The Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 is a summer performance tire with strong dry grip and generally good wet grip. Its soft sidewalls can make steering feel imprecise, while tread life and noise draw mixed opinions.
The quick answer
Owners say79%from 83 owner reviews81% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesComfort, WetDryRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2026.
This tire possesses the rare and admirable ability to maintain relatively high grip compared with its peak grip even as the tire begins to slide. This is particularly apparent when the front end begins to push into understeer. Where other tires scrub speed and sail off the driving line, the Hankooks hang on longer and with only a slight drift off the intended path. This means the driver is scarcely penalized for sloppy piloting. The Hankook is easy to drive at the limit, with quicker than average recovery when the driver attempts to reel it all in.
In other categories, the Hankook impresses less. The Ventus V12 Evo2 is laterally soft when loaded up in a corner, and steering inputs are imprecise. On wet surfaces, its favorable progressivism dries up. It also emits tones that penetrate the cabin, with a high-pitched zip as it rolls and loud thumps over imperfections.
And while easy to drive, the Hankook's performances in both dry and wet tests were only marginally better than those of the Goodyear. Its fourth-place position was cemented by this objective performance that placed it in, well, fourth place.
Strong: Noise ·Weak: Dry Braking, Dry Handling, Wet Braking, Wet Handling ·Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Every independent test of the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, newest first
How good is the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 in the wet?
Across the 1 wet-braking test it has featured in, the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 stops 4.8% longer than premium rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 84/100, and owners rate it 8.1/10 in the wet from 83 reviews.
How good is the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 in the dry?
Across the 1 dry-braking test it has featured in, the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 stops 1.4% longer than premium rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 77/100, and owners rate it 8.7/10 in the dry from 83 reviews.
How many miles does the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 last?
Based on test and owner data, the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 is expected to last around 21,567 miles (34,709 km).
What do owners say about the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2?
Across 83 owner ratings the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 averages 79%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 8.7 out of 10 and Wear lowest at 7.3. 34 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 79% of owners score it 70% or better.
What is the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 most commonly carries EU label ratings of C for fuel efficiency, A for wet grip and 70 dB for noise.
More questions about the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2(8)
How comfortable and quiet are the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2?
Owners rate the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 7.7 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 72 reviews.
How well do the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 7.3 out of 10 for wear across 72 reviews. 34 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 10,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 again?
81% of owners say they would buy the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 again, based on the 77 owner reviews that answered the question. 31% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2's wet grip?
Of the 71 owner reviews analyzed for the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, 37 mention wet grip: 29 praise it (confident wet grip) and 8 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "They never once lost grip in the wet, even under sudden, heavy acceleration". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2's dry grip?
Of the 71 owner reviews analyzed for the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, 36 mention dry grip: 34 praise it (strong dry grip) and 2 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "In the dry, they really are very very good". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2's road noise?
Of the 71 owner reviews analyzed for the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, 31 mention road noise: 23 praise it (quiet) and 8 criticise it (noisy). One owner wrote: "so quiet i am getting hardly any tire noise at well past normal speeds". Read those reviews
Questions and Answers for the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2
ARE THESE TYRES RUN FLAT?
April 24, 2021
The V12 Evo 2 is not a runflat tire by default, but there may be runflat sizes available.
Show all questions(3)
Hi, I’m driving a Dodge Charger SRT 6.4L. I’m thinking to go for the rear set up with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (275/40/20) and the front end with Hankook Ventus V12… Show moreHi,
I’m driving a Dodge Charger SRT 6.4L. I’m thinking to go for the rear set up with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (275/40/20) and the front end with Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 K120 or Vredestein (245/45/20)
What would your opinion or suggestion be on this set up? I’m living in the Middle East where it’s pretty dry and hot with just a month of slight rain. Show less
June 16, 2019
Without testing I can't comment on mixed fitment setups. Ideally fit the same tire all round.
Hi,Need new tires for my vw passat 1.9tdi....which should i go for....Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 k120 or Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 k117..... Show moreHi,Need new tires for my vw passat 1.9tdi....which should i go for....Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 k120 or Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 k117.....
which one has better tread life ?
Also with more stiff sidewalls for hard cornering,wet braking,ideally an all rounder......moderate to fast aggressive driving.....so dont want to loose grip on wet corners etc.....
thanks in advance Show less
October 12, 2016
Unfortunately we have no direct experience with any Hankook tires, but we believe the S1 is the sportier version of the two tires.
Owners generally praise the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 for its dry grip and handling. Wet grip is also rated well by many, although around one in nine owners criticise it. Many find road noise low and consider the tire good value, but around one in nine find it noisy. Tread life draws mixed reports from owners with mileage on the tire, with some pleased and others disappointed. Around one in six owners criticise the soft sidewall, particularly for its effect on steering and cornering.
What owners mention most counted across 71 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 83 ratings
Owner score79%
Dry Grip87%
Wet Grip81%
Handling79%
Road Feedback78%
Comfort77%
Wear73%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 53%
“I purchased these tires in South Carolina in late October and after only driving 3700 miles the tires indicate a tread level of a 5 this is just horrible, I called Hankook and they explained to me that they are a summer...”
