Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires

Hankook, headquartered in South Korea, has been a tire industry leader and one of the most well-known brands since the 1940s. Yokohama, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, was formed in 1917 and is now recognized as a formidable player in tire design and technology. While Hankook manufactures tires for passenger cars, light trucks, CUVs, SUVs, minivans, electric vehicles, trailers, and commercial trucks, Yokohama tires are found on high-performance, passenger, light truck, commercial, and off-road construction vehicles.

Hankook has an established track record and is popular among drivers throughout the world with tires such as the iON, Dynapro, Ventus, Kinergy, Vantra, Winter i* cept, and Winter i* Pike lines. An all-season tire, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) is designed for use on sedans, coupes, SUVs, and CUVs and offers drivers excellent longevity, crisp handling, and solid traction.

Yokohama tires are designed to provide drivers exceptional performance and control, including the Geolandar line for light trucks, the Avid and Advan families of passenger car tires, and iceGUARD for winter conditions. Designed for use on performance cars, sedans, CUVs, and minivans, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is an all-season tire that offers great traction, crisp handling, and solid longevity.

Performance-wise, the Kinergy GT (H436) and the Avid Ascend GT are very similar. But, are these tires different from one another? How do they stack up against each other? Here is a comparison of the handling, traction, and longevity of the Hankook Kinergy GT(H436) and Yokohama Avid Ascend GT using SimpleScore (SimpleTire's proprietary tire rating system).

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) tires

Hankook Tires have always been known for their great dry and wet performance, and the Kinergy GT (H436) fits those standards. It has a strong center rib for confident handling, braking performance, and grip. A large contact area improves control by putting more rubber on the road, resulting in confident steering reflexes and stability, especially in difficult driving situations. An equalized chamfer sipe and an optimized lateral groove design provide good grip in icy situations, while the Kinergy GT (H436)'s firm tread blocks enhance strength and endurance, resulting in a longer tire life.

On average, the Hankook Kindergy GT (H436) sports an overall Simplescore of 8.5 thanks to its excellent longevity, great handling, and solid traction.

Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires

The Avid Ascend GT, Yokohama’s next-generation touring tire, offers year-round performance in all weather conditions for several vehicles thanks to its long tread life, quiet ride, and all-season traction that works even in the rain and snow. On wet and snowy roads, its asymmetric groove layout offers improved grip, while its Triblend compound offers dependable traction in snow and icy conditions. While its Triple 3D sipes and ultra-square contact patch offer long-lasting, all-season traction, its multi-pitch tread design and adaptable shoulder minimize noise when fresh and shield against noise after wear.

On average, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT has an overall SimpleScore of 8.5 thanks to its great longevity, solid handling, and reliable traction.

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires on traction

All-season tires provide traction, handling, and performance for sedans, coupes, SUVs, and CUVs throughout the year. This also applies to the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT and Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) all-season tires. Let’s take a look at their traction scores:

The Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) sports a traction score of 8.2. Its wide lateral grooves prevent hydroplaning by removing water quickly and improving wet traction and decent snow grip and traction. The Hankook’s equalized chamfer sipes improve snow performance by providing constant grip in snowy conditions.

On the other hand, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT features a notched block tread design with hundreds of 3D sipes for added traction, particularly in light winter conditions. The tri-blend compound contains a silica-rich formulation that delivers a dependable grip in snow and ice, while the asymmetric tread design ensures reliable traction on rainy roads. As a result, the Avid Ascend GT sports a great traction score of 8.3.

With an 8.3 score, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT surpasses the strong 8.2 of the Kinergy GT(H436).

ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Avid Ascend GT

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires on handling

All-season tires offer great handling providing a lively, responsive drive year-round. The Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) and the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT offer decent handling and stability.

The Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) sports a handling score of 8.2 thanks to its wide lateral grooves, rigid center rib, and optimized tread block. A firm center rib improves handling and braking performance and is designed to give superior steering ability. Also, its wide contact area improves steering response and stability even under harsh driving conditions.

On the flip side, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT sports an impressive handling score of 8.7. The tri-blend compound and asymmetric groove design offer shorter wet and snow braking and its asymmetric tread design optimizes handling in wet conditions.

In terms of handling, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT outperforms the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) tires.

ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Avid Ascend GT

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires on longevity

Your tires are your car's only contact with the road; they must be long-lasting to ensure your car's best performance. Let’s check out the longevity scores of the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) and the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT to see how they compare.

The Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) has a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, and its rigid tread blocks improve strength and endurance, resulting in a longer tread life. As a result, the Kinergy GT (H436) boasts an excellent longevity score (9.0).

Contrarily, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT sports an 8.5 longevity score and comes with a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. Its ultra-square contact patch design distributes weight across the tire, resulting in extended, even wear.

When it comes to longevity, the Kinergy GT (H436) has a superior score than the Avid Ascend GT (9.0 vs 8.5).

ADVANTAGE: Hankook Kinergy GT (H436)

When to use each

All-season tires are designed for drivers who do not want to change their vehicle's tires every summer or winter but need tires that perform well in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions. The Hankook Kinergy GTH436) and the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT combine summer and winter tire technology to create a versatile tire that performs best in moderate weather. However, switch to winter tires if you live in an area where you face harsh winter weather conditions.

Which one should you choose?

Which of these all-season tires is the best fit for you? According to SimpleScore, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) and the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT have the same performance rating (8.5). The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT has a slight edge over the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) in terms of traction and handling. However, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) outlasts the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT in service life.

Comparing the prices of the 205/55R16 tire size, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) costs around $128 per tire, and four such tires cost $512, while the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT cost around $136 per tire and four such tires cost $544 (a difference of $32).

According to SimpleScore, you should purchase the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) if you:

• Drive a 5-seater luxury sedan like the Audi A6, a compact car like the Hyundai Elantra, or a compact sedan like the Kia Forte
• Want better longevity (9.0 vs 8.5)
• Prefer a tire with a better mileage warranty (70,000 vs 65,000 mile)
• Are looking for a less-expensive all-season tire that has excellent longevity

Conversely, you should choose the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT if you:

• Drive a compact luxury car like the Acura Integra, a compact car like the Honda Civic, or a mid-size vehicle like the Chrysler Sebring
• Want better handling (8.7 vs 8.6)
• Want better traction (8.3 vs 8.2)
• Are ready to pay a little extra for better traction and handling

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.