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Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 vs Michelin X-Ice North 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 5 + 13 road tests and 5 + 12 owner reviews. How we score

X-Ice North 4 is ahead, 74–69

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Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Tire AHankook

Winter i*pike RS2

Winter

± 6

Tests 66 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 5 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Michelin X-Ice North 4
Tire BMichelin

X-Ice North 4

Winter

± 5

Tests 74 · 13 tests Owners 75 · 12 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (ice traction)

Category by category

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

Key facts

  • In 5 tests that measured wet handling for both, Winter i*pike RS2 won 5 and X-Ice North 4 won 0 (average 97% vs 96% of the best).
  • In 5 tests that measured ice handling for both, Winter i*pike RS2 won 0 and X-Ice North 4 won 5 (average 94% vs 99% of the best).
  • In 5 tests that measured ice traction for both, Winter i*pike RS2 won 0 and X-Ice North 4 won 5 (average 89% vs 97% of the best).
  • In 5 tests that measured snow handling for both, Winter i*pike RS2 won 1 and X-Ice North 4 won 4 (average 98% vs 99% of the best).
  • In 5 tests that measured snow traction for both, Winter i*pike RS2 won 0 and X-Ice North 4 won 4 (average 97% vs 98% of the best).
  1. 56

    Dry

    X-Ice North 4 +20
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 10 tests4981
    Reviews found online6670
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–391%95%
    Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–353%100%

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.2 + 40% × 65.9 = 56

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 69.8 = 76

  2. 73

    Wet

    Winter i*pike RS2 +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 12 tests7160
    Reviews found online7674
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–098%93%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–186%84%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 5–097%96%

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 75.7 = 73

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 59.6 + 40% × 74 = 65

  3. 76

    Snow

    X-Ice North 4 +7
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 11 tests7687
    Reviews found online7677
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–387%95%
    Ice Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 0–594%99%
    Ice Traction (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 0–589%97%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–297%97%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 1–498%99%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 0–497%98%

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 75.9 + 40% × 76.4 = 76

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 87.1 + 40% × 77.4 = 83

  4. 72

    Comfort

    X-Ice North 4 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests7976
    Reviews found online6874
    Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–080%60%

    Winter i*pike RS2: 40% × 79.3 + 60% × 67.6 = 72

    X-Ice North 4: 40% × 76 + 60% × 74 = 75

  5. 59

    Noise

    X-Ice North 4 +1
    60
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 10 tests5555
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%99%
    Noise (tester's mark) (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–262%79%

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 59

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 55.4 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 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.

  6. 72

    Treadwear

    X-Ice North 4 +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7579

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 72

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 78.8 = 74

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*pike RS2. 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 North 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    X-Ice North 4 +5
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Reviews found online7277
  8. 73

    Efficiency

    Winter i*pike RS2 +13
    60
    Why this score
    SourceWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 7 tests7360
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1100%100%
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%92%
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Winter i*pike RS2Michelin X-Ice North 4
Relative Score 69 74
Dry 56 76
Wet 73 65
Snow 76 83
Comfort 72 75
Noise 59 60
Treadwear 72 74
Handling (owners) 72 77
Efficiency 73 60

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
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Important
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Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Winter i*pike RS2

± 5

X-Ice North 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.

In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin X-Ice North 4 5 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinter i*pike RS2X-Ice North 4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% 95% −4.3 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 53% 100% −46.7 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 98% 93% +4.5 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Braking Wet 86% 84% +1.8 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Handling Wet 97% 96% +1.7 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Ice Braking Snow 87% 95% −8.5 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Ice Handling Snow 94% 99% −4.8 0–5 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Ice Traction Snow 89% 97% −8.5 0–5 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Snow Braking Snow 97% 97% −0.2 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Handling Snow 98% 99% −1.1 1–4 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Snow Traction Snow 97% 98% −1.7 0–4 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 80% 60% +20.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Noise Noise 100% 99% +0.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 62% 79% −16.7 0–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 100% 100% −0.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 98% 92% +6.3 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 67% 46% +20.5 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Overall Ranking Overall #6/8 #2/8 – 0–5 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 Studded Tyre Test · 225/45 R17

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter i*pike RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and braking on snow and ice
  • Strong side grip and predictable cornering limits
  • High durability with secure stud retention over multiple years

Cons

  • Poor steering feedback on dry tarmac
  • Noticeable understeer in dry road conditions
All owner themes in the Winter i*pike RS2 review

Tire B X-Ice North 4

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction on ice and snow
  • Significantly lower road noise compared to competing studded tires
  • Comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Premature stud loss reported by some users over multiple seasons
  • Slightly slippery feel on rain and dry concrete
  • Light studs can struggle to penetrate loose snow sitting on top of hard ice
All owner themes in the X-Ice North 4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2

Michelin X-Ice North 4

Winner: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better dry, snow and comfort. Pick the Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 if efficiency and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 76 vs 56 on dry.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 60 on efficiency.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 83 vs 76 on snow.

Tire A · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
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Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Which is better in the wet, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 76 vs 56 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 83 vs 76 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 59 vs 60 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 75 vs 72 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, Winter i*pike RS2 or X-Ice North 4?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 60 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