Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 vs Hankook Winter i*cept evo — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Wet
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 92 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 79 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | – |
Snow
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 94 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 98 | 100 |
| SimpleTire owners | 99 | – |
Comfort
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 79 |
| SimpleTire owners | 92 | – |
Noise
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
Treadwear
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 86 | – |
Handling
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 72 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 | Hankook Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 88 | 81 |
| Dry | 90 | 80 |
| Wet | 90 | 79 |
| Snow | 99 | 100 |
| Comfort | 90 | 79 |
| Noise | 88 | – |
| Treadwear | 82 | 80 |
| Handling | 80 | 72 |
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.
Tire A
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 is widely regarded as a premier dedicated winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction and braking performance on snow and ice. While users acknowledge that the soft rubber compound leads to faster tread wear if used in warmer temperatures, the consensus is that the safety and handling benefits in harsh winter conditions far outweigh these longevity concerns.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and braking performance on snow and ice
- High level of driver confidence in severe winter weather
- Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Significant improvement over all-season tires for winter handling
Cons
- Faster tread wear compared to all-season tires
- Performance degrades if left on the vehicle during warmer spring/summer months
- Potential for reduced wet-weather grip as the tire wears down
Observations
- Users report excellent performance across a variety of vehicle types, including heavy SUVs like the BMW X5 and VW Touareg, as well as light trucks like the Ford F-150.
- Owners of hybrid vehicles noted that the tire's soft compound may wear more quickly under the specific torque characteristics of their vehicles.
- Some users successfully utilize oversized tire diameters for increased ground clearance in deep snow without sacrificing ride quality.
The Hankook Winter i cept evo is a polarizing winter tire that receives high praise for its exceptional snow and ice traction, particularly on heavier or AWD vehicles. However, user experiences regarding wet-weather grip and high-speed stability are inconsistent, with some drivers reporting significant issues with wheelspin and braking confidence in damp or wet conditions.
Pros
- Outstanding traction and confidence in deep snow and on icy inclines
- Excellent value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
- Strong resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain
- Good tread wear longevity for many users
Cons
- Inconsistent wet-weather grip leading to reports of wheelspin and ABS activation
- Lack of high-speed stability and precision on certain vehicle chassis
- Increased noise levels and reduced comfort compared to summer tires
- Performance degradation in warmer temperatures (squirmy handling)
Observations
- AWD and heavier vehicles (e.g., VW Touareg, Land Rover Discovery) report superior snow performance, often outperforming expectations.
- Users with high-torque FWD or RWD vehicles (e.g., BMW 1-series, tuned hatchbacks) frequently report issues with wheelspin and lack of wet-weather traction.
- Downsizing wheel diameter (e.g., moving from 17-inch to 16-inch) was noted to significantly improve snow and ice performance on some vehicles.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 | B · Hankook Winter i*cept evo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring Winter tire | Ultra High Performance Winter tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 48 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 13/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
Bridgestone
Hankook
Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better wet, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 90 vs 79 on wet.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 90 vs 79 on comfort.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 90 vs 80 on dry.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 80 vs 72 on handling.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.