Tests 66 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 5 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 vs Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 — 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 + 0 road tests and 5 + 10 owner reviews. How we score
Winter i*pike RS2 is ahead, 69–64
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Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 10 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
56
Dry
Winter Snow Control Series 3 +662Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 49 ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 67 60 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.4 + 40% × 66.5 = 56
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 64.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.5 = 62
No road tests of dry for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
73
Wet
Winter i*pike RS2 +469Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 71 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 76 68 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 75.9 = 73
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 69
No road tests of wet for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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76
Snow
Winter i*pike RS2 +1363Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 76 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 77 58 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 76 + 40% × 76.9 = 76
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 63
No road tests of snow for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
-
73
Comfort
Winter i*pike RS2 +1360Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 81 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 68 55 Winter i*pike RS2: 40% × 80.7 + 60% × 68.2 = 73
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 54.9 = 60
No road tests of comfort for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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59
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 55 – Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) – Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.8 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 59
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*pike 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.
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71
Treadwear
Winter i*pike RS2 +1061Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 75 58 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 71
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 61
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 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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73
Handling (owners)
Winter i*pike RS2 +1261Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Reviews found online 73 61 -
73
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 73 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 | Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 64 |
| Dry | 56 | 62 |
| Wet | 73 | 69 |
| Snow | 76 | 63 |
| Comfort | 73 | 60 |
| Noise | 59 | – |
| Treadwear | 71 | 61 |
| Handling (owners) | 73 | 61 |
| Efficiency | 73 | – |
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
69
/ 100
Winter i*pike RS2
64
/ 100
Winter Snow Control Series 3
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*pike RS2 | Winter Snow Control Series 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/8 2023 Studded Tyre Test | #6/51 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
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
Tire B Winter Snow Control Series 3
Pros
- Superb traction and handling on snow and packed snow
- Very good wet weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- Precise steering feedback and a safe feel during sportive driving
Cons
- Slightly higher noise levels on dry roads compared to some competitors
- Faster or subpar treadwear reported by select users
- Isolated reports of inadequate performance on severe snow or ice
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 | B · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
64
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
Winner: Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 — better snow, comfort and handling. Pick the Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 if dry matters most to you. Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 76 vs 63 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 60 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 73 vs 61 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 71 vs 61 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
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Winter i*pike RS2 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i*pike RS2 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*pike RS2 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3, 62 vs 56 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter i*pike RS2 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 76 vs 63 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i*pike RS2 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 73 vs 60 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i*pike RS2 or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 71 vs 61 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