Hankook iON EVO SUV tires: Snow Performance Review

[tuminatr]

I should have said "all season" instead of "all weather". For sure they are not equivalent to three peak mountain snowflake tires in the snow. IMO, anyway. So I agree with you about that.

But I can say these are not slick in the snow like I expected them to be. They feel similar to other all season tires I have used in the past, like the the ExtremeContact DWS 06. (To be clear, the DWS has better dry and wet traction - I am only referring to my experience in the snow with both tires.)

You have way more tire experience than I do, but I am skeptical the iONs are only 2% more efficient than the Quatrac Pro. I measured a 7% improvement over the OEM tires on my MME.

If you have not tested them yet, maybe give them a shot? I would love to read your impressions.

They are my favorite tires of all I have used in the past. Mainly because they are so efficient and yet still perform well in all areas. Not great, but well. (Smoothness and comfort are great, though.)

I base my efficiency claim on the Euro Ratings. Tires sold in the EU are tested for rolling resistance and then given a letter grade. The Ion is rated an A, and the 245/50/19 QTP+ ( the size I run) is rated B. The Euro Ratings are 2% per letter grade, so a difference between an A and B can be a maximum of 4%.

However in a 255/45/20 105 XL & 245/45/20 in the QTP+ is a C
The Cross Climate 2 in 255/45/20 & 245/45/20 is a B

Hankooks own numbers line up with the example I give. On their website, the offer an example in 235/60/18 the Ion is 6 % more efficient than a Hankook HP2. The Euro Ratings on those are Ion A HP2 C. The max difference between A and C is 6%

Compared to the factory Pirelli GTPE tires these QTP+ are slightly more efficient. I cannot find a Euro rating for the factory Pirelli my guess is its C or D. The factory Continental GT tires are likely the same C or D rating. That would also align up with your 7%

I may try the Hankook Ion AS someday, sounds like many forum members are happy with them. Likely for a Minnesota winter, these Hankooks Ions are not enough

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[silverelan]

I measured a 7% improvement over the OEM tires on my MME.

whoa! 7% better than the original Continental CrossContact RX tires? That sounds pretty incredible and would add another 15+ miles of range to the GT.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

whoa! 7% better than the original Continental CrossContact RX tires? That sounds pretty incredible and would add another 15+ miles of range to the GT.

Why get a GT then? Like Mike said, you will sacrifice other things, including performance. There is no free lunch.

 

[mkhuffman]

Why get a GT then? Like Mike said, you will sacrifice other things, including performance. There is no free lunch.

Hitting the curves hard is still a ton of fun. The car doesn't stick quite as well as with the OEM tires, but the behavior is very predictable and a lot of fun. I push these tires to the limit fairly regularly, and I smile every time.

Mark Boris would kill me in a race up the mountain with the rims and tires on his MME, but I would still have a lot of fun losing! And really, owning the GT is about fun. I test out the 0-60 time at almost every stoplight and other than a brief slip, these tires get me there. (Hearing the tires slip a little when flooring it makes me smile also.)

That is why I got the GT. Fun. And the iONs are a fun tire for a fun car.

But you are correct: higher efficiency = lower wet and dry grip. That is physics. Somehow Hankook managed to make a highly efficient tire that still has decent grip and can actually keep you from getting stuck in the snow.

I am literally shocked how well they do in the snow. I expected to be sliding all over the place.

 

[mkhuffman]

whoa! 7% better than the original Continental CrossContact RX tires? That sounds pretty incredible and would add another 15+ miles of range to the GT.

I also went up a size, so while I cannot prove it, I suspect that helped with efficiency also because the sidewall is very slightly bigger, improving aerodynamics. Most of the improvement though is due to the tire compound, I think.

BTW - the 7% improvement is at the highway speeds I drive, so aerodynamics has a big impact. The average speed of my efficiency test was 75-80 mph. I don't know how much more efficient they are at slower speeds. (Rolling resistance does change with speed.)

It is really hard to test tire efficiency. You need a consistent, repeatable test in similar weather and at the same time of the day. And over a long enough distance to be meaningful. A 5-mile test is not a good test, IMO.

A consistent speed is critical. And you have to do multiple tests to ensure you really are measuring a difference and not another variable is influencing the results. AND you cannot use the efficiency number provided by the trip computer in the car. That number is not accurate. You have to use a OBDII scanner and measure actually kWh used over the distance traveled.

 

[p-zilla]

I have these tires in Colorado, and I've been unimpressed with the winter traction. I believe the OEM Michelins were better in snow and icy conditions.

 

[silverelan]

Why get a GT then? Like Mike said, you will sacrifice other things, including performance. There is no free lunch.

The GT goes 0-60 in ~3.8 seconds but the efficiency sucks. The 4X is too damn slow and I can’t unsee the “smiling mustache” on the front.

If I can get an extra 10 miles of range out of a 10-80% charge on the Hankooks without giving up much grip to the Continentals, then that’s a big deal to me.

 

[mkhuffman]

The GT goes 0-60 in ~3.8 seconds but the efficiency sucks. The 4X is too damn slow and I can’t unsee the “smiling mustache” on the front.

If I can get an extra 10 miles of range out of a 10-80% charge on the Hankooks without giving up much grip to the Continentals, then that’s a big deal to me.

This is why I love these tires.

They are not snow tires, but they are also not slick in the snow. They are not tires you want to take to the track and use in competition. But the grip is predictable. Hydroplane resistance is similar to other good tires. They are very quiet and very smooth. They excel in comfort. And when you want to spin a little at the stoplight, they deliver.

For my use case, they are the best tires ever.

 

[silverelan]

This is why I love these tires.

They are not snow tires, but they are also not slick in the snow. They are not tires you want to take to the track and use in competition. But the grip is predictable. Hydroplane resistance is similar to other good tires. They are very quiet and very smooth. They excel in comfort. And when you want to spin a little at the stoplight, they deliver.

For my use case, they are the best tires ever.

thanks, you’ve convinced me. Unless something else comes out before my CrossContact RX set wears out, I’ll go with the Hankooks.

 

[krafty81]

As my rep at Discount Tire pointed out, the Evo's come with ZERO warranty on tread life. At least with my Michelins I get a rebate when they wear out at 23K.

 

[silverelan]

As my rep at Discount Tire pointed out, the Evo's come with ZERO warranty on tread life. At least with my Michelins I get a rebate when they wear out at 23K.

The Hankooks have a 50k warranty. I don’t think the Discount Tire (they own Tire Rack) guy was looking at the right tire.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/hankook-ion-evo-as-suv

 

[snowdoggie]

Around the same price as the GY Electric Drive2 ~1200-1300 for the set.
Although I may go to tahoe once in a bluemoon, the bay area doesnt get snow but it is nice that is has a higher speed and wear rating. I'll revisit when my threads are more worn

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