Tests – · none yet Owners 74 · 211 reviews
“I had the DW's on my Porsche 911 last year and really liked them. I liked them so much, I just installed a set on my C6 base. I waiting for the 3' of snow to melt before I try them out.”
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus R-S4 vs Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 — 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 211 + 21 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus R-S4 is ahead, 72–59
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Tests – · none yet Owners 52 · 21 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
76
Dry
Ventus R-S4 +1561Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 80 57 Ventus R-S4: 60% × 73.1 (est.) + 40% × 80.1 = 76
Ecsta AST KU25: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 56.6 = 61
No road tests of dry for Ventus R-S4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for Ecsta AST KU25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
67
Wet
Ventus R-S4 +859Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 62 (est.) Reviews found online 66 55 Ventus R-S4: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 65.8 = 67
Ecsta AST KU25: 60% × 61.9 (est.) + 40% × 54.8 = 59
No road tests of wet for Ventus R-S4. 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 Ecsta AST KU25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
–
Snow
No comparison47Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online – 34 Ecsta AST KU25: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 33.5 = 47
No road tests of snow for Ecsta AST KU25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
-
59
Comfort
Ventus R-S4 +752Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 55 44 Ventus R-S4: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 54.7 = 59
Ecsta AST KU25: 40% × 64.5 (est.) + 60% × 43.9 = 52
No road tests of comfort for Ventus R-S4 or Ecsta AST KU25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison62Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 55 Ecsta AST KU25: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 62
No road tests of noise for Ecsta AST KU25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
73
Treadwear
Ventus R-S4 +1261Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 78 58 Ventus R-S4: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 78 = 73
Ecsta AST KU25: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58 = 61
No road tests of treadwear for Ventus R-S4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta AST KU25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
-
82
Handling (owners)
Ventus R-S4 +3052Why this score
Source Ventus R-S4 Ecsta AST KU25 Reviews found online 82 52
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus R-S4 | Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 59 |
| Dry | 76 | 61 |
| Wet | 67 | 59 |
| Snow | – | 47 |
| Comfort | 59 | 52 |
| Noise | – | 62 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 61 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 52 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Ventus R-S4
59
/ 100
Ecsta AST KU25
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ventus R-S4
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and wear resistance ("wears like iron")
- Highly consistent performance and resistance to overheating or getting greasy during long sessions
- Stiff sidewalls providing precise steering response and excellent feedback
Cons
- Slow to come up to optimal operating temperature, especially in cooler weather or for autocross
- Slightly lower ultimate dry grip compared to top-tier rivals like the Bridgestone RE-71R/RE-71RS
- High road noise and a harsh ride due to stiff sidewalls
Tire B Ecsta AST KU25
Pros
- Attractive, budget-friendly price point
- Impressive treadwear and longevity, particularly noted on alternative fitments like trikes
- Good dry grip and handling once warmed up
Cons
- Unpredictable and poor wet-weather traction
- Excessive road noise
- Abrupt loss of grip at the absolute limit rather than a gradual slip
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Positive
Hankook Ventus R-S4
The community holds a very positive view of the Hankook Ventus R-S4, praising its exceptional grip, excellent treadwear, and durability on the track. Users also note that it provides a surprisingly smooth and quiet ride for street use, though some mention it requires heat cycling management as it ages.
r/CarTrackDays
·11 upvotes ·2026-09-15
“Super happy w Hankook Ventus R-S4s. Follow-up question. I'm 10 track days into owning my first set of Hankook Ventus R-S4s. Thanks for the recommendation. I rotate them after every 2 days on my ND miata. I'm noticing the forewarned heat cycling now. TBH - I like them more now. Car moves around more and i have to modulate brakes myself. When they were new I couldn't get the abs engaged - there was just too much grip for the stock equipment. Anyway, my question is - my research says that with this Tire the grip can drop off quickly. Is that accurate? now that I'm getting into this gray area where they are definitely starting to heat cycle out am I going to leave an event Sunday with 80% new level grip and show up to my next track day two Weeks later at 30%? Edit. I’m working with some assumptions here that might not be valid. I’m assuming I’m getting heat cycling performance drop because I was warned I would heat cycle them out before I wore them down to chords. I am definitely experiencing a noticeable drop in mechanical grip during breaking. I am much more capable of getting into the ABS now than I was on the first days on these tires. My last track weekend was also on a set of pads that are near life end so I think that variable is accounted for. That same weekend was cooler than normal and I noticed the performance drop the entire day not, for example, on cold tires or late in a heavy session.”
corvetteforum.com
“I had the DW's on my Porsche 911 last year and really liked them. I liked them so much, I just installed a set on my C6 base. I waiting for the 3' of snow to melt before I try them out.”
Top themes
#exceptional track grip#long treadwear life#heat cycling behavior#smooth and quiet ride#hpde and track day use
Based on 10 community posts
Tire B
Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus R-S4 | B · Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 400 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Hankook Ventus R-S4
59
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
Winner: Hankook Ventus R-S4 — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 82 vs 52 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 76 vs 61 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 73 vs 61 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus R-S4 scores 67 vs 59 on wet.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus R-S4
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
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Ventus R-S4 or Ecsta AST KU25?
Which is better in the wet, Ventus R-S4 or Ecsta AST KU25?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 67 vs 59 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus R-S4 or Ecsta AST KU25?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 76 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Ventus R-S4 or Ecsta AST KU25?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 59 vs 52 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ventus R-S4 or Ecsta AST KU25?
Hankook Ventus R-S4, 73 vs 61 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