Tests 68 · 4 tests Owners 57 · 8 reviews
Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (noise)
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone Winterhawk 3 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 4 + 7 road tests and 8 + 51 owner reviews. How we score
Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 76–63
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.
-
62
Dry
Winter i*cept RS2 +1274Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 5 tests 66 75 Reviews found online 57 72 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 96% Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 98% 100% Winterhawk 3: 60% × 66.1 + 40% × 56.7 = 62
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72 = 74
-
62
Wet
Winter i*cept RS2 +2385Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 7 tests 64 89 Reviews found online 60 78 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 90% 92% Wet Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 88% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 93% 99% Winterhawk 3: 60% × 64 + 40% × 59.7 = 62
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 78.4 = 85
-
64
Snow
Winter i*cept RS2 +1377Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests 71 81 Reviews found online 55 72 Snow Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 96% 97% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 98% 99% Winterhawk 3: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 54.6 = 64
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.6 = 77
-
60
Comfort
Winter i*cept RS2 +1070Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 56 67 Winterhawk 3: 40% × 66 (est.) + 60% × 55.7 = 60
Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 66.6 = 70
No road tests of comfort for Winterhawk 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
67
Noise
Winterhawk 3 +760Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 4 tests 67 56 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 96% 96% Winterhawk 3: 60% × 66.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60
No owner ratings of noise for Winterhawk 3 or 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.
-
65
Treadwear
Winter i*cept RS2 +1075Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests 70 75 Reviews found online 59 75 Wear (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 62% 83% Winterhawk 3: 60% × 69.6 + 40% × 59.2 = 65
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 74.9 = 75
-
56
Handling (owners)
Winter i*cept RS2 +1773Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Reviews found online 56 73 -
62
Efficiency
Winterhawk 3 +2042Why this score
Source Winterhawk 3 Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 5 tests 62 42 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 80% 76%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterhawk 3 | Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 76 |
| Dry | 62 | 74 |
| Wet | 62 | 85 |
| Snow | 64 | 77 |
| Comfort | 60 | 70 |
| Noise | 67 | 60 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 75 |
| Handling (owners) | 56 | 73 |
| Efficiency | 62 | 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
Winterhawk 3
76
/ 100
Winter i*cept RS2
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 9 tests that ran both, Firestone Winterhawk 3 finished ahead 1 times and Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 8 times.
| Discipline | Category | Winterhawk 3 | Winter i*cept RS2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 94% | 96% | −1.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% | 100% | −1.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 90% | 92% | −2.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% | 95% | −7.2 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 93% | 99% | −6.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 96% | 97% | −1.3 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% | 99% | −0.8 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Noise | Noise | 96% | 96% | +0.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 62% | 83% | −20.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 80% | 76% | +4.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 87% | 82% | +5.4 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #10/20 | #14/20 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Value | Cost | 80% | 100% | −19.8 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 195/65 R15 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #24/45 | #12/45 | – | 1–8 in 9 shared tests Newest: 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winterhawk 3
Pros
- High levels of ride comfort and low noise
- Good longevity and tread wear resistance
- Affordable price point
Cons
- Inconsistent or poor grip on snow and ice
- Unreliable wet weather performance and braking
- Pronounced understeering tendencies
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 · Firestone Winterhawk 3 | B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 39 | 37 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 18″ | 13″ – 17″ |
| Sizes in common | 19 | 19 |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Firestone Winterhawk 3
76
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better wet, handling and snow. Pick the Firestone Winterhawk 3 if efficiency and noise matter most to you.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 85 vs 62 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want lower fuel or energy use
Firestone Winterhawk 3 scores 62 vs 42 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 73 vs 56 on handling.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 77 vs 64 on snow.
Tire A · Firestone Winterhawk 3
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Which is better in the wet, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 85 vs 62 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 74 vs 62 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 77 vs 64 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Firestone Winterhawk 3, 67 vs 60 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 70 vs 60 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 65 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Winterhawk 3 or Winter i*cept RS2?
Firestone Winterhawk 3, 62 vs 42 on our efficiency 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