Tests 60 · 5 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 17 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (exterior noise)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice vs Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 5 + 5 road tests and 3 + 5 owner reviews. How we score
Winter i*pike RS2 is ahead, 69–63
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Tests 66 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 5 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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65
Dry
Blizzak Ice +956Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 5 tests 64 49 Reviews found online 67 66 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 96% 95% Blizzak Ice: 60% × 63.6 + 40% × 66.8 = 65
Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.2 + 40% × 65.9 = 56
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54
Wet
Winter i*pike RS2 +1973Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 5 tests 44 71 Reviews found online 70 76 Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 77% 85% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 97% Blizzak Ice: 60% × 43.6 + 40% × 69.6 = 54
Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 75.7 = 73
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62
Snow
Winter i*pike RS2 +1476Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 5 tests 63 76 Reviews found online 62 76 Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 82% 91% Ice Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 94% 93% Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 63% 93% Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 97% 99% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 98% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 97% Blizzak Ice: 60% × 62.6 + 40% × 61.9 = 62
Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 76.4 = 76
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67
Comfort
Winter i*pike RS2 +572Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 70 79 Reviews found online 65 68 Blizzak Ice: 40% × 70 + 60% × 65.3 = 67
Winter i*pike RS2: 40% × 79.3 + 60% × 67.6 = 72
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76
Noise
Blizzak Ice +1759Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 4 tests 83 55 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 67% Blizzak Ice: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 76
Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 59
No owner ratings of noise for Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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67
Treadwear
Winter i*pike RS2 +572Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 67 75 Blizzak Ice: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 67
Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 72
No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak Ice. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*pike RS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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65
Handling (owners)
Winter i*pike RS2 +772Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Reviews found online 65 72 -
48
Efficiency
Winter i*pike RS2 +2573Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice Winter i*pike RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests 48 73
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak Ice | Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 69 |
| Dry | 65 | 56 |
| Wet | 54 | 73 |
| Snow | 62 | 76 |
| Comfort | 67 | 72 |
| Noise | 76 | 59 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 72 |
| Handling (owners) | 65 | 72 |
| Efficiency | 48 | 73 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
Blizzak Ice
69
/ 100
Winter i*pike RS2
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Blizzak Ice finished ahead 0 times and Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Blizzak Ice | Winter i*pike RS2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% | 95% | +1.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 40% #6/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 96% #3/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 77% | 85% | −8.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 97% | −0.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 82% | 91% | −8.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 94% | 93% | +0.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 63% | 93% | −29.8 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 97% | 99% | −2.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 95% | 98% | −2.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% | 97% | −1.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 80% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 100% #1/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 100% | 67% | +33.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 92% #8/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 70% #10/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 98% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 43% #7/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 67% #5/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #15/20 | #7/20 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Blizzak Ice
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B Winter i*pike RS2
Pros
- Exceptional traction and braking on snow and ice
- Strong side grip and predictable cornering limits
- High durability with secure stud retention over multiple years
Cons
- Poor steering feedback on dry tarmac
- Noticeable understeer in dry road conditions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice | B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 60 | — |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 19″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
69
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Winner: Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 — better efficiency, wet and snow. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak Ice if noise and dry matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 48 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 54 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice scores 76 vs 59 on noise.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 76 vs 62 on snow.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
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Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Which is better in the wet, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 54 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice, 65 vs 56 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 76 vs 62 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice, 76 vs 59 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 72 vs 67 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 72 vs 67 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Blizzak Ice or Winter i*pike RS2?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 48 on our efficiency score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology