Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 5 reviews
Hankook Icebear W440 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Icebear W440 vs Riken Snowtime B2 — 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 + 0 road tests and 5 + 7 owner reviews. How we score
Icebear W440 is ahead, 72–64
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Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 7 reviews
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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70
Dry
Icebear W440 +565Why this score
Source Icebear W440 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 72 63 Icebear W440: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 71.7 = 70
Snowtime B2: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.4 = 65
No road tests of dry for Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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76
Wet
Icebear W440 +1066Why this score
Source Icebear W440 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 74 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 78 65 Icebear W440: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76
Snowtime B2: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.5 = 66
No road tests of wet for Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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–
Snow
No comparison72Why this score
Source Icebear W440 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online – 72 Snowtime B2: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 72
No road tests of snow for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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72
Comfort
Icebear W440 +666Why this score
Source Icebear W440 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 73 65 Icebear W440: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 73.1 = 72
Snowtime B2: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.7 = 66
No road tests of comfort for Icebear W440 or Snowtime B2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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68
Treadwear
Icebear W440 +464Why this score
Source Icebear W440 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 70 63 Icebear W440: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 68
Snowtime B2: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.6 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for Icebear W440. 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 Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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72
Handling (owners)
Icebear W440 +1656Why this score
Source Icebear W440 Snowtime B2 Reviews found online 72 56
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Icebear W440 | Riken Snowtime B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 64 |
| Dry | 70 | 65 |
| Wet | 76 | 66 |
| Snow | – | 72 |
| Comfort | 72 | 66 |
| Treadwear | 68 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 56 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Icebear W440
64
/ 100
Snowtime B2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Icebear W440
Pros
- Excellent traction and confidence on snow and ice
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
- Noticeable performance improvement for rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cons
- Noticeable 'slippery' sensation during the initial 100-mile break-in period
- Performance is strictly categorized as a budget-friendly option rather than a top-tier premium performer
- Mixed feedback on overall refinement compared to more expensive alternatives
Tire B Snowtime B2
Pros
- Reliable and effective grip in snow and standing water
- Surprisingly low noise levels, often quieter than summer tires
- Good wear characteristics and long tread life
Cons
- Lower handling limits in dry and wet conditions compared to summer tires
- Potential for sudden loss of traction or breaking away on wet bends
- Average baseline performance for high-speed or spirited driving
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Icebear W440 | B · Riken Snowtime B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 12 |
| Rim diameters | — | 13″ – 14″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Hankook Icebear W440
64
/ 100
Riken Snowtime B2
Winner: Hankook Icebear W440 — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Hankook Icebear W440 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Riken Snowtime B2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 72 vs 56 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 76 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 72 vs 66 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 70 vs 65 on dry.
Tire A · Hankook Icebear W440
Tire B · Riken Snowtime B2
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Icebear W440 or Snowtime B2?
Which is better in the wet, Icebear W440 or Snowtime B2?
Hankook Icebear W440, 76 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Icebear W440 or Snowtime B2?
Hankook Icebear W440, 70 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Icebear W440 or Snowtime B2?
Hankook Icebear W440, 72 vs 66 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Icebear W440 or Snowtime B2?
Hankook Icebear W440, 68 vs 64 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