Venom Power Tires Review: Not Bad, Surprisingly

#1. Ragnarok One

The first entry on today’s list is the number One. I’m talking about the Ragnarok One, which is an all-season performance tire.

Like any other all-season tire, the Ragnarok One is made using an all-season rubber compound. The directional tread pattern works with the solid central rib to ensure stability and dynamic handling. As part of the directional pattern design, the angled grooves should help evacuate water and reduce aquaplaning resistance. The large footprint means that more rubber will contact the road, which should result in excellent performance.

The dry performance of the Ragnarok One is pretty good, considering it’s a cheap Chinese tire. It delivers high levels of grip and traction, meaning that it really is a performance tire. I wouldn’t recommend it for a track day, but you can have some fun with it on a twisty road. In wet conditions, there is a noticeable drop in performance. Specifically, the traction on damp roads is behind some of its rivals. The difference increases a bit as the temperatures drop. The tread pattern, on the other hand does a very solid job at evacuating water, so the aquaplaning resistance is excellent.

In winter conditions, the Ragnarok One is acceptable only in the lightest conditions. It doesn’t handle the cold weather too much, so don’t expect wonders. The traction on shallow unpacked snow is decent enough, but you’ll notice it slipping a bit on the packed one.

Despite being a performance model, the refinement levels of the Ragnarok One are solid. It’s not the softest tire in this category, but it deals with bumps reasonably well. There is a whiff of harshness, but most people will be fine with that. The noise levels are decent and around town, the tire won’t be too intrusive. With that said, driving at higher speeds, especially on a rougher surface, will result in a bit of roar.

As a performance-oriented model, the handling of the Ragnarok One is acceptable. The tire offers solid responsiveness, meaning that it will be fun enough for some. In terms of feedback, I feel like it needs just a bit more on the limit, but it’s not overly muted.

#2. Ragnarok Zero

In many ways, this next tire is very similar to the previous one. The Ragnarok Zero is an all-season performance tire, so what’s the difference? Unlike the previous one, this model is for passenger cars, CUVs, and SUVs.

Like before, the Ragnarok Zero is a tire made using an all-season rubber compound, so it should handle a bit of cold. The directional tread pattern features wide grooves designed to evacuate water and provide excellent aquaplaning resistance. With wider shoulder blocks and a continuous central rib, Venom Power aims to make the tire handle more dynamically while remaining stable at high speeds.

Driving in dry conditions with the Ragnarok Zero is a pretty good experience. The tire doesn’t struggle for traction and goes into corners without a massive understeer. It’s not the stickiest option on the market, but for normal drivers who want to have some fun, it’s not bad. For wet performance, the traction on damp surfaces is decent enough, but I feel like it needs just a bit more. The braking distances are solid and short enough and, thanks to the tread pattern, the aquaplaning resistance is excellent.

The same thing that plagued the previous tire plagues this one. With the Ragnarok Zero, you’re looking at an acceptable winter performance. The tire doesn’t do too well in deeper snow patches, so I’d recommend driving it only in light winter conditions. Things aren’t improved over packed snow. The tire doesn’t have enough biting power for me to call it good.

Unfortunately, the refinement levels aren’t as good as with the previous model. The Ragnarok Zero is acceptably comfortable, but you will have to accept the slightly harsh ride. Even though performance tires aren’t made for comfort, this one seems to be a bit stiffer. As a result, it doesn’t absorb the bumps as well. On the other hand, the noise levels remain pretty good. The tire is quiet enough for driving around town and on the highway; it produces a hum that isn’t overly intrusive.

The stiffer ride usually means more dynamic handling, and that’s the case with the Ragnarok Zero. It will change directions a bit quicker than the previous tire, and when you combine that with the solid feedback, you get a decently dynamic tire.

#3. Ragnarok Zero X

You may think that the Ragnarok Zero X is an upgrade over the regular Zero. Not really. This tire is a summer performance model that is designed for passenger cars, like sporty sedans or coupes.

