Bridgestone Blizzak 6 vs Hankook Winter I cept RS3
- TR Score
- 9.4/10
- Owners say
- 88% · 9
- TR Score
- 8.8/10
- Owners say
- 77% · 28
In the 8 independent tests that ran both tires, the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 finished ahead 6 times and the Winter I cept RS3 twice. The Blizzak 6 had 3.9% lower rolling resistance; the Winter I cept RS3 resisted straight aquaplaning at a 5.3% higher speed.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 for a “do-everything” winter tire with consistently shorter wet braking and generally lower rolling resistance-ideal for mixed conditions, lots of rainy commuting, and drivers who care about efficiency. Pick the Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 if your winter is dominated by heavy rain/standing water and you want strong aquaplaning protection and better value (often with strong snow test showings), accepting that braking performance is less consistently class-leading across the shared tests.
Where the Blizzak 6 is stronger
- Consistently strong wet braking across tests (wins 6/8; e.g., 34.6 m vs 37.8 m in the Winter 55 braking test; 54.0 m vs 59.1 m in Auto Bild)
- Very low rolling resistance/efficiency focus (wins 5/6 where measured; e.g., AvD 7.32 vs 8.53 kg/t), supporting lower fuel use
- Confident, precise dry-road handling and steering response noted in multiple reports (often ahead on dry handling metrics)
Where the Winter I cept RS3 is stronger
- Best-in-comparison aquaplaning resistance (wins straight aquaplaning in 6 shared results; curved aquaplaning in 5, often by clear margins)
- Strong value proposition and often higher predicted mileage/running-cost performance (wins value metrics in AvD/Auto Bild; strong wear in AvD and Auto Bild)
- Frequently very competitive on snow in key tests (e.g., Auto Express: best overall on snow disciplines; several snow braking/handling wins)
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Blizzak 6 vs Winter I cept RS3 at a glance
| Category | Blizzak 6 | Gap | Winter I cept RS3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won8 shared tests | 6 | 2 | |
| Dry14 measurements | 10 | The Blizzak 6 averaged a 0.5% higher speed on the dry handling course (3 tests) | 4 |
| Wet31 measurements | 13 | The Winter I cept RS3 resisted straight aquaplaning at a 5.3% higher speed (6 tests) | 17 |
| Snow24 measurements | 9 | The Winter I cept RS3 stopped 1% shorter on snow (8 tests) | 13 |
| Ice1 measurement | 1 | 0 | |
| Comfort10 measurements | 3 | 5 | |
| Value11 measurements | 6 | The Blizzak 6 had 3.9% lower rolling resistance (6 tests) | 4 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 9.4/10 | The Blizzak 6 by 0.6 | 8.8/10 |
| Owner rating9 and 28 reviews | 88% | The Blizzak 6 by 11 points | 77% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 75% | Too close to call | 74% |
| Pricein the 7 tests that listed prices | +20% | The Blizzak 6 was dearer in 6 of 7 | Cheaper |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 193 | 24 sizes made in both | 46 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 8 tests, 2024 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Blizzak 6 | Field | Winter I cept RS3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The BEST Winter Tires for 2026/27 | P5 of 9 | P7 of 9 | |
| 2026 Sport Auto Winter Tire Test | P4 of 9 | P6 of 9 | |
| 2026 AvD Winter Tire Test | P5 of 15 | P7 of 15 | |
| 2026 ADAC Winter Tire Test - 225/50 R17 | P5 of 16 | P6 of 16 | |
| 2026 Auto Express Winter Tire Test | P4 of 11 | P3 of 11 | |
| 2025 AMS Winter Tire Test | P6 of 10 | P4 of 10 | |
| 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P4 of 20 | P6 of 20 | |
| 2024 Winter 55 Tire Braking Test | P1 of 55 | P14 of 55 |
Performance profile
22 measurements from the 8 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Blizzak 6
Winter I cept RS3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 94%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 7 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Blizzak 6
Winter I cept RS3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Blizzak 6
Winter I cept RS3
Not ahead in any category
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Blizzak 6 88% from 9 reviews and the Winter I cept RS3 77% from 28. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Blizzak 6 | Gap | Winter I cept RS3 | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 146 | 0.3% | 146 | 4-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 57.3 | 0.2% | 57.41 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 70.2 | 0.5% | 69.8 | 3-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 0.8% | scored | 2-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 124 | 2.3% | 127 | 6-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 126 | 4.2% | 132 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 98.78 | 0.8% | 99.61 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 44.5 | = | 44.5 | 1-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 7.1% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 17.1 | 0.3% | 17.1 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12.32 | 1.9% | 12.56 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 49.3 | 5.3% | 51.9 | 0-6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 9.7 | 12.3% | 10.8 | 0-5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 75 | 1% | 74 | 2-5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5.7 | 0.9% | 5.64 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 381 | 6.5% | 377 | 3-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 82.83 | 0.7% | 82.27 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 50.2 | = | 50.1 | 1-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 9.1% | scored | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12.8 | 4% | 12.3 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 11.5 | 1.8% | 11.7 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 59 | 3.2% | 61 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 0.6% | scored | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | = | scored | 0-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 68.7 | 0.2 dB | 68.86 | 2-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 27,392 | 2% | 28,059 | 1-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 7.89 | 3.9% | 8.21 | 5-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5.6 | = | 5.6 | 0-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 82 | 12.2% | 72 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Blizzak 6 scores 9.4 and the Winter I cept RS3 8.8 out of 10.
