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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 vs BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 — 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 7 + 18 road tests and 50 + 30 owner reviews. How we score

g-Force Winter 2 is ahead, 81–76

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Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Tire AHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

± 5

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 74 · 50 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2
Tire BBFGoodrich

g-Force Winter 2

Winter

± 4

Tests 79 · 18 tests Owners 84 · 30 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 31 in 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test (snow braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

Key facts

  • In 4 tests that measured wet braking for both, Winter i*cept RS2 won 2 and g-Force Winter 2 won 0 (average 94% vs 91% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured snow braking for both, Winter i*cept RS2 won 0 and g-Force Winter 2 won 4 (average 97% vs 99% of the best).
  1. 74

    Dry

    Winter i*cept RS2 +4
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 11 tests7563
    Reviews found online7281
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–098%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–098%98%

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72.4 = 74

    g-Force Winter 2: 60% × 63.5 + 40% × 80.8 = 70

  2. 85

    Wet

    g-Force Winter 2 +2
    87
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 18 tests9086
    Reviews found online7989
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–195%98%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 2–094%91%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–198%97%

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.8 + 40% × 78.5 = 85

    g-Force Winter 2: 60% × 85.7 + 40% × 88.7 = 87

  3. 77

    Snow

    g-Force Winter 2 +12
    89
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 18 tests8194
    Reviews found online7182
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 0–497%99%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0100%99%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–097%96%

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.4 = 77

    g-Force Winter 2: 60% × 94.1 + 40% × 82.4 = 89

  4. 71

    Comfort

    g-Force Winter 2 +9
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7570
    Reviews found online6886

    Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 75.2 + 60% × 67.7 = 71

    g-Force Winter 2: 40% × 70.2 + 60% × 85.7 = 80

  5. 60

    Noise

    g-Force Winter 2 +17
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 11 tests5683
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–196%98%

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 60

    g-Force Winter 2: 60% × 83.3 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 77

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    g-Force Winter 2 +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 9 tests7472
    Reviews found online7682
    Wear (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–177%78%

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 75.8 = 75

    g-Force Winter 2: 60% × 71.8 + 40% × 81.6 = 76

  7. 74

    Handling (owners)

    g-Force Winter 2 +11
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Reviews found online7485
  8. 42

    Efficiency

    g-Force Winter 2 +19
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 11 tests4261
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–278%81%
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Winter i*cept RS2BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2
Relative Score 76 81
Dry 74 70
Wet 85 87
Snow 77 89
Comfort 71 80
Noise 60 77
Treadwear 75 76
Handling (owners) 74 85
Efficiency 42 61

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
± 5

Winter i*cept RS2

± 4

g-Force Winter 2

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 6 tests that ran both, Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 finished ahead 2 times and BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 4 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinter i*cept RS2g-Force Winter 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% 96% +2.5 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Dry Handling Dry 98% 98% +0.7 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% 98% −2.6 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Braking Wet 94% 91% +3.0 2–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview · 205/55 R16
Wet Handling Wet 98% 97% +0.6 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Braking Snow 97% 99% −1.9 0–4 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview · 205/55 R16
Snow Handling Snow 100% 99% +0.9 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Traction Snow 97% 96% +1.5 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Noise Noise 96% 98% −1.6 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wear Treadwear 77% 78% −0.7 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 78% 81% −2.6 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 80% 78% +2.3 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #19/20 #18/20 – 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Value Cost 78% 77% +1.5 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Overall Ranking Overall #3/49 #7/49 – 2–4 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview · 205/55 R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter i*cept RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling on wet and dry roads
  • Impressive resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain or standing water
  • Strong value for money with a competitive price point

Cons

  • Higher than average road noise, especially at highway speeds
  • Firm, stiff sidewalls leading to a less comfortable or harsh ride
  • Subpar performance and unpredictable grip on ice and black ice
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept RS2 review

Tire B g-Force Winter 2

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip in deep snow and on ice
  • Strong performance in wet conditions with effective water evacuation
  • High value-for-money ratio compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Lack of on-center steering feel and responsiveness
  • Mediocre handling and grip during dry-road driving
  • Increased noise levels on certain road surfaces
All owner themes in the g-Force Winter 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 B · BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3775
Rim diameters13″ – 17″14″ – 20″
Sizes in common2424

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2

Winner: BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 — better efficiency, noise and snow. Pick the Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 scores 61 vs 42 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 scores 77 vs 60 on noise.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 scores 89 vs 77 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2 scores 85 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is dry braking

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 won 2 of 2 shared dry braking tests.

Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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Tire B · BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2
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Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 85 vs 87 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 74 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2, 89 vs 77 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2, 77 vs 60 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2, 80 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 76 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, Winter i*cept RS2 or g-Force Winter 2?

BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2, 61 vs 42 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