Tests 67 · 1 test Owners 66 · 1 review
Best test result: #2 of 8 in 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test (fuel consumption)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X vs Pirelli Ice Friction — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ice Friction is ahead, 77–67
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Tests 75 · 3 tests Owners 82 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 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.
-
71
Dry
Ice Friction +1081Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) 74 81 Reviews found online 65 83 Dry Braking (% of best) 97% 100% -
63
Wet
Ice Friction +1174Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) 59 68 Reviews found online 69 83 Wet Braking (% of best) 88% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) 96% 99% -
67
Snow
Ice Friction +1279Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) 68 79 Reviews found online 66 80 Snow Handling (% of best) 98% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) 99% 100% -
67
Comfort
Ice Friction +1885Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) – 88 Reviews found online 65 81 -
67
Noise
Winter i cept IZ3 X +661Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) 67 58 -
65
Treadwear
Ice Friction +974Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Reviews found online 65 80 -
66
Handling
Ice Friction +1985Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Reviews found online 66 85
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X | Pirelli Ice Friction |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 77 |
| Dry | 71 | 81 |
| Wet | 63 | 74 |
| Snow | 67 | 79 |
| Comfort | 67 | 85 |
| Noise | 67 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 74 |
| Handling | 66 | 85 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
67
/ 100
Winter i cept IZ3 X
77
/ 100
Ice Friction
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 IZ3 X | Ice Friction | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 97% #4/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −3.3 | Same test |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 99% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 98% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | +1.5 | Same test |
| Ice Handling | Ice | 91% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 96% #3/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −4.9 | Same test |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 92% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 96% #5/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −4.4 | Same test |
| Noise | Other | 99% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 98% #8/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | +1.0 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 14% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 13% #8/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | +1.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% #7/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −1.7 | Same test |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 99% #5/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −0.5 | Same test |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 94% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 80% #8/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | +13.4 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 80% #4/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −20.0 | Same test |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 95% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −7.1 | Same test |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% #6/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/8 · 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test | −3.4 | Same test |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter i cept IZ3 X
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B Ice Friction
Pros
- Exceptional traction and predictable handling on snow and ice
- High level of steering feedback and control during slides
- Impressively quiet and smooth ride quality
Cons
- Ice grip, while excellent for a studless tire, does not fully match the absolute performance of dedicated studded tires
- Limited long-term data available regarding tread wear rates
- Higher price point compared to budget-tier winter tire options
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X | B · Pirelli Ice Friction |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | — | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 28 | 51 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 21″ | 15″ – 20″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
67
/ 100
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
77
/ 100
Pirelli Ice Friction
Winner: Pirelli Ice Friction — better handling, comfort and snow. Pick the Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 85 vs 66 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 85 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 79 vs 67 on snow.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 74 vs 63 on wet.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
Tire B · Pirelli Ice Friction
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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.