Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 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 Sport 4 S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 1 + 27 road tests and 2 + 6,614 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 84–67

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Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4 S

Summer

Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 82 · 6,614 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)

“A note about the pilot sport 4 S: in cold weather (below 5 degrees) even if it isn't icy, the tyre compound hardens and has dramatically reduced grip. They are excellent summer tyres though, good in the wet too. These days I run Uniroyal rainsport 5 and they're very good.”

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 S +20
    92
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 25 tests6794
    Reviews found online7989

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

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 93.6 + 40% × 88.6 = 92

  2. 60

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 S +25
    85
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 26 tests5285
    Reviews found online7285

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

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 85.3 + 40% × 84.6 = 85

  3. 67

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 S +8
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 68 (est.)70
    Reviews found online6581

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

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 80.8 = 75

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

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests–70
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S. 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. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 S +4
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)70
    Reviews found online6871

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

    Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 71.4 = 71

    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).

  6. 77

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 S +9
    86
    Why this score
    SourceVentus RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 S
    Reviews found online7786
Scores at a glance
Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryHankook Ventus RS3 Z222Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Relative Score 67 84
Dry 72 92
Wet 60 85
Comfort 67 75
Noise – 69
Treadwear 67 71
Handling (owners) 77 86

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
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

Ventus RS3 Z222

Pilot Sport 4 S

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 RS3 Z222Pilot Sport 4 SΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% #4/5 · 2019 17 inch Track Day Tyre Test 94% #8/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #4/5 · 2019 17 inch Track Day Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 70% #5/5 · 2019 17 inch Track Day Tyre Test 98% #4/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 82% #5/5 · 2019 17 inch Track Day Tyre Test 90% #7/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/5 2019 17 inch Track Day Tyre Test #1/10 2026 ACE Summer Tyre Test – Different tests

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 Sport 4 S

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and predictable handling in both dry and wet conditions
  • Noticeable reduction in road noise and improved ride comfort compared to competitors and run-flats
  • Sharper steering response and improved cornering stability

Cons

  • High initial purchase price
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some aggressive drivers and track users
  • Soft sidewalls can cause a slightly vague or laggy initial response during rapid steering transitions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 S review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222

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

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Positive

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S as a benchmark max-performance summer tire, praising its outstanding dry and wet grip, stability, and daily driving refinement. Common criticisms focus on its premium price, rapid tread wear on high-powered heavy vehicles or hot track sessions, and significantly reduced grip in cold weather. Many enthusiasts consider it an ideal street tire, though some note softer sidewalls compared to predecessors or recommend dedicated track tires for hard circuit driving.

rennlist.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by gcurnew I got the Goodyear F1s on my car when delivered and found them surprisingly nice: good grip, quiet, compliant ride. Put PS4Ss on last year and while I'm happy with them, they are a tad noisier than the F1s with a slightly stiffer ride and no apparent difference in grip or handling. I know the Michelins are the "go to" tire and pretty much everyone raves about them...but I'm in the camp that thinks the F1s are an equivalent tire. Having had both, I would have just bought a set of F1 rears (my fronts were only partially worn) rather than a full set of Michelins. I've used Michelin exclusively for the past two decades. My car came with the F1s and was pleasantly surprised. Dare I say better than 4S? Excellent in the wet and dry and they don't seem to get greasy like the 4Ss can when pushed. Still don't know how they wear but unless performance drops off or noise suddenly goes up like with Pirellis, I might buy them again.”

camaro6.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by D_H I hated the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. Was not happy with the wear. I wanted a drivable tire, and that's why I got them. They were pricy. Didn't last anywhere near the 30,000 mile range. Lasted just over 15,000 miles. Tire wear was not even, and the performance is a joke. But again, that's not why I got them. Tires always want to slip traction. I'm just going to stick with the stock tires from now on. I was wanting to know what everyone thought about these Atturo AZ850 front and rear tires though. I just put a very lightly used (from a friend) set of Atturo AZ850's in 1LE size on my 2020 2SS (I mounted them on MRR017 1LE Replica Wheels (285/30ZR20 Fronts and 305/30ZR20 Rears)), so far VERY happy with them especially considering the cost... They definitely hook better than my old 275 run flats...”

r/cars ·4 upvotes ·2018-08-21

“I’ll say this. Going from the Pilot Super Sport to the Pilot Sport 4 S of the same size, I’m disappointed in the soft sidewall of the 4 S. This is an 8.5” wide wheel with 235/40/18 tires. The left-right fast slalom action got a bit mushy like the weight transfer was slowed down when I switched to the 4 S. I think a shorter sidewall 4 S would perform better in this way, or the same tire on a 9” wide wheel too. That said, the dry and wet grip is exceptional. To save money, I’d recommend the Continental ExtremeContact Sport.”

Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Track day durability#High price vs alternatives#Tread life and wear#Cold weather performance#Sidewall stiffness and comfort

Based on 208 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—110
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better wet, dry and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. 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 Sport 4 S scores 85 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 92 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 86 vs 77 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 75 vs 67 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus RS3 Z222
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

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Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 85 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 92 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 75 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ventus RS3 Z222 or Pilot Sport 4 S?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 71 vs 67 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