Hankook Optimo H727 review

[oggb]

So, I've had these tires on my Prius for ~2 years and 55,000 miles. They're terrible.

Pros:
- They've got 55,000 miles on them and probably another 25,000 worth of tread before I'll need to replace them.

Cons:
- Wet weather traction is laughably bad. I drive 40 miles to work on some fairly curvy country roads and on the long, sweeping turns that I can take in the dry at 65 MPH no problem I can feel the front end of the car ever so slowly pushing out.

I can recall several times where I've been making a U-turn on a wet road and the front end will start plowing straight forward just past the apex of the turn if I'm turning sharply enough. It's so easy to do that I sometimes do it just to scare passengers.

- Steering response is, um... I have to drive a dump truck (16-foot dump body) from time to time and the dump truck's steering response when unloaded feels quite similar to the Optimo H727. I've tried messing with tire pressures and it makes very little difference besides making the ride harsh.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

The prius handles terribly as designed if it handles anything like my Yaris did. Garbage strut front suspension.

My Fit handles terribly also. Another garbage strut front suspension. Nanny state numb handling. Terminal rollover understeer and 15K mile tire life.
Are old fiats and Yugos the only cars that handle well with struts? I drove a BMW 318ti years ago and THAT handled poorly also.

Earle MacPherson was a bad Scotty.

 

[tc1446]

Tires of that nature seem to me to be a balancing act; you know going in that they will wear forever, but that also tells you they're not likely to be great at handling, especially on wet roads If you're a moderate driver, as I am, I go for long wear, but then I'm retired and stay home when the WX is bad.

Sounds like you'd be happier with something a General Altimax. Loved them on a Corolla I had and still got good wear and handling.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I've owned over 40 cars in my lifetime, but no car ever handled as well as my 1970 Fiat 124 Spider. And that was with hard as [censored] Michelin XAS tires.

High mileage tires=hard rubber compounds=poor wet grip

 

[NormanBuntz]

I'd swap them for a set of Yokohamas.

 

[bigjl]

Had them on a leased Ford Galaxy for about 5/6 months over the Olympics.

Wore well and were quiet.

Sounds like a few posters above need to have their geometry adjusted.

It is fairly simple to dial out understeer. Had it done on b9th of my Subarus using geometry settings provided by Prodrive.

 

[datech]

Originally Posted By: JRed
So, I've had these tires on my Prius for ~2 years and 55,000 miles. They're terrible.

Pros:
- They've got 55,000 miles on them and probably another 25,000 worth of tread before I'll need to replace them.

Cons:

- Wet weather traction is laughably bad. ....


-I can recall several times where I've been making a U-turn on a wet road and the front end will start plowing straight forward just past the apex of the turn if I'm turning sharply enough. It's so easy to do that I sometimes do it just to scare passengers.





Well maybe the problem will solve itself... you wreck the car and then end up with a new car as well as a new set of tires.

Or you could just get some new tires and put the old ones on Craigslist.

I think the treads on some of these new tires outlast the general usefulness of the carcass.

 

[Astro14]

I wouldn't wait until the tread is fully worn to replace these tires. If they're performing poorly, then they meet my definition of worn out and for your own sake, as well as the sake of anyone with whom you might collide, I would just replace them now.

You'll be safer, and your car will be more enjoyable to drive. These are things that are worth spending a little money to achieve.

 

[datech]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
I wouldn't wait until the tread is fully worn to replace these tires. If they're performing poorly, then they meet my definition of worn out and for your own sake, as well as the sake of anyone with whom you might collide, I would just replace them now.

You'll be safer, and your car will be more enjoyable to drive. These are things that are worth spending a little money to achieve.


I remember when tires would go 20K maybe 30K. Now they last so long they get old and the carcass gets beat up. I still think anything over 40K and you get your money's worth. do the math and figure what tires cost per mile. not much

$500 set of tires over 50,000 miles, $.01 cents per mile

If you could make it to 100K it would cut the cost in half. Think how much a car cost per mile total... around $.50 - $.60 cents per mile.

Gas costs me roughly $.10 cent a mile.

 

[tommygunn]

Most tires designed to last that long will handle like you describe.

Are your Hankooks good at holding air?

Maybe next time try the Michelin Defender if you can afford them, or the General Altimax RT43 or Dunlop Signature II if you can't.

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
The prius handles terribly as designed if it handles anything like my Yaris did. Garbage strut front suspension.

My Fit handles terribly also. Another garbage strut front suspension. Nanny state numb handling. Terminal rollover understeer and 15K mile tire life.
Are old fiats and Yugos the only cars that handle well with struts? I drove a BMW 318ti years ago and THAT handled poorly also.

Earle MacPherson was a bad Scotty.


@Arco, the worst part about McP struts is that you have to use a spring compressor, unless you're lucky enough to have quick struts available for your car!

Also, at least the Fit and Yaris are available with Tokico HTS dampers!

