Hankook Ventus ST

I have driven around 10k kms with these tires on my 2013 Mercedes GL(S) 350 CDI this year (2021). As I have four kids we are quite heavily loaded most of the times. Previously I had Michelin Latitude Tour HP 265/60 R18 (MO) on and I have to tell: the two tires have as good as nothing in common. While the Michelin did not show a lot of grip on dry road and even less on wet with horrible performance on aquaplaning these new Hankook tires are very good on dry surface and amazing on wet. Got into a heavy rain in Italy this summer - on the highway all other drivers stopped expect for large trailers and us. It was at least 5 cms of water on the highway and we got stable. No aquaplaning at all, no sliding no drifting not even at higher speeds over 100 km/h - you wonder how the tires manage this at all??? But you know, all coins have two sides, so what you get for this excellent performance on dry and wet (and also in mud of course) you have to pay with less comfort (and probably faster wear) on the other side. When I put on these new tires this spring (after my Toyo Open Country winter tires) I was shocked. I even told my wife, let's sell these after summer and get new ones for next season. The reason: they are loud. No, not a bit loud. They sound as if you had superhard offroad tire on your SUV. And no matter whether you drive with 2.5 bars or 3.0 bars. These tires are extremely loud and especially on low speeds (they are close to unbearable to my ears). The music starts at around 60 kmh and lasts till around 120-130 then wind and engine noise would take over the lead. I am still considering selling them but you know: the performance in wet is so unbelievably amazing... I might keep them. Buyin them again? Let's see in four years. If the manufacturer manages to do something with the noise, these tires are could beat all the others. But, somehow, I think this is the tradeoff: grip vs comfort.

Initially bought these tires due to availability for my vehicle. I had recently removed some fairly squirmy and overall understeer prone Michelins and figured that the heavy front end of the car was to blame. Boy was I wrong.

This car weighs near enough 3 tons, generates well over 500 hp and these tires don't seem to care. They are a touch wrigglier in the wet and towards the end of their life but even then are oh so predictable. For a summer tire, they are pretty respectable in the North's snow and ice too, particularly taking the vehicle mass and tire width into account.

Considering the half-worn Michelins that came with the car lasted 4000 miles, I did not expect to get near enough 30000 miles on the front axle and half that at the rear. To put that in context the front discs have worn out at the same rate. I did initially have some issue with uneven wear on the rears but this has not recurred since aligning the 10 year old car for the first time in its life.

These tires are not about to get your Chelsea tractor to win your local autocross but they punch well above their cost and were pleasantly surprising when the weather got tough. I am keen to try some other rubber for this nugget of a car but would totally recommend these for any heavy, overpowered car that excels in wallet damage.

Originally picked these up in summer 2014 for about £120 per corner, on the recommendation of a friend in the motor trade. Upon fitting, the difference between them and the previous tires (Continentals with about 16k on them) was staggering. Quieter, better fuel economy, improved grip in both the wet and the dry, you name it and the Hankook Ventus ST beats the Contis hands down.

We've taken our car across France on the autoroutes at speeds that English police would claim is unsafe, and the Hankooks provide everything you could possibly want when driving a fast, heavy, expensive car. Great grip, precise handling, slow to wear down, surefooted in heavy rain. Really impressive tire in every way. While my other half drives like Morgan Freeman in a heartwarming movie, I like to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of the car - the tires take a beating when I drive, and they have stood up admirably to everything I have thrown at them.

Fast forward to autumn 2018 and having done 40,000 miles we finally need to replace two of the four, because they are down to about 3mm. A bit of research demonstrates that although the price has risen to £157 per corner, the Ventus ST is still the best value tire out there for the Range Rover Sport. Pirelli alternatives are more expensive but no better, Continentals are more expensive and distinctly worse. Bridgestone Duelers are far more expensive and arguably worse than the Contis, so that only leaves Michelin as a viable alternative... and they start at over £200 per tire.

The Ventus ST isn't fabulous off-road. Wet grass is no particular problem, nor is gravel or shallow mud. When you start splashing around in deep mud however, you are going to find that there is a limit. It's miles better than the Bridgestone Dueler (we have these fitted to a Toyota Hilux and they are complete rubbish), but that's not exactly a benchmark!

A final mention regarding snow performance: living in southern England means we very rarely see any snow, so I can't really say how the Ventus ST performs in that regard.

All in all, I simply don't understand why these tires aren't fitted as the default option coming out of the factory. The quite simply urinate all over the opposition.