Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Toyo Extensa A/S II tires

The South Korean tire manufacturer, Hankook, is known for its value-offering tires, and it has consistently produced quality tires since the 1940s. The advanced engineering and innovative features put Hankook on par with some of the premium tire brands in the US. Hankook’s range of tires is suitable for use on passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, EVs, commercial vehicles, and trailers. Hankook’s portfolio consists of all-season, all-terrain, mud-terrain, all-weather, winter, UHP summer, UHP all-season, commercial van, and performance tires.

Sporting Hankook’s class, engineering, and commendable features, the Kinergy GT (H436) is our first pick for the comparative analysis. This all-season tire is made for solid year-round performance and hosts a plethora of features and technologies to boost drive and performance in rain, shine, and light snow weather.

Toyo, the Japanese tire manufacturer, was founded in 1945, and it has a separate fan base in the US region because of its exceptional features and advanced technologies. Toyo’s line-up spans across different categories like all-season, all-terrain, rugged-terrain, all-weather, UHP all-season, mud-terrain, winter, UHP summer, and track competition. The manufacturer caters to the needs of passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, EVs, and ATVs/UTVs.

Borrowing from Toyo’s exceptional innovations and features, the Extensa A/S II is another great all-season tire chosen for the comparison. This touring all-season tire is built and designed for reliable year-round service in dry, wet, and light snow conditions.

If you want to own a reliable set of touring all-season tires, this Kinergy GT (H436) vs Extensa A/S II tires comparison will be a great source of knowledge to help you decide which one aligns better with your driving needs, preferences, and budget. Here, we will use our proprietary tire rating system, SimpleScore, to determine each tire’s overall ability, along with its capability in areas like traction, handling, and longevity on a scale of 0-10. Read on!

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) tires

The Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) is a dependable touring all-season tire suitable for use on sedans, CUVs, coupes, and SUVs. The tire is engineered for solid year-round traction, enhanced ride comfort, and improved ride control and steering response in dry, wet, and light winter weather. Hankook has engineered the tire for extended service life, and there is also a generous tread life warranty offered on the tire. Additionally, the Kinergy GT (H436) is also M+S (Mud and Snow) approved, allowing drivers to get a commanding grip on paved roads covered with light snow or mud.

Overall, the Kinergy GT (H436) earns an overall 8.6 SimpleScore, thanks to its superior tread life, responsive handling, and strong traction performance.

Get Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Toyo Extensa A/S II tires

The Toyo Extensa A/S II is a reliable touring all-season tire made for use on passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, minivans, and light trucks. This tire is optimized for improved wet performance, hydroplaning resistance, sharper handling response, strong braking performance, solid durability, long-lasting service, increased ride comfort, quieter rides, and strong snow performance. The use of advanced technologies and features ensures sharper handling, solid year-round traction, and enhanced tread life. Additionally, the tire is backed by a solid tread life warranty, offering a great ownership experience.

Overall, the Extensa A/S II scores an overall SimpleScore of 8.8, thanks to its excellent tread life, commendable traction, and crisp handling.

Get Toyo Extensa A/S II tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Toyo Extensa A/S II tires on traction

With the overviews of both tires covered, now let’s get into more details of these tires, starting with the comparative analysis of traction.

The Kinergy GT (H436) earns an 8.4 SimpleScore rating in traction, assuring impressive grip and traction in dry, wet, and light winter weather. The tire utilizes an advanced all-season rubber compound and an innovative tread pattern to boost traction and surefootedness throughout the year. Likewise, the presence of wide circumferential and lateral grooves reduces the risk of hydroplaning and improves traction performance on wet and light snow surfaces. There are lateral grooves and equalized chamfer sipes for added grip in mild snow conditions.

On the contrary, the Extensa A/S II is rated an impressive 8.7 SimpleScore in traction, ensuring a better grip and traction throughout the year, in dry, wet, and light snow weather. The placement of deep multi-wave sipes on the tread ensures strong grip and traction in wet and light snowy conditions, while the silica-rich rubber compound boosts wet performance. There are four wide main grooves for wet performance, and the flat contact patch serves as a big advantage for improved grip year-round.

No doubt, the Hankook all-season tire is great, but the exceptional traction attested with a higher rating makes the Toyo tire a better choice in this section.

