74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
72/100
2 professional tests
User signal (40%)
78/100
13 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Hankook Kinergy 4S vs Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
67
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
65/100
8 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Hankook Kinergy 4S — better comfort, wet and handling. Pick the Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 if dry matters most to you.
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Ecsta AST KU25 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 70 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 83 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Kinergy 4S leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 77 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 66 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 69 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Kinergy 4S leads by 28
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 49 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 95 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Kinergy 4S leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 72 | 71 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Kinergy 4S leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Kinergy 4S | Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 68 | 65 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Kinergy 4S | Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 67 |
| Dry | 75 | 83 |
| Wet | 77 | 66 |
| Snow | 79 | – |
| Comfort | 77 | 49 |
| Noise | 95 | – |
| Treadwear | 72 | 71 |
| Handling | 68 | 65 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Tire A
67
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Hankook Kinergy 4S is generally regarded as a highly capable all-season tire, particularly praised for its impressive performance in wet, cold, and snowy conditions. While many users report excellent traction and safety in adverse weather, the tire receives mixed feedback regarding its tread longevity and consistency in dry-weather handling.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and stability in wet and torrential rain conditions
- Strong performance in snow and slush, often cited as a viable alternative to dedicated winter tires
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
- Reliable emergency braking performance on slick surfaces
Cons
- Reports of premature tread wear and shorter-than-expected service life
- Inconsistent dry-road handling and feedback compared to dedicated summer tires
- Occasional reports of poor traction on greasy or specific wet road surfaces
- Increased road noise noted by some users
Observations
- Users of compact SUVs, such as the Honda CR-V, have reported significantly lower tread life than expected for the vehicle class.
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles, such as the Civic Type R, noted a trade-off in lateral grip and steering feedback when switching from dedicated summer tires.
The Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 is generally regarded as an affordable, entry-level tire suitable for daily commuting rather than performance-oriented driving. While users appreciate its dry-weather grip and aesthetic tread pattern, the tire is frequently criticized for significant road noise and inconsistent performance in wet conditions.
Pros
- Attractive and aggressive tread design
- Strong dry-weather traction and handling
- High value-to-price ratio
- Satisfactory tread longevity for daily driving
Cons
- Excessive and intrusive road noise
- Unpredictable and poor wet-weather performance
- Abrupt loss of grip when pushed to limits
- Not suitable for spirited or performance driving
Observations
- Users noted that the tire's stiff sidewall provides good steering feedback, which some drivers appreciate for daily handling.
- Performance characteristics are highly polarized, with some users reporting confidence in heavy rain while others report dangerous instability.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Kinergy 4S | B · Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season High Performance tires | All Season High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Hankook
67
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Hankook Kinergy 4S — better comfort, wet and handling. Pick the Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Kinergy 4S scores 77 vs 49 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Kinergy 4S scores 77 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 scores 83 vs 75 on dry.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Kinergy 4S scores 68 vs 65 on handling.
Tire A · Hankook Kinergy 4S
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta AST KU25
More comparisons
Also compared with
Hankook Kinergy 4S also compared with
Kumho Ecsta AST KU25 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.