Hankook Ventus Tires

Initial Review, 7,000 Miles on Tires
December 27, 2009

Well this is a pretty crappy tire. It doesn't accel in any category that I can tell. The wet traction (where it's supposed to shine) is not all that good. Neither is the dry. The noise is ---awful now that they are about 60% worn down.....all in all it's not really any good.



I'll go back to a Fuzion ZRi or BFG G-Force Sport before this again. The ONLY redeeming quality was the now gone rebate I got.



These are like the Kumho Ecsta SPT only worse in every way by a slight amount...except price...much pricier per mile.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
April 27, 2011

This is my second set of the Pilots on this car. I've tried Hankook Ventus (good ride, but very soft compund and they only lasted 12000 miles) and Toyo TR-1s (not a great handling tire, and poor in the rain). These are great. You feel secure, they're not too stiff so you get an excellent ride. They're a bit noisy on grooved concrete, but the noise level is acceptable for the excellent performance.

Oddly, despite the wide footprint, they actually improved my gas mileage (17 city, 24 highway) which was about 17% better than the Hankook tires.

I drive the car in the mountains often in the summer, and the grip is fantastic. I will not try another brand for the 740 again. These are expensive, but worth it. I'll probably use them on my 2007 Z51 Corvette when the BFG KDW tires wear out.

Initial Review, 7,063 Miles on Tires
March 10, 2013

I love these R-S3's. I used Falken Azenis RT-215,s and Falken Azenis RT-615 in the past. My car is used a lot on the track. I am an Instructor at the Driveway Austin Track in Austin.

The compound appears to be of an R type as shown by the graining of the tire and lack of tire noise. The grip in dry weather is very good. The Falken 215's were good for the first 3 laps then they would degrade in grip. I found the Falken 615's to be even worse than the 215's. These Ventus R-S3's are far better than the 2 Falkens. The grip is there for much longer the the Falkens.

Even on the limestone laced asphalt in the Austin area they have good grip. There is a section of road that is very slippery even on a hot dry day that cars routinely spin out on. These tires grip well even on this slick section of asphalt.

On the track they work great they make my feel car as though I put $2000 dollars into it. My car is front wheel drive so it really over works the front tires but the R-S3's very well through my 5 to 15 minute stints. With these tires it is a lot easier to go fast and the under steer is reduced as well as oversteer. I am able to apply power when exiting the corners than before. Turn in is also much better.

I have not noticed any problems in the rain. As for noise they generate a little from the tread pattern. The Falken 215 was the quietest tire I ever had.

The R-S3's come with a lot of rubber on them 11/32nd which is just fine for because I also drive my car to the track 6 days a week 48 miles round trip and after 7063 miles.

I try to stay away from directional tires to avoid getting saw tooth due to rolling in the same direction it's whole life. The tread blocks get stair step and the tire can become loud like an off road truck tire but these have not done this! I rotate just front to back and they are still quiet just a hint of tread block noise.

The price is great and I am happy with the wear. I will be buying these R-S3's again and again.

Joe Williams

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
March 17, 2013

I purchased these tires instead of Michelin as the mich are so darn expensive. I was immediately impressed with the feel, grip and response from these v12's. I've never felt more planted in this car. For the most part the porsche is not know for a cushy ride, and I don't expect one with 18's. these babies have held up extremely well and the performance has remained constant with even wear. I would recommend these tires without question and will continue to purchase hankook.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
February 19, 2013

Hankook's Ventus V12 Evos are very good performance tires and for the price, they're excellent. I purchased a set for my awd Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 and drive them exuberantly on tarmac, gravel and snow (just not on actual ice) and they're such good tires, I'm buying another set. Yes, there are tires that will last longer, but they're not performance tires in this league. Yes, there are tires that are more track-focused but they probably wouldn't work as well on the mix of city, highway, rain, dirt roads and even snow that I enjoy so much. I even purchased a set for my fwd VW GTI and like them for that car too.

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
February 24, 2013

I purchased these tires about 2 years ago with a tire and wheel package for my wrx. these tires are awesome!!!!! They handle perfectly when its dry outside(does take a little time to heat them up) whether its a straightline or the corners my wrx is built for. I track my wrx a few times a year and they hold up well for the price. I have rotated every 3000 miles and now at 30000 miles on them. i could probably squeeze another 3000-5000 miles out of them if i had to. i would definetly reccomend to someone else.

Initial Review, 800 Miles on Tires
February 14, 2013

The G35 I purchased had first generation Hankook Ventus tires on it, which roared like bad wheel bearings and provided very little traction when it was wet. Switching these out for the Comfortreds have been the best things ive done with the car. They are quiet at highway speeds 70+, stick in wet and dry conditions and have a nice controlled feel. The ride of the G35 can be a bit harsh, but these seem to have tamed the beast a bit Super agressive drivers will probably prefer the OEM GY Eagles as they are a bit more sticky in the high speed/tight turns.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 15, 2013

This is more about the tire's performance characteristics than long-term durability or wear, as they're still pretty new.

I wanted a sporty tire that didn't break the bank--For that I think this tire nailed it.

It has a very positive, firm ride (you may not like this if you're used to touring tires) with incredibly stiff tread blocks and sidewalls--No sidewall or tread squish when cornering or steering--Extremely positive response.

Drawback to this is that my car, perhaps it is because it is so light, can get pretty busy on highways with parallel grooves in the road surface--Car sometimes sharply "wiggles" from side to side as if the tires are following these grooves precisely due to the stiff tires. A little weird at first but it has already decreased significantly since I first put them on.

