Hankook Oe Tyres

[Hicardo]

Folks, my 2012 IQ came with Hankook Optimo H431 tyres as original equipment. Is this just a cost saving by Toyota, or is it actually a good tyre?

[FROSTYBALLS]

In the 2012 Which? test on tyres, Hankook were largely middle ranking. The brand profile read:

"Hankook is a growing company, particularly in Europe, and it also owns economy brands such as Atlas, Aurora and Kingstar. However, Hankook tyres are quite expensive compared with other makes, and availability is pretty patchy compared with mainstream brands. Price band: high. Pros: # Generally good wet and dry grip # Good wet and dry handling. Cons: # Availability patchy # High purchase prices."

Usually car manufacturing source their OE tyres from several tyre manufacturers to ensure they have a continuous supply. I know that Hankook tyres have been fitted as OE to some Ford Mondeos for a number of years, and they are also fitted to the Hyundai i40. Similarly Kumho (another Korean make) supply VW with tyres for the Polo.

[Hicardo]

Interesting

I guess the tyre Toyota fit must be of "at least a certain standard".

My local tyre fitter really rates Kumho brand for all round value and performance. So i guess the Koreans are up and coming, now even being fitted as OE.

My wife has had Kumho snow tyres on her Saab, and theyve been excellent. We also now fit a Kumho summer tyre on her car, and again no complaints at all.

One other thing that my local guy says, is that its when the tyres wear to 3mm and less that sorts the men from the boys. The less well known brands, to quote him, range from useless to downright dangerous. Whereas the Michelins and Goodyears of this world are still providing acceptable grip.

[Guest]

Our iQ came with Bridgestone summer tyres on it. Hopefully, this summer -like from some time in March anyway- we'll be reverting to the summer tyres again. Last year we left the winter tyres on all year as the weather was so crap! I got a heads up on the cost from my local dealer of buying two new tyres (for the front), putting two slightly older summer tyres (which we already have) on the back and the usual biz with the swapping; taking off the winter tyres, fitting valves, balancing and so on. The new tyres are £63.50 each (including the usual fitting costs) and normal cost of swapping wheels/tyres is £20 a wheel. I have looked elsewhere around here and find this a good deal.

[FROSTYBALLS]

"I got a heads up on the cost from my local dealer of buying two new tyres (for the front), putting two slightly older summer tyres (which we already have) on the back" If you're renewing tyres in pairs, the tyre industry recommend that new tyres are fitted to the rear, with the used rear tyres being rotated to the front - improves the stability of the vehicle in cornering, etc.

[Guest]

If you're renewing tyres in pairs, the tyre industry recommend that new tyres are fitted to the rear, with the used rear tyres being rotated to the front - improves the stability of the vehicle in cornering, etc.

Right, point noted. I can see the logic in that, as the needs of the new tyres outweigh the needs of the old. Live long and prosper.

:lol2:

[ianlinux]

Almost went mad until I saw this. Thought I'd been diddled. Still got a set of Bridgestones if I don't like them.

Anyone think the Hankook's will be okay for winter as I was planning on getting some winter tyres fitted in a few months?

[FROSTYBALLS]

When Which? tested winter tyres in 186/65/15 size (the nearest size tested to the IQ size), the best performing tyres were, in descending order (percentage score in brackets):

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D MO (67%);

Fulda Kristall Montero 3 (67%);

Continental WinterContact TS830 (65%);

Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO (63%);

Vredestein Snowtrac 3 (63%);

Maloya Davos (63%);

Yokohama W.drive V903 (62%)

Hankooks weren't one of the brands tested in this size. Kumho I'ZEN KW93 scored 59%.

Worst performing tyre was the Star Performer Winter which scored just 14%.

Scores were based on dry grip, wet grip, grip on snow and grip on ice.

[ianlinux]

That's great thank you. I've had some Vredestein Sportracs on my Cit and they were really good.

[bobkneale]

I had Hankook tyres fitted all round to my Hyundai 4 X 4 when I lived in Africa from 2009 to 2012 and covered 40,000+ miles in the car over about two years in very harsh conditions on and off road, they were hard wearing and had fair to good grip in the dry & wet.