83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
89/100
24 professional tests
User signal (40%)
84/100
43 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 vs Hankook Winter i*cept RS — Compared (September 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.
VS
82
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
6 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Dunlop Winter Sport 5 and Hankook Winter i*cept RS are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Winter Sport 5 is stronger on comfort and wet. Hankook Winter i*cept RS is stronger on treadwear.
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Category breakdown
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
Score (0–100)
Winter Sport 5 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 81 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 80 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winter Sport 5 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 79 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 77 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 80 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 91 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Winter Sport 5 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 82 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Winter i*cept RS leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 90 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Winter Sport 5 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Winter Sport 5 | Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 77 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Winter Sport 5 | Hankook Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 82 |
| Dry | 82 | 80 |
| Wet | 81 | 77 |
| Snow | 84 | – |
| Comfort | 87 | 82 |
| Noise | 78 | – |
| Treadwear | 87 | 90 |
| Handling | 79 | 77 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
83
/ 100
Tire A
82
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Dunlop Winter Sport 5 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction and confidence-inspiring performance in deep snow, ice, and slush. While it excels in cold-weather environments, some users note that its soft sidewall construction can lead to a 'mushy' steering feel and reduced stability on dry pavement when temperatures rise above 10°C.
Pros
- Outstanding traction and braking performance on snow and ice
- Excellent longevity and slow tread wear
- High level of ride comfort and low road noise
- Strong resistance to hydroplaning in heavy rain and slush
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can cause unstable handling or 'squirming' in dry, warmer conditions
- Lack of effective rim protection despite marketing claims
- Steering response can feel lazy or imprecise on certain vehicle setups
- Performance noticeably degrades when ambient temperatures exceed 10-12°C
Observations
- Users with high-torque vehicles (e.g., Tesla Model 3, performance-oriented cars) reported that the tire can feel nervous or lack precision during hard acceleration.
- Drivers of heavier vehicles or those using wider tire formats noted that maintaining higher inflation pressures is often necessary to mitigate soft sidewall flex and improve steering feedback.
- The tire is highly regarded for AWD vehicles (e.g., Subaru Forester, Skoda Yeti), where it effectively complements the drivetrain's capability in deep snow.
The Hankook Winter i cept RS is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in snow and cold weather conditions. Users consistently praise its affordability and impressive traction, though it is noted to be less suited for high-speed motorway driving or warm, dry pavement.
Pros
- Exceptional traction and confidence in snowy conditions
- High value-for-money proposition
- Low rolling resistance contributing to improved fuel efficiency
- Durable tread life even with spirited driving
Cons
- Not optimized for high-speed motorway performance
- Soft compound feels unstable on dry, warm road surfaces
- Limited performance in non-winter conditions
Observations
- Users driving compact hatchbacks like the Alfa 147 and Fiat Grande Punto report excellent fuel economy gains compared to summer tires.
- The tire is highly recommended for rural or out-of-town commuters who encounter frequent snow rather than long-distance highway drivers.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Winter Sport 5 | B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Ultra High Performance tires | Premium Touring Winter tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Dunlop
82
/ 100
Hankook
Too close to call: Dunlop Winter Sport 5 and Hankook Winter i*cept RS are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Winter Sport 5 is stronger on comfort and wet. Hankook Winter i*cept RS is stronger on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 87 vs 82 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 81 vs 77 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i*cept RS scores 90 vs 87 on treadwear.
Tire A · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 also compared with
Hankook Winter i*cept RS also compared with
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.