Hankook  Ventus AS RH07

I shared the frustration of many Toyota Highlander owners in finding a suitable replacement for the dreadful Toyo OEM tires in a 19. I got close to swapping wheels and then found the Hankooks. I normally associated this brand with a lower-end tire, but after researching extensively on the internet and talking with my installer, decided to try this out. I would not normally write a review after only 1500 miles, but in this case my goal was to find the best all weather tire possible for drives to Tahoe. Weather patterns in December 2010 allowed this tire to go through its paces several times in extensive snow and ice, on roads and highways, at speed and on inclines. I am relieved to report that my experience has been very positive under some really difficult driving conditions. Since I carry precious cargo - my family - I am not bombing down the highway in a blizzard, and I do have a lot of snow driving experience from living in the mountains. This model of tire provided much better than expected traction on both ice-packed highways and in extremely heavy rains. It will be interesting to see how other reviews cover this tire in the coming months as more people use it over long distances - note I did not comment on treadwear - but as far as on-road all-conditions traction goes, I feel like this was a good purchase. I'll head back to the mountains next weekend with far more confidence than I've had in the past on the Highlander - it really makes a huge difference to the way the vehicle handles in winter conditions - which is why we bought this model in the first place.

Replaced OEM Bridgestones. These tires are SO MUCH quieter and offer a much more compliant ride than the OEM tires. Amazing difference in how the car rides. The '09 FX has a much better ride than the first generation FX but it is still pretty stiff. These tires take it up several notches in comfort and quiet. Even the wife noticed. Expansion joints are very muted and tires absorb all bumps far better than the OEM bridgestones. Handling seems exactly the same as far as the limited miles I have put on. About 600 of those miles were freeway and half of that in driving rainstorm where the freeway was pretty flooded with water. These tires never hydroplaned at ANY speed. Felt really safe and in control at all times. Although it does not say in the tire info, my tires (at least in this size) are stamped M+S which means they are rated for mud and snow. I dont know if this is a new change on this model or not. They have major grooves, 6 treads and stud like notched cutouts on the outside edges, so they dont "look" quite as smooth as the OEM tires. A bit more rugged look which does not blend quite as nice with the sleek lines on this car. But with crazy great comfort and silence AND great traction and handling I dont know what more you could ask for, and they are way lower priced.



Also they are rated with the original OEM speed rating so they are suitable for "lease" replacement tires. FYI - I was told if you lease and put on tires with a lesser speed rating they can ding you for big money on the return. So beware.



So I am very happy so far. Hey, the Korean's are making better cars at better prices than the japanese with Hyundai now..., so they have finally also stepped up and make a world class tire that hits all the marks at a very competitive price.

Excellent wear, extremely noisy from the first drive after the install at 32,000 miles, excellent wet and dry traction, almost 3/4 of the tread left at 89,000 miles, really wish they would wear out so I could get some quieter tires.

I drive a lot both personally and commercially. At 42,300 miles in 18 months these tires were worn too much to pass an airport inspection for commercial vehicles. Hankook stood by their tread wear warranty and credited me about 1/3 of the price for replacing them. I drive in Park City, Utah to and from Salt Lake City Airport which means snow, salt and mountainous conditions. The tires became noisier over their lifespan especially after 25000 miles, however they survived the better part of two winters and many fast trips down winding canyon highways. As the wear increased so did the steering vibration and effort. I did experience a couple of slides into the curb this winter on very slick roads when tightly cornering at low speed (in conditions where many cars slid off the road). I installed another set of these tires today. We will see how this new set performs.

After 200 miles, I am verypleased with this tire. I have driven in light snow and the traction was excellent. There seems to be just a bit more road noise but in the winter in Wisconsin and how the roads can heave, I would expect a bit more noise and a slighly rougher ride. I will report back once I have a 5k miles on the tires and had a chance to test them in deeper snows.

