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 + 3 road tests and 3,376 + 3,486 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus S1 evo3 is ahead, 68–63
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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 74 · 3 tests Owners 47 · 3,486 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)
“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 3 tests | 86 | 80 |
| Reviews found online | 60 | 61 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–2 | 96% | 96% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 100% | 100% |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 85.6 + 40% × 59.8 = 75
P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.4 = 72
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 3 tests | 90 | 81 |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 55 |
| Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 95% | 93% |
| Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 | 98% | 94% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 96% | 99% |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 89.6 + 40% × 68 = 81
P Zero: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 54.9 = 71
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 60 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 36 |
P Zero: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 36.4 = 50
No road tests of snow for P Zero. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests | 64 | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 56 | 46 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 | 67% | 67% |
Ventus S1 evo3: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 55.8 = 59
P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 46.2 = 56
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 1 tests | 77 | 61 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | 53 |
| Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 99% | 97% |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73
P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.1 = 58
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 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests | 61 | 65 |
| Reviews found online | 42 | 28 |
| Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 76% | 66% |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 60.8 + 40% × 41.5 = 53
P Zero: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 28.1 = 50
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 59 | 56 |
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 1 tests | 68 | 59 |
| Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 | 79% | 73% |
| Category | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 | Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 63 |
| Dry | 75 | 72 |
| Wet | 81 | 71 |
| Snow | – | 50 |
| Comfort | 59 | 56 |
| Noise | 73 | 58 |
| Treadwear | 53 | 50 |
| Handling (owners) | 59 | 56 |
| Efficiency | 68 | 59 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. 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.
Ventus S1 evo3
P Zero
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.
In the overall rankings of 3 tests that ran both, Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 finished ahead 3 times and Pirelli P Zero 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus S1 evo3 | P Zero | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% | 96% | −0.1 | 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% | 100% | −0.4 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 95% | 93% | +2.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 98% | 94% | +4.3 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 99% | −3.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 67% | 67% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 99% | 97% | +2.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 76% | 66% | +10.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 79% | 73% | +6.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 76% | 66% | +10.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #11/20 | #17/20 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Value | Cost | 70% | 53% | +17.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #10/49 | #25/49 | – | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
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
Community sentiment regarding Pirelli P Zero tires is polarized across its automotive and bicycle product lines. While users praise the tire lineup for sharp steering responsiveness, comfortable ride quality, and strong dry grip—especially on newer models like the AS Plus 3 and PZ5—many drivers report fast tread wear, wet grip issues on certain summer variants, and vulnerability to sidewall bubbles. Additionally, cyclists frequently note that the tubeless road variants offer impressive rolling speed but can be exceptionally difficult to mount.
“I switched my Z4C from Pirelli P Zero's to Asymmetric 3's, as I was fed up with the noise from the Pirelli's. I find the Asymmetric 3's much quieter, more comfortable and more predictable. The Pirelli's felt like they have more grip in ideal conditions, but got more easily caught out by damp, poor surfaces etc.”
“So I had ditched the horrible pirelli pzero run flats a few months ago for my 335 and got non run flat michelin pilot sports 4s on my 19 in wheels though they were hard to source and loved them. Xmas day driving at 40mph hit a pothole and immediately the low tyre pressure warning came on and the pressure was .2 bar! The air pump and goo thing did nothing for me ie despite switching it on the tyre pressure would go up to 1.2 and as soon and would deflate within a minute when pump was stopped back to .2 bar. I had family over and absolutely needed the car which was stranded away from home so an emergency tyre firm came and installed a accelera phi R tyre(the opnly tyre they could source in all of the city) callout fee in total £200! Incidentally I notice no change in the cars charecteristics if anything the accelera phi R seems softer and quieter? Should I get another michelin PS4 now and ditch the new accelera? I'm also quietly wondering if I made an error by ditching run flats thought he ride and handling are so much better they wouldn't have left me stranded perhaps?”
“Quote: Originally Posted by ruined_c55 Since I've had mine, I've had Pirelli PZeros with stock wheels, Purely fronts/Accelera PHI R rears with my old wheels and now Lionhart LH Fives. Pirellis lasted 12ish K in the rear, Acceleras about 8K, and the Lionharts are too new to give lifespan feedback on. They did surprisingly well up in the canyons in the rain though. I'm not brave enough to run cheap Chinese tires on my dirtbike, let alone my daily driver pushing almost 400hp. I get between 15-20k out of much more expensive Michelins but the longer life and tons better grip more than make up for it.”
Based on 277 community posts
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 | B · Pirelli P Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 194 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 17″ – 24″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 200 - 420 A - AA A | 220 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 91 | 91 |
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Pirelli P Zero
Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — better noise, wet and efficiency. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 73 vs 58 on noise.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 71 on wet.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 68 vs 59 on efficiency.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 75 vs 72 on dry.
Pirelli P Zero won 2 of 3 shared dry braking tests.
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Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 81 vs 71 on our wet score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 75 vs 72 on our dry score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 73 vs 58 on our noise score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 59 vs 56 on our comfort score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 53 vs 50 on our treadwear score.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 68 vs 59 on our efficiency 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
