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Hankook Winter i cept evo3

The Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 is a sporty, confidence-inspiring ultra high performance winter tire that consistently delivers strong safety margins in the conditions that matter most. It stands out for excellent aquaplaning resistance and very capable snow braking and traction, giving reassuring stability in wet, slushy and wintry weather. For many drivers it feels predictable and secure, with respectable dry-road handling for a winter tire and a compelling price-to-performance balance. The main compromise is refinement, with road noise more commonly reported than on some premium rivals.

9.5
Tire Reviews Score Based on Professional Tests & User Reviews
High Confidence View Breakdown
Dry Grip
89%
Wet Grip
90%
Road Feedback
77%
Handling
83%
Wear
88%
Comfort
77%
Buy again
89%
Snow Grip
93%
Ice Grip
85%
22 Reviews
86% Average
159,170 miles driven
20 Tests (avg: 5th)
Hankook Winter i cept evo3

Hankook Winter i cept evo3

Winter Premium
BETA
9.5 / 10
Based on Professional Tests & User Reviews · High Confidence · Updated 23 Feb 2026

The Tire Reviews Score is the most comprehensive tire scoring system available. It aggregates professional test data from multiple independent publications, user reviews, and consistency analysis using Bayesian statistical methods, weighted normalisation, and recency-adjusted scoring to produce a single, reliable performance rating.

Learn more about our methodology
Ice
87.9
1.2x / 3 tests
Wet
82.3
1.93x / 81 tests
Snow
82.1
1.5x / 65 tests
Value
72.8
0.42x / 33 tests
Dry
70.2
1.13x / 34 tests
Comfort
52.1
0.32x / 20 tests

Cross-category scores are derived metrics that combine data from multiple test disciplines to evaluate real-world performance characteristics.

