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Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 vs Hankook Ventus Prime 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Ventus Prime 4 is ahead, 75–69

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Tire AHankook

Ventus S1 evo3

Summer

Tests 76 · 19 tests Owners 59 · 3,355 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test (rolling resistance)

“Small tire size change having different ratings? (Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3) Hi all, I'm looking for a good all round tire for my MX5 (I'm in the non snowy regions of the UK so summer tires) and a pretty popular recommendation are the Ventus S1 Evo 3s. At the MX5's stock size of 205/45/R17 they are rated at A for fuel and wet performance, and 68db of noise, which is great! However I'd like to size up to 215/45/R17, and for whatever reason the ratings drop to B for fuel and wet performance, and most importantly to me, 71db of noise. I was just wondering how such a small difference in size changes things quite drastically? I know these ratings aren't that important, but it seems strange to me they'd change at all Thanks! Read more”

Tire BHankook

Ventus Prime 4

Summer

Tests 77 · 13 tests Owners 74 · 2,495 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 55 in 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview (dry braking)

“Az enyémen Ventus Prime4 van, 23 májusi dottal, 23 május végén véve. Két nyár és 20.000km alatt sosem tapasztaltam hogy picit is gond lenne vele, pedig voltam bőven esőben vele. Az esp nekem akkor villogott nagyon mikor eltört a rugó, de az is inkább kanyarban, nem kigyorsításnál. Lengéscsillapítók rendben vannak?”

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    Ventus Prime 4 +4
    80
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)8483
    Reviews found online6376
    Dry Braking (% of best)97%99%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%99%
  2. 81

    Wet

    Ventus S1 evo3 +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)8880
    Reviews found online6976
    Wet Braking (% of best)100%95%
    Wet Circle (% of best)98%98%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%98%
  3. 62

    Comfort

    Ventus Prime 4 +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)6570
    Reviews found online5971
  4. 71

    Noise

    Ventus S1 evo3 +8
    63
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7461
  5. 55

    Treadwear

    Ventus Prime 4 +18
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)6176
    Reviews found online4669
  6. 60

    Handling

    Ventus Prime 4 +14
    74
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4
    Reviews found online6074
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus S1 evo3Hankook Ventus Prime 4
Relative Score 69 75
Dry 76 80
Wet 81 78
Comfort 62 70
Noise 71 63
Treadwear 55 73
Handling 60 74

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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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ventus S1 evo3

Ventus Prime 4

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryVentus S1 evo3Ventus Prime 4ΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 90% #6/15 · 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test 95% #8/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test −4.4 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 97% #7/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout 99% #3/55 · 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview −1.4 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #5/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test 99% #6/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test −1.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/9 · 2021 EVO Summer Tyre Test 91% #6/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test +8.6 Different tests
Noise Other 100% #1/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test 96% #11/12 · 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested +4.1 Different tests
Price Other 81% #6/10 · 2022 AMS Performance Summer Tyre Test 69% #9/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test +12.2 Different tests
Value Other 58% #15/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test 90% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test −31.7 Different tests
Wear Other 76% #7/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 79% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test −3.2 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 10% #10/49 · 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test 17% #6/7 · 2025 Al Volante Summer Tyre Test −6.7 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 98% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test 98% #5/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test −0.2 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 67% #13/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 95% #4/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test −28.4 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 60% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test 95% #4/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test −35.0 Different tests
Subj. Noise Subj 100% #2/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test 93% #5/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test +7.3 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 60% #8/10 · 2021 Auto Zeitung Summer UHP Tyre Test 85% #6/7 · 2025 Die ReifenTester Summer Touring Tyre Test −24.5 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #13/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 100% #1/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test 95% #4/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test +5.3 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 98% #5/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test 98% #4/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +0.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #2/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test 98% #5/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test +1.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ventus S1 evo3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in wet and dry conditions
  • Low road noise and high ride comfort
  • Competitive pricing compared to premium tier-one brands

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on rear axles or heavy vehicles
  • Soft sidewalls leading to reduced steering feedback and precision
  • Vulnerability to sidewall damage or bubbling from potholes
All owner themes in the Ventus S1 evo3 review

Tire B 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

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

Mixed

Community sentiment toward the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 is mixed, with users frequently praising its strong dry and wet grip, comfort, and competitive pricing. However, notable drawbacks include relatively fast tread wear, reports of increasing road noise over time, and mixed experiences with OEM specs versus premium competitors like Michelin.

r/Golf_R ·6 upvotes ·2026-04-29

“Tire preferences? My MK8 has a little over 18,000 miles now and the stock tires look like they’ve already gone to sh*t? Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 aren’t as good as they advertise? What do you recommend for tires?”
teslamotorsclub.com ·1 upvote ·2023-01-26

“Nice. I'm in Texas, so I'm not sure if those (as all seasons) would be the best choice for me. I will never drive in snow/ice, and have been leaning towards the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO3 for my Model 3 AWD with 19" wheels. Those are the only Tesla OEM (I prefer the Tesla specs like acoustic lining, tread width, extra sidewall stability, etc.) summer tires in the 19" size.”
jaguarforums.com

“I had Hankook tires on my XKR, and thought they were the noisiest tires I had ever heard on a car, and I had to get rid of them as I couldn't stand it.”
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Value for money#Road noise levels#Tread wear and longevity#OEM fitments and EV variants#Run-flat identification confusion#Ride comfort

Based on 33 community posts

Tire B

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/TyreReviews ·6 upvotes ·2024-03-16

“Hankook Ventus Prime 4 vs Kumho Ecsta HS52? Hey there! Went to this reddit after reading a lot of reviews on the website, a bit of a newbie in general. I have read about many models and settled on 2 possible ones due to pricing and availability in my country (not looking for any other options). In my price range and requirements I've settled on Ventus Prime 4 initially (50% cheaper than Primacy that my car came stock with), but have also seen some good stuff said about HS52. I was quite settled on the first one since it scored very well in 2022 Autobild review, but now that 2024 came out a lot of numbers are completely different (predicted tread life alone took a huge dive) and Hankook is now 4 positions lower than Kumho. To add to this, Hankook was only 10% more expensive thank Kumho in my country, but now there was a price drop and and now there is 20% price difference, so set of Kumhos comes out noticeable cheaper. Spec wise they seems very similar with some trade-offs in different departments. I'm not really looking to save as much money as possible, but with latest reviews I'm not sure if there is any improvement worth paying for. Any thoughts? Thanks. Read more”
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!”
forums.hardwarezone.com.sg ·2024-11-12

“Ya. I read that review too. If I up the psi to 3, or 4 would result in hard and harsh bumps and much less comfy ride which I don't like. Therefore, I settle for 34 front and 32 back and started back to use Eco mode. I don't carry heavy loads and many pax in my car. I restricted it to 4 adult pax including myself as a driver, with or without loads at the boot.”
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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 B · Hankook Ventus Prime 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available11066
Rim diameters17″ – 22″15″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

Hankook Ventus Prime 4

Winner: Hankook Ventus Prime 4 — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Pick the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 if noise and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 73 vs 55 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 74 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 71 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scores 70 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Ventus Prime 4
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

75

Leads

Ventus Prime 4

Amazon