tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Winterhawk 3 vs Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 74–64

Check price on Amazon · Winter i*cept RS2 or Winterhawk 3 on Amazon
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.

Tire AFirestone

Winterhawk 3

Winter

Tests 68 · 4 tests Owners 59 · 8 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (price)

Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

Tests 77 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 50 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Winter i*cept RS2 +10
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6775
    Reviews found online5870
    Dry Braking (% of best)98%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%100%
  2. 63

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +20
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6489
    Reviews found online6276
    Wet Braking (% of best)90%91%
    Wet Handling (% of best)95%99%
  3. 65

    Snow

    Winter i*cept RS2 +10
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7180
    Reviews found online5668
    Snow Braking (% of best)94%97%
    Snow Handling (% of best)98%100%
  4. 64

    Comfort

    Winter i*cept RS2 +8
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
    Reviews found online6067
  5. 67

    Noise

    Winterhawk 3 +6
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6757
  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept RS2 +7
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7074
    Reviews found online6271
  7. 58

    Handling

    Winter i*cept RS2 +13
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2
    Reviews found online5871
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Winterhawk 3Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Relative Score 64 74
Dry 63 73
Wet 63 83
Snow 65 75
Comfort 64 72
Noise 67 61
Treadwear 66 73
Handling 58 71

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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Winterhawk 3

Winter i*cept RS2

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryWinterhawk 3Winter i*cept RS2ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #6/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 96% #12/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +1.9 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −2.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 80% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 80% #18/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test +0.4 Different tests
Noise Other 98% #5/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −1.7 Different tests
Price Other 87% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 82% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test +5.3 Same test
Value Other 60% #12/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 82% #6/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test −21.8 Different tests
Wear Other 72% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 82% #6/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test −9.5 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 4% #24/45 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview 33% #3/8 · 2021 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test −29.2 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 94% #21/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview 97% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −3.4 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test −1.9 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 90% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −10.3 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #14/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 0% #19/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 90% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 91% #12/44 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview −1.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 95% #13/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −3.9 Different tests

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
All owner themes in the Winterhawk 3 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 · Firestone Winterhawk 3 B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3937
Rim diameters13″ – 18″13″ – 17″

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Winterhawk 3

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Firestone Winterhawk 3 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 83 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 71 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 73 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 75 vs 65 on snow.

Tire A · Firestone Winterhawk 3
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

74

Leads

Winter i*cept RS2

Amazon