Unlike the previous models, as a summer tire, the Ragnarok Zero X has a harder compound, which is what you’d expect from it. The directional pattern works with the circumferential grooves to evacuate water, meaning that we should see solid aquaplaning resistance. For the handling, Venom Power designed the tire with wide shoulder blocks, which should help with cornering. There’s also a central continuous rib that should help the tire with highway stability.

In dry conditions, the Ragnarok Zero X is a tire that doesn’t disappoint as much as I thought it would. There’s a good amount of traction, so you won’t experience as much slip as you would with some of the other cheap tires. It goes around a corner decently and thanks to the grip levels it doesn’t promote understeer too much. As good as all of this sounds, it’s still not as good as the premium performance models, so keep that in mind. One thing I noticed is that the tire needs a bit more heat before it performs well.

Wet performance isn’t as good, but it’s not the worst. The traction on damp roads is adequate if you drive normally or if you’re the type of person who wants to kick the back end out. You can get it sliding easily, which isn’t a positive aspect. To be fair, for normal driving, it won’t be the worst choice in the world. Similar to the other tires on this list, the aquaplaning resistance is pretty good, and the tire remains stable even at highway speeds.

The refinement of the Ragnarok Zero X isn’t the best, which is to be expected considering it’s a performance tire. You’ll feel a bit more of the road imperfections when compared to the previous tires, so you’ll need to accept the slightly harsher ride. The noise levels also aren’t particularly low. It’s acceptable around town, but it gets noisier when you’re driving on the highway, especially over a rougher surface.

As far as the handling is concerned, the Ragnarok Zero X is surprisingly dynamic. The responsiveness is excellent, and the tire feels more like a mid-range option than a cheap Chinese one. With that said, a slight drawback is the lack of feedback. It’s not numb, but you’d want a bit more feedback through the steering wheel, especially when you’re driving on the limit.

#4. Terra Hunter X/T

Moving away from the road-going tires, we have a model designed for off-roading. The Terra Hunter X/T is an all-terrain tire, meaning you should get a combination of on and off-road performance.

Like any all-terrain tire on the market, the Terra Hunter X/T is an all-season model, meaning that the rubber compound should handle a bit of cold. The tread design features multi-functional grooves and sipes aimed at improving traction in multiple conditions. You’ll also notice the alternating stepped shoulder lugs designed to help in rocky conditions. The tread is also designed with mud and stone ejectors aimed at keeping the grooves clean, which should provide consistent performance.

On the road, the Terra Hunter X/T delivers solid performance, as you’d expect from a cheap all-terrain tire. It’s fine for daily driving, meaning that as long as you don’t push it hard, you won’t be disappointed. With that said, an all-terrain tire isn’t something you’d push hard anyway, so most drivers will be fine. Wet performance isn’t the best, but not in the way like the other tires so far. The traction is okay, and the tire does a solid job in daily driving scenarios. What is a bit disappointing is the aquaplaning resistance. It’s not unsafe, but some mid-range rivals are more stable.

Winter performance is just as you’d expect, usable. On unpacked snow, the deep pattern does a solid job of delivering traction and as long as it’s not too deep, the Terra Hunter X/T will be fine. The traction on packed snow is average, but as long as you’re careful with your inputs, the tire will be fine.

In off-roading scenarios, the Terra Hunter X/T delivers good results, as far as its overall capabilities. The performance on dirt roads is quite good, and the tire surprised me in this regard. It offers solid traction and you can push it before it lets go. One thing I didn’t like was that the stone ejecting pattern didn’t work as advertised. In mud, the performance is pretty solid. The tire will do a good job in shallower patches and will struggle a bit in deeper ones. Here, the self-cleaning pattern is decent and keeps the grooves relatively clean. For rock-crawling situations, the tire is adequate, but only in lighter conditions.