| Blizzak 6 | Category | Winter I cept RS3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | Dry | 60 | ||
| 92 | Wet | 93 | ||
| 49 | Comfort | 36 | ||
| 67 | Value | 52 | ||
| 74 | Snow | 75 | ||
| 61 | Ice | 33 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| Blizzak 6 | Category | Winter I cept RS3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | Dry Grip | 8.5 | ||
| 9.2 | Wet Grip | 8.3 | ||
| 8.7 | Road Feedback | 7.6 | ||
| 8.9 | Handling | 8 | ||
| 8.3 | Wear | 7.6 | ||
| 8.6 | Comfort | 6.7 | ||
| 9.1 | Snow Grip | 9 | ||
| 9.1 | Ice Grip | 7.7 | ||
Owners rate the Blizzak 6 88% from 9 reviews and the Winter I cept RS3 77% from 28. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
- 88%from 9 reviews
- 75%would buy again
- 75,369 milesdriven by reviewers
Drivers report the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 delivers excellent winter performance, with strong grip on snow and ice and confident climbing and cornering in cold, mountain conditions. Multiple reviewers describe it as very stable and among the best winter tires they've used. Overall sentiment is strongly positive across all reviews.
- Strong grip on snow and ice
- Confident traction in cold/mountain conditions
- Stable, secure feel
- High overall satisfaction as a winter tire
Summarised by AI from 5 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 9 Blizzak 6 reviewsI might be one of the first people to buy Bridgestone winter tires and I've never regretted it. I used them for 2 years, and now I'm thinking of switching to all-season tires, so I'll be looking for other options. After 40,000 km, the insides of the rear tires wore out; I think it's related to the alignment and balance, so I'll be replacing them.
Hankook Winter I cept RS3
- 77%from 28 reviews
- 74%would buy again
- 156,320 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners generally rate the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 as a capable winter tire with strong real-world grip, particularly in snow and wet conditions, backed up by solid dry grip and handling for a winter pattern. Around two in five owners specifically praise snow traction and wet grip, and a smaller but meaningful group also mention confident aquaplaning resistance and wet handling. The standout drawback is road noise: nearly two thirds of owners mention it and most of those are unhappy, often describing it as noticeably loud at speed. A smaller group also report softer, less responsive steering feel, with mixed feedback on tread life.
- Strong snow traction and confidence in winter conditions
- Reassuring wet grip
- Very good dry grip for a winter tire
- Secure wet handling
- Noticeably loud road noise, especially at speed
- Steering feels soft / less responsive
- Mixed or disappointing tread life
Summarised by AI from 25 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 28 Winter I cept RS3 reviewsI drove some 13000 km with them, once they got 3 years old dry rot cracks were already visible in the tread area around the tread blocks, my winter tires before them were Continental TS850 replaced at 10 years old, gave them away to my father, they were made in 2012, still no dry rot cracks in them at 14 years old, but they aren't as grippy as my new Hankooks. However, Continental is a premium class, Hankooks are middle and now I can see why.
What I misjudged about Hankooks is noise above some 95 km/h, it's more the engine getting more noisy similar noise to the tires humming excessively, once I distinguished that, I can say these Hankooks aren't noisy at all. However, dry rot at just 3 years old is not what I like, I almost wish I paid 80 euros per tire for premium class instead 60 for these Hankooks, they surely aren't going to last me 10 years due to dry rot. But for now, they do their job well, if you wear out tires within a few years, they are good tires
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tire: 193 sizes of the Blizzak 6 and 46 of the Winter I cept RS3, 24 of them made in both.
