tirewheelguide

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Michelin Pilot Exalto looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 vs Michelin Pilot Exalto — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 2 + 56 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Exalto leads, 71–67 Narrow edge

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Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Ventus RS3 Z222 +1
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests67≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7973

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 67 + 40% × 79 = 72

    Pilot Exalto: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.5 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Pilot Exalto. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 60

    Wet

    Pilot Exalto +13
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests52≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7274

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 51.9 + 40% × 71.8 = 60

    Pilot Exalto: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.2 = 73

    No road tests of wet for Pilot Exalto. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 67

    Comfort

    Pilot Exalto +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6569

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 65.1 = 67

    Pilot Exalto: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 68.6 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Exalto. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Exalto +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Exalto
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6870

    Ventus RS3 Z222: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67

    Pilot Exalto: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.3 = 68

    No road tests of treadwear for Ventus RS3 Z222. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Exalto. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  5. 77

    Handling (owners)

    Ventus RS3 Z222 +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Exalto
    Reviews found online7772
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus RS3 Z222Michelin Pilot Exalto
Relative Score 67 71
Dry 72 71
Wet 60 73
Comfort 67 69
Treadwear 67 68
Handling (owners) 77 72

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Ventus RS3 Z222

Pilot Exalto

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ventus RS3 Z222

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip with minimal warm-up time required
  • Predictable and progressive handling characteristics
  • Superior wet weather performance compared to typical semi-slick tires

Cons

  • Limited suitability for snow or freezing conditions
  • Performance is highly dependent on achieving optimal operating temperature
  • Stiff sidewall construction may impact ride comfort for some users
All owner themes in the Ventus RS3 Z222 review

Tire B Pilot Exalto

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Strong, predictable grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Progressive handling characteristics near the limit

Cons

  • High retail price point
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to reduced steering feedback and responsiveness
  • Increased road noise reported by some users
All owner themes in the Pilot Exalto review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 B · Michelin Pilot Exalto
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222

Michelin Pilot Exalto

Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Exalto — better wet. Where the Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 2 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Exalto scores 73 vs 60 on wet.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Exalto
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Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Exalto?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Exalto?

Michelin Pilot Exalto, 73 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Exalto?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 71 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Exalto?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 69 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Exalto?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 68 on the treadwear 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