Tests – · none yet Owners 53 · 14 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 8 in 2012 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Nexen N Blue HD vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ventus S1 evo3 is ahead, 68–57
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Tests 76 · 19 tests Owners 59 · 3,355 reviews
Best test result: #5 of 8 in 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
“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.
-
57
Dry
Ventus S1 evo3 +1976Why this score
Source N Blue HD Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 84 Reviews found online 51 63 -
63
Wet
Ventus S1 evo3 +1881Why this score
Source N Blue HD Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 88 Reviews found online 61 69 -
58
Comfort
Ventus S1 evo3 +462Why this score
Source N Blue HD Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 65 Reviews found online 47 59 -
–
Noise
No comparison71Why this score
Source N Blue HD Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 74 -
56
Treadwear
N Blue HD +155Why this score
Source N Blue HD Ventus S1 evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 61 Reviews found online 49 46 -
50
Handling
Ventus S1 evo3 +1060Why this score
Source N Blue HD Ventus S1 evo3 Reviews found online 50 60
Scores at a glance
| Category | Nexen N Blue HD | Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 57 | 68 |
| Dry | 57 | 76 |
| Wet | 63 | 81 |
| Comfort | 58 | 62 |
| Noise | – | 71 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 55 |
| Handling | 50 | 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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
57
/ 100
N Blue HD
68
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo3
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | N Blue HD | Ventus S1 evo3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 33% #3/8 · 2012 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | 20% #5/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | +13.3 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A N Blue HD
Pros
- Good initial wet and dry grip when new
- Attractive budget-friendly price point
- Decent fuel economy and highway stability early in their lifecycle
Cons
- Significant increase in road noise as the tires wear down
- Rapid degradation of grip in wet and dry conditions after initial mileage
- Shorter than expected tread life, especially on front axles
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
Nexen N Blue HD
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 · Nexen N Blue HD | B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 5 | 110 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | 17″ – 22″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
57
/ 100
Nexen N Blue HD
68
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3
Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 76 vs 57 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 81 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 60 vs 50 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 scores 62 vs 58 on comfort.
Tire A · Nexen N Blue HD
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.