Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 8 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta KU19 vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ecsta KU19 leads, 72–68 Narrow edge
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Tests 76 · 19 tests Owners 59 · 3,355 reviews
“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.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
72
Dry
Ventus S1 evo3 +476Why this score
Source Ecsta KU19 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 84 Reviews found online 74 63 -
74
Wet
Ventus S1 evo3 +781Why this score
Source Ecsta KU19 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 88 Reviews found online 75 69 -
73
Comfort
Ecsta KU19 +1162Why this score
Source Ecsta KU19 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 65 Reviews found online 76 59 -
–
Noise
No comparison71Why this score
Source Ecsta KU19 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 74 -
67
Treadwear
Ecsta KU19 +1255Why this score
Source Ecsta KU19 Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 61 Reviews found online 68 46 -
76
Handling
Ecsta KU19 +1660Why this score
Source Ecsta KU19 Ventus S1 evo3 Reviews found online 76 60
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta KU19 | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 68 |
| Dry | 72 | 76 |
| Wet | 74 | 81 |
| Comfort | 73 | 62 |
| Noise | – | 71 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 55 |
| Handling | 76 | 60 |
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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Important
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Less important
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Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Ecsta KU19
68
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo3
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 Ecsta KU19
Pros
- Excellent wet and dry grip performance
- Superior noise suppression at highway speeds
- High value-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
Cons
- Softer sidewall construction may not suit all driving styles
- Limited long-term tread life data available from current user reports
- Potential for inconsistent handling feel if mixed with stiffer-sidewall tires on the same axle
Tire B 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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Kumho Ecsta KU19
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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?”
vwvortex.com
·1 upvote ·2025-09-20
“My thoughts with the Hankooks on my '25R vs the Bridgestones on my '23R. Hankooks WAY louder but better ride quality & traction. As far as rotating - I rotate at least every two weeks (off before AutoX and on immediately after - I have dedicated AutoX tires ). I don't even pay attention to what position they're in. Zero issues.”
r/tires
·1 upvote ·2026-02-03
“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”
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta KU19 | B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 1 | 110 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ | 17″ – 22″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta KU19
68
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Winner: Kumho Ecsta KU19 — better handling, treadwear and comfort. Pick the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 if wet and dry matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 76 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 67 vs 55 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho Ecsta KU19 scores 73 vs 62 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 74 on wet.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta KU19
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
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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.