Traction
81.7
17 tests
Handling
79.5
54 tests
Braking
79.4
62 tests
Score Components
Professional Tests
Weight: 80%
Tests: 20
Publications: 6
Period: 2020 - 2025
User Reviews
Weight: 15%
Reviews: 22
Avg Rating: 85.6%
Min Required: 5
Consistency
Weight: 5%
Score Std Dev: 0.34
History Points: 10
Methodology & Configuration
Scoring Process
  1. Collect Test Data: Gather results from professional tire tests across multiple publications. Minimum 1 test(s) required.
  2. Normalize Positions: Convert test positions to percentile scores using exponential weighting (factor: 1.2).
  3. Apply Recency Weighting: More recent tests are weighted higher with a decay rate of 0.95.
  4. Incorporate User Reviews: Factor in user review data (minimum 5 reviews). Weight: 15%.
  5. Bayesian Smoothing: Apply Bayesian prior (score: 7, weight: 1.5) to prevent extreme scores with limited data.
  6. Calculate Final Score: Combine all components using normalization factor of 1.1. Max score with limited data: 9.5.
Component Weights
Test Data
80%
User Reviews
15%
Consistency
5%
All Configuration Parameters
ParameterValueDescription
safety_weight 0.7 Weight multiplier for safety-related metrics
performance_weight 0.55 Weight multiplier for performance metrics
comfort_weight 0.4 Weight multiplier for comfort metrics
value_weight 0.45 Weight multiplier for value-for-money metrics
user_reviews_weight 0.15 How much user reviews contribute to the final score
test_data_weight 0.8 How much professional test data contributes to the final score
consistency_weight 0.05 How much score consistency contributes to the final score
recency_decay_rate 0.95 Rate at which older test results lose influence (higher = slower decay)
min_test_count 1 Minimum number of professional tests required
min_review_count 5 Minimum number of user reviews required
score_version 1.9 Current version of the scoring algorithm
score_normalization_factor 1.1 Factor used to normalize raw scores to the 0-10 scale
confidence_factor_weight 0.2 How much data confidence affects the final score
position_penalty_weight 0.2 Penalty applied for poor test positions
gap_penalty_threshold 12 Score gap (%) that triggers additional penalties
min_metrics_count 2 Minimum number of test metrics needed per test
limited_data_threshold 2 Number of tests below which data is considered limited
single_test_penalty 0.75 Score multiplier when only one test is available
critical_metric_penalty 0.7 Penalty for poor performance on critical safety metrics
critical_metric_threshold 70 Score below which a critical metric penalty applies
position_exponential_factor 1.2 Exponent used to amplify position-based scoring
position_exponential_threshold 0.9 Position percentile below which exponential scoring applies
gap_multiplier_critical 3 Multiplier for critical gap penalties
max_category_weight 2 Maximum weight any single category can have
max_score_limited_data 9.5 Score cap when data is limited
bayesian_prior_weight 1.5 Weight of the Bayesian prior in smoothing
bayesian_prior_score 7 Prior score used for Bayesian smoothing
evidence_test_multiplier 1.9 Multiplier for test evidence in confidence calculation
evidence_metric_divisor 3 Divisor for metric count in evidence calculation
evidence_review_divisor 10 Divisor for review count in evidence calculation
combined_penalty_floor 0.2
Data Sources
TestPublicationDateSizePositionMetrics
2025 High Performance Winter Tire Test Sport Auto 2025 275/35 R19 4/7 13 metrics
2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test Auto Bild 2025 225/40 R18 6/22 16 metrics
2025 Winter Tire Braking Test - 52 Sets! Auto Bild 2025 225/40 R18 14/52 2 metrics
2025 ADAC Winter Tire Test ADAC 2025 225/40 R18 4/31 12 metrics
2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Allrad 2024 245/45 R18 5/13 12 metrics
2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Sportscars 2024 235/35 R19 6/11 12 metrics
The BEST Performance Winter Tires for 2024 / 2025 Tire Reviews 2024 235/35 R19 4/9 18 metrics
2023/24 Tire Reviews UHP Winter Tire Test Tire Reviews 2023 255/40 R19 4/6 22 metrics
2023 Sport Auto Winter Tire Test Sport Auto 2023 225/40 R18 6/9 14 metrics
2023 Sports Cars Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Sportscars 2023 225/40 R18 4/12 12 metrics
2023 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test Auto Bild 2023 225/45 R18 6/22 15 metrics
2023 Winter Tire Test 54 Set Braking Test Auto Bild 2023 225/45 R18 8/54 2 metrics
2023 Tire Reviews Winter Tire Test Tire Reviews 2023 225/45 R18 4/13 14 metrics
2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Sportscars 2022 245/40 R19 1/10 14 metrics
2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Allrad 2022 225/45 R19 5/10 14 metrics
2022 Winter Tire Market Overview Auto Bild 2022 215/55 R17 9/57 2 metrics
2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tire Test Auto Bild Sportscars 2021 245/40 R18 1/14 14 metrics
2021 Tire Reviews Winter Tire Test Tire Reviews 2021 225/40 R18 3/10 14 metrics
2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tire Test Auto Bild 2020 245/45 R18 6/21 12 metrics
2020 Winter Tire Market Overview - 52 Tire Braking Test Auto Bild 2020 245/45 R18 5/49 2 metrics

Videos

The BEST Winter Tires for 2024/25 - Michelin vs Goodyear vs Pirelli & More!

The BEST Winter Tires for 2024/25 - Michelin vs Goodyear vs Pirelli & More!

