Tests 75 · 16 tests Owners 74 · 22 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test (curved aquaplaning)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 vs Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Winter i cept evo3 is ahead, 74–69
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Tests 72 · 5 tests Owners 67 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 11 in 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
Winter i cept evo3 +768Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Professional tests (TWG score) 75 69 Reviews found online 73 65 Dry Braking (% of best) 95% 91% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 100% -
86
Wet
Winter i cept evo3 +1076Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Professional tests (TWG score) 91 80 Reviews found online 78 71 Wet Braking (% of best) 100% 95% Wet Circle (% of best) 100% 96% Wet Handling (% of best) 97% 99% -
78
Snow
Winter i cept evo3 +276Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Professional tests (TWG score) 80 81 Reviews found online 75 69 Snow Braking (% of best) 94% 95% Snow Handling (% of best) 100% 99% Snow Slalom (% of best) 82% 97% Snow Traction (% of best) 95% 96% -
68
Comfort
Winter i cept evo3 +563Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Professional tests (TWG score) 70 – Reviews found online 64 56 -
33
Noise
Winter i*cept evo3 X +841Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Professional tests (TWG score) 10 25 -
74
Treadwear
Winter i cept evo3 +965Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Professional tests (TWG score) 75 – Reviews found online 73 65 -
72
Handling
Winter i cept evo3 +666Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 Winter i*cept evo3 X Reviews found online 72 66
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i cept evo3 | Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 69 |
| Dry | 75 | 68 |
| Wet | 86 | 76 |
| Snow | 78 | 76 |
| Comfort | 68 | 63 |
| Noise | 33 | 41 |
| Treadwear | 74 | 65 |
| Handling | 72 | 66 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Winter i cept evo3
69
/ 100
Winter i*cept evo3 X
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Winter i cept evo3 | Winter i*cept evo3 X | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curved Aquaplaning | Curved | 100% #1/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | 89% #4/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +11.0 | Different tests |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% #7/10 · 2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test | 91% #7/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +3.4 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #6/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 100% #3/10 · 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test | −0.1 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 91% #7/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 76% #10/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +14.3 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 96% #18/20 · 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #10/10 · 2023 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −0.7 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 63% #4/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 93% #2/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | −30.6 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 25% #4/6 · 2025 High Performance Winter Tyre Test | 11% #9/10 · 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +13.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 94% #7/10 · 2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test | 95% #5/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −1.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 99% #6/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +1.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Slalom | Snow | 82% #6/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | 97% #3/10 · 2023 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −15.5 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #4/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 96% #4/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −0.7 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 100% #1/20 · 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #5/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +4.5 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% #1/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 95% #2/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +5.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 100% #1/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +4.4 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 97% #6/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −2.2 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter i cept evo3
Pros
- Exceptional wet grip and outstanding aquaplaning resistance
- Outstanding snow and ice traction providing high confidence in winter storms
- Great value for money compared to Tier-1 brands like Michelin or Goodyear
Cons
- Slightly increased noise levels or humming compared to summer tires
- Mixed feedback on ride comfort, with some finding them stiffer
- Longer braking distances reported by a few users in specific conditions
Tire B Winter i*cept evo3 X
Pros
- Outstanding traction and braking performance in various snow conditions (fresh, compact, and heavy wet snow)
- Superior wet and dry grip in low temperatures (below 4°C)
- Cost-effective alternative compared to other premium brand winter tires
Cons
- Significantly high levels of tire noise
- Stiff and uncomfortable ride quality
- Becomes overly soft and less composed on dry roads when temperatures exceed 13°C
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i cept evo3 | B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 86 | 72 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 17″ – 22″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
69
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
Winner: Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — better wet, treadwear and dry. Pick the Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 86 vs 76 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 74 vs 65 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X scores 41 vs 33 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 75 vs 68 on dry.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i cept evo3
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.