Replaced OEM Continental 4X4 Contacts at 32,000 miles and zero tread life with these Hankooks. Continental's should have been replaced 10,000 miles ago, we just purchased this vehicle as a trade-in. The old tires were terrible in the snow/ice and were worn out. Drove the new Hankooks in ice and light snow the first 100 miles on backroads and highways and I score these as a "10" in spirited take-offs, hard-stops, slid slightly in a heavy turn as would be the case with any tire. I am extremely impressed initially and will report back on treadwear, hoping to get 30k miles on these (could be wishful thinking). These are very impressive tires in the light snow and I suspect they will do well in deep snow too, and if this is the case, will not have to purchase an additional set of winter tires. Also, very low to no noise, and very smooth all with having a pretty serious bite to them. The GL450 now acts like a real SUV with these tires on them and would recommend to anyone even if you don't drive in the snow as they seem to hold the road incredibly.

Pros: Comfortable ride quality, decent looking tread design, average wear, good straight line dry traction.
Cons: Noise, tread grabs all pebbles and throws them into the fenderwell, cornering stability.
Got these when I ended up with a flat on the OE tires. These were the only half way decent tire available where I ended up getting them out of urgency. The soft sidewalls is a double edge sword. Makes the tires more comfortable, but cornering stability is sacrificed. Also it feels like there's shifting in the treadblock mid corner as well. Not very confidence inspiring. Dry straight line traction is ok. Wet traction, it's there, but I wish I had more, however no issues with hydroplaning to report. After 15k miles, these tires get loud. Not what I was expecting out of a highway tread tire. For the noise, I might as well should have just gotten some M/T tires as the noise level is about the same. I'm tempted just to go with a nice A/T tire for my next purchase.

Replaced the OEM Dunlops at 67000 miles. Still decent tread, but wanted better tread for snowy and icy winters. So far, after 18 months and 2 winters, no problems with the Hankooks. My only concern is treadwear. Seems low for only 20k miles. Still, a comfortable and quiet tire.

I ONLY HAD THOSE TIRES FOR 3 WEEKS BUT FROM MY RESEARCH AND PREVIOUS POOR STOCK DUNLOP TIRES THAT CAME NEW WITH MY CAR I CAN SAY BY FAR THOSE TIRES ARE TEN TIMES BETTER. VERY QUIET, COMFORTABLE RIDE, WILL POST A FOLLOW- UP AFTER WINTER HOW THEY HANDLED IN SNOW, SO FAR VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED CUSTOMER OF HANKOOK TIRES, DON'T SPEND MORE MONEY ON BRAND LIKE MICHELIN OR GOODYEAR THOSE TIRES ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE AND INEXPENSIVE AND THE QUALITY AND RATING IS THE SAME AS TIRES THAT ARE UP TO A $100 MORE EACH.

I've had these tires for over 5 years and the tread won't die. So much left compared to the factory ones I change twice since new getting half the mileage and these tires are even close to being worn. I might just replace them because 5 years is getting old buy these still just keep going. Amazing quality in longevity.

Put these on a great vehicle and they will be great in return. Out these on a subpar vehicle and you will blame the tires.

They handle amazing for the shear size and weight of my Merc.

Can't say enough good things about Hankook tires.

Have a set on my wall just waiting to be put on to replace my $550 per tire Michelins for my 911.

Great performing tire that exceeds the capabilities of the OE michelin tires. Have had them installed for 15k miles with very minimal signs of wear. Very nice riding, extremely quiet, and great handling tires. No complaints whatsoever. Would highly recommend to those interested. At the current price point, it is a no brainer to go with these tires.

Replace the "best all season tire in the world" Michelins. Hancooks were quiet, rode nice, held corners and smooth as oppose to the Michelins that were $220 each. I thought based on reports this would be good economical replacement. While all positive handling experience these tires do not wear well on open highway which was my mode for six months. Michelins were rough, noisy but were excellentin in snow. Wear rating on Hankook did not correlate with 440 wear rating. If you need tires for snow, get Michelin. The Hankooks ride nice but don't last on highways. Decent wet traction and ok only in snow. Buy again? Mabye.