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 + 2 road tests and 3,376 + 336 owner reviews. How we score
Sportrac 5 is ahead, 74–68
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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 72 · 2 tests Owners 78 · 336 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test (noise)
“Sportrac 5 didnt realise they did them in that size ive got them on the 206 designed by giugiaro grip like the preverbial to a blanket :thumbs:”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 2 tests | 86 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | 60 | 77 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 85.6 + 40% × 59.8 = 75
Sportrac 5: 60% × 71.2 + 40% × 76.9 = 73
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / 2 tests | 90 | 73 |
| Reviews found online | 68 | 80 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 89.6 + 40% × 68 = 81
Sportrac 5: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 79.6 = 76
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests | 64 | ≈ 70 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 56 | 74 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 55.8 = 59
Sportrac 5: 40% × 69.7 (est.) + 60% × 74 = 72
No road tests of comfort for Sportrac 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 14 / 1 tests | 77 | 75 |
| Reviews found online | ≈ 66 (est.) | ≈ 66 (est.) |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73
Sportrac 5: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 71
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo3 or Sportrac 5. 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 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests | 61 | 71 |
| Reviews found online | 42 | 78 |
Ventus S1 evo3: 60% × 60.8 + 40% × 41.5 = 53
Sportrac 5: 60% × 71.2 + 40% × 77.6 = 74
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 59 | 77 |
| Source | Ventus S1 evo3 | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 1 tests | 68 | 73 |
| Category | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 | Vredestein Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 74 |
| Dry | 75 | 73 |
| Wet | 81 | 76 |
| Comfort | 59 | 72 |
| Noise | 73 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 53 | 74 |
| Handling (owners) | 59 | 77 |
| Efficiency | 68 | 73 |
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.
Ventus S1 evo3
Sportrac 5
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 | Sportrac 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% #7/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | 96% #8/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #7/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test | 98% #14/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 60% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | 80% #6/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 98% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | 97% #7/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 94% #6/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | 95% #10/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #2/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test | 98% #5/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 80% #3/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | 70% #9/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 100% #1/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test | 100% #2/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wear | Treadwear | 56% #13/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test | 83% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 97% #3/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | 85% #4/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 74% #6/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test | 90% #5/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #14/20 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test | #3/20 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Value | Cost | 58% #15/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test | 81% #2/20 · 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/8 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test | #2/16 2019 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | – | 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
Community sentiment toward the Vredestein Sportrac 5 is overwhelmingly positive, particularly among drivers of classic and older European or enthusiast cars. Users praise its strong wet and dry grip, sidewall stability, and compliant ride, frequently recommending it as one of the few high-quality summer performance tires still offered in rare 14-inch and 15-inch sizes.
“I found these in the factory OEM sizing. They are an actual performance summer tire too. Vredestein Sportrac 5 in a 195/65-14. Reasonable @ $85 a piece.”
“For anyone researching summer tyres - I’ve just bought 4 Vredestein SPORTRAC 5 which are rated b b and 69db. They were about £385 incl delivery from Camskill. My tyre man will swap them onto my original wheels next week. I have Vredestein wintrac xtreme winter tyres and have been very happy with them - they were from Pneus Online complete with 16” alloys. Cheers H”
“AT/DT isn't the only place that has some of their tires online-only. But they can probably order them for you, or at least you can have them shipped to AT. On the DTD FAQ page, it says installation at DT/AT is $16 for tires purchased from DTD. For SoCal, I'd use the Vredestein Sportrac 5, which AT/DT/DTD doesn't carry, but they might install if brought from outside. These are grand touring summer tires, which is the perfect kind of tire for people that live in warm climates that don't need winter traction and don't need high performance. No need for all-season/no-season tires in SoCal There's also the Accelera Eco Plush.”
Based on 26 community posts
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 | B · Vredestein Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 110 | 35 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 14″ – 17″ |
| UTQG | 200 - 420 A - AA A | — |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Vredestein Sportrac 5
Winner: Vredestein Sportrac 5 — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Pick the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 if wet matters most to you.
Vredestein Sportrac 5 scores 74 vs 53 on treadwear.
Vredestein Sportrac 5 scores 77 vs 59 on handling.
Vredestein Sportrac 5 scores 72 vs 59 on comfort.
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 76 on wet.
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Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, 81 vs 76 on our wet score.
Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 71 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Vredestein Sportrac 5, 72 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Vredestein Sportrac 5, 74 vs 53 on our treadwear score.
Vredestein Sportrac 5, 73 vs 68 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
