The Hankook Ventus Prime2 brakes effectively and maintains
good grip when cornering on wet surfaces. Predictable behavior during
emergency maneuvers in the dry. With noise and comfort there are no
problems, but they have a high rolling resistance.
Winner: Continental Premium Contact 5
Head-to-head record
Overall finishing position against the tires that have most often shared a test with the Hankook Ventus Prime2. Only tires tested alongside it at least three times are listed.
Hankook Ventus Prime2 delivers mid-pack to upper-mid performance across summer tests, with occasional standout results but inconsistent placement. It achieved several strong finishes early on, including a win (1/9 in 2012) and a podium (3/16 in 2014 Auto Review), plus an excellent braking-focused result (2/50 in the 2014 Auto Bild shootout). However, it also posted multiple lower-mid outcomes (10/12 in 2013, 12/15 in 2014), pulling the average to 6.4/overall.
Overall, the tire shows competitive braking capability and respectable all-round touring balance in 205/55 R16 sizes, but struggles to maintain top-tier consistency across broader handling and comfort/noise categories, particularly in more demanding multi-metric German tests.
At the limit the tire does not behave as predictably as we would like, and the rear wheels can go into a skid - 2014 Test World Summer Tire Test (2014)
Every tester write-up on the Hankook Ventus Prime2 (11 tests) and 52 owner reviews were tagged for the aspects they judge. Where both have spoken, this is how they line up.
Where owners and testers agree
AspectTestersOwners
Dry handling strength in 4 of 11 tests 9 praise, 4 criticise of 52 reviews · Read those reviews
Dry grip strength in 2 of 11 tests 13 praise, 3 criticise of 52 reviews · Read those reviews
Dry braking strength in 1 of 11 tests 3 praise, 0 criticise of 52 reviews · Read those reviews
Where they disagree
AspectTestersOwners
Steering feel strength in 3 of 11 tests 1 praise, 7 criticise of 52 reviews · Read those reviews
Raised by owners, not by any test of this tire
AspectTestersOwners
Value for moneyno test mentions it 6 praise, 1 criticise of 52 reviews · Read those reviews
Every test, newest first 12
Strong = top two of the field in that measurement. Weak = bottom two.
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The Hankook Ventus Prime2 brakes effectively and maintains
good grip when cornering on wet surfaces. Predictable behavior during
emergency maneuvers in the dry. With noise and comfort there are no
problems, but they have a high rolling resistance.
With a string of top five places, the Hankook Ventus Prime 2 is another strong showing from the Korean company. Beaten only by Pirelli and the Goodyear Dunlop pair, the Prime 2 was fastest during wet cornering, well controlled and stable, offered a positive turn in and finished second and fourth in the aquaplaning tests. Weaknesses? Rolling resistance and wet braking
This year, the Hankook OE approved for much of the Mercedes S-Class, and we can see why! The Hankook Ventus Prime2 provide excellent traction on wet roads and confidently resist aquaplaning. On a wet track the car's behavior is rather darty - somewhat reminiscent of driving on tires Pirelli, but they both allow you to go fast.
And on dry pavement - quickly and enjoyably. Reaction to steering clear and accurate even at a speed of 93 mph, and for the comfort of the tires, Hankook has the same evaluations as Pirelli. Nois is the same, and the difference is that the Hankook slightly stiffer respond to small irregularities, but slightly softer for larger bumps.
Are you still wondering about the Korean origin tires? Not us. At least for summer tires, Hankook can be put on the premium cars. The winter models are still lagging behind, for now...
The Hankook resist aquaplaning and have excellent grip on wet surfaces - albeit somewhat worse than the leaders of the test. At the limit the tire does not behave as predictably as we would like, and the rear wheels can go into a skid. The same pattern is repeated on dry roads. The noise level is low, but the rolling resistance is too high
The Hankook resists aquaplaning, and they have a decent braking performance on wet surfaces. In wet handling they struggle, especially during braking in a turn. In addition to this Hankook highest rolling resistance in the test and the tire isn't as comfortable as some.
The Hankook Ventus Prime 2 is let down by its wet braking and high rolling resistance. Its aquaplaning resistance is excellent and dry driveability good.
WinnerContinental Premium Contact 2
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