Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 vs Michelin Primacy 4+ — 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 19 + 10 road tests and 3,366 + 39 owner reviews. How we score

Primacy 4+ is ahead, 78–68

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Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Tire AHankook

Ventus S1 evo3

Summer

± 6

Tests 78 · 19 tests Owners 56 · 3,366 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?”

Michelin Primacy 4+
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4+

Summer

± 4

Tests 85 · 10 tests Owners 70 · 39 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test (abrasion)

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Primacy 4+ +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 9 tests8682
    Reviews found online6071
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 85.5 + 40% × 60 = 75

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.3 + 40% × 70.6 = 78

  2. 81

    Wet

    Ventus S1 evo3 +2
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 9 tests9083
    Reviews found online6874
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–194%97%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–097%89%
    Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%94%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%96%

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 90.2 + 40% × 67.5 = 81

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 82.6 + 40% × 73.8 = 79

  3. 59

    Comfort

    Primacy 4+ +12
    71
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests6573
    Reviews found online5669

    Ventus S1 evo3: 40% × 64.7 + 60% × 55.5 = 59

    Primacy 4+: 40% × 73.3 + 60% × 69 = 71

  4. 73

    Noise

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 7 tests7777
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0100%100%

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 77.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 73

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 73

    No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+. 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. 53

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4+ +32
    85
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 4 tests6195
    Reviews found online4069

    Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 40.3 = 53

    Primacy 4+: 60% × 95.3 + 40% × 68.9 = 85

  6. 58

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy 4+ +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Reviews found online5865
  7. 68

    Efficiency

    Primacy 4+ +10
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 8 tests6878
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–187%100%
Scores at a glance
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 vs Michelin Primacy 4+: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryHankook Ventus S1 evo3Michelin Primacy 4+
Relative Score 68 78
Dry 75 78
Wet 81 79
Comfort 59 71
Noise 73 73
Treadwear 53 85
Handling (owners) 58 65
Efficiency 68 78

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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Less important
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Ventus S1 evo3

± 4

Primacy 4+

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 2 tests that ran both, Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 finished ahead 2 times and Michelin Primacy 4+ 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryVentus S1 evo3Primacy 4+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 99% 98% +0.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Dry Handling Dry 98% 99% −0.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% 97% −3.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Braking Wet 97% 89% +8.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Circle Wet 98% 94% +3.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Handling Wet 100% 96% +3.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Noise Noise 100% 100% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 87% 100% −12.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/9 #7/9 – 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17

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 Primacy 4+

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and a smooth, compliant 'limousine-like' feel over bumps
  • Strong and reliable grip in both wet and dry conditions, inspiring confidence
  • Noticeable improvement in quietness and traction compared to predecessor tires or factory options

Cons

  • Loud road noise and a harsh drone on rough or coarse asphalt surfaces
  • Soft sidewalls can reduce steering agility and initial responsiveness compared to dedicated sport tires
  • High premium price point relative to competitors
All owner themes in the Primacy 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.

teslamotorsclub.com ·2023-01-26

“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.”

r/TyreReviews ·7 upvotes ·2026-01-11

“Which tire should I choose? I’m currently looking for new summer tires, but this time I’m finding it surprisingly difficult to choose. My previous set were Bridgestone T005s, which honestly didn’t impress me much. On my earlier car I’ve driven on Michelin PS4S, Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3, and Pirelli (don’t remember the exact model). The Michelins were by far my favorite — excellent grip and overall a fantastic tire. The Hankooks were above average and perfectly fine, but the Pirellis were a big disappointment. This time I’m considering the following three options: • Michelin Pilot Sport 5 • Continental SportContact 7 • Kumho Ecsta Sport S PS72 If I hadn’t done any research, I would have gone for the Michelins without hesitation. However, after digging a bit deeper, I added the Continentals as a strong competitor, and the Kumhos because they’re significantly cheaper while still getting quite positive reviews. I drive a Cupra Formentor 2.0 AWD with around 430 hp. I never take the car to the track, but I do enjoy sporty driving and quick launches at traffic lights. Now I’m finding the final decision harder than expected. Taking both price and performance into account, which of these three would you recommend? Read more”

r/Volkswagen ·1 upvote ·2026-03-15

“F/S Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 235/35 R19 Hi Guys Selling a full set (4) Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 235/35 R19 summer tires, with 9/32 tread depth which is exactly the same depth when these ultra high performance tires are new. No punctures anywhere. Tires came of my 2024 VW GTI with less than 3k miles on the odometer. The production date on the tires is 3324 which means 33rd week of 2024.This translates to late August 2024. $500/obo but no shipping. Local pick up only. I am in Long Island NY. Message if interested. Read more”

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

Michelin Primacy 4+

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 B · Michelin Primacy 4+
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available11066
Rim diameters17″ – 22″16″ – 21″
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

Michelin Primacy 4+

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4+ — better treadwear, comfort and efficiency. Where the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 85 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 71 vs 59 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 78 vs 68 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Primacy 4+ scores 65 vs 58 on handling.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4+

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Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Which is better in the wet, Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 81 vs 79 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 73 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 71 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 85 vs 53 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ventus S1 evo3 or Primacy 4+?

Michelin Primacy 4+, 78 vs 68 on our efficiency 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