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Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV vs Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — 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 1 + 10 road tests and 1 + 68 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sottozero 3 leads, 73–70 Narrow edge

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Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV
Tire AHankook

Winter i cept evo2 SUV

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 68 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test (noise)

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Tire BPirelli

Winter Sottozero 3

Winter

± 6

Tests 67 · 10 tests Owners 80 · 68 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch 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. 69

    Dry

    Winter Sottozero 3 +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests6973
    Reviews found online6982
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–194%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%98%
    Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–080%80%

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV: 60% × 68.6 + 40% × 68.7 = 69

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 81.7 = 76

  2. 70

    Wet

    Winter Sottozero 3 +13
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests7180
    Reviews found online6987
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–087%86%
    Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–160%70%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–093%91%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–096%96%

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 68.7 = 70

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 80.4 + 40% × 86.5 = 83

  3. 73

    Snow

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests7456
    Reviews found online7179
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–097%92%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%97%
    Snow Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–090%80%

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV: 60% × 73.7 + 40% × 71 = 73

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 56.5 + 40% × 78.8 = 65

  4. 67

    Comfort

    Winter Sottozero 3 +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7272
    Reviews found online6475
    Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–090%90%

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 64.2 = 67

    Winter Sottozero 3: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 74.5 = 74

  5. 69

    Noise

    Winter Sottozero 3 +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests7164
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)82
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%97%

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i cept evo2 SUV. 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. 67

    Treadwear

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV +3
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)57
    Reviews found online6775

    Winter i cept evo2 SUV: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 66.8 = 67

    Winter Sottozero 3: 60% × 57.1 + 40% × 74.6 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter i cept evo2 SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sottozero 3 +15
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Reviews found online6782
  8. 61

    Efficiency

    Winter Sottozero 3 +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 7 tests6176
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–182%86%
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Winter i cept evo2 SUVPirelli Winter Sottozero 3
Relative Score 70 73
Dry 69 76
Wet 70 83
Snow 73 65
Comfort 67 74
Noise 69 71
Treadwear 67 64
Handling (owners) 67 82
Efficiency 61 76

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
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Winter i cept evo2 SUV

± 6

Winter Sottozero 3

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.

In the overall rankings of 2 tests that ran both, Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV finished ahead 1 times and Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinter i cept evo2 SUVWinter Sottozero 3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 94% 98% −4.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Dry Handling Dry 100% 98% +2.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 80% 80% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 87% 86% +1.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Wet Braking Wet 93% 91% +2.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Wet Handling Wet 96% 96% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 60% 70% −10.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Snow Braking Snow 97% 92% +5.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Snow Handling Snow 100% 97% +3.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 90% 80% +10.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 90% 90% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Noise Noise 100% 97% +3.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 82% 86% −4.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 63% 54% +9.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Overall Ranking Overall #6/11 #9/11 – 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test · 215/55 R17

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter i cept evo2 SUV

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Winter Sottozero 3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and resistance to hydroplaning.
  • Strong dry-road handling and steering precision for a winter tire.
  • Excellent traction and stability in snow and slush.

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, particularly if driven in temperatures above 15°C or year-round.
  • Susceptibility to sidewall damage and bubbling when encountering road hazards.
  • Increased noise levels as the tire ages and tread depth decreases.
All owner themes in the Winter Sottozero 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4498
Rim diameters15″ – 23″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi
Sizes in common1111

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

Narrow edge: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 — better handling, efficiency and wet. Pick the Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV if snow and treadwear matter most to you. Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 82 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 76 vs 61 on efficiency.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 scores 83 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV scores 73 vs 65 on snow.

Tire A · Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
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Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Which is better in the wet, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 83 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV, 73 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 71 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 74 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Hankook Winter i cept evo2 SUV, 67 vs 64 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Winter i cept evo2 SUV or Winter Sottozero 3?

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, 76 vs 61 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