Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 vs Hankook Winter I cept RS3
- TR Score
- 8.9/10
- Owners say
- 72% · 117
- TR Score
- 8.8/10
- Owners say
- 77% · 28
The Blizzak LM005 and the Winter I cept RS3 have met in 6 independent tests and the record is level at 3-3. The Blizzak LM005 stopped 4.5% shorter in the wet; the Winter I cept RS3 lasted 14.5% longer in the wear tests.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 if wet braking and wet handling are your priorities. Pick the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 if you put more weight on snow handling, straight-line aquaplaning resistance and projected tread life.
Where the Blizzak LM005 is stronger
- Shorter wet braking in five of six shared tests
- Consistently strong wet handling and curved aquaplaning results
- Lower rolling resistance in all three tests that measured it
Where the Winter I cept RS3 is stronger
- Quicker snow handling in all three shared measurements
- Longer projected life and lower abrasion in all three ADAC tests
- Better straight-line aquaplaning resistance in four of six tests
Conclusion
Wet braking is the strongest case for the Bridgestone. It stopped shorter in five of the six shared tests, by about 9% in Auto Zeitung's 2024 test and nearly 10% in ADAC's 2026 test. The 2023 ADAC 17-inch result is an unusual reversal: there, Hankook stopped about 7% shorter, despite Bridgestone receiving the test's best overall wet-road assessment. Bridgestone was also quicker in every shared wet-handling measurement and had a repeated advantage in curved aquaplaning. Hankook is no poor wet tire, though: ADAC praised its secure wet handling in 2026, and it resisted straight-line aquaplaning better in four of the six tests.
On snow, braking does not separate them reliably. They were equal in Auto Zeitung's 2024 test and ADAC's 2026 test, while the other results went both ways. Hankook's snow-handling results are more consistent: it was quicker in all three tests that measured the discipline, and Tire Reviews preferred its predictable handling in 2022/23. Hankook also stopped shorter on ice in both 2023 ADAC tests; the tires were level on ice braking in 2026. Dry braking usually favored Bridgestone, although Hankook reversed that result in the Tire Reviews test. Neither has uniformly convincing dry-road steering, according to the ADAC notes.
The ownership measures favor Hankook more clearly. ADAC projected longer tread life and measured less abrasion for it in both 2023 tests and again in 2026. Auto Bild's 2022 wear result narrowly favored Bridgestone, so that particular result does not match the later ADAC pattern. Bridgestone recorded lower rolling resistance in all three tests that measured it, while its fuel-consumption advantage in ADAC's 2026 test was modest. Choose Bridgestone if wet braking and wet-road control matter most. Choose Hankook if snow handling, straight-line aquaplaning resistance and longer projected life carry more weight.
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 LM005 vs Winter I cept RS3 at a glance
| Category | Blizzak LM005 | Gap | Winter I cept RS3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won6 shared tests | 3 | 3 | |
| Dry10 measurements | 8 | The Blizzak LM005 stopped 1% shorter in the dry (6 tests) | 2 |
| Wet25 measurements | 20 | The Blizzak LM005 stopped 4.5% shorter in the wet (6 tests) | 5 |
| Snow18 measurements | 7 | The Winter I cept RS3 lapped the snow handling course 1.3% faster (2 tests) | 9 |
| Ice3 measurements | 0 | The Winter I cept RS3 stopped 4.6% shorter on ice (3 tests) | 2 |
| Comfort7 measurements | 3 | Level between the two. | 3 |
| Value13 measurements | 6 | Level between the two. | 6 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 8.9/10 | The Blizzak LM005 by 0.1 | 8.8/10 |
| Owner rating117 and 28 reviews | 72% | The Winter I cept RS3 by 5 points | 77% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 56% | The Winter I cept RS3 by 18 points | 74% |
| Pricein the 5 tests that listed prices | +18.3% | The Blizzak LM005 was dearer in 5 of 5 | Cheaper |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 165 | 38 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 6 tests, 2022 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 LM005 | Field | Winter I cept RS3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ADAC Winter Tire Test - 185/65 R15 | P8 of 16 | P3 of 16 | |
| 2024 All Season and Winter Tire Test | P1 of 10 | P5 of 10 | |
| 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tire Test | P6 of 16 | P5 of 16 | |
| 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tire Test | P15 of 15 | P7 of 15 | |
| 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P6 of 20 | P7 of 20 | |
| 2022/23 Tire Reviews Winter Tire Test | P1 of 9 | P3 of 9 |
Performance profile
17 measurements from the 6 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Blizzak LM005
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 92%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 10 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Blizzak LM005
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 LM005
Winter I cept RS3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Blizzak LM005 72% from 117 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 LM005 | Gap | Winter I cept RS3 | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142 | 1% | 144 | 5-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 76.8 | 0.2% | 76.65 | 1-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 76.7 | 0.4% | 76.4 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 5.9% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 127 | 4.5% | 134 | 5-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 120 | 7.1% | 129 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 91.75 | 2% | 93.65 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 45.2 | 1% | 44.7 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 17.6% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12.1 | 3.4% | 12.53 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 51.4 | 2.1% | 52.4 | 2-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 14.1 | 5.9% | 13.3 | 5-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 58 | 0.6% | 59 | 2-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5.1 | 3.9% | 4.9 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 408 | 0.1% | 403 | 4-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 91.35 | 1.3% | 89.95 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 33.1 | 2.3% | 33.8 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 11.1% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 15.1 | 0.7% | 15 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12.1 | 2.4% | 12.4 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 71 | 4.6% | 68 | 0-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 11.1% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 72.05 | 0.4 dB | 71.67 | 2-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 19,373 | 14.5% | 22,150 | 1-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 7.97 | 7.9% | 8.66 | 3-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5.63 | 1.7% | 5.73 | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 99.5 | 20.3% | 79.03 | 0-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 LM005 scores 8.9 and the Winter I cept RS3 8.8 out of 10.
