Gravity Tires: Hankook iON evo SUV Tires: Snow Performance Review

[Knucklehead]

Everyone who has run through the Gravity configurator knows the base tires are Hankook iON evo SUV tires. There has been a lot of discussion about whether or not that is a good thing or not.

I have 12,000+ miles on those tires with my Mustang Mach-e. They are great tires.

It is well known that rolling resistance (which is the primary factor regarding tire efficiency) is inversely proportional to wet traction. A tire with higher efficiency has less wet traction. The Hankooks are extremely efficient, and as reviewers have reported, this impacts wet traction. But wet traction is not the only attribute that is important when driving in the rain. The ability to run through standing water and avoid hydroplaning is also very imporant. I have done a lot of driving in heavy rain recently, and these tires perform on par with other AS tires in the rain.

When driving aggressively around sharp turns, the car slides more. But it is predictable and easy to control. Just don't drive like a lunatic when the road is wet. These tires are not dangerous on wet roads. Not at all.

Now to the snow. This winter we got snow in Virginia! I love snow.

Based on the wet performance of the tires, I expected poor snow performance. Nope.

Virginia is not Canada, or Minnesota. But we do get snow. Sometimes. I have driven in a lot of snow over my years of driving. In my opinion, these tires perform pretty much on par with the other All Season (AS) tires I have used. A good reference is the Continental DWS tires, which I really like for all around performance.

In the snow, the Hankooks have surprising grip, and I did not experience any unusual sliding. Of course this is not in comparison to a snow tire, this is in comparison with other AS tires. I never felt like I would get stuck because the tires could not get traction. I floored it a few times, expecting massive sliding, only to be surprised again with how well they dug into the snow.

To be clear, these tires are designed for efficiency and comfort. They excel in low noise and smooth travel. They are extremely efficient. Wet traction is less than a higher rolling resistance tire, such as the DWS. But if you value efficiency, these are great tires. They won’t get you stuck in the snow unless you are stupid and are trying to use your car as a snowplow. LOL.

I am a huge fan of the Hankook iON EVO SUV tires. Huge.

And then just a picture of my car with snow in the background because it looks so awesome. This car is still one of best-looking vehicles on the road, 3.5 years later. (Sorry Lucid drivers. Lucid is awesome also, which is why I am here.)

 

[037]

Thanks, oem tires are usually off the car in the first week, a review like this might actually force me to drive on them for a minute.

DWS is a pretty high bar, will have to see in real life.

Thanks for taking the time to share!

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks, oem tires are usually off the car in the first week, a review like this might actually force me to drive on them for a minute.

DWS is a pretty high bar, will have to see in real life.

Thanks for taking the time to share!

DWS tires perform much better overall. Well at least in cornering. I have noticed they get noisy and are not super smooth over their lifetime. These tires, so far, are so much more comfortable and quieter. They won't win you any prizes at the track, but that is not what they are designed to do.

If you want a great highway cruising tire, these are it. Period.

And, by the way, they are super fun to spin when flooring it, and super fun to slide into turns. They slide earlier, but to me it is about fun, not performance. Unless you are competing. And then even DWs is not the way to go.

 

[037]

DWS tires perform much better overall. Well at least in cornering. I have noticed they get noisy and are not super smooth over their lifetime. These tires, so far, are so much more comfortable and quieter. They won't win you any prizes at the track, but that is not what they are designed to do.

If you want a great highway cruising tire, these are it. Period.

And, by the way, they are super fun to spin when flooring it, and super fun to slide into turns. They slide earlier, but to me it is about fun, not performance. Unless you are competing. And then even DWs is not the way to go.

I got 20k out of Michelin All Season 4, excellent tire in dry, wet and snow. Ice? There a lovely video of me sliding a 5200# suv and the other person in front of me didn’t get the joke…went into lane next to them and stopped in snow, in the opposite (luckily available) lane.

 

[Knucklehead]

I got 20k out of Michelin All Season 4, excellent tire in dry, wet and snow. Ice? There a lovely video of me sliding a 5200# suv and the other person in front of me didn’t get the joke…went into lane next to them and stopped in snow, in the opposite (luckily available) lane.

A low rolling resistance tire like the Hankook iON is not going to be equal to those tires. But as I mentioned in the OP, they have surprisingly good grip in the snow. I suspect it is due to the tread design, which also explains the good hydroplane resistance, I think. Yes, they don't stick as well to the pavement, wet or dry, but other than that, they are pretty much on par, or reasonably in the ballpark.

Personally, I will put these on my car by choice and not pull them off. I am actually excited they are stock on the Gravity. Lucid was very smart to use these tires because it definitely helps them achieve the range figures they are reporting.