Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 42 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Falken EuroWinter HS449 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 0 + 7 road tests and 42 + 51 owner reviews. How we score
Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 76–71
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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.
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68
Dry
Winter i*cept RS2 +674Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 68 72 EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.8 = 68
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72 = 74
No road tests of dry for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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78
Wet
Winter i*cept RS2 +785Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests ≈ 76 (est.) 89 Reviews found online 80 78 EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 76 (est.) + 40% × 80.4 = 78
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 78.4 = 85
No road tests of wet for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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71
Snow
Winter i*cept RS2 +677Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 81 Reviews found online 71 72 EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 71
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.6 = 77
No road tests of snow for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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70
Comfort
Level70Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 71 67 EuroWinter HS449: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.8 = 70
Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 66.6 = 70
No road tests of comfort for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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61
Noise
EuroWinter HS449 +160Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 56 Reviews found online 52 ≈ 66 (est.) EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 51.9 = 61
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60
No road tests of noise for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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.
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66
Treadwear
Winter i*cept RS2 +975Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 65 75 EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 74.9 = 75
No road tests of treadwear for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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72
Handling (owners)
Winter i*cept RS2 +173Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Reviews found online 72 73 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison42Why this score
Source EuroWinter HS449 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests – 42
Scores at a glance
| Category | Falken EuroWinter HS449 | Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 76 |
| Dry | 68 | 74 |
| Wet | 78 | 85 |
| Snow | 71 | 77 |
| Comfort | 70 | 70 |
| Noise | 61 | 60 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 75 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 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
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Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
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Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
EuroWinter HS449
76
/ 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, Falken EuroWinter HS449 finished ahead 2 times and Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 3 times.
| Discipline | Category | EuroWinter HS449 | Winter i*cept RS2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #21/45 | #20/45 | – | 2–3 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out · 225/50 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A EuroWinter HS449
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
- Strong value for money compared to premium brand winter tires
- Reliable and safe performance on wet and rainy roads with good hydroplaning resistance
Cons
- Faster tread wear or a softer rubber compound noted by some users
- Slightly reduced fuel economy or rolling resistance penalty
- Occasional reports of decreased grip or wheel spin on steep inclines and packed ice for certain 2WD setups
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 · Falken EuroWinter HS449 | B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 6 | 37 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 19″ | 13″ – 17″ |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Falken EuroWinter HS449
76
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better treadwear, wet and dry. Where the Falken EuroWinter HS449 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 75 vs 66 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 85 vs 78 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 74 vs 68 on dry.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 77 vs 71 on snow.
Tire A · Falken EuroWinter HS449
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Which is better in the wet, EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 85 vs 78 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 74 vs 68 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 77 vs 71 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 60 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 70 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, EuroWinter HS449 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 66 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