Best 11 Winter Tires for 2023/24 - Tested and Rated

Best 11 Winter Tires for 2023/24 - Tested and Rated

20
Tests
5th
Average
1st
Best
14th
Worst
Latest Tire Test Results
6th/22
The Hankook Winter i*Cept evo3 proves itself as a snow expert delivering excellent value for money. It shines particularly on snow-covered roads with strong performance across all winter disciplines, providing confident grip and handling when temperatures drop. The tire maintains respectable performance on wet roads, though it doesn't quite match the wet-weather specialists in this category. Its main weakness appears in damp conditions where braking distances are slightly extended compared to the best performers. The tire offers a compelling package for drivers prioritizing snow capability, with solid all-around performance that doesn't embarrass itself in any condition. At approximately €480 per set, it represents strong value in the premium mid-range segment, making it an intelligent choice for drivers who experience regular snowfall but don't want to pay top-tier prices.
2025 ADAC Winter Tire Test
225/40 R18 • 2025
4th/31
The Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330 narrowly misses a good rating for driving safety but achieves a good overall score thanks to its strong environmental performance. For driving safety, the tire demonstrates good precision and responsiveness to steering commands on dry roads, with safe and controllable behavior during sudden evasive maneuvers and good braking distances from 100 km/h. On wet surfaces, it earns good ratings overall, achieving good scores for longitudinal aquaplaning resistance, braking distances, and handling with good grip levels and reserves that allow largely precise control, though it only receives a satisfactory rating for lateral aquaplaning resistance. In winter conditions, the Hankook narrowly misses good results, showing slightly above-average performance for braking and acceleration on snow, but falls short in snow handling where it would need to better combine longitudinal and lateral forces and provide improved lateral guidance, and also narrowly misses a good rating for ice braking distances, resulting in an overall satisfactory rating that impacts the driving safety score. Regarding environmental performance, this Hungarian-manufactured tire achieves good results with very high predicted mileage, low tire wear, and good efficiency due to low weight and fuel consumption.
The Hankook i cept evo 3 feels almost tailor-made for the powerful BMW M4 test car when driven on snow, offering excellent balance, good cornering grip, and generous reserves. Testers noted that despite slight lateral grip weaknesses, it maintains safely understeering behavior on wet roads. The positive attributes include strong snow performance with well-matched characteristics for high-powered rear-wheel-drive vehicles. However, limitations appeared in wet cornering grip, sluggish turn-in response, limited reserves, and somewhat longer braking distances on dry asphalt. Comfort weaknesses and rolling noise were also noted as drawbacks, making it less refined than some competitors in everyday driving situations.
Size Fuel Wet Noise
17 inch
225/60R17 99 H C B 72
225/60R17 99 H C B 72
225/60R17 103 V XL C B 72
225/60R17 99 H C B 70
225/60R17 99 H C B 72
18 inch
225/40R18 92 V XL D B 72
225/40R18 92 V XL D B 72
245/45R18 100 V XL D B 72
245/40R18 97 V XL C B 72
255/35R18 94 V XL D B 73
245/45R18 100 V XL D B 72
225/40R18 92 V XL D B 72
245/45R18 100 V XL D B 72
19 inch
235/35R19 91 W XL D B 72
235/35R19 91 W XL D B 72
20 inch
245/35R20 95 W XL C B 72
245/35R20 95 V XL D B 71
View All Sizes and EU Label Scores for the Hankook Winter i cept evo3 >>

Questions and Answers for the Hankook Winter i cept evo3

Ask a question
September 16, 2025

Can i use this tires in dimension 255 45 19 on tesla model y ?

Unfortunately we cannot advise on changing tire sizes, we suggest you check and owners forum to see what the common dimensions are. If you can find the Hankook Winter i cept evo3 in a matching size for your vehicle you can certainly use it, but Hankooks line for EVs is the iON range so it might be worth looking into that winter tire too.
January 24, 2026

Regarding using this tire on EV: Thanks for your answer. Regarding your point that this tire can decrease my EV range, how much or how many percent should i expect? Also, i noticed tgat the speed index of thie model i bought is V, but mazda recommends Y! At leat i could not find this tire Y in austria. Is this alo fine?

You're allowed to drop speed index, but not load rating so make sure the load rating is ok.

I'm not sure on the drop in range. Worn to new adds rolling resistance by default, plus now it's cold. Maybe 5-10%.
January 23, 2026

I World live to know in I can use this Model of Hankook on my Mazda 6e (electric)? Because I know that this was not developed for EVs, but I bought IT for my Car!! This is what I bought: Hankook Winter I*cept EVO3 W330 245/45 R19 102V XL, FSL, 3PMSF

Yes, that will be perfectly good on your EV. You might noticed a small reduction in range but the grip and the support from the tire will be great.
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Review Summary

Based on 20 user reviews

Across 20 reviews, the Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 is described as a highly confidence-inspiring winter tire with standout traction in snow and strong, predictable grip in wet conditions (often praised for stability and aquaplaning resistance). Many drivers also report good dry-road handling for a winter tire and consider it excellent value versus premium brands. A smaller minority mention increased road noise or a firmer/less comfortable ride compared with their summer tires, but this is not the dominant experience.

