Hankook Ventus Prime 4 vs Michelin Primacy 5
Across the shared tests, Michelin took three overall wins, leaning on consistently strong wet performance, aquaplaning resistance, and efficiency. Hankook counters with notably short dry braking in two of three tests and agreeable steering feel, but shows weaker wet margins and higher noise/rolling resistance.
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been three tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Michelin Primacy 5 | three |
While it might look like the Michelin Primacy 5 is better than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Short dry braking distances (won 2 of 3 dry braking categories)
- Positive steering feel and easy, precise dry manners
- Good straight-line aquaplaning in one context and decent stability when not provoked
- Balanced, everyday usability at likely lower price point
- Class-leading wet safety: wet braking wins across all tests
- Strong aquaplaning resistance (straight and curved) and calm wet handling
- Low noise and excellent rolling resistance for comfort and efficiency
- Consistently predictable, stable behavior; three overall test wins
Dry Braking
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 was better during two dry braking tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 stopped the vehicle in 1.1% less distance than the Michelin Primacy 5.
Best In Dry Braking: Hankook Ventus Prime 4
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Subj. Dry Handling
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 was better during one subj. dry handling tests. On average the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 scored 1.18% more points than the Michelin Primacy 5.
Best In Subj. Dry Handling: Hankook Ventus Prime 4
See how the Subj. Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during three wet braking tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 stopped the vehicle in 2.36% less distance than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Wet Braking: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during one wet handling [s] tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 was 0.79% faster around a wet lap than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Wet Handling [s]: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Wet Handling
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during two subj. wet handling tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 scored 3.61% more points than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Subj. Wet Handling: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Subj. Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during three straight aqua tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 floated at a 3.2% higher speed than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Straight Aqua: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during one curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 slipped out at a 3.51% higher speed than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during one subj. comfort tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 scored 3.75% more points than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Subj. Noise
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during one subj. noise tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 scored 2.33% more points than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Subj. Noise: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Subj. Noise winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during one noise tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 measured 3.16% quieter than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Noise: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Michelin Primacy 5 was better during two rolling resistance tests. On average the Michelin Primacy 5 had a 6.11% lower rolling resistance than the Hankook Ventus Prime 4.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Michelin Primacy 5
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 Driver Reviews
Most drivers rate the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 highly for its quiet, comfortable ride, strong dry grip, confident wet performance (especially when new), and excellent value versus premium rivals. Handling stability and braking inspire confidence across varied conditions, with many noting a step up in refinement and noise compared to previous tyres. A recurring downside is faster-than-expected wear, with multiple reports of wet grip and overall performance declining as tread depth drops, alongside noise increasing as the tyre ages. Overall sentiment is strongly positive, with durability-related concerns being the main caveat.
Based on 75 reviews with an average rating of 82%
Michelin Primacy 5 Driver Reviews
Drivers overwhelmingly praise the Michelin Primacy 5 for its exceptionally quiet, comfortable ride, strong wet grip with excellent aquaplaning resistance, and low rolling resistance that can aid fuel economy. Many also note secure, predictable handling and promising durability/wear. While daily-driving dry grip is generally rated very good, the tyre's isolated road feel means it's not ideal for sporty cornering or high-feedback driving, with only rare reports of poor dry traction. Overall, it excels as a refined, safe touring tyre.
Based on 29 reviews with an average rating of 87%
Conclusion
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 delivers competitive to class-leading dry braking and pleasant steering, yet its weaker wet margins, aquaplaning performance, and higher noise/consumption keep it mid-pack. Choose it if you prioritize dry stopping and value, and drive mostly in fair weather. Otherwise, the Primacy 5 is the more rounded, set-and-forget choice for most drivers.
Key Differences
- Wet braking: Michelin consistently shorter (won all 3 tests; e.g., 26.59 m vs 25.57 m, +3.84% to Michelin)
- Aquaplaning: Michelin faster in straight line in all tests (+2-8%); also stronger in curved aquaplaning
- Noise: Michelin quieter (e.g., 70.6 dB vs 72.9 dB; subjective noise 10 vs 8 points)
- Efficiency: Michelin lower rolling resistance (e.g., 7.0 vs 7.7 kg/t; 7.74 vs 7.99 kg/t)
- Dry braking: Hankook shorter in 2 tests (e.g., 35.1 m vs 36.0 m, +2.5% to Hankook)
- Handling character: Michelin predictable but conservative; Hankook more agile feel but can show rear instability in wet evasive maneuvers
Overall Winner: Michelin Primacy 5
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Michelin Primacy 5 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
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Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.