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

When it comes to picking the perfect all-season tires for your passenger cars without breaking your bank, Hankook and Yokohama brands usually come to your mind. While Hankook is a South Korean tire manufacturer that makes quality tires under various categories like all-season, all-terrain, all-weather, winter, UHP, and commercial, the Yokohama has its roots in Japan and is a skilled tire maker that rolls out tires for coupes, sedans, CUVs, minivans, SUVs, and light trucks.

When selecting a grand touring tire, drivers often find themselves weighing the long-term value of the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) against the refined, high-grip performance of the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT. Both tires are designed to serve as dependable year-round partners for sedans and crossovers, yet they excel in slightly different arenas.

The Hankook Kinergy GT is a favorite among major automakers as original equipment for its balanced profile and exceptional durability. It features a rigid center rib and an optimized tread block sequence that delivers crisp handling and impressive longevity, backed by a superb manufacturer tread life warranty.

Similarly, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT leans into premium wet and winter traction. Utilizing an asymmetric tread design and an advanced Tri-blend compound, it is designed to provide shorter braking distances on slick surfaces and a quieter ride. The grand touring tire is also backed by a decent mileage warranty.

So, which one to go for? Let’s do the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires comparison utilizing their ratings in our proprietary scoring mechanism, SimpleScore. The mechanism rates each tire on the basis of its performance in traction, handling, and longevity.

Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) tires

Launched a few years back, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) is a grand touring all-season tire that offers a seamless blend of performance, comfort, and reliability for sedans, coupes, and CUVs. As an Original Equipment (OE) choice for many leading vehicle manufacturers, it is designed to meet strict standards for handling and ride quality. Its symmetric tread pattern includes wide circumferential grooves for efficient water evacuation, significantly reducing the risk of hydroplaning.

Additionally, the optimized lateral groove design and high grip siping provide the necessary biting edges for confident braking and cornering. Inside, the Kinergy GT (H436) utilizes a jointless full-cover reinforced belt and a high-stiffness bead filler, which work together to improve steering response and high-speed stability while maintaining a quiet, refined cabin environment for long-distance travel.

With an 8.6 overall SimpleScore, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) promises great year-round performance in different driving conditions of dry, wet, and light snow.

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

Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires

Introduced in 2018, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is a reliable all-season tire that offers increased grip, traction, and stability along with a superb tread life on paved roads. Designed for luxury sports coupes and sedans, the Yokohama all-season tire features an asymmetric tread design with a notched block pattern and 3D sipes that help deliver great grip and traction in snow and wet conditions. The advanced rubber compound TriBLEND features a broad footprint with a wide profile to resist uneven wear and promote uniform wear throughout its lifecycle.

Thanks to the circumferential grooves, the Avid Ascend GT clears water quickly from the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet performance. Backed by a solid 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Yokohama tire features adaptive shoulder blocks and a multi-pitch sequence to curb noise and deliver a quiet and comfortable ride.

With an 8.5 overall SimpleScore, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT returns great traction, handling, and longevity.

Get Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

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

Traction is the most critical aspect of tire buying as it is directly linked to your safety. The Hankook and Yokohama tires offer great grip and traction. Let’s have a look at their traction performance.

With an 8.4 traction score, the Kinergy GT (H436) features an advanced rubber compound and a unique tread design for a great grip and traction in different driving conditions, including dry, wet, and light snow. Thanks to the wide circumferential grooves, the Hankook all-season tire returns enhanced traction on wet surfaces as it clears water from the tread to avoid the risk of hydroplaning.

The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is equally a great performer in traction as the Hankook (scoring the same 8.4). With a symmetrical tread design, the all-season tire features 3D sipes that provide extra biting edges for extra traction on light snow and wet. Additionally, the optimized tread design reduces road noise to deliver a quiet and comfortable ride quality.

Both tires are neck and neck when it comes to traction, and level up the scores, leading to a tie.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

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

Better control, lane-changing ability, and steering response make you confident behind the wheel. The Kinergy GT (H436) and Avid Ascend GT are fantastic in handling, but one of the two tires is marginally ahead of the other.

Boasting an 8.7 in handling, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) features a wide contact profile and a rigid center rib that not only helps fast maneuvers on highways but also improves steering response and stability in wet and light snowy conditions. Thanks to the stiff tread blocks, the Kinergy GT (H436) maintains tire integrity and shape when driving fast with full occupancy.

On the other hand, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT offers a fantastic score of 8.6 in handling, assuring great steering feedback and stability all year-round. Featuring a unique tread design, the Yokohama all-season tire has an advanced rubber compound TriBlend, that helps reduce the stopping distance on wet and light snow. Additionally, the ribbed tread design improves stability and steering response on paved roads. With a better handling score, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) registers its first win here, as it beats the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT.

ADVANTAGE: Hankook Kinergy GT (H436)

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

Drivers often opt for all-season tires due to their long-lasting tread in different driving conditions. The Hankook and Yokohama all-season tires are superb performers when it comes to longevity. However, one of the two has exceptional tread life. Let’s do the longevity analysis.

Scoring an incredible 9.0 in longevity, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) features an advanced rubber compound that resists irregular wear and promotes uniform wear. Additionally, the wide contact patch, step-wing shoulder design, and broad lateral grooves of the all-season tire allow better contact between the road and the rubber, leading to optimum wearability throughout the year. The Hankook enjoys a superb 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, giving additional peace of mind.

Securing an 8.6 longevity score, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT’s innovative tread design puts more rubber on the surface to limit uneven wear and boost wearability in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. Multiple sipes on the all-season tire further aid in lending improved grip and even wear throughout its lifespan. It is also backed by an excellent 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. Achieving an incredible score, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) beats the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT comprehensively in the longevity race.

ADVANTAGE: Hankook Kinergy GT (H436)

When to use each

All-season tires are preferred for their superb grip, traction, handling, stability, and longevity in varied driving conditions of dry, wet, and light snow. Their advanced rubber compounds help the tire adapt to changing weather conditions. Both the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) and Yokohama Avid Ascend GT are great all-season tires. The difference in their traction, handling, and longevity performance isn’t much, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your budget and needs. The Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) can be a good option between the two, due to its longer service life, though.

Please note you need to go for dedicated winter tires to tackle harsh winter conditions, as you cannot use the Hankook or Yokohama all-season tires as they are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified.

Which one should you choose?

In a nutshell, the Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) is the clear winner here, beating the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT 2-0 and squaring the traction battle. However, each tire has its own advantages, which should be considered before choosing one. Lastly, let’s check out their prices to know which one offers real value.

With a starting price of $95 per tire, a set of four Hankook Kinergy GT (H436) tires would cost $380. Additionally, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is tagged at a starting price of $122, making a set of four tires cost $488.

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
• Prefer an all-season tire that’s better in handling (8.7 vs 8.6)
• Want all-season tires that return outstanding tread life (9.0 vs 8.6)
• Prefer tires that offer a longer mileage warranty (70,000 vs 65,000 miles)

On the other hand, you should consider the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Kia Soul, Lexus ES, or Honda CR-V
• Want an equally superb grip and traction (8.4 vs 8.4)
• Are ready to pay a premium for a reliable all-season tire

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.