Hankook Optimo H426 Review: Does This Tire Fit Your Vehicle?

Hi, there! Welcome to my review of the Hankook Optimo H426. This tire is a good choice for premium sedans, crossovers, and luxury sport coupes. Notice the use of the word ‘luxury’ instead of sporty? There’s a good reason for that.

The Hankook Optimo H426 is a premium all-season touring tire, even though it doesn’t look the part. It actually looks like a sporty all-season tire upon first glance. But in reality, the Hankook Optimo H426 is engineered for fuel economy, comfort, ride silence, grip on both wet and dry roads. 

Look at it this way. The Optimo H426 is more capable than the Optimo H724 in all aspects. This is not an entry-level tire, but rather a more premium alternative that can offer more for a bit more cash. Yes, the Hankook Optimo H426 is pricier than entry-level all-season tires, but you actually get a bit more performance for the price. 

Is the Hankook Optimo H426 good for luxury sedans?

Oh yes! Even though the Hankook Optimo H426 is designed for premium or entry-level luxury automobiles, it is also a nice choice for compact sedans and small crossovers. This tire is a solid choice for the Ford Fusion, Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Altima, and Volkswagen Jetta just to name a few. 

But if you drive a more expensive car such as a BMW 3-Series or MINI Cooper, the Hankook Optimo H426 will fill your needs. Hankook saw it fit to offer the Optimo H426 in a wide array of sizes to fulfill the needs of your import, domestic, or European vehicle. The Optimo H426 will also help to improve the ride comfort and refinement in your Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, or Mazda CX-5 crossover.

What are the features of the Hankook Optimo H426?

Like I said, this tire may look sporty but the comfort levels will surprise you. The Hankook Optimo H426 is equipped with a computer-optimized tread profile that delivers outstanding traction and grip on wet or dry roads. The treads are also designed to improve the handling and stability of your vehicle.

The tire comes with four wide circumferential grooves and rib-type shoulder blocks. This design is intended to promote the adhesion of the tire over wet, snowy, or icy surfaces. You will also see the diamond-shaped block design that helps the treads to maintain the required stiffness. This characteristic is intended to improve the dry performance of the tire.

Is the tire durable?

Yes. The Hankook Optimo H426 is constructed using a pair of wider steel belts and a high-stiffness bead filler. This enables the tire to deliver predictable handling, stable cornering, and sharper steering response.

Does it perform well over dry roads?

Yes. However, if you’re expecting a sportier ride with the Hankook Optimo H426, I’m afraid you’ll only be disappointed. The tires can deliver higher levels of grip on dry roads compared to an ordinary all-season tire, but it doesn’t respond well to high-speed maneuvers. The grip is there, but you’ll find it lacking as you approach silly speeds. Cornering also felt stable but the tires will scream in agony if you tackle a tight corner at higher speeds.

But if you drive within the prescribed speed limits, you’ll have plenty to like. It doesn’t grip like a set of summer tires or high-performance rubber, but you’ll be spoilt by the level of comfort and road silence.

How do the tires behave over wet and snow-covered roads?

The primary features of the Hankook Optimo H426 will say it best. Remember the rib-type shoulder blocks and the diamond block design on the middle treads? Both are engineered to dispel water or slush from the face of the tire. I can’t say for sure if the Hankook Optimo H426 is a better performer on wet roads than on dry pavement, but it certainly feels like it.

The tire can also handle a bit of snow and ice, but not by much. Anything covered in deep snow will require the services of a snow tire. Of course, you’ll need to drive carefully in winter conditions unless you want the tires to slip and hunt for grip.

I bet the comfort and noise level of the Hankook Optimo H426 are top notch?

You’ve hit the nail right in the head! The Hankook Optimo H426 is a premium touring tire so it is expected to be more comfortable and refined. As it turns out, this tire is one of the best choices if comfort and ride silence are your top priorities. But as the speed piles up, you can expect to hear a bit more tire roar especially over coarse tarmac. But in normal city driving, the tires will barely whisper.

How about the wear characteristics?

Touring tires should last for thousands of miles before showing signs of wear. In this regard, the Hankook Optimo H426 gets a higher-than-average score. For the amount of grip, comfort, and road noise, the low wear characteristics of the tire is an added bonus.

You can see more Hankook Optimo H426 Review here: videos created by Luminous U.S. Productions

Should I buy the Hankook Optimo H426?

With the Hankook Optimo H426 review above it is definite that this tire will be among your top choices the next time you are looking for a great comfortable travelling experience for you and your loved ones.

It depends on what you want in a premium tire. For entry-level luxury cars or luxury crossovers, the Hankook Optimo H426 is frankly a no-brainer. The same goes true for small crossovers and compact sedans. This tire is a safe and solid choice for comfortable and relaxed driving in all types of weather, including ice or light snow.

But if you have a fast or sporty car, you will find the grip levels of this tire to be somewhat lacking. For this, you should refer to a set of high-performance or ultra-high performance rubber. The handling is also a bit on the soft side even though the steering will be more precise and responsive.

Is it affordable?

The Hankook Optimo H426 is not the most economical choice for a set of premium touring tires. But the good news is you actually get what you pay for. You can expect to pay more for the Optimo H426 but the price is still relatively lower compared to comparable tires from Bridgestone or Michelin.