Strengths
  • Excellent snow traction and confidence in winter conditions
  • Strong wet grip and high aquaplaning resistance
  • Stable
  • Predictable handling and good road feedback
  • Good comfort and generally low noise for a winter tire
  • Very good value/price-to-performance
Areas for Improvement
  • Some users find it noisier than summer tires or typical winter tire buzzing

Top 3 Hankook Winter i cept evo3 Reviews

Given 82% while driving a Hyundai i20N (215/40 R18) on a combination of roads for 2,500 miles
Overall good tire, lacks sportiness a bit but for price point of 110€ in my dimension is really decent tire.
December 24, 2024
Given 89% while driving a Audi A4 2.0 TDI 177bhp quattro (245/45 R18) on mostly country roads for 1,000 easy going miles
I bought this tire after I read review on this site,I fit it on my audi a4 allroad and this tire is awesome.Im completely blown away in wet driveing ,I drive through water deep 4-5cm with 80-100km/h and I dont have 1mm feedback to my steering wheel nothing to pull itd from my hands...In the dry condition tire is excellent.I drive a little bit on snow and ice and I think its great.This is best tire I ever have.
November 25, 2024
Given 78% while driving a Kia Motors Pro ceed (225/40 R18) on mostly country roads for 21,130 spirited miles
Overall a good tire. It had amazing traction in the dry and good in snow/ice, launch traction in the wet was a bit suboptimal, but once it got going the wet handling was superb. It felt very safe and aquaplanning resistance is the best I've seen from a winter tire thus far. Responsiveness was nice and it was coupled with a sense of stability. Handled nicely and predicatbly even when overtaking on snow covered roads (thorugh a snow median in between tire marks).

When it comes to drawbacks: these wore out faster than I had anticipated. Four winters and 34k km on Eastern European roads killed them. There were harsh use conditions though and a slight rim-damage accident (undiagnosed for a couple of months) could have also impacted their lifespan. The Hankooks are not the quietest or most comfortable, but I don't really care for that in a hot hatch. Nothing negatively outside of the norm in my opinion, but nothing spectacular in this regard either.
October 14, 2024

How would you rate the Hankook Winter i cept evo3?

Click a star to start your review

Latest Hankook Winter i cept evo3 Reviews

Initial Impressions Review
Given 89% while driving a Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TDI 200hp 4motion (245/35 R20) on for 12,000 miles
This tyers on snow are the safest of them all, I felt confident on a highway in a snow storm. I was on the mountin where all others were with snowchains and I didnt have them and drove safely uphill or downhill. On the positive side is that this tyers are confortable and silent even at high speed on higway.
March 1, 2026
Initial Impressions Review
Given 66% while driving a Mazda 6e (245/45 R19) on for 10 miles
The grip is great, i like it on my EV.
But: its clearly lauder than my summer tires, i hope after a while it gets better
January 29, 2026
Given 87% while driving a Renault Renault Rafale Atelier Alpine (245/45 R20) on a combination of roads for 2,500 average miles
We have tested the tires for 4000 km in a mixture of roads.
The weather conditions were wet and dry below 10 deg Celsius, but no snow or ice.
At highway speeds the tires had a good comfort and low noise. The braking distance was decent.
In the city, the tires had excellent behaviour filtering the bumps and roughness of the surface very well.
On twisted roads is the place where these tires shine. Their grip is excellent both on wet and dry, the road feedback is very good and the noise is practically null.
December 5, 2025
Given 85% while driving a BMW 330i (255/40 R18) on a combination of roads for 500 average miles
Tires are very quiet and comfortable. Work great in the dry and wet. Not driven on snow yet.
November 13, 2025
Given 91% while driving a BMW 520d M Sport (245/45 R18) on mostly motorways for 0 average miles
I've had these tires for a couple of winters. I haven't driven them in the snow yet because there's no snow (yet) and that's why I bought them in the first place. I read in the tests published here that they are great in winter conditions. I only have rear-wheel drive on my car and I want tires that are good in the snow.
They are great in the wet as well as in the dry...maybe they are a little noisier..but I'm used to winter tires "buzzing" a bit.
p.s.
I'll update the review when I try them on snow and ice.
November 4, 2025
Given 79% while driving a Audi A4 Avant B9 (245/40 R18) on a combination of roads for 30,000 spirited miles
per total o anvelopa senzationala pentru orice tip de drum uscat , ud , acoperit cu zapada ,gheata , inainte de acestea am avut tot hankook 225 50 17 icept evo 2 si acelea au fost senzationale cel putin pentru masina mea audi a4 b9 fwd break , de obicei imi place sa merg tare cu masina pe autostrada rulez mai mereu 150-160-170 kmph iar pe drumuri virajate la fel merg foarte tare si mi se pare ca au tinut bine la uzura undeva la 30000k km si 3 ani cu rotatii fata spate ,singurul dezavantaj pe care l am vazut a fost la urcari pe zapada probabil din cauza ca nu am respectat dimensiunea data de producator pt iarna adica 225 45 18 (pentru vara e 245 40 18), pe mers uscat pot sa spun ca se tin ca niste anvelope normale de vara gen nokian powerproof, pirelli powergy , dunlop sport maxx rt etc pe ud nu acvaplaneaza pe zapada este aproape imposibil sa derapezi lateral cu ele , am incercat sa fac niste drifturi si nici macar nu a subvirat era ca pe sine masina . deci per total este o anvelopa minunata pentru toate conditiile de drum si char va incurajez sa o achizitionati doar sa o luati pe dimensiunea recomandata de producator . mai las niste imagini de la ultima distractie pe zapada sa arat de unde am iesit cu masina fara lanturi care era suspendata pe zapada si rotile afundate.
PS: anvelopele din poza si poza cu masina in zapada sunt in aceeasi perioada maxim 2 saptamani diferenta si cu toate astea in stadiul in care era anvelopa tot mergea si pe uscat ud excelent si pe zapada mai slab

