The Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 is a capable premium touring winter tire with particularly strong wet-weather grip and excellent aquaplaning resistance. It also performs well in snow and slush, giving drivers confidence in everyday winter conditions. Its value for money and wear are appealing, though road noise, rolling resistance and occasional dry-handling inconsistency hold it back from the very top tier.
Across both driver feedback and independent testing, the Winter i*cept RS2 stands out most clearly in wet winter conditions, where it provides reassuring grip, braking stability and excellent resistance to standing water. Snow and slush performance is also a consistent strength, making it a dependable non-studded winter option for typical European winter use. Drivers often praise its price-to-performance balance and report respectable durability, while test results show it can compete strongly with premium rivals, including podium-level performances in certain sizes. The main compromises are refinement and efficiency: road noise is a recurring complaint, comfort can be firm on some vehicles, and rolling resistance is not among the best in class. Dry-road behavior is generally safe but can feel softer or less precise, and results suggest the tire is somewhat sensitive to size and vehicle application.
The quick answer
Owners say80%from 51 owner reviews80% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesWet, SnowValue, ComfortRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated November 2026.
In 205/55 R16, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 is projected to cost €31.19 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about €780 over 25,000 miles - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test.
Tire purchase + fittingExtra fuel vs the most efficient tirecost per 1,000 miles
Assumes a typical car doing 29 mpg (rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at €6.25 per gallon and €70 fitting per set of four. Purchase prices are from the time of the 2021 test; financing costs are excluded.
How good is the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 in the wet?
Across the 7 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 stops 0.5% longer than premium rivals, 5.4% shorter than mid-range rivals and 8.8% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 94/100, and owners rate it 8.4/10 in the wet from 51 reviews.
How good is the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 in the dry?
Across the 5 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 stops 1% shorter than premium rivals, 1.5% shorter than mid-range rivals and 0.4% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 70/100, and owners rate it 8.4/10 in the dry from 51 reviews.
How good is the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 in the snow?
Across the 7 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 stops 0.2% shorter than premium rivals, 1.1% shorter than mid-range rivals and 14.8% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 2 snow-traction tests, it is 0.4% worse than premium rivals, 3.1% better than mid-range rivals and 19% better than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 71/100, and owners rate it 8.2/10 in the snow from 51 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Hankook Winter i cept RS2?
Across the 5 tests measuring rolling resistance, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2's rolling resistance is 10.8% higher than premium rivals, 7.7% higher than mid-range rivals and 7.5% higher than budget rivals.
How many miles does the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 last?
Based on test and owner data, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 is expected to last around 29,036 miles (46,729 km).
More questions about the Hankook Winter i cept RS2(11)
What do owners say about the Hankook Winter i cept RS2?
Across 51 owner ratings the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 averages 80%. Owners rate Wear highest at 8.4 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 7.3. 12 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 84% of owners score it 70% or better.
How much does the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 cost to run?
In 205/55 R16, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 is projected to cost €31.19 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about €780 over 25,000 miles - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test. The cheapest to run in that test is the Continental WinterContact TS 870, at €20.25.
What is the Hankook Winter i cept RS2's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 most commonly carries EU label ratings of D for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 71 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Hankook Winter i cept RS2?
Owners rate the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 7.4 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 45 reviews.
How well do the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 8.4 out of 10 for wear across 45 reviews. 12 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 5,750 miles.
Would owners buy the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 again?
80% of owners say they would buy the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 again, based on the 51 owner reviews that answered the question. 41% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Hankook Winter i cept RS2's wet grip?
Of the 44 owner reviews analyzed for the Hankook Winter i cept RS2, 24 mention wet grip: 23 praise it (confident wet grip) and 1 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "Probably the best winter tire for snow, ice and wet". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Hankook Winter i cept RS2's snow traction?
Of the 44 owner reviews analyzed for the Hankook Winter i cept RS2, 21 mention snow traction: 20 praise it (strong snow traction) and 1 criticise it (weak snow traction). One owner wrote: "Probably the best winter tire for snow, ice and wet". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Hankook Winter i cept RS2's dry grip?
Of the 44 owner reviews analyzed for the Hankook Winter i cept RS2, 16 mention dry grip: 16 praise it (strong dry grip) and 0 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "Wet and dry grip is excellent". Read those reviews
Questions and Answers for the Hankook Winter i cept RS2
I would like to know when this mid-life update was implemented ... Which date code to look on tires sidewalls ? Actually I m on a set of RS2 dating week 39of 2015 . Show moreI would like to know when this mid-life update was implemented ...
Which date code to look on tires sidewalls ?
Actually I m on a set of RS2 dating week 39of 2015 .
I ll get another set for sure if i get an answer for this Show less
October 10, 2017
Unfortunately we don't have any specific date information for a mid-life update for the Hankook Winter i cept RS2.
Drivers generally rate the Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 highly, highlighting strong wet-road grip and excellent aquaplaning resistance, with many also reporting confident performance in snow and slush for everyday winter use. Value for money is a consistent theme, and several long-term users note good wear and durability. A recurring downside is elevated road noise (often more noticeable at highway speeds), and a smaller subset report a firmer ride or less sporty/precise dry handling, with occasional concerns about traction on black ice.