All-terrain tires aren’t known for the best refinement, but the Terra Hunter X/T is far from the best. The ride quality is a bit on the firm side and the tire doesn’t soften bumps as well as I was hoping. If you hit a pothole, you’ll notice some vibrations because of the tire’s lack of ability to absorb the vibrations. The noise levels are also disappointing. I know that all-terrain tires aren’t quiet, but this one has a more noticeable roar than most of its rivals.

The handling is decent, which is what most people would expect from a tire in this category. It responds decently well to inputs, and it doesn’t feel like an underinflated winter tire. The feedback, on the other hand, isn’t as pronounced, which may disappoint some people.

#5. Terra Hunter R/T

Rugged terrain tires are becoming more and more popular, so Venom Power offers a model from this category. The Terra Hunter R/T is technically an all-terrain tire, but it should offer better odd-road performance.

The all-season rubber compound of the Terra Hunter R/T is modeled into an aggressive pattern, aimed at improving performance in off-road situations. The dual sidewall design should help the tire with traction in mud or when going over rocks. With this model, the void-to-lug ratio is increased, meaning that mud or sand performance should be better than an all-terrain tire. This should also help with channeling water, meaning that the aquaplaning resistance should be better than the X/T model.

Similar to the previous model, the Terra Hunter R/T offers a solid performance in dry conditions. It’s not a tire that you’ll be pushing hard, so you won’t see many of its shortcomings. The grip and traction levels are pretty good for everyday driving and even though there is some headroom, the tire will slip once you push it. Surprisingly, the tire doesn’t disappoint too much in wet conditions. It does a solid job at delivering traction on damp roads, but keep in mind that it doesn’t take much for it to slip. Most people will be fine, so that’s all that matters here. The aquaplaning resistance is better than the previous model, but I still feel like it needs just a bit more to be excellent.

As an all-season tire, you’re getting some winter performance, so that’s another positive side of this tire. The Terra Hunter R/T delivers pretty solid traction on unpacked snow and deals with deeper ones without too much slip. It’s not a winter tire, but it gets the job done. Packed snow can be problematic in some cases, but the tire delivers an acceptable performance overall.

Rugged-terrain tires are all about better off-road performance than all-terrain tires and it shows. On a dirt road, the Terra Hunter R/T is a solid performer, without a massive difference from the previous tire. It offers enough traction to eliminate slip unless you get too aggressive. Mud is where this tire shines. Even if you’re driving in deeper mud patches, the tire won’t slip as much as I thought it would. The best part is that the pattern keeps itself relatively clean, so you’ll get consistent performance. If you’re after rock crawling, this tire is a better option. It can go over small to medium rocks quite well but will start to struggle with the big ones, which is to be expected.

Refinement isn’t something that these kinds of tires are known for, so the Terra Hunter R/T is the same in some areas. The noise levels are a bit on the high side which is due to the tread pattern and the large void ratio. To be fair, it’s not my first rugged-terrain tire, so Venom Power has a bit more work here. The comfort levels, on the other hand are quite decent. It’s not a highway tire, but as an off-roader, it rides relatively comfortably. Sure, you’ll notice bumps and vibrations, but not as much as you think.

The handling is quite similar to the previous model. With the Terra Hinter R/T, you’ll get solid responsiveness, which will be fine for most people. In terms of the feedback, there isn’t a lot to notice here, so you may find yourself struggling to figure out what’s happening with the front tires.

#6. Terra Hunter M/T

Mud-terrain tires are the ones where you’d need the best off-road performance possible. With Venom Power, you have that option if you get the Terra Hunter M/T.

Since we’re talking about a mud-terrain tire, the Terra Hunter M/T features the most aggressive tread pattern of the bunch. This should help it with performance in multiple off-road scenarios. The staggered shoulder lugs are designed to help create more biting edges, which should help with traction. Designed with a self-cleaning pattern, the tire should keep the grooves clean resulting in consistent performance.

