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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Winter i*cept evo vs Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 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 0 + 5 road tests and 28 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

Winter i*cept evo leads, 73–71 Narrow edge

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Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept evo3 X

Winter

± 6

Tests 72 · 5 tests Owners 67 · 6 reviews

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

Category by category

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

  1. 70

    Dry

    Winter i*cept evo +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 69 (est.)69
    Reviews found online7165

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.8 = 70

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

    No road tests of dry for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Winter i*cept evo3 X +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 74 (est.)81
    Reviews found online7871

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 74.4 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76

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

    No road tests of wet for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 77

    Snow

    Winter i*cept evo3 X +1
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 74 (est.)81
    Reviews found online8273

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77

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

    No road tests of snow for Winter i*cept evo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Winter i*cept evo +13
    58
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7253

    Winter i*cept evo: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.2 = 71

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

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

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    40
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests–23
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

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

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept evo3 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. 70

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept evo +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7265

    Winter i*cept evo: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 70

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

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

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Winter i*cept evo +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Reviews found online7267
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept evoWinter i*cept evo3 X
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests–67
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Winter i*cept evoHankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
Relative Score 73 71
Dry 70 67
Wet 76 77
Snow 77 78
Comfort 71 58
Noise – 40
Treadwear 70 65
Handling (owners) 72 67
Efficiency – 67

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

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

Winter i*cept evo

± 6

Winter i*cept evo3 X

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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 evoWinter i*cept evo3 XΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/9 2013 Auto Bild Sports Winter Tyre Test #7/11 2025 Autobild SUV 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 evo

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and capability in deep snow and ice
  • Favorable price-to-performance/value ratio compared to premium brands
  • Good aquaplaning resistance and handling in heavy rain

Cons

  • Inconsistent or poor wet weather traction reported by some drivers
  • Prone to wheelspin under acceleration in damp or cold conditions
  • Squirmy feel or reduced stability in warmer weather or at high highway speeds
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept evo review

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Winter i*cept evo B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available572
Rim diameters15″ – 18″17″ – 22″
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Winter i*cept evo

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X

Narrow edge: Hankook Winter i*cept evo — better comfort, treadwear and dry. Where the Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i*cept evo scores 71 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Winter i*cept evo scores 70 vs 65 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Winter i*cept evo scores 70 vs 67 on dry.

Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept evo
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Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
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Winter i*cept evo or Winter i*cept evo3 X?

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

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 77 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 70 vs 67 on our dry score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 78 on the snow score, within 3 points.

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

Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 71 vs 58 on our comfort score.

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

Hankook Winter i*cept evo, 70 vs 65 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