Tire is phenomenal in the wet, and does pretty well in slushy snow. It certainly isn't in its element when the temperature drops below 28 or 30. My Vibe has never been good in the snow, so I just know what its limits are when the mercury drops, so perhaps I'm not as hard on them as others may be for their cold-weather performance.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
January 11, 2013

I love these tires! I'm in the military so these tires see alot of different types of roads. Currently I'm stationed in Italy, the roads here are made of marble so even the best tires have horrible traction which I've had. These tires are awesome through wet pavement, dry pavement, and even snowy environments they do it all. Now I can only speak for over seas roads I have driven to many countries and have been in many different environments and can say my only problem with these tires are that in very wet climates just like any other tire if going a little faster than the speed limit on a round-about they slip but gain traction very quickly. My last set of tires were the Michelin Pilot HX MXM4, and Hankook Ventus compared to these kumho's are night and day. Kumho for the WIN!

Initial Review, 60,000 Miles on Tires
January 27, 2013

This tire was OE for the 2004 LS430. Ran from new all the way to 60K. Quiet & comfortable, even when completely bald at 60k. Great experience with this tire. Replaced with Hankook Ventus V4 ES, can't say they are any better than the Dunlop Sport 5000 M.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
January 26, 2013

These tires were installed on my car when I bought it at 27k miles in Feb 2011. I'm now at 67k miles, almost Feb 2013 so I average 20k miles per year.

To start off, when the tires were new I was pleased with them. Plenty of dry and wet traction and low noise. Car tracked good as alignment was performed when tires were installed. Over the course of 40k miles I would have expected the tires to be shot and pretty worn. Granted I have a lightweight vehicle but I've still got 6/32 tread on center. Edges however are more like 3/32. I know edge wear is due to the MINI's aggressive suspension, however the tire noise is now quite loud. Not as bad as goodyear eagles with similar mileage but loud none the less.

Last winter was quite mild and I never had the chance to test out the MINI in the snow. Finally got the chance to drive in a snowstorm last week and let me say- Mark these tires down as NOT all-seasons. More like 3-season tires. With 6/32 tread life over 80-90% of the tire I expected much more in snow. Braking in snow is awful- slight tap on the brakes caused me to fishtail across multiple lanes on the interstate in less than an inch of snow on the roads (traveling about 55mph and going straight initially). Starting from a stop is a joke, grandmas pass me in their Buicks. Cornering in snow is, lets say breath taking, and not in a good way. Again, this is all on less than an inch of snow. Nowhere close to "deep snow" and not slush or ice.

I am now investing in new tires. Again, these Hankooks are not "worn out", more like 50% tread left. These tires would be great for someone who lived in warm climates that may get cold but stay above freezing. However for a norther climate driver, I would pass on these.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
January 24, 2013

I have a 2004 Civic Si with 300hp to the front wheels. I was worried that I was not going to be happy with these but they really did surprise me. I've taken it through very heavy rain on the freeway and it held up very well. Great grip and never once felt like I was losing traction in the rain as for road noise, it is surprisingly very tolerable.I know that there is probably a quieter set of tires but for the performance , the noise is very minimal wear is not as terrible as I thought it would be but I take very good care of my tires. The bang for the buck is definitely worth it. Only thing to watch out for is that the tire does fit a little bigger than the same sized tire. So either get a size a little smaller or trim the fenders.

Initial Review, 16,000 Miles on Tires
January 24, 2013

Just had service done to my car and was told that the inside of my current Hankook Ventus rear tires are worn to the belts after 16K miles. Absolutely not surprised considering the low tread rating and the excessive camber of the BMW's sport suspension setup. Front tires still have enough life left to probably last as long as the 2 new rears. Performance-wise, these tires are outstanding. Very quiet ride and they provide very good feedback. The soft compound really does strike a good balance between a compliant ride with a low profile, quite operation, and fantastic grip, unfortunately at the expense of tire wear. I plan on adjusting out some of the camber to as neutral as possible but still within spec for my replacement tires and I should see an improvement in tire life. Otherwise, you can't beat this tire for the price. I may try something different next time (Continental or Michelin, both with better treadwear ratings and equal performance, but more $$), but I'll always keep these as an option.

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
January 23, 2013

I use these tires for 5 to 7 track days a year, have two seasons of track days on them, and drive them 5 to 6 months out of the year as my daily tires in the summer in Seattle.

These tires are great on the track! Predictable, consistent, and very little fall off after a 25 minute session. I run double sessions with students as I also teach for the local Audi club as a track instructor. These tire take A LOT of abuse during track days, and they always are there for you during a day at the track.

Daily driving they are a bit on the noisy side, BUT they are solid in Seattle rain if you use your head, and the AWD of the S4 to your advantage.

My one gripe is that the tire does not come in a 245x35x18 as the rims I use are a wider offset, and I get just a touch of tire rub on the inner fender wells.

I would totally recommend this tire to anyone looking for the tire you can drive to the track, kick butt with, and then drive home and around town on.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
August 19, 2011

Replaced GoodYear Eagles that were High performance Summer only tires (Garbage). Having never used Hankook tires before I was interested to see how well they would perform and thus far they have not let me down. Much quieter than I expected, great dry and wet handling. I hope I get good mileage out of them as I really like the tire.

Initial Review, 13,000 Miles on Tires
January 08, 2013

This tire is very good except for two (2) shortcomings. I am comparing these Hankook tires to the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires that I previously had on this Porsche. First, the sidewalls are not near as rigid as the Michelins; they have a wallowing feel under hard cornering. Second, the tread life is not very good; I only got 13,000 miles out of them. I am replacing them with Michelin PS2's. On the positive side, the Hankooks are half the price of the Michelins.