Toyo vs Hankook – Which Tire Is Right For You?

A car’s handling, smoothness, ride quality, traction, and performance – all depend on its tires. Tires play a huge role in automobiles and hence it becomes important to choose the best tires available in the market to get the best out of a car. 

In this article, we take a look at Toyo vs Hankook, which of these two giant manufacturers make the best tires for your vehicle. 

Hankook Overview

Hankook Tyres had its humble beginning in Korea seventy-eight years ago and since then, it has never looked back.

Known to be one of the fastest-growing tire brands in the world, Hankook caters to all kinds of vehicles- from sedans soft-roaders, SUVs, 4×4 off-road vehicles to high-performance supercharged sports cars. 

They sponsor motorsport events too and are in the race to become the official tire supplier for Formula One from 2020, and onwards.

Hankook’s advantage lies in its quality construction and value for money offerings that start below $100 and go up to $500.

Also Read: Nankang Tire Review: Great Performance All Year Long?

Notable Hankook Tires

HANKOOK Ventus V12 evo2 Tire

Hankook DynaPro HT

Toyo Overview

Toyo Tires dates its heritage to Japan seventy-five years ago when it started as a small company. Since then, it has witnessed huge growth and is a global player in performance tires.

It relies heavily on cutting-edge Japanese technology to design and manufacture a wide variety of tire choices for its prospective buyers.

It caters to all sorts of vehicles- from performance sports cars, drift machines to sedans, off-road utility vehicles, and soft-roaders.

Notable Toyo Tires

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP tire

Toyo Tires Open Country Q/T Tires

Also Read: Kenda Car Tire Review – Handling, Durability, Treadwear & More

Features of Toyo and Hankook Tires

1) Quality: 

Neither brand compromises on the quality of the tires they produce. Though they make tires for daily use vehicles and expensive high-performance sports cars, quality is something that is kept constant. 

Of course, there would be a difference in the way a budget tire and an expensive tire perform. But the basic finishing, the quality of rubber at a basic level, and manufacturing standards will not differ.

Toyo has been making performance racing tires for a long time.

To make excellent racing tires that last throughout the race, tires need to be of excellent quality. The same goes with Hankook which makes high-performance OEM tires for premium cars like Porsche Macan and BMW X5. 

2) Who’s more durable? 

Toyo and Hankook- both produce some high-quality tires that focus not only on performance and grip but also on longevity. Both brands inculcate a tire compound formula that ensures the tires last longer.

This is one reason why both tire makers offer value for money propositions. In terms of pricing too, they come very close to each other so it would be tough to decide between the two when considering the durability factor. 

Both brands imbibe technology that toughens treads and tire sidewalls to ensure they aren’t pierced easily by sharp objects.

Tire wear of both brands is kept at a minimum rate but is subject to driving conditions and the type of compound used on the respective tire models.

3) Most Affordable

While both brands produce tires for budget vehicles and sports cars, it is often seen in their range of tires that Hankook’s tire prices are slightly lower when compared to tires from Toyo. 

Consider the prices of budget tires that fit a sedan and one would notice the commonality in sizes and ratings of both brands.

But, analyze closely and you would notice that Hankook’s tires are slightly cheaper when compared to its Toyo equivalent. 

While the difference is marginal and easy to ignore, the fact remains that Hankook’s tires are more affordable.

We could conclude with the given information that Hankook tires provide a higher bang for the buck since they last long, offer decent performance similar to Toyo’s tires but are more affordable.

4) Ride Comfort/ Road Noise

 Speaking of both brands, the tires feature tech that enables car owners to have a comfortable ride quality. While low-budget tires are equipped to handle basic tasks and may not possess enough of the comfort quotient, the more expensive tires do. 

Hankook makes its expensive tires comfortable by providing a good amount of damping in its rubber while the tread design is made in a way to minimize tire noise.

The technology isn’t as complicated as rocket science, but Toyo has done this better. 

Toyo’s Silent Wall technology reduces tire noise to provide a comfortable ride quality, thanks to its continued product innovation. Its redesigned tread patterns are made for comfort without compromising cornering grip and steering response.

5) Handling

Premium car brands like Mercedes Benz, BMW, Mini, Porsche offer many of their car models with Hankook tires as standard. That point alone says a lot about the handling and stability Hankook’s tires offer. 

The cars sold by these brands are pretty powerful. To handle all that power on the road, one needs grippy tires that handle excellently without any glitch. 

Another reason why Hankook is preferred by many performance car makers is that their performance tires comply with safety standards laid out by many countries. 

Toyo has given many of its performance tires unique tread patterns that guarantee high cornering grip and improve steering response without compromising comfort. It’s tires boast a slightly higher safety rating, mainly attributed to its silicon tread compounds that improve tire grip and braking in wet conditions. 

They help maintain control of the vehicle, thereby providing enough traction while lowering rolling resistance.

6) Treadlife

The tires produced by Toyo and Hankook are durable and hence, offer a decent tread life. While this may not entirely apply to their performance tires since they compromise tread life. 

Performance tires are made for high amounts of grip and as a result, the rubber wears out quickly. Daily use cars and related vehicles however get tires from Toyo and Hankook that are built to last long. 

Their tread design and rubber compound have a unique combination that does the job of providing excellent road grip while being able to last thousands of miles on the same set. Thanks to the research and technological innovations by both brands that offer the best of both worlds to its consumers.

7) Tire Warranty Cover 

Both brands- Toyo and Hankook are known, reputed global brands and are obliged to serve their customers post-sale. 

Tires sold by them come with warranty coverage in case they suffer from manufacturing defects or premature wear. 

Hankook offers a tire warranty of up to 30 days from the date of purchase. If the customer is unhappy with the new tires or finds defects, he/she would receive free tire replacement free of charge. 

The tread warranty for Hankook tires is between 65,000 kilometers and 160,000 kilometers depending on the model of the tire. 

Toyo offers a similar range of tread warranty but for a longer period. Tread warranty varies between 72,000 kilometers and 120,000 kilometers. If one isn’t driving that much, the tread warranty lasts up to five years.

Most Stand out Features

While both Tires are similar in so many ways, some features are unique to each brand. While Toyo produces tires that are more inclined to comfort and durability, Hankook offers tires that are more performance-oriented and offer more grip at higher speeds. 

Toyo with its tech innovation has given its tires a better tread design compared to Hankook and as a result, its tires are slightly more expensive. 

Hankook on the other hand focuses more on offering its customer base a higher value for money for the performance its tires offer. 

Another feature that stands out in Toyo tires is its tread warranty which lasts up to five years and is just not based on the mileage covered by the tires.

Hankook Tires stand out for their wet-weather traction. Being performance-oriented, they provide excellent grip in wet conditions. 

Toyo VS Hankook – Verdict 

For the kind of tires both these tire giants offer, we can surely have a winner. But, in this case, the winners are both the brands for different types of features their tires carry. 

In reality, though, it all comes down to a person’s personal preferences of what he/she is looking for in a tire. 

Is it performance, traction, and stability that one is looking out for? Or is the inclination more towards higher mileage, comfort, and increased tread life? 

Both brands have enough to offer their users. It is now up to the users to decide their winner and let us know. 

Also Read: Landsail Tire Review – These High-performance Tires Any Good?