tirewheelguide

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 Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP — 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 + 2 road tests and 5 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Icebear W440 72, Observe GSi-6 HP 73.

Check price on Amazon · Icebear W440 Check price on Amazon · Observe GSi-6 HP
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.

Hankook Icebear W440
Tire AHankook

Icebear W440

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 5 reviews

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
Tire BToyo

Observe GSi-6 HP

Winter

± 6

Tests 69 · 2 tests Owners 73 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 70

    Dry

    Observe GSi-6 HP +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)73
    Reviews found online7277

    Icebear W440: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 71.7 = 70

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 73 + 40% × 77.4 = 75

    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).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Icebear W440 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 74 (est.)71
    Reviews found online7881

    Icebear W440: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 71.2 + 40% × 81 = 75

    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).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests–60
    Reviews found online–75

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 59.7 + 40% × 75.2 = 66

  4. 72

    Comfort

    Observe GSi-6 HP +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)78
    Reviews found online7375

    Icebear W440: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 73.1 = 72

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 40% × 77.5 + 60% × 74.5 = 76

    No road tests of comfort for Icebear W440. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–72
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for Observe GSi-6 HP. 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. 68

    Treadwear

    Icebear W440 +7
    61
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7058

    Icebear W440: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 68

    Observe GSi-6 HP: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 61

    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 Observe GSi-6 HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Observe GSi-6 HP +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Reviews found online7276
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceIcebear W440Observe GSi-6 HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–66
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Icebear W440Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
Relative Score 72 73
Dry 70 75
Wet 76 75
Snow – 66
Comfort 72 76
Noise – 70
Treadwear 68 61
Handling (owners) 72 76
Efficiency – 66

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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

Icebear W440

± 6

Observe GSi-6 HP

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
All owner themes in the Icebear W440 review

Tire B Observe GSi-6 HP

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and stability in snow and slush
  • Impressive wet-weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Remarkably quiet ride quality for a winter tire

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life reports, with some users experiencing premature wear
  • Occasional reports of structural failure or tread separation
  • Slightly vague steering feel at lower speeds
All owner themes in the Observe GSi-6 HP review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Icebear W440 B · Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available—39
Rim diameters—16″ – 21″
Tread depth—11 - 12/32″
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Icebear W440

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP

Too close to call: Hankook Icebear W440 and Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP are within 2 points overall. Hankook Icebear W440 is stronger on treadwear. Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP is stronger on dry and comfort. Hankook Icebear W440 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Icebear W440 scores 68 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP scores 75 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP scores 76 vs 72 on comfort.

Tire A · Hankook Icebear W440
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP
Check price on Amazon

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

Icebear W440 or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Which is better in the wet, Icebear W440 or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 75 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Icebear W440 or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP, 75 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Icebear W440 or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Toyo Observe GSi-6 HP, 76 vs 72 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Icebear W440 or Observe GSi-6 HP?

Hankook Icebear W440, 68 vs 61 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