Incredibly surprised for being a four-season tire, which I was always kind of against, but since they were on the car when I got it and were still pretty good (4y/o but plenty of tread, the car wasn't driven much in that period) I decided to keep them and test them. I recently started working in the testing dept. of a big tire brand in Italy so that was a good chance to acknowledge me more to my job.
I 10 months of ownership I drove 15.000 km in my '99 BMW E39 528i on the Hankook's and the general feedback of the tire-car package is very positive. I already knew the E39, having had another one right before this one, so I knew the level of comfort this car can bring when driven in its favorite habitat: the highway. Well, the Kinergy 4S2 just enhanced this, it's like the cherry on top. I normally drive at 2.3 bar (33 psi - the highest pressure allowed) and my usage is 90% highway, 10% flowy, medium-fast road, so the perfect environment for the car. On the highway, the sound coming from the tire, if not completely absent, can be considered almost nonexistent when mixed with some wind noise and the good deadening equipment of the car (radio turned off). Rolling resistance is also pretty low, allowing me a 12km/l (yes, not crazy low but it's a 1500 kg car with a pretty big engine). Despite riding on the highest pressure allowed, the tire seems to absorb any imperfection of the road in a very gentle way, thanks to it's high, soft sidewall. At 33 psi you can still see a pronounced curvature on the wall. Cornering on mildly fast roads is happily taken by the tire, giving a very good balanced behavior, not oversteery, not understeery, just steady. Very fun.
In June I took the car to the Nurburgring and drove 4 laps, let's say as spirited as I could with traction controll off.
I lowered the pressure to 1.6 bar (23 psi). It was maybe a little too low for the weight of the car. Here is where you could really see and feel the softness of the sidewall: it bended lots on the tighter corners, the car was rolling.. but it stayed. Again, no oversteer if not asked, and no understeer at all. You felt the body rolling, but as soon as it reached the maximum, after that fraction of a second, it stayed there and let the tires do the job, clean and precise in turning the car. Always keep in mind we're talking 4-season tires, obviously.
I still never got to drive them on snow or ice, and very little in the rain, where I always stay cautious. Only once, it was raining and I was in a tunnel. Towards the end of a pretty long tunnel, to be precise, to both the asphalt and the tires were pretty dry already. On a medium right hander, one you can easily take in 5th gear with slight braking, the car just lost the back. I wasn't racing, but it was night and I was driving back home in the empty road. that's when you go a little over the speed limit, but not "fast", to give you an idea. Really, I was just going with the flow, enjoying some good driving but nothing crazy. If I did't have the controls on, I would've crashed. that was the only time these tires really let me down for a second.
Overall, the feedback is very positive for an all-around tire, I'm happy with it. It's something I wouldn't have personally chosen and I will later switch to 18's and more performance-oriented tires, but I will keep a good memory of the Hankook's. Will probably buy another set of them in 16" as a winter tire as we don't get any more snow here. Hope this was helpful for someone!
I 10 months of ownership I drove 15.000 km in my '99 BMW E39 528i on the Hankook's and the general feedback of the tire-car package is very positive. I already knew the E39, having had another one right before this one, so I knew the level of comfort this car can bring when driven in its favorite habitat: the highway. Well, the Kinergy 4S2 just enhanced this, it's like the cherry on top. I normally drive at 2.3 bar (33 psi - the highest pressure allowed) and my usage is 90% highway, 10% flowy, medium-fast road, so the perfect environment for the car. On the highway, the sound coming from the tire, if not completely absent, can be considered almost nonexistent when mixed with some wind noise and the good deadening equipment of the car (radio turned off). Rolling resistance is also pretty low, allowing me a 12km/l (yes, not crazy low but it's a 1500 kg car with a pretty big engine). Despite riding on the highest pressure allowed, the tire seems to absorb any imperfection of the road in a very gentle way, thanks to it's high, soft sidewall. At 33 psi you can still see a pronounced curvature on the wall. Cornering on mildly fast roads is happily taken by the tire, giving a very good balanced behavior, not oversteery, not understeery, just steady. Very fun.
In June I took the car to the Nurburgring and drove 4 laps, let's say as spirited as I could with traction controll off.
I lowered the pressure to 1.6 bar (23 psi). It was maybe a little too low for the weight of the car. Here is where you could really see and feel the softness of the sidewall: it bended lots on the tighter corners, the car was rolling.. but it stayed. Again, no oversteer if not asked, and no understeer at all. You felt the body rolling, but as soon as it reached the maximum, after that fraction of a second, it stayed there and let the tires do the job, clean and precise in turning the car. Always keep in mind we're talking 4-season tires, obviously.
I still never got to drive them on snow or ice, and very little in the rain, where I always stay cautious. Only once, it was raining and I was in a tunnel. Towards the end of a pretty long tunnel, to be precise, to both the asphalt and the tires were pretty dry already. On a medium right hander, one you can easily take in 5th gear with slight braking, the car just lost the back. I wasn't racing, but it was night and I was driving back home in the empty road. that's when you go a little over the speed limit, but not "fast", to give you an idea. Really, I was just going with the flow, enjoying some good driving but nothing crazy. If I did't have the controls on, I would've crashed. that was the only time these tires really let me down for a second.
Overall, the feedback is very positive for an all-around tire, I'm happy with it. It's something I wouldn't have personally chosen and I will later switch to 18's and more performance-oriented tires, but I will keep a good memory of the Hankook's. Will probably buy another set of them in 16" as a winter tire as we don't get any more snow here. Hope this was helpful for someone!