ADVANTAGE: Toyo Extensa A/S II

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Toyo Extensa A/S II tires on handling

Let’s now find out which of the two tires is better in handling, ensuring better ride control, stability, steering response, braking, and cornering throughout the year.

The Kinergy GT (H436) is rated an 8.6 SimpleScore in handling to offer better controllability and steering response. The lateral grooves are wide to restrict hydroplaning and improve braking performance and resist hydroplaning. The tread block stiffness and center rib ensure solid durability to offer seamless steering response and keep the sipes in shape for better braking. Similarly, the sidewalls are also stiff enough to maintain the durability for better steering command. The tire also utilizes advanced vibration control technology and new-gen tread pitch sequencing to offer enhanced ride comfort and keep the noise levels low.

The Extensa A/S II is also great on the handling front and earns an 8.6 SimpleScore, giving tough competition to its peer. The silica compound used in construction keeps the tire glued to roads in dry, wet, and light winter weather, offering great control in all seasons. Similarly, the improved rib design evenly distributes contact pressure for better handling and braking. The multi-wave sipes in abundance contribute to smooth and quiet rides, while the solid shoulder blocks and sturdy sidewalls help in better steering response and seamless lane changes.

Handling performances of both tires are exemplary, and we see both tires achieving similar scores, leading to a tie.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Toyo Extensa A/S II tires on longevity

Long-lasting ability of the tire is highly important for a majority of tire buyers, as it corresponds directly to the value they get from their tires. Here, in the longevity section, we will find out the better tire when it comes to controlling wear life and covering more miles.

Commencing with the Kinergy GT (H436), the tire scores an excellent 9.0 rating in longevity. It also comes with an excellent 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, assuring an outstanding wear life. The tread block stiffness of the tire improves durability, allowing you to get more miles from a set of these tires. Additionally, the advanced tread pattern, along with a flat contact patch, ensures even distribution of driving pressures, which contributes to an extended service life.

Contrarily, the Extensa A/S II surprises with its outstanding 9.4 SimpleScore rating in longevity, which indicates that it is tuned to offer those extra miles you expect from long-lasting tires. The backing of up to 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty is another key highlight that expresses the brand’s confidence in the excellent wearability of these tires. The sipes on the tread contribute to minimizing irregular wear for an extended service, and similarly, the robust construction also leads to long-lasting service and driving pressure resistance.

Both tires showcase their excellence in longevity; however, we see that the Extensa A/S II earns some extra points and is the winner.

ADVANTAGE: Toyo Extensa A/S II

When to use each

The Kinergy GT (H436) and the Extensa A/S II are both touring all-season tires, and they both are good for year-round use in dry, wet, and light winter weather on paved surfaces. They both offer decent performance on highways and come with long-lasting tread life. That being said, these tires are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certified, and therefore, they should not be used in moderate to severe winter weather.

As far as the rim sizes are concerned, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) is available in 15- to 19-inch options, while the Toyo Extensa A/S II is offered in 14- to 20-inch rim sizes.

Which one should you choose?

Based on the overall SimpleScore, the Toyo Extensa A/S II is better than the Kinergy GT (H436) (8.8 vs 8.6). However, it is to be noted that both tires have their own unique abilities, and your selection should be based on your driving preferences, needs, and budget.

Talking about prices, the Kinergy GT (H436) is available at an initial price of at least $98 per tire, while the Extensa A/S II is offered at a starting price of at least $88 per tire. This means you get a set of four Kinergy GT (H434) tires at a starting price of at least $392, while a set of four Extensa A/S II tires will cost you at least $352.

Looking at SimpleScore, you should choose the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Trailblazer, or Ford Escape.
• Need tires that are equally good in handling (8.6 vs 8.6).
• Need tires that are backed by 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, irrespective of sizes.
• Are comfortable paying more to buy tires that deliver decent performance throughout the year.
• Need tires in the rim size range of 14- to 20-inch for maximized compatibility with a larger set of vehicles on the market.

On the other hand, you should choose the Extensa A/S II if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner, Subaru Crosstrek, GMC Acadia, or Ford Escape.
• Want tires that are better in traction (8.7 vs 8.4).
• Want tires that are long-lasting (9.4 vs 9.0).
• Want tires covered with an up to 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
• Want an overall better touring all-season tire at a lesser price.

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