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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 vs Pirelli Dragon Sport — Compared

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

Ventus S1 evo3 leads, 68–66 Narrow edge

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Tire AHankook

Ventus S1 evo3

Summer

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

“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”

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 S1 evo3 +11
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Dragon Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)84–
    Reviews found online6364
  2. 81

    Wet

    Ventus S1 evo3 +11
    70
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Dragon Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)88–
    Reviews found online6970
  3. 62

    Comfort

    Dragon Sport +3
    65
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Dragon Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)65–
    Reviews found online5961
  4. 71

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Dragon Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)74–
  5. 55

    Treadwear

    Dragon Sport +9
    64
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Dragon Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)61–
    Reviews found online4663
  6. 60

    Handling

    Dragon Sport +6
    66
    Why this score
    SourceVentus S1 evo3Dragon Sport
    Reviews found online6066
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Ventus S1 evo3Pirelli Dragon Sport
Relative Score 68 66
Dry 76 65
Wet 81 70
Comfort 62 65
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 55 64
Handling 60 66

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.

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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Ventus S1 evo3

Dragon Sport

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

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 Dragon Sport

Pros

  • Excellent tread life and durability for the price point
  • High value-for-money compared to premium performance tires
  • Strong dry grip and reliable wet weather performance for daily driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls leading to vague steering feedback and understeer
  • Susceptibility to sidewall damage and punctures from road hazards
  • Performance limits fall short of true enthusiast-grade tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport series
All owner themes in the Dragon Sport 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

Pirelli Dragon Sport

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 B · Pirelli Dragon Sport
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverMotorcycle
Sizes available11022
Rim diameters17″ – 22″17″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3

Pirelli Dragon Sport

Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — better dry and wet. Pick the Pirelli Dragon Sport if treadwear, handling and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 76 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Dragon Sport scores 64 vs 55 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Dragon Sport scores 66 vs 60 on handling.

Tire A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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Tire B · Pirelli Dragon Sport
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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.

68

Narrow edge

Ventus S1 evo3

Amazon