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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 vs Pirelli Sottozero Serie II — 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 + 0 road tests and 50 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 77–71

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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)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Winter i*cept RS2 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests75≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7272

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.3 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 85

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +8
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests90≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online7979

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 75.5 (est.) + 40% × 79.4 = 77

    No road tests of wet for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 77

    Snow

    Winter i*cept RS2 +11
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests81≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7164

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 66

    No road tests of snow for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Sottozero Serie II +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6875

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 74.7 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 60

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests56–
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)–

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

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept RS2. 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

    Winter i*cept RS2 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests74≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7671

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

    Sottozero Serie II: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Sottozero Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Sottozero Serie II +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Reviews found online7475
  8. 42

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests42–
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Winter i*cept RS2Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
Relative Score 77 71
Dry 74 71
Wet 85 77
Snow 77 66
Comfort 71 73
Noise 60 –
Treadwear 75 69
Handling (owners) 74 75
Efficiency 42 –

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

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
± 5

Winter i*cept RS2

± 8

Sottozero Serie II

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter i*cept RS2Sottozero Serie IIΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/49 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview #2/9 2012 Auto Bild 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
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept RS2 review

Tire B Sottozero Serie II

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and standing water grip with strong resistance to aquaplaning
  • Surprisingly confident, communicative handling and short braking distances on dry roads
  • High levels of ride comfort and remarkably low road noise, even on low-profile sizes

Cons

  • Subpar traction and grip in deep snow or severe ice according to a minority of reviewers
  • High initial purchase price
  • Soften up and exhibit slightly reduced predictability or increased noise in warmer temperatures above 7°C (45°F)
All owner themes in the Sottozero Serie II review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 B · Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available37—
Rim diameters13″ – 17″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Pirelli Sottozero Serie II

Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better snow, wet and treadwear. Where the Pirelli Sottozero Serie II is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 77 vs 66 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 85 vs 77 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 75 vs 69 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 74 vs 71 on dry.

Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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Tire B · Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
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Winter i*cept RS2 or Sottozero Serie II?

Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept RS2 or Sottozero Serie II?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 85 vs 77 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept RS2 or Sottozero Serie II?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 74 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter i*cept RS2 or Sottozero Serie II?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 77 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept RS2 or Sottozero Serie II?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 73 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept RS2 or Sottozero Serie II?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 69 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