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[lm1z]

Hey guys,

Wanted to give a quick review on the set of Hankook Ventus V12's I just threw on the ride:

Size - 255/35/19 (Fronts)

Performance - 7.5/10
>Dry - 8/10
>Wet - 7/10
Comfort - 10/10
Noise - 10/10
Tread Design - 7/10
Longevity - N/A

Overall (un-weighted) average: 8.6 (References: PS2 - 9.5, Continental CS3 - 8, Nitto Invo - 9)
This is actually very accurate to Tire Rack's website.

At the end of the day, I have found that these are great tires for the price. If you are looking for a budget tire that is a good performer, while not sacrificing comfort or noise level, this might be the tire for you.

Pros:
-Low cost.
-Good performance (wet/dry).
-Quiet.
-Variety of sizes.
-Very comfortable on rough roads.


Cons:
-Slightly less responsive.
-Sidewall flex at higher speeds *update below*
-Tread design isn't the most appealing / could cause faster tread wear.

Lane

[ben@tirerack]

This matches up pretty closely with what I've found. I think you've hit the important point in that it is a very good performer for the money, though perhaps giving up a little responsiveness. Thanks for posting your impressions.

[Dave07997S]

Originally Posted by lm1z

Hey guys,

Wanted to give a quick review on the set of Hankook Ventus V12's I just threw on the ride:

Size - 255/35/19 (Fronts)

Performance - 7.5/10
>Dry - 8/10
>Wet - 7/10
Comfort - 10/10
Noise - 10/10
Tread Design - 7/10
Longevity - N/A

Overall (un-weighted) average: 8.6 (References: PS2 - 9.5, Continental CS3 - 8, Nitto Invo - 9)
This is actually very accurate to Tire Rack's website.

At the end of the day, I have found that these are great tires for the price. If you are looking for a budget tire that is an above average performer, while not sacrificing comfort or noise level, this might be the tire for you.

Pros:
-Low cost.
-Good performance (wet/dry).
-Quiet.
-Variety of sizes.
-Very comfortable on rough roads.


Cons:
-Slightly less responsive.
-Tread design isn't the most appealing / could cause faster tread wear.

Lane

Lane I agree with your assesment, I have the Nitto Invos in the 255/35/19 front and 285/30/19 found them to be better than the CS3s but obviously not as good as the PS2s, like them for the money though. Burned through the rears pretty quick (Invos).

Dave

[lm1z]

Originally Posted by ben@tirerack

This matches up pretty closely with what I've found. I think you've hit the important point in that it is a very good performer for the money, though perhaps giving up a little responsiveness. Thanks for posting your impressions.

No problem. Glad you agree.

Originally Posted by Dave07997S

Lane I agree with your assesment, I have the Nitto Invos in the 255/35/19 front and 285/30/19 found them to be better than the CS3s but obviously not as good as the PS2s, like them for the money though. Burned through the rears pretty quick (Invos).

Dave

I agree. I like the Invos a lot. They are a bit harsh when it comes to ride comfort but they make up in performance.
Love the way they look, too.

[Loseit]

So,
These are quieter then the PS2's(new) and comfortable?
I was about to pull the trigger on these buy heard they have a lot or road noise.

My 19's are for street use so I dont mind giving up some performance as long as the tire is comfortable and quiet.
I am looking at these, the Continental DW's (?) or the New Michelin Super Sports. Obviously there huge price difference but i am willing to spend the cash if the are better for day to day driving.
thanks!

[SIIK2NR]

As far as tread wear....these have very good wear and lasted me over 35K+ miles.

[lm1z]

Originally Posted by Loseit

So,
These are quieter then the PS2's(new) and comfortable?
I was about to pull the trigger on these buy heard they have a lot or road noise.

My 19's are for street use so I dont mind giving up some performance as long as the tire is comfortable and quiet.
I am looking at these, the Continental DW's (?) or the New Michelin Super Sports. Obviously there huge price difference but i am willing to spend the cash if the are better for day to day driving.
thanks!

There are multiple people that can attest to their quietness. I believe the majority of the reviews on Tire Rack mention this. These are definitely quieter than PS2s. I would def. choose this tire over the DW's but in regards to performance, Michelin PSSs would be an amazing choice. I do not know about road comfort on the PSSs. However, I know my PS2s were very comfortable. Hands down I believe it's impossible to go wrong with a high end Michelin tire.

