Hankook Ventus V12 Evo K110 - A++

[Moultese]

This is a little review/plug for the Hankook company.

We all know how well the stock Potenzas perform during the winter. With a light dusting of snow I almost took out a few garbage cans and a sweet old lady. It was then I knew I had to get a designated pair of winter tires for the car. So I hit up the local tire shop and asked what they had. The only thing they had available was the Hankook V12s. According to their computers, it was a Ultra High Performance All Season tire. Other websites suggest a summer tire, regardless, it was all they had so I took them. They were pretty expensive. First pair of tires I purchased since owning my Focus. It's amazing how much more 18" tires are than 16", lol. Anyways, I was a bit hesitant at first with the tires. They were new on the market when I got them and I couldn't find many reviews, atleast no helpful reviews. Well my worries were quickly put to rest. They handled very well in the snow. We had an abnormally icey winter here in Kentucky and there was no way I was going anywhere with the Potenzas. The Hankooks did well on the icey road conditions. They are no Blizzaks, but the tires coupled with cautious driving more than did the job.

I decided to keep the tires on for a while because they also did well in the rain. I took them to one of our local AutoX events when it was basically pouring throughout my heat, and they still gripped the pavement like it was dry out. I was really impressed at how they performed in the extremely wet conditions.

Unfortunately, I must have hit a pot hole recently because my driver's side rear tire formed a bubble in the side wall. So I knew it was time to put the stock Potenzas back on and get this tire looked at.

So I took the car back to the tire shop I purchased the wheels from. They tell me there is nothing they can do about the bubble because I didn't purchase the road hazard warranty (which I question, but I can't find my receipt, so I guess I'm SOL on that). And they told me that it was essentially a junk tire.

Well, I was a little pissed. I just spent $260(ish) on a tire that didn't even last 10,000 miles. So I contacted Hankook and sent them an e-mail explaining how I was disappointed that this tire already had a bubble and was no considered junk.

Well, Hankook QUICKLY got back to me (within a few hours) and explained how I likely got the bubble, but told me that I was misinformed at my tire dealer in that the tire was now junk. They "firmly" stand behind their product and offered to replace the tire free of charge. They also gave me a list of 6 stores located within a reasonable distance of my house that are authorized Hankook dealers and can make sure I get my tire ASAP.

I was really pleased at how they handled my predicament. I was fully prepared to just eat the cost and either sell the 3 tires and but a full set next winter, or just buy a new one. I feel like Hankook genuinely cared about me as a customer and valued my opinion. It was refreshing to buy a product and know that the company actually stands behind it.

Anyways, I know this is a wall of text that doesn't really say a lot, but I just wanted to share my pleasant experience in dealing with Hankook tires. I would 100% recommend the Ventus V12 Evo K110 to anyone looking for a great tire for almost all weather conditions. If it wasn't for the bubble, I probably would have kept the tires on until it was time for replacements.

Thanks for reading.

[Olestra]

Hankook is an awesome tire company, they offer road hazard warranty for the first 25% of the tire's treadlife. That's the replacement warranty you're being covered by right now.

I popped one of my winter tires on a pothole and got it replaced no hassles.