Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3

Michelin and Hankook are both premium tyre brands that produce some of the highest quality tyres on the market.

When discussing tyre brands, few can compete with the recognisability and quality of Michelin, with the French brand manufacturing tyres since the 20^th century.

Hankook are no different, with their range of tyres slowly starting to be recognised as premium tyres due to their innovative technologies and reliability.

Both these brands have many marquee tyre models, with Michelin’s Pilot Sport 4 and Hankook’s Ventus S1 Evo 3 being at the forefront of the brands’ line-ups.

Today we will cover what the key features of both tyre models to determine what tyre is right for you.

Pilot Sport 4 Overview

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 has been a standout tyre model for Michelin since its debut, delivering exceptional performance on dry roads.

Drawing on Michelin’s extensive motorsport experience, the Pilot Sport 4 features a hybrid aramid and nylon belt in its tread pattern, significantly improving its longevity. This design provides greater mileage compared to its predecessor.

Leveraging Michelin’s Dynamic Response technology, this summer tyre boasts enhanced steering capabilities, resulting in more responsive and precise handling.

Several car manufacturers have selected the Pilot Sport model as an original equipment (OE) tyre model, with vehicles like the BMW 1 Series and Ford Fiesta initially equipped with Pilot Sport 4 tyres.

When launched in 2016, the Pilot Sport 4 succeeded the Pilot Sport 3.

Ventus S1 Evo 3 Overview

The Ventus S1 Evo 3 is a premium summer tyre that has been a very option for Hankook customers.

A high performance tyre, the Ventus model has been designed to have fantastic traction on both wet and dry weather conditions through the interlocking grooves developed on the tyre.

Hankook’s Highly Enriched Synthetic Silicia Compound technology enhances steering and mileage of the tyre with the highly purified and quality silica compound being vulcanised at low temperatures.

Many car brands have chosen the Ventus S1 Evo 3 as an OE tyre over the years, with manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Tesla opting for the Hankook model to be fitted on their new cars.

Upon its release in 2018, the Ventus S1 Evo 3 replace the Ventus S1 Evo 2.

Tyre Label Ratings

Tyre label ratings are an EU regulated rating system where a tyre model is assessed on key tyre performance factors. These ratings typically vary between different tyre sizes.

The tyre label categories are as follows:

Fuel Efficiency – Ranked A to G

Wet Grip – Ranked A to G

Tyre Noise – Ranked with numbers and A to C/Decibels (dB)

Pilot Sport 4 Label Ratings

Fuel Efficiency: A – D (mostly C)

Wet Grip: A – B (mostly B)

Tyre Noise: 70B – 73B

Ventus S1 Evo 3 Label Ratings

Fuel Efficiency: A – D (mostly C)

Wet Grip: A – C (mostly A)

Tyre Noise: 67A – 75B

Pilot Sport 4 Awards

Since its debut in 2016, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 has earned numerous awards, accolades, and favorable results in various tyre tests.

In 2020, the ADAC conducted a comparative tyre test and awarded the Pilot Sport 4 the title of 'Best in Overall Performance.'

Additionally, the Pilot Sport 4 was recognized as the 'Best Tyres for Hot Hatches' by DriverReviews in their 2022 annual awards.

The model's capabilities are further highlighted in tyre tests. The Pilot Sport 4 secured first place among 11 tyre models in the 2022 AutoBild tyre tests, winning the top prize in the Sports Cars Ultra-High Performance (UHP)  Summer Tyre category.

These awards and tyre tests further emphaisse the success that the PS4 has had since its release.

Ventus S1 Evo 3 Awards

Much like the Pilot Sport 4, the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 has received well deserved praise within the tyre industry.

In 2021, the Hankook tyre model outperformed 53 other 225/45 R17 UHP summer tyres in wet braking through an Auto Bild summer tyre test.

The Ventus S1 Evo 3 SUV, a version of the model catered to 4x4s, was heralded with the ‘recommended’ label from Auto Express in their ‘SUV Tyre Test’ category.

Along with their 2021 summer tyre test, Auto Bild’s 2023 224/45 R18 summer tyre test seen the Ventus S1 Evo 3 prevail in both wet and dry braking performance.

These successful tyre tests conducted by industry experts shines a light on how capable the Ventus model’s performance is in both wet and dry weather conditions.

Customer Reviews

Powered by DriverReviews, our customers at Blackcircles.com can review their previously purchased tyre.

The four categories in which our customers review their tyres on are:

 Overall Ratings

 Would the customer buy the tyres again

 Does the car feel better to drive

 Were the tyres value for money

Pilot Sport 4 Customer Reviews

Over 10,780 Blackcircles.com customers review the Pilot Sport 4 as follows:

Overall rating of my tyres – 4.7/5

I would buy the same tyres again – 4.7/5

The car feels better to drive – 4.5/5

The tyres were value for money – 4.3/5

Ventus S1 Evo 3 Customer Reviews

Over 1,470 Blackcircles.com customer review the Ventus S1 Evo 3 as follows:

Overall rating of my tyres – 4.5/5

I would buy the same tyres again – 4.6/5

The car feels better to drive – 4.1/5

The tyres were value for money – 4.3/5

Pilot Sport 4 Common Tyre Sizes

• 225/40 R18
• 225/45 R17
• 235/40 R18

Ventus S1 Evo 3 Common Tyre Sizes

• 205/45 R17
• 205/55 R17
• 225/50 R17

Pilot Sport 4 Common Car Models

• Volkswagen Golf
• Volkswagen Golf GTI
• Audi S3

Ventus S1 Evo 3 Common Car Models

• MINI Hatch
• BMW 3 Series
• Ford Fiesta

Price Ranges

Prices for tyres will typically vary between different tyre sizes.

Fully fitted prices for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 range from £103.91 to £354.59.*

Fully fitted prices for the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 range from £94.75 to £328.57.*

*Please note that prices for tyres may fluctuate in time, with prices listed being from the date of writing (06/06/2024).