Drumuri bune !!!
October 11, 2025
Given 84% while driving a Kia Motors Stinger 2.0 RWD (225/45 R18) on a combination of roads for 0 average miles
Great tire! So far I've driven it for 1 season and despite the good results on the Tire Reviews' test, I was pleasantly surprised! The deep snow grip was amazing! Even though my car has relatively low ride height I had no issues with traction or anything. The ride quality isn't as bad as some people say. I use it as a family car, it never felt uncomfortable. I would definitely recommend the Tire and I will buy it again!
September 7, 2025
Given 95% while driving a Ford S Max (225/50 R17) on mostly country roads for 0 average miles
Had these on my car last year after doing some research I didn't want to spend £200 on winter tires so bought these... let me tell you you will never look back, we had some snow and a few cars was stuck but not me!! These are amazing in the snow will stick with these every year.. my only advice is change all 4 not just your front as you find you have that good of grip on your front your back end just spins out, this will happen trust me.
September 1, 2024
Given 90% while driving a Ford Puma (225/40 R19) on a combination of roads for 5,330 average miles
In the summer of 2023, I bought my first performance car (Ford Puma ST Ultimate, 200hp 320Nm). Since I still needed winter tires, I started looking at all Tire Reviews' tests to investigate which seemed to be the best choice for me. I was looking for an all-rounder, one that scored above average in all areas. I live in Belgium, so scoring well in wet conditions was a priority. For me, this tire feels super. Loses practically nothing of its sporty performance, excellent grip when accelerating and cornering.
Due to circumstances, I also drove for a few days in dry and sunny weather (20°C) and even then I was impressed by this tire. I will repurchase this one immediately!
June 11, 2024
Given 91% while driving a Audi S5 (245/45 R18) on mostly motorways for 7,000 average miles
After reviewing Tire Review data I selected the Hankook tires, and it helped the dealership was having a winter sale… $1800CAD including factory rims was a great deal.

It’s been two seasons now with three conditions being dry, then wet, then snow by the number of driving days. On dry roads to ride is comfortable with stable handling and the grip is assured and precise with on ramps, long and medium corners. They lose some composure with sharp turning, and the braking takes a little longer than I’d like. This is probably the least inspiring aspect of all the parameters. Wet performance is very good, with turn and corners being very assured. And the wet braking feels better in the wet than the dry? Not sure how but that’s the way it feels. The best part now… The snow is just a blast with these Hankooks. Very grippy whether braking, accelerating or turning the vehicle; this tire does it all in the snow.

After just under 10,000 km the tread looks unused, with more than 7mm across each tire.
February 16, 2024
Given 100% while driving a Lexus ls460l (/55 R18) on mostly country roads for 50,000 spirited miles
Been running hankook winter ipike for over 10 years. Short summer seasons in Wyoming and there is no reason to change to a summer tire. Great value and an awesome tire. Never any punctures or other road hazard repairs. Ipike grip like claws in the snow. Tried the icept tire on my lexus 460 as ipike do not come in my size. Usual hankook quality. Awesome traction in wet snow or ice. Very stable in the snow. Love them and can't beat the price. Under $600 for 4 tires.
July 8, 2022
Given 99% while driving a Jeep compass (225/60 R17) on mostly town for 2,000 average miles
Excellent grip on snow. Excellent tires, I would recommend to everyone. Buy again 100%.
January 12, 2022
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