| Blizzak LM005 | Category | Winter I cept RS3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | Dry | 60 | ||
| 99 | Wet | 93 | ||
| 64 | Comfort | 36 | ||
| 43 | Value | 52 | ||
| 66 | Snow | 75 | ||
| 13 | 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 LM005 | Category | Winter I cept RS3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | Dry Grip | 8.5 | ||
| 8.3 | Wet Grip | 8.3 | ||
| 7.5 | Road Feedback | 7.6 | ||
| 7.3 | Handling | 8 | ||
| 5.9 | Wear | 7.6 | ||
| 7.4 | Comfort | 6.7 | ||
| 7.3 | Snow Grip | 9 | ||
| 6.2 | Ice Grip | 7.7 | ||
Owners rate the Blizzak LM005 72% from 117 reviews and the Winter I cept RS3 77% from 28. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- 72%from 117 reviews
- 56%would buy again
- 1,196,613 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners most consistently praise the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 for strong wet-road performance, with around half highlighting secure wet grip and only a handful disagreeing. Dry grip is also commonly rated better than expected for a winter tire, while opinion on snow traction is far more mixed, splitting owners almost evenly depending on conditions and expectations. The biggest drawback is durability: around two in five owners report fast wear (often with performance dropping as the tire ages), and roughly three in ten mention noticeable road noise, with a smaller group also finding it weak on ice.
- Very strong wet grip and confidence in heavy rain
- Impressive dry grip for a winter tire
- Comfortable, compliant ride
- Secure and predictable wet handling
- Fast tread wear and short overall life
- Grip drops off noticeably as the tire wears
- Uneven/abnormal wear reported by some owners
Summarised by AI from 102 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 117 Blizzak LM005 reviewsOverall very good tires for snow. I have a heavy vehicle with big tires (20 inch on sedan). Very good snow and ice grip. However they are quite noisy in the cabin despite BMW insulation.
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: 165 sizes of the Blizzak LM005 and 46 of the Winter I cept RS3, 38 of them made in both.
| Category | Blizzak LM005 | Winter I cept RS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Winter | Winter |
| Sizes made | 165 sizes, 14 to 22 inch | 46 sizes, 14 to 17 inch |
| Made in both | 38 sizes 165/65 R14165/70 R14175/65 R14175/70 R14185/60 R14185/65 R14165/60 R15165/65 R15175/65 R15185/55 R15185/60 R15185/65 R15and 26 more | |
| EU label wet grip | A88%B12% | B100% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C80%B19%D1% | C58%D42% |
| EU label noise | 70-75 dB B99%A1% | 70-72 dB B100% |
| Severe snow (3PMSF) sizes | 360 of 360 | 189 of 189 |
| On the market since | 2019 | - |
| Replaced | Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 EVO (2017) | Hankook Winter i cept RS2 (2021) |
| Replaced by | Bridgestone Blizzak 6 | - |
| Awards | Commended: Best Winter SUV Tires (DriverReviews, 2024/25) Winner: Winter Tire of the Year (WhatTire, 2023) Winner: Winter Tire of the Year (WhatTire, 2022) Winner: Winter Tire of the Year (WhatTire, 2021) | - |
| Price in the shared tests | The Blizzak LM005 was the dearer tire in 5 of the 5 tests that listed prices, by 18.3% 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.
Six independent tests put the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 and Hankook Winter I cept RS3 side by side: ADAC's 2026 winter test and two 2023 winter tests, Auto Zeitung's 2024 test, Auto Bild's 2022 winter test and Tire Reviews' 2022/23 winter test. Each tire finished ahead in three. The Bridgestone has the more consistent wet-braking advantage, while the Hankook generally lasts longer and handles snow better.
The overall results vary considerably. Bridgestone won the Auto Zeitung and Tire Reviews tests, but finished last in ADAC's 2023 17-inch test, where Hankook was seventh. Hankook placed third against Bridgestone's eighth in ADAC's 2026 test; their 2023 16-inch and 2022 Auto Bild positions were much closer. The results point to different priorities rather than one tire being the clear choice across all six tests.
Blizzak LM005 vs Winter I cept RS3: your questions
Is the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 or the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 the better tire?
The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 and the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 have met in 6 independent tests and the record is level at 3-3. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Blizzak LM005 scores 8.9 and the Winter I cept RS3 8.8 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Blizzak LM005 or the Winter I cept RS3?
The Blizzak LM005 led 20 of the 25 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 4.5% shorter in the wet across 6 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Blizzak LM005 led 8 of the 10 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1% shorter in the dry across 6 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The Winter I cept RS3 led 9 of the 18 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it lapped the snow handling course 1.3% faster across 2 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Blizzak LM005 had 7.9% lower rolling resistance (3 tests) and used 1.7% less fuel (3 tests); the Winter I cept RS3 lasted 14.5% longer in the wear tests (4 tests) and shed 20.3% less rubber in the abrasion test (3 tests). Owners rate wear 5.9/10 for the Blizzak LM005 and 7.6/10 for the Winter I cept RS3.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7.4/10 for the Blizzak LM005 and 6.7/10 for the Winter I cept RS3.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Blizzak LM005 72% from 117 reviews and the Winter I cept RS3 77% from 28. 56% of Blizzak LM005 owners would buy it again, against 74% for the Winter I cept RS3.
Which is more expensive?
In the 5 tests that listed prices, the Blizzak LM005 was the dearer tire in 5 of them, by 18.3% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Blizzak LM005 is made in 165 sizes (14 to 22 inch) and the Winter I cept RS3 in 46 (14 to 17 inch). 38 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Blizzak LM005 is graded A 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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