Winter tire Premium Touring Winter tire Updated September 2026
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 review
The Hankook Winter i cept RS2 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in wet and slushy conditions, offering performance that often rivals premium brands at a significantly lower price point. While most users praise its traction in snow and rain, opinions are polarized regarding cabin noise and ride comfort, with several users noting a firm, sometimes noisy experience at highway speeds.
Relative score
81/100
tests + owners
Owner reviews
80/100
50 reviews
Road tests
83/100
17 published tests
Scores
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
80%
Would buy again
81%
Dry
Wet
Snow & ice
Comfort
Treadwear
Handling
By road tests
82.6%By discipline (% of best in test)
From owners
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 50 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Hankook Winter i cept RS2 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in wet and slushy conditions, offering performance that often rivals premium brands at a significantly lower price point. While most users praise its traction in snow and rain, opinions are polarized regarding cabin noise and ride comfort, with several users noting a firm, sometimes noisy experience at highway speeds.
Pros
- Excellent value for money and competitive pricing
- Strong wet weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
- Impressive tread longevity and durability
- Reliable traction in snow and slush for daily commuting
Cons
- High noise levels, particularly at highway speeds
- Firm, stiff ride quality that transmits road imperfections
- Inconsistent performance on pure black ice
- Occasional reports of sluggish handling or lack of steering feedback
Worth knowing
- Users with smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Ford Fiesta, Dacia Logan) report high satisfaction with general winter traction.
- Some drivers noted that performance and comfort characteristics may vary significantly depending on the specific tire size, with smaller 14-inch sizes receiving fewer noise complaints than larger fitments.
- Drivers of heavier or more powerful vehicles occasionally reported higher fuel consumption and a more noticeable impact on ride harshness.
Test results
17 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2021 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17
3rd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2021 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
6th of 20
Best: Wet Handling · 1st
Weakest: Total Cost of Ownership · 19th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 15th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 8th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 18th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 20 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 20 | |
| Value | 13th of 20 | |
| Price | 11th of 20 | |
| Wear | 14th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 19th of 20 |
2021 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16
3rd of 49
Best: Wet Braking · 2nd
Weakest: Snow Braking · 7th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 49 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 49 |
The Best Winter tires for 2020 · 205/55 R16
13th of 19
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2020 Auto Zeitung Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
4th of 14
Best: Dry Braking · 1st
Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 10th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 14 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 14 | |
| Snow Braking | 4th of 14 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 14 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 10th of 14 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 14 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 3rd of 14 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 4th of 14 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 6th of 14 | |
| Subj. Snow Handling | 7th of 14 |
2020 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
3rd of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2020 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16
4th of 15
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2019 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17
10th of 12
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch tire Test · 225/45 R17
9th of 20
Best: Snow Handling · 1st
Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 18th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 15th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 9th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 8th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 16th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 18th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 12th of 20 | |
| Noise | 18th of 20 | |
| Value | 6th of 20 | |
| Price | 8th of 20 | |
| Wear | 6th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 18th of 20 |
2019 Winter tire Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17
12th of 45
Best: Wet Braking · 12th
Weakest: Snow Braking · 17th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 12th of 45 | |
| Snow Braking | 17th of 45 |
2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter tire Test · 185/65 R15
5th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2018 AMS Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
4th of 11
Best: Snow Handling · 1st
Weakest: Dry Braking · 8th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 4th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 5th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 11 | |
| Noise | 4th of 11 | |
| Price | 5th of 11 |
2018 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
3rd of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15
5th of 20
Best: Dry Handling · 1st
Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 19th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 12th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 8th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 5th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 19th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 9th of 20 | |
| Noise | 17th of 20 | |
| Value | 2nd of 20 | |
| Price | 10th of 20 | |
| Wear | 2nd of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 14th of 20 |
2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
4th of 51
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2017 ADAC SUV Winter tire Test - 215/65 R16
14th of 16
Best: Dry Handling · 1st
Weakest: Straight Aquaplaning · 8th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Handling | 1st of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 1st of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 8th of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 8th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking | 8th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 16 | |
| Side G-Force on Wet surface | 8th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 2nd of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 2nd of 16 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 2nd of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 16 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 7th of 16 | |
| Inside Noise level | 5th of 16 | |
| Wear | 2nd of 16 |
2017 ADAC Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15
6th of 16
Best: Ice Braking · 3rd
Weakest: Inside Noise level · 8th
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Handling | 4th of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 4th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 6th of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 6th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking | 6th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 16 | |
| Side G-Force on Wet surface | 6th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 7th of 16 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 16 | |
| Inside Noise level | 8th of 16 | |
| Wear | 3rd of 16 |
Head-to-head