 

[stephen9666]

I've been pretty happy with my sets of H727s, especially when you consider the price I paid.

I haven't noticed "laughably bad" wet traction. It's not spectacular, but these aren't a performance tire.

I specifically chose these for their winter traction and they're very, very good for an all-season tire in the snow and ice.

My review is posted here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3252930/2

 

[CharBaby]

Yes, I to have noticed the poor wet traction in severe situations. Otherwise, they've been fine on the Mazda3(good handling car/so, so tire).

These H727's(33K mi) have been fine for the first 3 winters but, terrable this year(bought AltiMax Arctic). And the H727's have become noisy too but, they'll be fine for the 3 seasons til they need replacement.

On the Mazda3, the H727s aren't the optimal handling tire but, they didn't suck either for most everyday type driving.

I have notice too that, the H727's prices have been climbing since we bought ours so, I won't get them again. The Altimax RT-43 maybe next, IDK Yet! We don't want too much of a performance tire for this Mazda3 commuter car but, maybe a tire with a bit more soul!

 

[CharBaby]

A friend of mine(in our circle of car guys) has mentiond to me the other evening...that his H727 have started to make noise on his '04 Camry. Both sets!

He has a winter set(on the stock steelies 205-70-15 up from the 65 series) and a summer set(215-60-16). And both have started to make that droning sound.

Things to keep in mind when purchacing tires. Plus as mentioned, the H727 prices seem to keep climbing when they were once quite a bargin to start with...size dependent of course.

 

[expat]

We have a set ón our Toyota Matrix, They seem just fine for the way the car is used. It's not a performance car and we don't drive it like it is one.

The tires wear well, they are quiet, Wet, Dry, light Snow traction is OK
If traction is lost it happens predictably, no surprises.

We know the car's/Tires limitations and drive accordingly

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Are these the OE tires on a Sonic? I had to push one through a flat parking lot with less than 1 inch of snow. The tires and car were brand new ... The car had , I believe, H727

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Are these the OE tires on a Sonic? I had to push one through a flat parking lot with less than 1 inch of snow. The tires and car were brand new ... The car had , I believe, H727


They probably were not H727. There are several other tires with similar names like H724 and H725. The H727 has been especially good in snow for me, which is one of the main reasons I chose it.

 

[faramir9]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Are these the OE tires on a Sonic? I had to push one through a flat parking lot with less than 1 inch of snow. The tires and car were brand new ... The car had , I believe, H727


The Sonic comes with Hankook H428---the lowest-rated tire in its class at TR. http://is.gd/hR9ZMA

Gotta love GM these days. Not that other brands don't put iffy OE rubber on new cars, but these look like a real nightmare. Check out the ratings and reviews.

 

[faramir9]

Maybe not the best choice for a Prius. I've never had a hybrid for a DD, but I keep hearing that LRR tires make a big difference, and not just in mpg.

My H727s have performed as expected since I got them in November 2012. (Expected per careful reading of reviews. Wet traction is a relative weak spot, but not "laughable." It seems that for mid-tier tires, the ones that do well in snow/winter and to some extent in dry, do not do well in rain. Go figure. Maybe one of our tire engineers can explain.

Winter traction is excellent for an all-season, especially in slush. Treadwear is very good, though not quite on pace for the warranted 100K miles. I will reach the 5 years long before then, anyway. They are quiet on the highway, though I am bracing for the noise which many reviewers report when they are well-worn. (Like many other tire models.) Fuel economy is good compared to the mismatched tires on the Saturn when I bought it.

Handling? Well, if you want handling, don't drive a Saturn SL1, or any SOHC 100-h.p. compact four-banger with an auto tranny and 14"x5" wheels. With that said, it gets around corners and highway curves reasonably well, at reasonable speeds.

For the great deal I got---about $210 installed after rebates---I have no complaints. H727 is recommended for anyone who has no illusions they are driving F1 on public roads, especially if you wait for the great DTD rebate deals.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Are these the OE tires on a Sonic? I had to push one through a flat parking lot with less than 1 inch of snow. The tires and car were brand new ... The car had , I believe, H727


They probably were not H727. There are several other tires with similar names like H724 and H725. The H727 has been especially good in snow for me, which is one of the main reasons I chose it.


My focus came with H725. Got caught in a snow storm when I first got it - they did well for not being a snow tire.

I looked at the 428 on TR - that's the tread pattern.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
A friend of mine(in our circle of car guys) has mentiond to me the other evening...that his H727 have started to make noise on his '04 Camry. Both sets!

He has a winter set(on the stock steelies 205-70-15 up from the 65 series) and a summer set(215-60-16). And both have started to make that droning sound.

Things to keep in mind when purchasing tires. Plus as mentioned, the H727 prices seem to keep climbing when they were once quite a bargain to start with...size dependent of course.

Agreed. It was a real bargain 2-3 years ago but not now.