Hankook Kinergy eco2 Tire Review and Rating

Written By Slavcho Andov
Last Updated June 14, 2022

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Dry

Wet

Comfort

Noise

Pros

Comfort and noise levels are surprisingly good
Grip and traction are excellent in dry conditions
Available in smaller sizes
Excellent price per performance ratio

Cons

Braking distances are slightly longer
Aquaplaning resistance is average

If you’ve been following this website, you probably noticed a trend where we usually look at all-season tires. The reason is that they are the most versatile ones, offering performance in summer and winter, so it’s a nice balance for most people.

While most car owners would go for the all-season route, there are those like me that have two sets of tires. Going for this route means you’ll be getting much better performance in winter, an excellent option for places with harsher winters.

Enough about winters; today we’re talking about summer or summer tires, to be precise. Even though they may seem like the less popular type of tires, there are still plenty of options to choose from. All manufacturers have a handful of models, and the one I’ve chosen for this review is a mid-range one.

The Hankook Kinergy eco2 is a summer touring tire designed for passenger tires. Like most of its rivals, even those from the premium segment, the tire is made to cover the performance, refinement, and longevity aspects. As a bonus, the company also worked on reducing the rolling resistance, meaning that you can save a few bucks on gas.

What are the features of the Hankook Kinergy eco2?

You may think that a mid-range brand like Hankook wouldn’t have a lot in terms of features, but you’d be wrong. The Kinergy eco2 has a lot to offer on paper, which should hopefully result in a good performance on the road.

The compound used in making the Winterforce 2 is a special one, designed to remain pliable even in the coldest temperatures. With this, you should get a tire that can deliver traction in situations where others may struggle.

Firestone went with a directional pattern with full-depth grooves, a crucial feature for any winter tire. Having deeper grooves means that the Winterforce 2 can bite into the snow and work with the sipes to keep the tire rolling and provide a safe driving experience.

Speaking of sipes, while they should be good for situations like packed snow or ice, they are also responsible for traction on wet roads. Thanks to the high-density sipes, Firestone claims that the Winterforce 2 should be excellent on damp surfaces.

I mentioned that the sipes help on ice, but there are cases where you’ll need more help, which is where the studs come into play. Since the Winterforce 2 is a studdable tire, it should be capable of delivering superior performance on ice when compared to traditional winter tires.

How does it behave on dry tarmac?

Summer tires are considered to be an excellent option for dry performance, and the Kinergy eco2 is no exception. While it’s not on the same levels as the premium options, it does things pretty well.

The Kinergy eco2 does a pretty decent job at delivering solid levels of grip and traction. You won’t experience any slip when accelerating in normal conditions, so you’ll need to try harder to get a burnout. Things are pretty good in the cornering department, where the tire has no problem maintaining the line and not promoting understeer when you enter a corner. The only area where things aren’t so good is the braking distances. They aren’t the longest, and despite being safe, they still hover around the average mark.

Pushing the Kinergy eco2 near its limits isn’t something that would satisfy the enthusiasts, but it should be enough for most people. Keep in mind that the limit isn’t as high as with a performance tire, so it’s not like you’ll be the fastest on the track. It can handle a bit of fun, and you shouldn’t expect anything more than that.

Dry Rating: 4/5

 4/5

How does it behave over wet and slippery roads?

In rainy conditions, the Kinergy eco2 still remains a usable tire, but the performance isn’t as close to its premium rivals as it was in the dry.

If the roads are damp, the Kinergy eco2 can offer some decent traction that will result in minimal slip or maybe no slip at all. Cornering also shouldn’t be a massive issue, and you can rely on the tire to keep you safe. All of this may sound good, but you should know that the levels aren’t very high, and you will notice the tire struggling if you start to push it hard. In addition to this, it still suffers from slightly longer braking distances.

Hankook claims that the circumferential grooves should help with aquaplaning resistance, but I believe things can be better. It’s not the worst and delivers similar results to the PremiumContact 6, but it’s noticeably behind the EfficientGrip Performance.

Wet Rating: 4/5

 4/5

Is it comfortable and refined?

Refinement is a crucial area of touring tires, as that is one of the main selling points. The Kinergy eco2 isn’t a premium tire, but it can compete with the more expensive models in this regard.

The Kinergy eco2 delivers a very good ride quality, which came as a bit of a surprise. It has no issues softening up most holes and preventing the vibrations from reaching the cabin. For the minor imperfections, even though they aren’t eliminated altogether, things are better than most of its mid-range rivals.

Moving on to the noise levels, the Kinergy eco2 is again very close to the premium competitors. Hankook’s tread design does a pretty good job at keeping the tire quieter than most of its mid-range competitors. The noise levels increase a bit on the highway but still remain relatively quiet. Surprisingly, they are just a tab below the Primacy 4.

Comfort Rating: 4/5

 4/5

Is the Hankook Kinergy eco2 ideal for sporty driving?

I have tested some touring tires that were good for sporty driving, but the Kinergy eco2 isn’t in that category.

On the performance side of things, the Kinergy eco2 doesn’t have a lot of performance to back that up. It may be fine for daily driving, but not if you want to push it a lot.

Then there’s the handling, which is average, at best. Like most touring tires from this class, the Kinergy eco2 is responsive enough to a point where most people would be perfectly happy with it driving around town. It may feel like a winter tire for the enthusiast, which isn’t a good sign. The slightly positive thing is that there is a good amount of feedback through the steering wheel, so if you start approaching the limit, you’ll know.

Noise Rating: 4/5

 4/5

Hankook Kinergy eco2 Warranty

The Kinergy eco2 may have a few slight drawbacks, but the biggest one is the lack of a treadwear warranty. One of the reasons why people get touring tires is that they are designed with longevity in mind and come with longer warranties. To be fair, even the Turanza T005 or the PremiumContact 6 come without a warranty, so the Hankook model isn’t the only one.

Hankook Kinergy eco2 Pricing: Is it worth the money?

When it comes to value, I believe that Hankook has nailed it with the Kinergy eco2. Even some of the common 16-inch models are below the $100, while identical sizes from the premium brands are way higher on the price scale.

Value Rating: 4/5

 4/5

Should I buy the Hankook Kinergy eco2?

To be honest, I wouldn’t say that you should run out and buy it, but I can say that there are some strong arguments that go in favor of the Kinergy eco2. While it lacks in some areas, it’s not a poor performer, and as an overall package, it’s not the worst choice.

Even though the Kinergy eco2 may not be a tire that can deliver performance like a UHP tire, for a daily driver, it’s an excellent one. It may struggle a bit in wet conditions, but again, it’s something that most people won’t have a massive issue with.

The affordable price, combined with the excellent refinement, are two of the main reasons why the Kinergy eco2 is such a popular choice. I know it’s not a Primacy 3 with a 35,000-mile treadwear warranty, but not a lot of tires in this class are.

Can you get a better tire than the Kinergy eco2? Yes, you can, but not at this price point. Hankook managed to offer us an excellent bang-for-the-buck model.

Overall Rating: 4/5

 4/5