Review: Hankook Ventus V12 EVO K110 Tires
Basics
A few weeks ago, I had a new set of Hankook Ventus V12 EVO K110’s installed on my car. Wanted to provide some quick feedback to anyone interested. I’m by no means a tire expert. But I’ve run more than a few brands on 3 different A4’s and do like researching to make a well informed decision. So maybe this will have some relevance. I opted for the the standard size 235/45ZR17’s as I’m still running the OEM sport wheels.
This was a particularly fun project. After making a short list, I decided these were my front runner. So, I read literally all of the reviews on TireRack, then soured QW, AZ, Vortex, 6speedonline etc., and of course the magazine reviews (links below).
Goals
As I had just returned to the Bay Area after 9 yrs in SoCal, I had to pay closer attention to wet weather performance + braking as the rain and fog is far more prevalent up here. Safety first, right? Especially if I decide to drive like an ass and hit a slick spot. Been known to happen every so often. Obviously, good cornering and braking were required. Durability and sidewall strength were a must. Also, I harbor a (very unproven) theory that an AWD vehicle is a bit more rough on tires overall as it’s both power and weight being distributed to all four corners. That plus the heavy-ass-Panzer characteristics of the B6 A4 necessitates something that can take a beating. IMO the ~$100+ per/tire range is fair so I was looking to keep it around there.
Impressions
It’s been ~600+ miles since they’ve been installed and I have nothing negative to report in the slightest. My only fear was a weak sidewall (as a heavy car might revel this more where a lighter car might not). But at 35PSI, that’s proven to be a non-issue as these tires are incredibly true and steady around corners… even when aggressively pushed. I’ve not yet once heard them squeal or bark. And I’m noticing the absence of my traction control light (which came on quite frequently with my old tires, even before they were worn out).
Road noise has all but vanished. These have significantly decreased noise from not only regular driving but bumps and other imperfections in the road. And now, my A4 now glides at a quiet hum on the freeway. Never did that before.
Speaking of freeway speeds, at around 65MPH and above, these tires have excellent characteristics. The car just slips effortlessly up the speedometer and far more so than before. Guess that would be good ‘high speed rolling resistance.’ Straight line tracking is effortless and true at both low and high speeds.
I’ve only spent a bit of time in wet weather and again it was very positive. Never felt a loss of control or like I needed to slow down to a more conservative speed. Tried to replicate a sudden brake-check and they behaved perfectly. Overall, I had no loss of traction or other squirreliness.
Most significant point of note is the stopping. I was traveling approx 45mph on a dry, open, straight two-lane road. A car up ahead was waiting to pull out. He hesitated… and then slowly crept out (crossing my lane taking a left turn). I couldn’t believe it. In short, this was a “two hands on the steering wheel and two feet on the brake pedal” kind of situation. No time to down shift, just react.
Shockingly, I came to a complete stop with what seemed to be very little effort. If the ABS kicked on, I didn’t notice it. Tires didn’t even chirp. I just… stopped. Even with the stock brakes, these tires dug into the pavement and then some. I’m just glad to have not plowed into the 80yr old man driving that Prius. And by the look on his face, he was certainly thinking the same. High marks here.
Caveat, anyone planning to use these in overly near freezing temps or ice / snow should be cautious as they’re not designed for said conditions. And I’d imagine if tracked these tires might fair okay, but that’s pure speculation. Maybe better, maybe worse. Nothing to report concerning these particulars.
Overall, I’m quite pleased. Big surprise. But please take my review with a grain of salt. Its understandable that even a good tire can be lacking in certain ways depending on one’s opinion. Obviously I’ve not had these for too long so long term and tread life can’t be reported upon. Also, I’ve yet to see any really serious rain… interested to see how they fair on all fronts.
But so far, I would give them a resounding recco for a solid performing dry/wet tire in the max performance summer category.
Cost
Although these were very well priced on both Tire Rack and a few other sites, a local shop was able to get me these installed and out the door for $575. Bonus, Hankook is running a rebate right now as well:
$50 Mail In Rebate (good till June 30th)
http://hankooktireusa.com/greatcatch/
Info
Hankook Ventus V12 EVO K110 (Max Performance Summer)
235/45ZR17
UTQG: Treadwear: 280, Traction: AA, Temperature: A
Load Index 97 = 1609lbs (730kg) per tire
Speed Rating “Y” = 186mph (300kph)
Max Load: 1609 lbs.
Max. Inflation Press: 50 psi
Tread Depth: 10/32”
Tire Weight: 24lbs.
Rim Width Range: 7.5-9”
Meas. Rim Width: 8”
Sect. Width: 9.3”
Tread Width: 8.1”
Overall Diam: 25.4”
Revs Per Mile: 819
Country of Origin: Korea (company based + tires produced there)
TireRack Info
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hankook&tireModel=Ventus+V12+evo+K110
Here’s Hankook’s mini-site for these tires. Side note, I’m usually quite leery of marketing-based stats, the corporate site is pretty nice. Worth a glance.
http://ventus.hankooktire.com/
Car and Driver Summer Tire Shootout
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/09q2/tire_test_nine_affordable_summer_tires_take_on_the_michelin_ps2-comparison_tests
2009 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test (learned that in Europe, auto mag annual tire tests carry a lot of weight)
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2009-Auto-Zeitung-Summer-Tyre-Test.htm
And cause I’m a PhotoSlut…
fuck yeah curb rash!