Hankook Kinergy 4S review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Owners 66 · 13 reviews analysed Road tests 67 · 12 tests
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The Hankook Kinergy 4S is generally regarded as a highly capable all-season tire, particularly praised for its impressive performance in wet, cold, and snowy conditions. While many users report excellent traction and safety in adverse weather, the tire receives mixed feedback regarding its tread longevity and consistency in dry-weather handling.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
66/100From 13 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
67/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
Hankook Kinergy 4S specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
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What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 13 owner reviews found online.
The Hankook Kinergy 4S is generally regarded as a highly capable all-season tire, particularly praised for its impressive performance in wet, cold, and snowy conditions. While many users report excellent traction and safety in adverse weather, the tire receives mixed feedback regarding its tread longevity and consistency in dry-weather handling.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and stability in wet and torrential rain conditions
- Strong performance in snow and slush, often cited as a viable alternative to dedicated winter tires
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
- Reliable emergency braking performance on slick surfaces
Cons
- Reports of premature tread wear and shorter-than-expected service life
- Inconsistent dry-road handling and feedback compared to dedicated summer tires
- Occasional reports of poor traction on greasy or specific wet road surfaces
- Increased road noise noted by some users
Worth knowing
- Users of compact SUVs, such as the Honda CR-V, have reported significantly lower tread life than expected for the vehicle class.
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles, such as the Civic Type R, noted a trade-off in lateral grip and steering feedback when switching from dedicated summer tires.
Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
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12 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2025 All Season 30 tire Braking Test · 225/40 R18
12th of 30
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 13th of 30 | |
| Dry Braking | 16th of 30 |
Source: Auto Bild
2018 Auto Bild SUV All Season tire Test · 235/60 R18
5th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 8 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 6th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 8 | |
| Snow Braking | 6th of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 8 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 8 | |
| Straight Aqua | 4th of 8 | |
| Noise | 7th of 8 | |
| Price | 2nd of 8 |
Source: Auto Bild
2018 ADAC All Season tire Test · 175/65 R14
8th of 9
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2017 Auto Express All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
6th of 8
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Express
2017 All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
9th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 10th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 8th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 9th of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 5th of 10 | |
| Noise | 10th of 10 | |
| Value | 7th of 10 | |
| Wear | 7th of 10 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 9th of 10 |
2017 All Season VS Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
10th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 11th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 7th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 11th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 11th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 6th of 11 | |
| Noise | 6th of 11 |
2016 Auto Express All Season tire Test · 225/45 R17
4th of 6
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Express
2016 AutoBild All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
5th of 10
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2016 ACE All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
5th of 10
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ACE
2016 GF All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
5th of 11
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2015 AutoBild All Season tire Test · 195/65 R 15
5th of 10
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
New VS 4mm VS 2mm All Season tire Performance · 185/65 R15
4th of 6
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Hankook Kinergy 4S compared
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