Tests 78 · 11 tests Owners 67 · 2,119 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 6 in 2016 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 vs Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ventus S1 evo2 is ahead, 71–66
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Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 4 in 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
Ventus S1 evo2 +570Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Potenza S-04 Pole Position Professional tests (TWG score) 78 – Reviews found online 71 71 -
77
Wet
Ventus S1 evo2 +968Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Potenza S-04 Pole Position Professional tests (TWG score) 80 – Reviews found online 72 68 -
68
Comfort
Ventus S1 evo2 +266Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Potenza S-04 Pole Position Professional tests (TWG score) 71 – Reviews found online 64 63 -
72
Noise
Ventus S1 evo2 +765Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Potenza S-04 Pole Position Professional tests (TWG score) 76 – Reviews found online – 64 -
62
Treadwear
Ventus S1 evo2 +557Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Potenza S-04 Pole Position Reviews found online 59 50 -
67
Handling
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +269Why this score
Source Ventus S1 evo2 Potenza S-04 Pole Position Reviews found online 67 69
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 66 |
| Dry | 75 | 70 |
| Wet | 77 | 68 |
| Comfort | 68 | 66 |
| Noise | 72 | 65 |
| Treadwear | 62 | 57 |
| Handling | 67 | 69 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
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
71
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo2
66
/ 100
Potenza S-04 Pole Position
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus S1 evo2 | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 50% #2/6 · 2016 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test | 50% #2/4 · 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ventus S1 evo2
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet grip performance
- Strong value compared to premium alternatives like Michelin or Continental
- Crisp steering response and confident cornering handling
Cons
- Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on heavier or high-performance vehicles
- Increased road noise and harsher ride quality as the tire ages and tread depth lowers
- Occasional reports of structural weaknesses such as sidewall bulges or cracking
Tire B Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Pros
- Excellent dry handling and cornering stability
- Competent performance in wet conditions
- Unexpectedly high levels of ride comfort for a performance-oriented tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear rate
- Audible road noise or humming on certain surfaces
- Wet-weather performance is good but outperformed by some direct competitors
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | B · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
66
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 — better wet, noise and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 77 vs 68 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 72 vs 65 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 75 vs 70 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 62 vs 57 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
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How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.