Is the Hankook Kinergy ST H735 worth it in this tires review?
Worth it, if the size matches your car
Why highway rain makes you question your tires
You're doing sixty in a downpour, wipers on high, and for a half second the wheel goes light before it finds the road again. That's the moment every touring tire either earns its keep or doesn't, and it's usually what sends someone typing a hankook tires review into a search bar before ordering the replacement set. The old rubber on the car is already down past the wear bars, and the real question isn't brand loyalty, it's whether the next set holds that line in the rain without a fight.
How the Hankook Kinergy ST H735 actually handles wet and dry roads
Underneath the Kinergy ST is something called a Dual-Filler system, and it's worth understanding because it solves two problems that usually fight each other. Rolling resistance and tread stiffness normally trade off: soften the rubber for a quiet, efficient ride and you lose the crisp response a stiff tread block gives you in a corner. Hankook splits the difference by running two different rubber compounds through the tread and sidewall instead of one, so the tire stays flexible where that saves fuel and stays rigid where that saves grip, rather than compromising everywhere at once. That's also where the rigid center rib comes in, sitting down the middle of the tread doing the actual work of tracking straight and braking predictably in the dry, while the four wide circumferential grooves around it channel water out from under the contact patch before it turns into hydroplaning. The sipe pattern is the quieter half of the same idea, more cuts than a basic touring tire needs for grip alone, mostly there to cut road noise and steady the ride on rough pavement. On paper this is a Standard Touring All-Season tire rated 99T, built to carry up to 1,709 pounds per corner at highway speed rather than chase a performance number, and Hankook backs it with a 70,000 mile tread warranty plus a 30 day trial and road hazard coverage, longer runway than most tires in this price bracket offer. At a 14 inch rim it sits toward the smaller end of the wheel sizes we track across this category, 12 to 22 inches, which tells you this fitment leans toward older sedans, compacts and a few specialty builds, not toward anything wearing today's oversized factory wheels.
So you're not really choosing between tire brands here, you're choosing whether a touring tire that splits its rubber compound to buy both quiet mileage and wet grip is worth more than a cheaper set that only manages one of those well. If your car takes a 225/70R14 and you drive through real rain and real winters, that trade is the whole point. If you're chasing dry pavement cornering numbers, this was never built for that fight.
Who the Hankook Kinergy ST H735 fits, and who should look elsewhere
Worth it if
- your vehicle's spec calls for a 225/70R14 fitment
- you want all-season grip in rain and light snow without paying performance-tire prices
- you value a long tread warranty and a 30-day trial over a race-bred handling number
- you're replacing worn touring tires on a daily-driver sedan or compact
Skip it if
- you're fitting custom or oversized wheels outside the stock 14 inch spec
- you want dedicated summer performance handling
- you're comparing against premium brands purely on dry-track cornering numbers
Not for cars on custom or oversized wheels outside the stock 14 inch spec, or drivers chasing dedicated summer performance handling.
The Hankook Kinergy ST H735 tires review verdict
If your vehicle calls for this exact size and you want a tire that handles a wet commute and a snowy morning without drama, this is a straightforward yes. If you're putting a car on wheels the factory never intended, or chasing summer performance grip, check the fitment chart twice before ordering, because the wrong tire cheap is still money gone. Either way, the tire itself isn't the hard part here, matching it to your actual car is.
The rain grip question is the one this actually answers, a tread built to move water instead of riding on top of it, on a car that's been sitting on worn rubber too long. Order it in the size your door jamb sticker actually calls for, and the first wet drive home tells you everything, no more wandering at highway speed when the road goes slick. With over five thousand ratings averaging 4.6, the pattern in the feedback lines up with the engineering story, buyers consistently mention a smoother ride and confident grip across dry, wet and snowy roads, even in unusual fitments.
Amazon shoppers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 5,370 ratings. That is their number, not ours.
Before you go
Are Hankook tires a good brand?
Yes, this model carries a 4.6 average across more than five thousand ratings, and its 70,000 mile warranty and 680/A/A UTQG rating back up the reputation for reliable all-season use.
What are common problems with Hankook tires?
No significant problems are documented for this specific model; owner feedback instead points to smooth rides and confident grip across dry, wet and snowy roads, even in unusual fitments.
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By the numbers
earn an unconditional yes at full priceOut of 131 automotive products we have reviewed. This one is a yes with a condition attached.
other reviews field the same questionAre Hankook tires a good brand?
comes up across our automotive coverage, not just here — one of the things worth settling before you choose.
Verdict datasetQuestion indexCC BY 4.0
Full spec sheet
| Rim Size | 14 inches |
|---|---|
| Load Index | 99 |
| Speed Rating | T |
| Load Capacity | 1709 pounds |
| Tread Type | Symmetrical |
| Maximum Pressure | 51 psi |
| Automotive Fit Type | Vehicle Specific Fit |
| Load Range | SL |
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