Hankook Ventus Evo vs Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
Across three shared professional tests (in 18-19 inch fitments), the pattern is clear: the Hankook repeatedly separates itself in the wet-especially in aquaplaning and wet braking-while the Kumho tends to claw back time and points in dry handling feel and efficiency. If you drive year-round in changeable conditions, the headline differences become very practical very quickly.
Test Results
Independent comparison tire tests are the best source of data to get tire information from, and the good news is there have been three tests which compare both tires directly!
| Tire | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Hankook Ventus Evo | three |
While it might look like the Hankook Ventus Evo is better than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tires are very complicated objects which means where one tire is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tires compare across multiple tire test categories.
Key Strengths
- Consistently superior wet braking across all shared tests (including a large 32.4 m vs 35.9 m advantage in one test)
- Class-leading aquaplaning resistance (notably 78.81 vs 71.43 km/h straight aquaplaning; 3.84 vs 3.32 m/s² curved) for safer high-speed wet driving
- Strong wet handling performance and confidence near the limit (e.g., 68.69 s vs 70.46 s; higher subjective wet score 8.7 vs 8.3)
- Quiet/refined for the category in the 2026 test (70.7 dB vs 72.3 dB) while still delivering front-pack dry pace
- Sharp, sporty dry handling that repeatedly edges the Hankook on lap/handling times (small but consistent wins)
- Better efficiency/rolling resistance in both reported tests (8.04 vs 8.76 kg/t; 7.36 vs 7.9 kg/t) aiding fuel/EV range
- Balanced, predictable steering feel noted by testers; strong objective grip placements even when not winning categories
- Competitiveness for the money: capable of near-front results overall despite clear weaknesses, especially for dry-focused drivers
Dry Braking
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during two dry braking tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo stopped the vehicle in 1.63% less distance than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Dry Braking: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was better during two dry handling [s] tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was 0.4% faster around a lap than the Hankook Ventus Evo.
Best In Dry Handling [s]: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Dry Handling
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo and Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 performed equally well in subj. dry handling tests.
Best In Subj. Dry Handling: Both tires performed equally well
See how the Subj. Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during three wet braking tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo stopped the vehicle in 4.73% less distance than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Braking: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during two wet handling [s] tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo was 1.52% faster around a wet lap than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Handling [s]: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Wet Handling
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during one subj. wet handling tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo scored 4.6% more points than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Subj. Wet Handling: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Subj. Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during two wet circle tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo was 0.34% faster around a wet circle than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Wet Circle: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during two straight aqua tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo floated at a 6.22% higher speed than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Straight Aqua: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during two curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo slipped out at a 14.47% higher speed than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during one subj. comfort tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo scored 6.15% more points than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Subj. Noise
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was better during one subj. noise tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 scored 4% more points than the Hankook Ventus Evo.
Best In Subj. Noise: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
See how the Subj. Noise winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Hankook Ventus Evo was better during one noise tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Evo measured 2.21% quieter than the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72.
Best In Noise: Hankook Ventus Evo
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 was better during two rolling resistance tests. On average the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 had a 7.56% lower rolling resistance than the Hankook Ventus Evo.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Hankook Ventus Evo Driver Reviews
Overall sentiment toward the Hankook Ventus Evo is strongly positive. Most drivers praise its high mechanical grip in dry and especially wet conditions, confident braking, stability, low noise, and good comfort-often comparing it favorably to Michelin PS4, Goodyear Asymmetric, and Bridgestone. A minority mention softer steering feel/feedback and one mid-scoring review reports faster wear on a high-performance Tesla. For most users, it delivers excellent everyday sporty performance at a good price.
Based on 9 reviews with an average rating of 83%
Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 Driver Reviews
Drivers generally report the Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 as a highly grippy, confidence-inspiring tire with strong wet and dry performance, good braking and stable, predictable handling at speed. Many also highlight excellent value versus premium rivals, often describing performance close to top-tier tires for much less money. The main recurring complaint is highway-speed vibration (often linked to balancing or possible out-of-round tires), with a smaller set noting it can be a bit noisier or firmer than some competitors.
Based on 22 reviews with an average rating of 83%
The size is a bit of an unusual one, and therefore the price of this set, compared to a set of... Continue reading this review using the link below
They are not loud, but wouldn't they are necessarily quiet. You can hear them a bit depending on the road surface and speed.
Didn’t drive them too much in the rain, but seem to hold pretty well in wet conditions.
Mounted them in march this year and after 10-15k km I don’t see any major wear, but I would have to abstain on this one until I get them properly... Continue reading this review using the link below
Conclusion
The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72's strongest argument is its dry-circuit attitude and running costs. It repeatedly edged the Hankook on dry handling (by small margins: 73.15 s vs 73.48 s, and 82.8 s vs 83.1 s) and it is consistently more efficient, winning rolling resistance in both tests that reported it (8.04 vs 8.76 kg/t and 7.36 vs 7.9 kg/t). The trade-off is that its aquaplaning performance is a recurring weak point relative to the Hankook, and in the 2026 summer tire test it also trailed on comfort/noise metrics.
The practical takeaway: if your priority is maximum wet-weather security and high-speed rain stability with near-premium overall performance, choose the Hankook. If you're mostly a dry-road driver who values crisp handling response and better efficiency (and you're willing to accept less headroom in standing water), the Kumho remains a strong, sporty value pick.
Key Differences
- Wet braking is decisively Hankook-favoured in all three tests (including a very large 35.9 m vs 32.4 m gap in one fitment), making the Ventus Evo the safer choice in heavy rain
- Aquaplaning resistance is the biggest separation: Hankook leads strongly in both straight and curved aquaplaning (e.g., +10.3% straight aquaplaning speed in the 2026 test)
- Dry handling slightly favours the Kumho in both tests that measured it (wins are small ~0.3-0.5%), suggesting a marginally more agile/pointy dry character
- Efficiency favours the Kumho: rolling resistance wins in both datasets, which can matter for running costs and EV range
- Refinement trends split by test: 2026 data shows Hankook quieter and more comfortable (70.7 dB; higher comfort score), while Auto Express reported the Kumho as very refined with excellent comfort/noise despite being noisy when pushed
- Overall ranking consistency favours Hankook: it finishes ahead in all shared tests and earns the higher award level (Highly Recommended vs Recommended in the 2026 group test)
Overall Winner: Hankook Ventus Evo
Based on the tire test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Hankook Ventus Evo has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tire has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tire buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tire comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tires:
Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 Top Comparisons
Footnote
This page has been developed using tire industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tires in the same test.
Why is this important? Tire testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tire test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tire tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tire Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tire comparison, Tire Reviews doesn't.