| Category | Blizzak 6 | Winter I cept RS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Winter | Winter |
| Sizes made | 193 sizes, 16 to 22 inch | 46 sizes, 14 to 17 inch |
| Made in both | 24 sizes 185/50 R16185/55 R16195/45 R16195/50 R16195/55 R16195/60 R16205/45 R16205/55 R16205/60 R16205/65 R16215/55 R16215/60 R16and 12 more | |
| EU label wet grip | B100% | B100% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C75%B25% | C58%D42% |
| EU label noise | 70-75 dB B87%A13% | 70-72 dB B100% |
| Severe snow (3PMSF) sizes | 275 of 275 | 189 of 189 |
| Replaced | Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 (2019) | Hankook Winter i cept RS2 (2021) |
| Price in the shared tests | The Blizzak 6 was the dearer tire in 6 of the 7 tests that listed prices, by 20% on average. Each test priced the tires in its own market at the time; only the gap is comparable. | |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
Bridgestone's Blizzak 6 and Hankook's Winter i*cept RS3 sit in the same “premium touring winter” space, but the shared tests show they take noticeably different routes to all-round performance. Across eight comparative tests in mainstream sizes (205/55 R16 through 225/50 R17), the Bridgestone tends to score through braking security (especially wet) and efficiency, while the Hankook repeatedly shines when water depth increases and when purchase/running cost matters.
The data also shows why these two get cross-shopped: outright lap-time gaps are often small, yet the pattern is consistent-Blizzak 6 is usually the steadier choice for mixed winter roads and fuel economy, whereas the RS3 is the specialist pick for frequent standing water and strong snow-leaning tests in some sizes, backed by strong value and (often) good predicted mileage. Which one is “better” depends less on a single headline rank and more on whether your winter is mostly wet motorway spray, stop-start urban braking, or properly snowy back roads.
Conclusion
Taken as a whole, the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 comes out ahead on the core safety metric that shows up most consistently across publications: wet braking. It wins wet braking in 6 of the shared tests, including very meaningful gaps in some datasets (e.g., Auto Bild: 54.0 m vs 59.1 m; Winter 55 braking: 34.6 m vs 37.8 m). It also repeatedly posts lower rolling resistance (wins 5/6 where measured, including big spreads such as AvD 7.32 vs 8.53 kg/t), which translates into tangible day-to-day efficiency-one reason it places higher overall more often (e.g., 5th vs 7th in “Best Winter Tires 2026/27”, 4th vs 6th in Sport Auto, 5th vs 7th in AvD, 5th vs 6th in ADAC).
The Hankook Winter i*cept RS3's standout advantage is aquaplaning protection: it wins straight aquaplaning in 6 shared measurements and curved aquaplaning in 5, with some very large margins (e.g., ADAC curved: 3.0 vs 2.5 m/s²; Auto Bild curved: 3.93 vs 3.2 m/s²). That makes it particularly compelling for drivers who routinely face deep standing water, rutted motorways, and heavy rain. It also tends to offer a stronger value proposition-winning the value/running-cost metric in the tests that reported it (AvD and Auto Bild), and it was explicitly noted as a cheaper “good grade” tire in Sport Auto.
The practical takeaway: choose the Blizzak 6 if you prioritize wet stopping distance, balanced winter-road security, and lower energy use; choose the Winter i*cept RS3 if your biggest risk is high-speed water (aquaplaning) and you want strong performance-per-pound-accepting that its braking (especially wet) is more variable across tests and its snow behavior can range from excellent to traction-limited depending on size/vehicle.
Blizzak 6 vs Winter I cept RS3: your questions
Is the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 or the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 the better tire?
In the 8 independent tests that ran both tires, the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 finished ahead 6 times and the Winter I cept RS3 twice. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Blizzak 6 scores 9.4 and the Winter I cept RS3 8.8 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Blizzak 6 or the Winter I cept RS3?
The Winter I cept RS3 led 17 of the 31 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it resisted straight aquaplaning at a 5.3% higher speed across 6 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Blizzak 6 led 10 of the 14 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it averaged a 0.5% higher speed on the dry handling course across 3 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The Winter I cept RS3 led 13 of the 24 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1% shorter on snow across 8 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Blizzak 6 had 3.9% lower rolling resistance (6 tests); the Winter I cept RS3 lasted 2% longer in the wear tests (3 tests). Owners rate wear 8.3/10 for the Blizzak 6 and 7.6/10 for the Winter I cept RS3.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.6/10 for the Blizzak 6 and 6.7/10 for the Winter I cept RS3.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Blizzak 6 88% from 9 reviews and the Winter I cept RS3 77% from 28. 75% of Blizzak 6 owners would buy it again, against 74% for the Winter I cept RS3.
Which is more expensive?
In the 7 tests that listed prices, the Blizzak 6 was the dearer tire in 6 of them, by 20% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Blizzak 6 is made in 193 sizes (16 to 22 inch) and the Winter I cept RS3 in 46 (14 to 17 inch). 24 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Blizzak 6 is graded B for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Winter I cept RS3 B and C.
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Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.
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