Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 74 · 51 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — 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 + 3 road tests and 51 + 28 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Alpin 4 leads, 79–76 Narrow edge
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Tests 71 · 3 tests Owners 89 · 28 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)
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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74
Dry
Pilot Alpin 4 +377Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 3 tests 75 67 Reviews found online 72 92 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 71.9 = 74
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 67.2 + 40% × 91.5 = 77
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85
Wet
Winter i*cept RS2 +184Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 3 tests 89 78 Reviews found online 78 93 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 78.3 = 85
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 93.2 = 84
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77
Snow
Winter i*cept RS2 +176Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 3 tests 81 72 Reviews found online 72 83 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.6 = 77
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 82.7 = 76
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70
Comfort
Pilot Alpin 4 +1181Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 74 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 66 88 Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 66.4 = 70
Pilot Alpin 4: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.5 = 81
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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60
Noise
Pilot Alpin 4 +161Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 2 tests 56 57 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 60
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 56.7 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 61
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4. 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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75
Treadwear
Pilot Alpin 4 +580Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 75 ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 75 89 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 74.9 = 75
Pilot Alpin 4: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Alpin 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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73
Handling (owners)
Pilot Alpin 4 +1891Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Reviews found online 73 91 -
42
Efficiency
Pilot Alpin 4 +2466Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 Pilot Alpin 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 2 tests 42 66
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 | Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 79 |
| Dry | 74 | 77 |
| Wet | 85 | 84 |
| Snow | 77 | 76 |
| Comfort | 70 | 81 |
| Noise | 60 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 73 | 91 |
| Efficiency | 42 | 66 |
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
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Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
76
/ 100
Winter i*cept RS2
79
/ 100
Pilot Alpin 4
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 RS2 | Pilot Alpin 4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% #3/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #15/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 93% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% #2/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 97% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 97% #4/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 97% #7/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 96% #6/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 100% #2/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 94% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 77% #18/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 86% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 84% #11/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 54% #11/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #3/49 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | #6/11 2019 19 Inch Performance 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 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
Tire B Pilot Alpin 4
Pros
- Exceptional grip and handling in snow and ice
- Sporty, responsive handling on dry and wet pavement
- High level of comfort and low road noise for a winter tire
Cons
- Higher price point compared to some competitors
- Above-average noise level reported by a few users due to the aggressive tread pattern
- Slight initial tread squirm when brand new before settling in
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 | B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 37 | — |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 17″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
79
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better efficiency, handling and comfort. Where the Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 66 vs 42 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 91 vs 73 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 81 vs 70 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 80 vs 75 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
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Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Neither, by our numbers: 85 vs 84 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 77 vs 74 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 76 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Neither, by our numbers: 60 vs 61 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 81 vs 70 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 80 vs 75 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Winter i*cept RS2 or Pilot Alpin 4?
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, 66 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