Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X vs Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X — 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 5 + 1 road tests and 6 + 2 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter i*cept evo3 X 69, Winter i cept IZ3 X 68.

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Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
± 6

Tests 72 · 5 tests Owners 67 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
± 8Provisional

Tests 67 · 1 test Owners 70 · 2 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 8 in 2025 Friction 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. 67

    Dry

    Winter i cept IZ3 X +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests6974
    Reviews found online6570

    Winter i*cept evo3 X: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 65.3 = 67

    Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 69.5 = 72

  2. 77

    Wet

    Winter i*cept evo3 X +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests8160
    Reviews found online7174

    Winter i*cept evo3 X: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 70.8 = 77

    Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 59.6 + 40% × 74.2 = 65

  3. 78

    Snow

    Winter i*cept evo3 X +9
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests8167
    Reviews found online7371

    Winter i*cept evo3 X: 60% × 81.3 + 40% × 72.7 = 78

    Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 67.4 + 40% × 71.4 = 69

  4. 58

    Comfort

    Winter i cept IZ3 X +11
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5369

    Winter i*cept evo3 X: 40% × 65.5 (est.) + 60% × 52.7 = 58

    Winter i cept IZ3 X: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 69.4 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 40

    Noise

    Winter i cept IZ3 X +27
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests2367
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Winter i*cept evo3 X: 60% × 22.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 40

    Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 67 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X. 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.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Winter i cept IZ3 X +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6567

    Winter i*cept evo3 X: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 64.5 = 65

    Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*cept evo3 X. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter i cept IZ3 X. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Winter i cept IZ3 X +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Reviews found online6770
  8. 67

    Efficiency

    Winter i cept IZ3 X +8
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests6775
Scores at a glance
Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X vs Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryHankook Winter i*cept evo3 XHankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
Relative Score 69 68
Dry 67 72
Wet 77 65
Snow 78 69
Comfort 58 69
Noise 40 67
Treadwear 65 67
Handling (owners) 67 70
Efficiency 67 75

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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Winter i*cept evo3 X

± 8

Winter i cept IZ3 X

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter i*cept evo3 XWinter i cept IZ3 XΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% #7/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% #5/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 94% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 95% #2/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 88% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 98% #9/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 96% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #6/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 98% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 96% #4/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 97% #11/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test 99% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/11 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test #7/8 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter i*cept evo3 X

Pros

  • Exceptional performance and traction in various snow conditions (fresh, compact, and heavy wet snow)
  • Strong braking capability and confidence in low temperatures and wet roads
  • Cost-effective alternative compared to tier-one premium brand tires

Cons

  • High noise levels reported by some users
  • Ride comfort can feel stiff or uncomfortable on certain SUV applications
  • Compound feels too soft in warm weather conditions above 13 degrees Celsius
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept evo3 X review

Tire B Winter i cept IZ3 X

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X B · Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4—
Sizes available7228
Rim diameters17″ – 22″17″ – 21″
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X

Too close to call: Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X and Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X are within 2 points overall. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X is stronger on wet and snow. Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X is stronger on noise, comfort and efficiency. Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 2 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X scores 67 vs 40 on noise.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X scores 77 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X scores 69 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X scores 78 vs 69 on snow.

Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
Tire B · Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X

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Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X, 77 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X, 72 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X, 78 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X, 67 vs 40 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X, 69 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 67 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, Winter i*cept evo3 X or Winter i cept IZ3 X?

Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X, 75 vs 67 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