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Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 74–67

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Tire ABridgestone

Blizzak WS90

Winter

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 64 · 21 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)

Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 50 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 72

    Dry

    Winter i*cept RS2 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)8475
    Reviews found online5470
    Dry Braking (% of best)90%96%
  2. 67

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +16
    83
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6588
    Reviews found online6976
    Wet Braking (% of best)79%91%
  3. 73

    Snow

    Winter i*cept RS2 +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6980
    Reviews found online7868
    Snow Braking (% of best)70%96%
    Snow Handling (% of best)85%99%
  4. 64

    Comfort

    Winter i*cept RS2 +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6875
    Reviews found online5967
  5. 64

    Noise

    Blizzak WS90 +3
    61
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7057
    Reviews found online55–
  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept RS2 +11
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online6071
  7. 63

    Handling

    Winter i*cept RS2 +8
    71
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Reviews found online6371
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Relative Score 67 74
Dry 72 73
Wet 67 83
Snow 73 75
Comfort 64 72
Noise 64 61
Treadwear 62 73
Handling 63 71

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Blizzak WS90

Winter i*cept RS2

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #12/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −5.4 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires 25% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test +75.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #17/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview −26.4 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −13.5 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test +3.8 Different tests
Subj. Snow Handling Subj 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #7/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test −5.5 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 91% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test −12.1 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Tire B Winter i*cept RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling on wet and dry roads
  • Impressive resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain or standing water
  • Strong value for money with a competitive price point

Cons

  • Higher than average road noise, especially at highway speeds
  • Firm, stiff sidewalls leading to a less comfortable or harsh ride
  • Subpar performance and unpredictable grip on ice and black ice
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept RS2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4537
Rim diameters15″ – 19″13″ – 17″
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better wet, treadwear and comfort. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 83 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 73 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 72 vs 64 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 71 vs 63 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

74

Leads

Winter i*cept RS2

Amazon