Tests 83 · 1 test Owners 84 · 10 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop Winter Response 2 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 10 + 50 owner reviews. How we score
Winter Response 2 leads, 81–77 Narrow edge
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Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 74 · 50 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.
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78
Dry
Winter Response 2 +474Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests ≈ 74 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 83 72 Winter Response 2: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72.4 = 74
No road tests of dry for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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88
Wet
Winter Response 2 +385Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests 88 90 Reviews found online 89 79 Winter Response 2: 60% × 87.8 + 40% × 88.8 = 88
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.8 + 40% × 78.5 = 85
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81
Snow
Winter Response 2 +477Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests 79 81 Reviews found online 85 71 Winter Response 2: 60% × 79.2 + 40% × 84.8 = 81
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.4 = 77
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80
Comfort
Winter Response 2 +971Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 72 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 86 68 Winter Response 2: 40% × 72.2 (est.) + 60% × 85.6 = 80
Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 75.2 + 60% × 67.7 = 71
No road tests of comfort for Winter Response 2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison60Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests – 56 Reviews found online – ≈ 67 (est.) Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 60
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept RS2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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75
Treadwear
Level75Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 81 76 Winter Response 2: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 75
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 75.8 = 75
No road tests of treadwear for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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84
Handling (owners)
Winter Response 2 +1074Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Reviews found online 84 74 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison42Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests – 42
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Winter Response 2 | Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 77 |
| Dry | 78 | 74 |
| Wet | 88 | 85 |
| Snow | 81 | 77 |
| Comfort | 80 | 71 |
| Noise | – | 60 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 75 |
| Handling (owners) | 84 | 74 |
| 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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
81
/ 100
Winter Response 2
77
/ 100
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.
In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Dunlop Winter Response 2 finished ahead 4 times and Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Winter Response 2 | Winter i*cept RS2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | Wet | 98% #3/51 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! | 96% #2/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 99% #3/31 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! | 97% #7/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/16 | #5/16 | – | 4–1 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter Tyre Test · 185/65 R15 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter Response 2
Pros
- Outstanding grip and confidence in snow and ice
- Excellent wet weather performance and braking
- High level of cabin comfort and low noise levels
Cons
- Faster tread wear reported by some users
- Slightly noticeable tire roll in fast corners above 50 mph
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Winter Response 2 | B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 15 | 37 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 16″ | 13″ – 17″ |
| Sizes in common | 14 | 14 |
Which one should you actually buy?
81
/ 100
Dunlop Winter Response 2
77
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Narrow edge: Dunlop Winter Response 2 — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop Winter Response 2 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 84 vs 74 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 80 vs 71 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 78 vs 74 on dry.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 81 vs 77 on snow.
Tire A · Dunlop Winter Response 2
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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Winter Response 2 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Which is better in the wet, Winter Response 2 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Dunlop Winter Response 2, 88 vs 85 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Response 2 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Dunlop Winter Response 2, 78 vs 74 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter Response 2 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Dunlop Winter Response 2, 81 vs 77 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter Response 2 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Dunlop Winter Response 2, 80 vs 71 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter Response 2 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 75 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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