What owners mention most counted across 44 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 51 ratings
Owner score80%
Wear84%
Wet Grip84%
Dry Grip84%
Snow Grip82%
Handling79%
Road Feedback75%
Comfort74%
Ice Grip73%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 61%
“I´ve crashed on these tires making a turn as slowly as 20km/h on a black ice, not impressed at all! Snow grip is average, on dry road they feel sluggish and are extremely loud above 80hm/h. Comfort is not the best...”
“Totally terrible tire. Bought because of encouraging tire tests results but regret it every single mile. Maybe in larger sizes they perform better, but at 195/55 its a tire to avoid, especially on wet surfaces. At least...”
“I had the tires on my 2005 diesel vw bora for over 6 years. Ran them all year both in the city, during cross-Europe trips and in severe winter conditions. They wore well (put around 50.000 km on them). They made my car...”
Less noisy compared with my previous tires, average comfort, good dry and very good wet handling, very good on snow and good on ice. Very good on snow and feels very safe and stable on dry and wet
Had this tire on two small cars both 14 inches radius, but different widths, mostly for driving around town in central/southeast Europe with quite some rainy days, there were also some highway stints with no observed drawbacks. Decent dry and wet grip for winter tires at lower speeds. Snow grip was better than expected and you can feel confident in the grip for everyday driving. Did not notice a lot of difference between summer and this tire regarding noise in the cabin.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
I´ve crashed on these tires making a turn as slowly as 20km/h on a black ice, not impressed at all! Snow grip is average, on dry road they feel sluggish and are extremely loud above 80hm/h. Comfort is not the best, rubber feels quite hard considering it´s dedicated winter tire. Maybe they are acceptable for occasional city drivers but taking them to the mountains is not a good idea and ling highway drives will give you headache.
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Hankook Winter i cept RS2? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
I had the tires on my 2005 diesel vw bora for over 6 years. Ran them all year both in the city, during cross-Europe trips and in severe winter conditions. They wore well (put around 50.000 km on them). They made my car snap oversteer twice, once on wet pavement, once on dry pavement while breaking in a corner at about 70 km/h. They seamed to sit on the sidewall for a while before gripping in a reassuring manner on dry pavement.
Tires are above average and on par with very well known brands. For the price are very satisfying and, handle very well and the wear is also on very good level. Grip levels in dry and snow are fantastic, although on wet there is what to expect but of course nothing bothering and compared with good brand summer tire is expected.
Had them on my "urban" Audi A3 and was so impressed that bought them for my Passat. You can read the other review below. Probably the best winter tire for snow, ice and wet. Unfortunately, we did not have enough snow this winter, but drove them in rain and wet a lot. Aquaplanning resistance is impessive for a winter tire. You can easily drive 120-130 km/h in heavy rain without worrying. Dry handling is also absolutely fine. Very comfortable ride. The only drawback: they are quite noisy, I would say above average. Did not had that impression on my Audi, but I guess it is due to the wider tires on the Passat.
Considering the price, but also in general:
Super good wet grip. It shines better in wet conditions than dry.
Winter, ice, snow? No problem. These tires drive in the cold like it's nothing.
They are quite noisy though. But the grooves are many and they are deep, they look like off road tires.
Superb resistance against aquaplaning.
Kinda under steers in the dry though, but braking is still great.
Highly recommend, great price.
DON'T cheap out on tires. They are worth your life.
Used this tire for two winter seasons couldn't feel tires well like they were a bit loose.Awful in ice average in snow comparison is with Kumhi wp51 and Sava eskimo,Great on wet and dry expected more from Hankook
I am impressed with that tire. The Contis I had before them are, hands down, the best winter tire but these come close. Especially given that they are around 25% cheaper. However, they are not 25% less good in any case. I am skiing and go to the mountains early in the morning when roads are icy and parking lots snowy. Grip in snow is magnificent, FWD car coupled with these tires simply cannot get stuck, unless you are excessively dump. Last year I was almost going to have big trouble as I was driving a high mountain road with deep frozen tracks from other cars and these tires saved me from leaving the car there, or worse, crashing. They have exceptional grip on ice and snow. Wet is also pretty good but I never drive fast when it rains. Dry, no worries, no squeaking, perfect driveability. This is going to be their 4th or 5th season I cant remember and do not have any signs of excessive wear.
Happy new year!! It is the the first time i buy Hankook tires and my previous winter tires were the Goodyear Ultragrip 9. Dry grip is very good and wet grip is excellent.The temperature in Greece is quite high,so i have no experience about snow and ice grip.It is too early to say something about the wear.The disadvantage of this set of tires is the comfort which is below the average and the noise. I think it is the noisiest tire i have ever had.The price is very good.
Very good quality@performance/price ratio. Very silent. I bought them based on very good reviews and I congratulate myself. In my opinion, they are best buy.
Still not tested on snow/ice.
For the price these tires are amazing. Dry grip is really good, wet grip is phenomenal (really feel safe driving this tures), snow grip - can't say much there isn't a lot of snow in our country. Comfot is something that a I will point out as a good thing, don't expect this tire to be quiet as Michelin ones, but the noise is not irritating. Feels like a tire made for Central European weather with wet and cold dry asphalt mostly in the winter. Will add more details at end of life of the tires.
