    Reviews found online7371
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 6 shared tests · wins 4–297%97%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–199%99%

    Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 84.2 + 40% × 73.4 = 80

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.3 + 40% × 70.5 = 78

  2. 78

    Wet

    Primacy 4+ +1
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 9 tests8183
    Reviews found online7574
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–286%90%
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 1–494%97%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 6 shared tests · wins 2–293%93%
    Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–191%90%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–397%98%

    Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 74.6 = 78

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.6 + 40% × 73.8 = 79

  3. 69

    Comfort

    Primacy 4+ +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7073
    Reviews found online6869

    Ventus Prime 4: 40% × 70.3 + 60% × 67.8 = 69

    Primacy 4+: 40% × 73.3 + 60% × 69 = 71

  4. 61

    Noise

    Primacy 4+ +12
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 7 tests5877
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 1–399%99%

    Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 57.6 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 61

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 73

    No owner ratings of noise for Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 74

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4+ +11
    85
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 4 tests7895
    Reviews found online6769
    Abrasion (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–267%82%
    Wear (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–363%86%

    Ventus Prime 4: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 66.7 = 74

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 95.3 + 40% × 68.9 = 85

  6. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus Prime 4 +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Reviews found online7265
  7. 83

    Efficiency

    Ventus Prime 4 +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 8 tests8378
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–097%97%
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–190%89%
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus Prime 4Michelin Primacy 4+
Relative Score 75 78
Dry 80 78
Wet 78 79
Comfort 69 71
Noise 61 73
Treadwear 74 85
Handling (owners) 72 65
Efficiency 83 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Ventus Prime 4

± 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.

In the overall rankings of 6 tests that ran both, Hankook Ventus Prime 4 finished ahead 2 times and Michelin Primacy 4+ 4 times.

DisciplineCategoryVentus Prime 4Primacy 4+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% 97% +0.1 4–2 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview · 205/55 R16
Dry Handling Dry 99% 99% +0.1 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 86% 90% −4.6 0–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% 97% −3.4 1–4 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Wet Braking Wet 93% 93% −0.7 2–2 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview · 205/55 R16
Wet Braking (concrete) Wet 91% 90% +0.7 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Wet Handling Wet 97% 98% −1.0 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Noise Noise 99% 99% −0.5 1–3 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Abrasion Treadwear 67% 82% −15.7 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Wear Treadwear 63% 86% −23.3 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 97% 97% +0.8 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 90% 89% +1.5 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 83% 72% +10.1 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #4/20 #9/20 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Value Cost 59% 59% +0.3 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Overall Ranking Overall #4/55 #5/55 – 2–4 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview · 205/55 R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ventus Prime 4

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip providing high confidence
  • Significantly reduced road noise and smooth, quiet ride quality
  • Competitively priced offering great value compared to top-tier premium brands

Cons

  • Accelerated tread wear reported by some users, leading to shorter overall tire life
  • Noticeable decrease in wet traction and grip as the tread wears down past the halfway mark
  • Stiffer sidewalls can translate to a firmer ride or reduced comfort on rough surfaces
All owner themes in the Ventus Prime 4 review

Tire B Primacy 4+

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and a smooth, compliant 'limousine-like' feel over bumps
  • Strong and reliable grip in both wet and dry conditions, inspiring confidence
  • Noticeable improvement in quietness and traction compared to predecessor tires or factory options

Cons

  • Loud road noise and a harsh drone on rough or coarse asphalt surfaces
  • Soft sidewalls can reduce steering agility and initial responsiveness compared to dedicated sport tires
  • High premium price point relative to competitors
All owner themes in the Primacy 4+ review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Hankook Ventus Prime 4

Positive

Community opinion on the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 is largely positive, with drivers viewing it as a comfortable, quiet, and capable touring tire. Users frequently praise its strong dry and wet performance alongside its compelling price-to-performance ratio compared to premium alternatives like Michelin. Some uncertainties exist regarding long-term tread wear and slight fuel economy impacts, but owners generally report satisfactory everyday reliability.

r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2026-10-09

“Found a cut on one of my tires, is it 100% cooked? Three month old Hankook Ventus Prime 4, covered less than 600miles. Found a small cut on the front right one. It is holding air fine. I will go to a tire shop to get checked asap, but chances that it’s ok? And what could have caused it? Hitting a curb? Thank you in advance!”
r/AutomobileRO ·2 upvotes ·2025-03-23

“Simbolul cu mașina și fulgerul de pe Hankook Ventus Prime 4 arată că anvelopa e compatibilă și cu mașini electrice (EV), nu că e destinată exclusiv lor. Poate fi folosită fără probleme și pe mașini cu motor termic.”
teslamotorsclub.com ·2023-09-01

“MOT coming up on the 29th and the rear tyres won't make it. Front tyres have a bit of wear left but I'm wondering if I should do all four now or the rears now and then the fronts sometime in about 6 months or so. Better deals on 4 tyres though ... but then I'd be throwing away 2 decent tyres with some use still in them so ... Also, looking on KiwkFit... any reason why I wouldn't go for the Ventus Prime 4s over the Michelins?”
Top themes
#value for money#comfort and low noise#wet and dry grip#comparison with premium brands#tread longevity questions#touring versus sports handling

Based on 41 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Primacy 4+

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus Prime 4 B · Michelin Primacy 4+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available6666
Rim diameters15″ – 20″16″ – 21″
Sizes in common4949

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus Prime 4

Michelin Primacy 4+

Narrow edge: Michelin Primacy 4+ — better noise and treadwear. Pick the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 if handling and efficiency matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 73 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 85 vs 74 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 72 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 83 vs 78 on efficiency.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus Prime 4
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4+
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Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 79 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 80 vs 78 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 73 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 71 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 85 vs 74 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ventus Prime 4 or Primacy 4+?

Hankook Ventus Prime 4, 83 vs 78 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