Comparison: BFGoodrich Advantage All Season vs. Hankook Kinergy 4S2 H750 (2026)

On dry tarmac, the BFGoodrich produces its most impressive result. In the sole head-to-head braking test on record — AutoBild's 2023 evaluation on 225/45 R17 across a 35-tyre field — it stopped from 100 km/h in 38.9 metres against the Hankook's 41.3 metres, a gap of 2.4 metres or roughly three-quarters of a car length. That is the difference between a near-miss and a collision in a real emergency. It earned BFGoodrich seventh place in that braking sub-ranking, against the Hankook's 13th — a meaningful inversion of their overall ratings. AutoBild's testers explicitly cited short dry braking distances among the BFGoodrich's key strengths, and the data confirms it.

However, braking in a straight line is only one dimension of dry performance. The Hankook's overall dry performance score of 85.6 versus the BFGoodrich's 78.5 — a gap of seven points — reflects a tyre that excels beyond the brake pedal. Its dry handling objective score averages an exceptional 99 across detailed testing, and AutoBild's 2025 testers described it flatly as a Trockendynamiker — a dry-road handling specialist. The Kinergy 4S2 combines crisp, immediate turn-in response with high-speed stability and strong lateral grip, rewarding a driver who wants to place the car precisely mid-corner. The BFGoodrich operates in a narrower window: composed and authoritative under braking, but less communicative and less capable when cornering demands increase at pace. For spirited drivers or those who regularly use their car on flowing roads, the Hankook's dynamic advantage on dry tarmac is real and felt from the driver's seat.

Wet weather reveals the starkest divergence in character between these two tyres. In the same mutual braking test, the BFGoodrich measured 47.4 metres against the Hankook's 49.5 metres from 80 km/h on wet asphalt — a 2.1-metre margin in favour of the BFGoodrich in that single measurement. Taken in isolation, this is noteworthy, but it must be weighed against the broader evidence: the Hankook's overall wet-braking score across all its evaluated tests is 83.9 against the BFGoodrich's 75, and its total wet performance score of 80.2 dwarfs the BFGoodrich's 72.7. Wet handling, wet circle cornering (84.4 average) and overall wet consistency across multiple independent test programmes give the Kinergy 4S2 a structural advantage that one AutoBild braking run cannot reverse.

The critical weakness of the BFGoodrich in wet conditions is its handling behaviour rather than its straight-line braking. Testers highlighted persistent understeer in wet cornering — the tyre's front axle washes wide before the driver receives clear feedback, limiting how confidently the car can be placed through wet bends and roundabouts. A tyre that understeers predictably is not dangerous in the hands of an experienced driver, but it communicates less and demands earlier, more cautious inputs. The Hankook is not flawless here — ADAC 2024 and AutoBild 2025 flagged slight wet weaknesses, and Tyre Reviews 2023 called out aquaplaning resistance in that specific test — but these are relative underperformances in an otherwise strong wet profile, not the systemic handling limitation seen in the BFGoodrich. Aquaplaning resistance is closely matched overall, with longitudinal scores averaging 84.5 for the Hankook and 84.0 for the BFGoodrich, suggesting both cope adequately in standing-water scenarios.

Snow performance is the most competitive dimension of this comparison. The BFGoodrich scores 80.7 overall on snow and was singled out by AutoBild 2023 for good traction and short braking distances — a genuine strength that places it above many rivals in the all-season segment. The Hankook edges it to 81.6, underpinned by snow braking averaging 85.2 and snow handling averaging 85.0 across detailed testing. AutoBild's reviewers across three separate years described the Kinergy 4S2 as a Winterprofi — a winter specialist — with reliable traction, controlled handling and short braking distances on both packed snow and ice. The progression from the Kinergy 4S appears genuine in this domain.

In practical terms, either tyre will serve the typical central European driver well through light to moderate winter conditions: urban snow, slushy motorways, and overnight frosts. The Hankook may have a fractional edge in sustained winter use and on icy surfaces where its braking numbers suggest greater bite, but the BFGoodrich is competitive enough here that snow capability alone should not tip the purchasing decision. Both tyres carry the 3PMSF severe-weather symbol and earn it honestly. Where the Hankook pulls slightly further ahead is in combining its snow competence with strong dry and wet performance — the BFGoodrich's snow scores look impressive in the context of an otherwise more limited all-round profile.

The comfort comparison between these two tyres is not close. The Hankook's comfort score of 87.5 against the BFGoodrich's 74.5 — a 13-point chasm — reflects a fundamentally different approach to ride quality and refinement. Nowhere is this gap more audible than in cabin noise: the Kinergy 4S2 scores 92.2 for noise suppression, making it one of the quietest all-season tyres in the upper-middle segment; the BFGoodrich's score of 78 is merely acceptable. Multiple test programmes across four years have consistently highlighted the Hankook's low noise generation as a genuine competitive advantage. On a motorway cruise, this translates into reduced tyre roar and noticeably lower fatigue over long distances — something no braking distance figure can compensate for if you spend three hours on the autobahn each week.

Ride quality follows the same pattern. The Hankook absorbs surface imperfections — expansion joints, coarse chip, urban road texture — with greater composure, the result of compound and construction refinement built across successive generations. The BFGoodrich can feel firmer and more intrusive over short-wave surfaces, particularly in lower-profile fitments. For SUV drivers on 19- or 20-inch wheels, this distinction becomes more pronounced.

On running costs, both tyres disappoint to a similar degree: mileage scores are essentially identical at 59.0 (BFGoodrich) and 59.2 (Hankook), placing both well below class leaders and suggesting neither should be chosen on tread longevity grounds. Rolling resistance is modestly better on the Hankook at 79.7 versus 75.0, consistent with its EU fuel label class of C on most fitments — a real but incremental fuel economy benefit over the tyre's life. What decisively tips the long-term value calculation toward the Hankook is price positioning: AutoBild described the Kinergy 4S2 in 2022 as moderately priced, while the BFGoodrich was flagged in 2023 for a surprisingly high price point relative to its overall performance. A tyre that costs premium money but delivers mid-range mileage and wet confidence is a difficult sell.