Tests 78 · 11 tests Owners 66 · 2,131 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 vs Michelin Primacy 3 — 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 11 + 2 road tests and 2,131 + 196 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus S1 evo2 leads, 72–70 Narrow edge
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 66 · 196 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wear)
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
74
Dry
Ventus S1 evo2 +272Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 2 tests 77 74 Reviews found online 70 70 Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 69.5 = 74
Primacy 3: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 69.5 = 72
-
79
Wet
Ventus S1 evo2 +772Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 2 tests 83 72 Reviews found online 73 72 Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 73.2 = 79
Primacy 3: 60% × 71.9 + 40% × 71.8 = 72
-
66
Comfort
Primacy 3 +268Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 62 67 Ventus S1 evo2: 40% × 71.5 + 60% × 62.1 = 66
Primacy 3: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 67.3 = 68
No road tests of comfort for Primacy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
72
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 76 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo2. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
61
Treadwear
Primacy 3 +667Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 57 57 Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.2 = 61
Primacy 3: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 57.1 = 67
No road tests of treadwear for Ventus S1 evo2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
67
Handling (owners)
Primacy 3 +168Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Reviews found online 67 68 -
72
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 72 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 70 |
| Dry | 74 | 72 |
| Wet | 79 | 72 |
| Comfort | 66 | 68 |
| Noise | 72 | – |
| Treadwear | 61 | 67 |
| Handling (owners) | 67 | 68 |
| Efficiency | 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
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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo2
70
/ 100
Primacy 3
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.
In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 finished ahead 3 times and Michelin Primacy 3 2 times.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus S1 evo2 | Primacy 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 94% #6/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test | 100% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 97% #7/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test | 99% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 93% #3/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test | 95% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% #6/10 · 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test | 97% #6/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/11 | #9/11 | – | 3–2 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2018 Ace 235/45 R18 Summer Tyre Test · 235/45 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ventus S1 evo2
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet grip performance
- Strong value compared to premium alternatives like Michelin or Continental
- Crisp steering response and confident cornering handling
Cons
- Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on heavier or high-performance vehicles
- Increased road noise and harsher ride quality as the tire ages and tread depth lowers
- Occasional reports of structural weaknesses such as sidewall bulges or cracking
Tire B Primacy 3
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels
- Strong dry grip and confident handling
- Smooth, refined high-speed stability and cruising capability
Cons
- Higher than average purchase price
- Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by many users
- Mixed feedback on wet weather performance, with some noting a lack of grip in standing water or snow
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Michelin Primacy 3
Community members generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.
bobistheoilguy.com
·2022-10-13
“Is your tire size 235/55-18? You might like the Michelin Primacy 3 which is actually a good price for an 18" Michelin. They are summer tires, but that's OK if you have separate winter tires. The Goodyear Assurance Maxlife sounds like something that will last a long time. The Cooper Enduramax is good if you drive over potholes and curbs because it's supposed to be tougher”
f30.bimmerpost.com
“The Primacy3 ZP were installed today. Of course, they need a break-in period, but from some highway and city traffic, I'm already sold that these are the best replacement run-flat tires for our 18" size. The car now glides where it previously "sandpapered" its way down the road with the original harsh and noisy Pirellis. Bumps feel far more isolated. The reviews for DriveGuard have been mediocre, not great. These are far better to my senses. The 225/50-18 size is hard to find. Tire Rack carries the Primacy3 ZP, but not in that size. Another tire store in my area confused them with the non-runflat which Michelin has named the same...just Primacy3. Then, realized they couldn't get the ZP version. Very odd wholesale distribution pattern. Discount Tire was able to order them. First day, but very, very pleased. EDIT: My wife even noticed and she never notices anything about cars. She said the car felt smoother to her as a passenger!”
mbworld.org
“Continental DWS06 Plus non-runflats, going on my car next week. Have had OEM Michelin Primacy 3's and they are like driving on bricks. I also ordered an OEM donut spare and jack kit for the trunk. Jack kit goes in lower compartment, spare kept under the horizontal floor net (Coupe).”
Top themes
#Run-flat ride quality#Tread wear and longevity#Touring comfort and low noise#Model obsolescence and replacements#OE fitment and regional availability#Price and size compatibility
Based on 23 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | B · Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 61 | 42 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| UTQG | 220 - 440 AA - B A | 240 A A |
| Sizes in common | 16 | 16 |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
70
/ 100
Michelin Primacy 3
Narrow edge: Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 — better wet. Pick the Michelin Primacy 3 if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 79 vs 72 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 67 vs 61 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 3
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Ventus S1 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Which is better in the wet, Ventus S1 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, 79 vs 72 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus S1 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Ventus S1 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 68 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Ventus S1 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Michelin Primacy 3, 67 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