Tests 67 · 1 test Owners 70 · 2 reviews
Best test result: #4 of 8 in 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X vs Pirelli Ice Friction — 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 + 3 road tests and 2 + 4 owner reviews. How we score
Ice Friction is ahead, 79–68
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Tests 76 · 3 tests Owners 85 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (snow handling (tester's mark))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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72
Dry
Ice Friction +1183Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 74 81 Reviews found online 70 85 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 97% 100% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 100% Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 69.5 = 72
Ice Friction: 60% × 81 + 40% × 85 = 83
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65
Wet
Ice Friction +1176Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests 60 70 Reviews found online 74 86 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 100% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 88% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 99% Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 59.6 + 40% × 74.1 = 65
Ice Friction: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 86.2 = 76
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69
Snow
Ice Friction +1281Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 67 79 Reviews found online 71 82 Ice Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 91% 96% Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 92% 96% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 98% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 100% 100% Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 67.4 + 40% × 71.4 = 69
Ice Friction: 60% × 79.5 + 40% × 82.4 = 81
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69
Comfort
Ice Friction +1584Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 86 Reviews found online 69 83 Winter i cept IZ3 X: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 69.4 = 69
Ice Friction: 40% × 86.1 + 60% × 82.6 = 84
No road tests of comfort for Winter i cept IZ3 X. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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67
Noise
Winter i cept IZ3 X +661Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 67 57 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 98% Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 67 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 67
Ice Friction: 60% × 57.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 61
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction. 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.
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67
Treadwear
Ice Friction +1178Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 67 85 Winter i cept IZ3 X: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 67.2 = 67
Ice Friction: 60% × 73.1 (est.) + 40% × 84.8 = 78
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).
No road tests of treadwear for Ice Friction. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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70
Handling (owners)
Ice Friction +1787Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Reviews found online 70 87 -
75
Efficiency
Winter i cept IZ3 X +1263Why this score
Source Winter i cept IZ3 X Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 75 63 Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 98%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X | Pirelli Ice Friction |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 79 |
| Dry | 72 | 83 |
| Wet | 65 | 76 |
| Snow | 69 | 81 |
| Comfort | 69 | 84 |
| Noise | 67 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 78 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 87 |
| Efficiency | 75 | 63 |
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
68
/ 100
Winter i cept IZ3 X
79
/ 100
Ice Friction
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 1 tests that ran both, Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X finished ahead 0 times and Pirelli Ice Friction 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Winter i cept IZ3 X | Ice Friction | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 97% | 100% | −3.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% | 100% | −20.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 94% | 100% | −6.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% | 95% | −7.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 99% | −3.4 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 91% | 96% | −4.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 92% | 96% | −4.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% | 100% | −1.7 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% | 100% | −0.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Noise | Noise | 99% | 98% | +1.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 99% | 98% | +1.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/8 | #2/8 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
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″ |
| Sizes in common | 22 | 22 |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
79
/ 100
Pirelli Ice Friction
Winner: Pirelli Ice Friction — better handling, comfort and snow. Pick the Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X if efficiency and noise matter most to you. 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 enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 87 vs 70 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 84 vs 69 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want lower fuel or energy use
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X scores 75 vs 63 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 81 vs 69 on snow.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X
Tire B · Pirelli Ice Friction
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Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 76 vs 65 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 83 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 81 vs 69 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X, 67 vs 61 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 84 vs 69 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 78 vs 67 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Winter i cept IZ3 X or Ice Friction?
Hankook Winter i cept IZ3 X, 75 vs 63 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