Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV 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 0 + 5 road tests and 17 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winterforce 2 UV and Winter i*pike RS2 are level at 68.

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Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Tire BHankook

Winter i*pike RS2

Winter

± 6

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.

  1. 66

    Dry

    Winterforce 2 UV +10
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 67 (est.)49
    Reviews found online6467

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.4 + 40% × 66.5 = 56

    No road tests of dry for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 71

    Wet

    Winter i*pike RS2 +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 71 (est.)71
    Reviews found online7176

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 71

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 75.9 = 73

    No road tests of wet for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 73

    Snow

    Winter i*pike RS2 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 72 (est.)76
    Reviews found online7477

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 73.6 = 73

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 76 + 40% × 76.9 = 76

    No road tests of snow for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 62

    Comfort

    Winter i*pike RS2 +11
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)81
    Reviews found online5868

    Winterforce 2 UV: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 58 = 62

    Winter i*pike RS2: 40% × 80.7 + 60% × 68.2 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Winterforce 2 UV +3
    59
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 67 (est.)55
    Reviews found online55≈ 67 (est.)

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.6 = 62

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.8 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 59

    No road tests of noise for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*pike 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.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Winter i*pike RS2 +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5975

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 63.5 (est.) + 40% × 58.7 = 62

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    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 0.35).

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Reviews found online–73
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests–73
Scores at a glance
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV vs Hankook Winter i*pike RS2: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone Winterforce 2 UVHankook Winter i*pike RS2
Relative Score 68 68
Dry 66 56
Wet 71 73
Snow 73 76
Comfort 62 73
Noise 62 59
Treadwear 62 71
Handling (owners) – 73
Efficiency – 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

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

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
± 8

Winterforce 2 UV

± 6

Winter i*pike 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.

DisciplineCategoryWinterforce 2 UVWinter i*pike RS2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires #6/8 2023 Studded Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winterforce 2 UV

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
All owner themes in the Winter i*pike RS2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
CategoryWinter tireWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available30—
Rim diameters15″ – 18″—
Tread depth12/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2

Too close to call: Firestone Winterforce 2 UV and Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 are within 2 points overall. Firestone Winterforce 2 UV is stronger on dry and noise. Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 is stronger on comfort, treadwear and snow. Firestone Winterforce 2 UV rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 17 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 66 vs 56 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 71 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 62 vs 59 on noise.

Tire A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2

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Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Which is better in the wet, Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 73 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 66 vs 56 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 76 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 62 vs 59 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winterforce 2 UV or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 71 vs 62 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