Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 19 + 0 road tests and 3,376 + 125 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Ventus S1 evo3 70, Ecsta KU39 71.
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Tests 77 · 19 tests Owners 57 · 3,376 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (wet braking)
“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?”
Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 125 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests | 86 | ≈ 70 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 60 | 74 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 85.6 + 40% × 59.8 = 75
Ecsta KU39: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.5 = 72
No road tests of dry for Ecsta KU39. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests | 90 | ≈ 72 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 74 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 89.6 + 40% × 68 = 81
Ecsta KU39: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 73.9 = 73
No road tests of wet for Ecsta KU39. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests | 64 | ≈ 69 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 56 | 71 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 55.8 = 59
Ecsta KU39: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.8 = 70
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta KU39. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / – tests | 77 | – |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | – |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo3. 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.
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests | 61 | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 42 | 63 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 60.8 + 40% × 41.5 = 53
Ecsta KU39: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 63.3 = 65
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta KU39. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 59 | 71 |
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / – tests | 68 | – |
| Category | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 | Kumho Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 71 |
| Dry | 75 | 72 |
| Wet | 81 | 73 |
| Comfort | 59 | 70 |
| Noise | 73 | – |
| Treadwear | 53 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | 59 | 71 |
| Efficiency | 68 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Ventus S1 evo3
Ecsta KU39
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus S1 evo3 | Ecsta KU39 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/8 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | #13/49 2014 Auto Bild 50 Summer Tyre Shootout | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“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?”
“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”
“You will love the Ventus S1 EVO3's, I purchased a set back in May 2020 for $473 delivered. In your climate driving at Texas speeds (75-85) efficiency is gonna be about 270-295 Wh/m. I just ordered a set of the iON EVO AS to try out as I have a need for snow use but not bad enough for snow tires.”
Based on 33 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 | B · Kumho Ecsta KU39 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 4 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 17″ – 19″ |
| UTQG | 200 - 420 A - AA A | — |
| Sizes in common | 2 | 2 |
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Kumho Ecsta KU39
Too close to call: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 and Kumho Ecsta KU39 are within 2 points overall. Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 is stronger on wet and dry. Kumho Ecsta KU39 is stronger on treadwear, handling and comfort.
Kumho Ecsta KU39 scores 65 vs 53 on treadwear.
Kumho Ecsta KU39 scores 71 vs 59 on handling.
Kumho Ecsta KU39 scores 70 vs 59 on comfort.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 73 on wet.
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Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 81 vs 73 on our wet score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 75 vs 72 on our dry score.
Kumho Ecsta KU39, 70 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Kumho Ecsta KU39, 65 vs 53 on our treadwear score.
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