On the road, the Terra Hunter M/T offers performance like you’d expect from a mud-terrain tire. The traction and grip levels are fine for daily driving, but the levels aren’t very high, so you won’t be pushing it hard. There is some understeer when you go into a corner, so you should keep that in mind. Wet performance is solid and, like in dry conditions, the tire will be fine. The sipes are doing a good enough job to keep things safe as long as you aren’t aggressive. The aquaplaning resistance is pretty good, and the tire remains stable on the highway.

When it comes to winter performance, the Terra Hunter M/T delivers a solid performance. Unpacked snow or slush is not a massive problem and as long as you’re not overly aggressive with the gas pedal, you’ll keep the slip to a minimum. Surprisingly, the traction on packed snow is quite good. Sure, it’s not as good as with unpacked one, but I cannot find too many faults at this price range.

Off-roading is what this tire is designed for, and that is what it does best. On a gravel or dirt road, the Terra Hunter M/T offers plenty of grip and traction, meaning that you’ll need to push it hard before it lets go. Mud is another situation where it won’t disappoint. Even in deeper patches, the tire will find traction and the best part is that the tread keeps itself clean. Unlike the previous two, the rock-crawling performance is much better. The tire won’t have as many issues when going over bigger rocks and you can deflate it a bit to get better traction. As good as all of this sounds, the tire’s tread pattern isn’t as aggressive as some of its rivals, so there is some performance left on the table.

The refinement levels of the Terra Hunter M/T are acceptable, which is what you should expect from a mud-terrain tire. To my surprise, despite the less aggressive pattern, the noise levels weren’t as low as I thought they would be. There is a noticeable hum at lower speeds, which increases when you get on the highway. The comfort levels are decent enough. You won’t get an overly comfortable ride, but it’s far from the harshest. You can play around with the pressures a bit and soften the tire up a bit more.

As for the handling, the Terra Hunter M/T handles like a mud-terrain tire. The responsiveness is adequate for most people and you shouldn’t expect a lot of feedback through the steering wheel.

#7. Ice Hunter

The last tire on this list is a winter tire. Unfortunately, it’s only available for larger vehicles. The Ice Hunter is a studdable winter tire, meaning that it’s aimed at delivering the best winter performance possible.

Venom Power molded its softest rubber compound into an asymmetrical tread pattern, aimed at offering the best performance possible. To improve on that, the Ice Hunter is also studdable, so we should see a pretty good ice performance. The grooves and sipes are designed to evacuate water and offer excellent aquaplaning resistance. There’s also an increased sipe density, meaning that the traction on damp surfaces should be improved.

The softer nature of the Ice Hunter means that the tire’s performance on dry roads is pretty decent. You’ll get dependable levels of traction and as long as you’re not overly aggressive, you shouldn’t notice any slip. It’s a similar story with the grip levels. The tire will understeer, but only if you push it past its limits. Wet performance is also decent, overall. The traction is okay, and the tire doesn’t slip too much if you’re driving normally. In harsher rain situations, the aquaplaning resistance is solid, but I feel like it needs just a bit more for driving on the highway.

As a winter tire, the Ice Hunter is made for snow, and it delivers on that performance without any massive issues. It can tackle unpacked snow quite well and it won’t struggle too much in the deep one. You’ll notice the occasional slip here and there, but it’s not massive. A little more slip is something you’ll encounter on packed snow, so keep that in mind. For better performance on packed snow and especially on ice, the studs are the way to go. The traction is noticeably better and even though there is some slip, it’s not dangerous and, in most cases, the tire will handle it.

The refinement levels are decent, at least for a studdable winter tire. Its softer nature means that you’ll have a relatively comfortable ride. It will absorb bumps and smooth imperfections up to a point, but you may notice a bit of bounciness over certain terrain. The noise levels are surprisingly low for a winter tire. Sure, you’ll hear a hum, but it won’t be the loudest thing in your car.

Being softer means that you’re sacrificing the handling. The Ice Hunter isn’t the fastest tire to respond even when compared with other winter tires. This also means that you won’t have tons of feedback through the steering wheel.