In the realm of tire technologies, we are witnessing significant progression as both the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3 and the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 exemplify with the latest advancements in their tread compounds, ensuring optimal performance in both wet and dry conditions. Let’s check out both of these boys in greater details.
Table of Contents
Tire Facts
The Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3 comes in 17 to 22 inches (rims), with following specs.
- Speed ratings: W and Y
- Load ratings: XL only.
- Tread depth: 7 to 9/32″.
- Weight range: 16 to 34 lbs.
- Winter ratings: M+S only.
- Tread mileage rating: None.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 comes in 50 total sizes, in 17 to 20 inches (rims), with following specs.
- Speed ratings: Y only.
- Load ratings: XL only.
- Tread depth: all sizes have 9/32″.
- Weight range: 17 to 34 lbs.
- Tread mileage rating: 30k miles warranty.
Tread Pattern
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 presents an intricate asymmetric design, which is characterized by a five-rib structure. Allow me to guide you through its unique architecture.
Let me start form the middle.
The central part of the tread consists of three distinct ribs, each unique in their structure. (Looking at the image, let me go from left to right, like we’re reading a book).
On the left, there’s a rib made up of big, chunky blocks. This one has the biggest spaces, or gaps, between the lugs compared to the other two. With those gaps, having an angle at the end (facing shoulders), they work like little notches and grippers.
Moving on, the central (most) rib comes with smaller slits, which don’t split up all the way, meaning there’s aren’t any proper blocks formation there.
And on the right, before the shoulder lugs, there’s another rib like the one in the middle but with thicker and deeper slits (facing outer edges).
As we move to the edges, or shoulders, things get a bit more intense. This part of the tire has the widest gaps of all and includes slanted grippers. You could say it’s the most aggressive part of the overall tread.
Moving towards the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3, this tire also sports a unique, asymmetric structure.
Just like the Pilot 5, let’s start here as well form the middle area, where you see 3 distinctive ribs.
The central-most rib is nearly continuous, adorned with zigzag slits that act as notches.
Since these combination of siping and notches have various angles to them, the provide grip in all directions.
As for the ribs on either side, they present their own unique features.
One rib comes out with diagonal slits that are larger, or thicker, than usual. While the other, on the other hand, has smaller incisions in them, though they do have grippers towards their outer edges (facing the shoulder lugs).
Speaking of shoulders, the lugs here are also very closed up, especially when compared to those on the Pilot Sport 5. Moreover, these lugs have connectors in between, which basically are in charge of lowering the overall tread noise, but more on that later.
Dry Performance Analysis
To fully grasp the dry performance of these tires, we must assess their ability to brake, accelerate, and navigate corners. Let’s delve into it.
Straight-line Traction
In the world of tires, the term ‘dry grip’ refers to a tire’s traction on dry, straight roads. And given its directionality, it’s also known as straight-line traction.
What’s happening here, is actually as the tire rolls forward, the weight (it carries) gets concentrated on its middle section, resulting in the highest level of friction. So how well the tire connects with the road from there is highly significant.
Having said that, it can be seen why the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3 excels in this domain, showing off with faster dry braking efficacy, compared to its peer, (in fact its one of the best in its category).
But why is that?
Well, because its central lugs employ a combination of full-depth siping and notches, which cover almost all lateral and longitudinal angles. So you get a grip in all directions, and with it, a shorter braking distance (which is a direct measure of directional grip).
In comparison, the Michelin Pilot Sport 5, although features good enough contact patch form its central ribs too, they lack in providing as much bite as the Evo 3.
Dry Handling Performance
The handling and side-to-side grip of a tire, (during cornering), depend largely on the ground-contact made by the shoulder lugs. This is because these outer extremities of the tread is where most of the weight shifts, as the tire turns.
And I have to say, in this regard, both tires are neck and neck, but upon further testing, it seems Hankook Ventus manages to edge ahead slightly, still.
Why so? Well, because of two main factors. Tread voids, and tread depth.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 features comparatively larger lateral grooves on its shoulders, and all its variants have a slightly deeper average tread depth, both of these can’t keep up in terms of steering feedback when compared to Evo 3.
The Hankook’s boy, on the other side, comes out with superior balance between under and over-steering, and hence shows up with shorter handling times, as a result.
Wet Traction Performance
Navigating wet roads demands a tire that could offer decent grip, and resistance to hydroplaning. Both of which are achieved through effective water cleaning.
For hydroplaning resistance, grooves play a major role, cleaning water out at a macro level, while the remaining left over water is cleared off with the help of sipes.
Sipes are just slits, which suck up the water particles, so the rubber could grip in. Since water is not compressible, that’s the only way a tire achieves wet traction.
Having said that, both of our tires here show up with mixed results.
The Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3 excels in wet braking and offers slightly superior handling times. thanks to its greater number of sipes and a flexible rubber compound.
However, it falls short in hydroplaning tests compared to the Pilot Sport 5, which stands as one of the top-performing summer tires for hydroplaning resistance on both straight and curved roads.
Basically Pilot Sport 5 comes with slightly larger voids on its outer lugs, enabling efficient water clearance.
Fuel Efficiency
Rolling resistance, influenced by the tire tread composition and weight, directly impacts fuel consumption.
And so it makes sense why both tires showcase near-identical fuel consumption patterns, having similar resistance values.
Though keep in mind that some sizes on Hankook Evo 3 come with lower speed ratings, so those offer you with superior fuel economy, nonetheless.
(Speed rating and fuel usage are both directly propositional to each other).
Tread Longevity
Tread life hinges on three key factors: rolling resistance, tread depth, and composition. What I mean here is that a tire with a deeper tread will wear down more slowly (as it would take more time), and a stiffer composition will help it with the rubber-burning rate.
Having said that, it can be explained why the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3 gives you longer tread life, though both tires display similar rolling resistance values (as discussed above in the fuel section).
But what leads to this disparity? The key lies in the differences in tread rubber compound and design. The EVO 3 features a more robust build and superior lug maneuverability due to its flexible full depth sipes.
These basically allow for better energy dissipation, and less pressure is applied on the lugs. So they burn down slower.
Road Comfort and Noise Levels
Airflow contributes significantly to noise production, with most of it coursing through the shoulder grooves of the tire’s tread.
The air then collides with the tread walls, creating unwanted sound-waves.
So it makes sense why the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 3 with more closed up tread voids (on shoulders), keeps its noise production at a minimum.
In comparison, the Pilot Sport 5 with greater tread voids gets to be louder.
In fact its one of the loudest when it comes to its category of ultra high performing summer tires.
Furthermore, the absence of siping on this tire, also impacts the overall comfort performance.
With less siping, the overall tread on Pilot Sport 5 gets to lack the needed flexibility, so the tire feels a lot more jittery on bumpier pavements.
In this regard, the Hankook Evo 3 comes out better, with its relatively softer rubber composition, and more flexible lugs.
So, What’s The Verdict?
After thoroughly examining both of these summer tires, we can draw some conclusions.
The EVO 3 stands out in dry braking and offers slightly superior handling times in both dry and wet conditions. And it also wins in other performance metrics such as tread life, and fuel economy, thanks to its lighter build and superior lug maneuverability, which also renders superior comfort performance.
Though the tire lacks to its counterpart when it comes to hydroplaning resistance.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 on the other hand, is a great overall pick. But it really lacks when it comes to noise reduction. Its one of the loudest tires in its category.