Originally Posted by SIIK2NR

As far as tread wear....these have very good wear and lasted me over 35K+ miles.

That's great. I'm looking forward to driving on them for awhile.

[a proper hooligan]

Hmm I just recently switched out my stock CS3's for these and found them a lot noisier on the hwy. In all other aspects I prefer them over the CS3's though.

[lm1z]

UPDATE - A definitely wanted to let everyone know about this.

Sidewall flex with these tires at high speeds is VERY apparent.
I am going to try and increase the PSI to see if that helps, but I won't like, it feels scary weaving on the highway at speeds of 80+. The sidewalls are definitely softer than my liking.

Weird that someone found noise to be an issue. These are (IMO) very quiet, but to each his own.
Had a chance to drive in the rain with all 4 tires and they are superb.
I'm just concerned about the high speed performance at the recommended PSI.

[Loseit]

thanks for the update!
deciding b/w these and PSS's for the summer.

Riding on 18's for the winter ..... very comfortable!! lol

[lm1z]

No problem.
Wanted to update that i upped the PSI to 40 all around. Going to try 42 on the fronts.
The higher PSI definitely helps loads...

[stefan]

This summer I will be putting on a set of Hankooks for the fourth time. I really like this tire for the price. They have decent wear, but at least the tire is cheap to replace.

Definitely... increase your pressure by at least 5psi over stock. These tires have very soft rounded sidewalls. I ran 41 all around on my E46 m3 and plan on running similar with my E9x this summer.

[Brentis]

I agree with everything from op. had on big cars e60 m5 and cayenne turbo. They did great. Low pressure on cayenne turbo was not good at 80+. Have a soft sidewall, but the wheels dont "swim" in tire, just less responsive. Got them for my ct for $140 each. Amazing price and had to try them.

[lm1z]

Agreed.
Running 41psi all around and tires are great.

Going to a smaller set of wheels for performance so these are up for sale here.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639152

Definitely a great all around tire.

[SDPRT]

Originally Posted by lm1z

Agreed.
Running 41psi all around and tires are great.

Going to a smaller set of wheels for performance so these are up for sale here.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639152

Definitely a great all around tire.

I run my tires at 41psi, thanks for the tip. I have them on Vossen 20s. But my rear end steps out a more than the ContiContactSports I had on the OEM 220s. Not as much grip.

[997Rockieipcf]

I have heard they are pretty good. But the sizes are somewhat limited.

[HoOdRiCh///M3]

I absolutely love the sizes, just because I got the ones I wanted :-)!! For the money I think I can't beat the price... I will however post my review of the tires I will be putting on my wheels

255/35/19 front and 305/30/19... Kinda a beefy set up so I will chime in after I have them on :-)

But anyways thanks for the review is was very helpful!! Especially upping the psi a few and how it helps the loads.. Very interesting!!

[CarbonAlpine]

I had the v12 on my first set of hre p40's...305 in rear. They drove very well and traction was on par with other higher end tires. I've since put them on my gf car as well. Can't beat the price, FYI I also think general tires are a good bang for your buck. They are actually made by continental...or so I've heard.

[Vossen]

I agree, I am also a big fan of the V12s. After trying various different tires I have always come back to the Hankooks. I just think for the $$$ they can't be beat.

[Endless619]

I have run these tires and agree with OP here. I have a set on my M3 now. My big concern was noise and these stay quiet. Plus price is decent. I daily drive/commute so they are perfect.

[GregW / Oregon]

I haven't driven the Hancooks, but for those wanting a good budget performance tire I highly recommend the Vredstein Ultac Sessantas. I'm on my second set, and I find them superb in both wet and dry, easily as good as PS2s. I'd like to see a test head to head with other major brands, but since Tire Rack doesn't carry them, may not happen. They're only a little more than the V12s. Very cool tread design and no unwanted sidewall flex. I suggest Performance Plus Tire (no, I have no relation to them, but have bought 2 sets with good service). That being said, I'm probably doing PSSs for my next set, just for comparison.

[8_is_enough]

adding 5psi more did wonders for me. overall i'm very happy with V12s