“These tires are insanely noisy on my BMW 325it sport package. I never even thought about tire noise until I got these installed. They are incredibly noisy at all speeds to the point that I no longer enjoy driving my car...”
“These seem to be hard and heavy, you feel every bump but the traction and handling are good. The grip is good, they don't let you down on corners, not even when they're almost illegal, which is impressive, on dry...”
I 'm not disapointed with the good performe of those V12 evo2 tires. I come from a set of Pirelli's Pzero Nero, mounted by Alfa Romeo when a new car, I'm trying those Hankook, and in dry conditions they are not far from Pirelli's. On wet conditions they are a little bit worse, also in handling corners... I'll miss my Pirelli's, but the excelent price/performance relation of the V12's made my choice for this tire. The changes of grip with time it's under experimentation, naturally.
I purchased these tires in South Carolina in late October and after only driving 3700 miles the tires indicate a tread level of a 5 this is just horrible, I called Hankook and they explained to me that they are a summer tire with NO mileage warranty and they are a warm weather tire, I advised I am in Myrtle Beach, SC if this is not warm enough for the tires to last at least 35,000 to 40,000 miles then why do they allow shops to sell them in this area but to have over half the tread life gone in only 4 months and under 4,000 miles is just NOT acceptable and in case anyone is wondering what kind of a car they are on its a 2019 BMW 740i Individual that my wife drives so its treated like a baby. Would never buy a Hankook again.
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First 10,000 ~ 12,000 miles were impressive. While cornering i noted a slight tendence to understeer on slippery under some conditions where regular tires (i drive other car with "economy tires") behave as they should. Breaking under wet conditions (straight) is quite good but when slightly cornering and breaking story could be different activating other car systems (ABS, TCS or ESP). Wear, visually, is not very noticeable but it does in perfomance so i understand this is a normal condition on "mid-tier" UHP tires however this is why after 20,000 miles i will another set of new Ventus in my car, yes i will buy them again.
PS - OEM tires were Hankook Optimo H426 which used to have limited contact with the road. :P
I have used these for 20.000 km on a Mazda 3. engine is a remapped 2.2 turbo diesel with 210 HP and 480nM. it's not slow but spinning in 3th gear in wet roads is excessive. even my winter tires (Dunlop wintersport 5) put down more grip . dry grip is fine, steering is very wobbly, the sidewalls are too soft so it dances around in fast corners. not a fan, will change to Michelin pilot sport 5.
I really liked these tires on my BMW. They gripped really well, and never slipped even at end of life. I would have preferred to get a little bit more miles from them but at 18,000 miles, but they are now on the minimum wear markers. The only down side is the cost to replace them. I would love to get them again, but they have shot up in price in the last 2 years.
My first review on this site of this tire was september 2016, now after 6 years they have reached their tread indicator.Time flies,the v12 evo 2 was well worth the price especially now that i cant find any good tires for my car.No hankook available December 2022, i will keep driving till i get good options for the tires mid january 2023 n onwards .hoping to get Dunlop, Hankook or Vredestein.sadly none of them are available. PRIMACY 4+ are 7500 mur in mauritius and still have bad treadlife and reviews after primacy 3 ,4 n now 4+
These tires really are great for the cost. I’ve ran them on everything I’ve owned for the last 15 years. This is the second set on my 2018 Mustang GT and I have to say they will handle spirited driving on city/country roads without worry. Having said that, they aren’t bad for the occasional track day either. I definitely would not want them if I lived in a colder climate, on cool Florida mornings they don’t exactly like to be bothered if it’s below 65. They spin briefly on every take off, which in turn shortens tire life. Overall, nice tires
Star driving those tires more than 4 years and 23500km, it time to change them.
So far i was very happy with them and they did not surprise me in term of handling, etc.
As i live in a tropical country, rubber is shot after 4 years with tire showing cracks on sideway, rolling area, etc. It is common here for all brands (Dunlop, Michelin, Continental, etc.)
When I changed them, the wear was minimal, still not of meat on them. I was quite surprised.
In term of driving quality, over year it decreased:
Handling and breaking were still good but not as good as before
Noise and comfort decreased, mostly due to the rubber becoming harder for to the weather condition.
When I replaced them, i would have taken them again if i didn't have a good deal of some more grippy tires.
I still recommend them as they did a good job in all situation
These seem to be hard and heavy, you feel every bump but the traction and handling are good.
The grip is good, they don't let you down on corners, not even when they're almost illegal, which is impressive, on dry weather... on wet, they slip a bit, at the end of life, but this is normal, nothing dangerous though, really good overall tire, except the comfort part. For a heavy sports car that you drive on flat tarmac, the loss of comfort won't be an issue, I suppose, but if you wanna drive a sedan and have some comfort, they are too rough, especially on average roads with patches and occasional potholes. They are not noisy tires, you can enjoy your music and hear the wind, still so in the noise department they are OK. They seem to be tuned for sports cars, rather than sedans and comfort, that's all about it, a very good and safe overall tire, excepting that. The wear is good also, on them, you can drive them 60k+ km, if you drive them civilized... so, probably that's why they feel heavy, they are intended for high mileage and sports feel, rather than comfort.
