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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Hankook Winter i*cept 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 1 + 7 road tests and 21 + 51 owner reviews. How we score

Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 76–68

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Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

± 5

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 74 · 51 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Winter i*cept RS2 +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests8575
    Reviews found online5472

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 54.1 = 73

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72 = 74

  2. 67

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +18
    85
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests6689
    Reviews found online6978

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 68.5 = 67

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 78.4 = 85

  3. 73

    Snow

    Winter i*cept RS2 +4
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests6981
    Reviews found online7972

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 78.5 = 73

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.6 = 77

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Winter i*cept RS2 +9
    70
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6974
    Reviews found online5567

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 55.2 = 61

    Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 66.6 = 70

  5. 63

    Noise

    Blizzak WS90 +3
    60
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests7056
    Reviews found online51≈ 66 (est.)

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 51.1 = 63

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept 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.

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept RS2 +14
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 63 (est.)75
    Reviews found online5875

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 74.9 = 75

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Winter i*cept RS2 +11
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Reviews found online6273
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    42
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests–42
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Relative Score 68 76
Dry 73 74
Wet 67 85
Snow 73 77
Comfort 61 70
Noise 63 60
Treadwear 61 75
Handling (owners) 62 73
Efficiency – 42

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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 5

Winter i*cept RS2

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90Winter i*cept RS2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #2/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #7/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #7/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #3/49 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview – 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—
Sizes in common1313

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better wet, treadwear and handling. 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 85 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 75 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

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

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 70 vs 61 on comfort.

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

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 85 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 77 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 63 vs 60 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 70 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 61 on our treadwear 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