Tests – · none yet Owners 72 · 6 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i*cept RS vs Michelin X Ice Snow — 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 + 13 road tests and 6 + 20 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Winter i*cept RS 71, X Ice Snow 72.
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Tests 70 · 13 tests Owners 78 · 20 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (comfort (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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69
Dry
Winter i*cept RS +267Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 65 Reviews found online 70 71 Winter i*cept RS: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 69.7 = 69
X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67
No road tests of dry for Winter i*cept RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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73
Wet
Winter i*cept RS +271Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests ≈ 72 (est.) 65 Reviews found online 73 79 Winter i*cept RS: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 73
X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.3 = 71
No road tests of wet for Winter i*cept RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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–
Snow
No comparison76Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests – 73 Reviews found online – 81 X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.1 = 76
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70
Comfort
X Ice Snow +1080Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 81 Reviews found online 70 79 Winter i*cept RS: 40% × 69 (est.) + 60% × 70 = 70
X Ice Snow: 40% × 80.8 + 60% × 78.8 = 80
No road tests of comfort for Winter i*cept RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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–
Noise
No comparison75Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests – 80 Reviews found online – ≈ 66 (est.) X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 75
No owner ratings of noise for X Ice Snow. 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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72
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +476Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 75 81 Winter i*cept RS: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.3 = 72
X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76
No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*cept RS. 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 X Ice Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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71
Handling (owners)
X Ice Snow +374Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Reviews found online 71 74 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison77Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests – 77
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i*cept RS | Michelin X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 72 |
| Dry | 69 | 67 |
| Wet | 73 | 71 |
| Snow | – | 76 |
| Comfort | 70 | 80 |
| Noise | – | 75 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 76 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 74 |
| Efficiency | – | 77 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
71
/ 100
Winter i*cept RS
72
/ 100
X Ice Snow
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.
| Discipline | Category | Winter i*cept RS | X Ice Snow | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #10/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview | #7/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs 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 RS
Pros
- Exceptional grip and performance in medium to heavy snow conditions
- Low rolling resistance contributing to great fuel economy
- Durable wear rate given the winter conditions
Cons
- Very soft rubber compound reduces performance and handling on dry, hot roads
- Less suited for extended high-speed motorway driving
Tire B X Ice Snow
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, packed snow, and slush
- High confidence and predictable handling on icy and freezing roads
- Impressive tread wear longevity and minimal wear over multiple seasons
Cons
- Average performance on dry and wet pavement compared to dedicated non-winter tires
- Slightly noisier on dry pavement as the tread wears down
- Can feel slightly twitchy at the limit or less comfortable than older X-Ice generations
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS | B · Michelin X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 17 | 100 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 16″ | 13″ – 21″ |
| Sizes in common | 7 | 7 |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS
72
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
Too close to call: Hankook Winter i*cept RS and Michelin X Ice Snow are within 2 points overall. Michelin X Ice Snow is stronger on comfort and treadwear. Hankook Winter i*cept RS rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 70 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 72 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS
Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
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Winter i*cept RS or X Ice Snow?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept RS or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 71 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept RS or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 67 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept RS or X Ice Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 70 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept RS or X Ice Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 72 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