Firestone Winterhawk 4 vs Hankook Winter I cept RS3
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been five tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Firestone Winterhawk 4 | one | |
| Hankook Winter I cept RS3 | four |
While it might look like the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 is better than the Firestone Winterhawk 4 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Consistently strong wet braking (wins 4 of 5 shared wet-braking metrics)
- Low external noise levels across tests
- Competitive price/value in certain sizes (lower price and rolling resistance in 2022 Auto Bild)
- Occasional snow and aquaplaning highlights (e.g., straight/curved aqua wins in 2023 ADAC)
- Higher overall test rankings and all-round balance (4 overall wins)
- Better dry braking/handling and steering precision
- Stronger aquaplaning resistance (both straight and curved) in most tests
- Outstanding mileage and low abrasion with good efficiency (Eco-Master credentials)
Dry Braking
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during four dry braking tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 stopped the vehicle in 2.14% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Dry Braking: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during two dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was 1.42% faster around a lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from five tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during four wet braking tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 stopped the vehicle in 3.5% less distance than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Wet Braking: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking - Concrete
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two wet braking - concrete tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 stopped the vehicle in 3% less distance than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Wet Braking - Concrete: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Wet Braking - Concrete winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during two wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was 1.2% faster around a wet lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was 0.24% faster around a wet circle than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Wet Circle: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 floated at a 0.06% higher speed than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Straight Aqua: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during three curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 slipped out at a 4.45% higher speed than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Snow Braking
Looking at data from five tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during four snow braking tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 stopped the vehicle in 3.79% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Braking: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Snow Braking winner was calculated >>
Snow Traction
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during three snow traction tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 had 0.3% better snow traction than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Traction: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Snow Traction winner was calculated >>
Snow Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during one snow handling [km/h] tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was 0.44% faster around a lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Handling [Km/H]: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Snow Handling winner was calculated >>
Snow Slalom
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during one snow slalom tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was 2.54% faster through a slalom than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Slalom: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Snow Slalom winner was calculated >>
Ice Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 and Hankook Winter I cept RS3 performed equally well in ice braking tests.
Best In Ice Braking: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Ice Braking winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during three noise tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 measured 1.06% quieter than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Noise: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Wear
Looking at data from four tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during three wear tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 is predicted to cover 10.7% miles before reaching 1.6mm than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wear: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Wear winner was calculated >>
Value
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one value tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 proved to have a 14.35% better value based on price/1000km than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Value: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Value winner was calculated >>
Price
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one price tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 cost 7.34% less than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Price: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Price winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 had a 1.57% lower rolling resistance than the Hankook Winter I cept RS3.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Fuel Consumption
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 and Hankook Winter I cept RS3 performed equally well in fuel consumption tests.
Best In Fuel Consumption: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Fuel Consumption winner was calculated >>
Abrasion
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 was better during two abrasion tests. On average the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 emitted 26.16% less particle wear matter than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Abrasion: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
See how the Abrasion winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Firestone Winterhawk 4 Driver Reviews
Drivers generally rate the Firestone Winterhawk 4 highly for everyday winter use, with strong confidence in snow and rain, short braking distances, and reassuring all-round performance. Many highlight its good value versus premium brands, along with a quiet, comfortable ride and responsive feel. Overall satisfaction is high across the majority of reviews.
Based on 5 reviews with an average rating of 79%
Hankook Winter I cept RS3 Driver Reviews
Most drivers rate the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 highly for strong grip and confidence in dry, wet, and especially snow, with stable handling and predictable feedback. Several high-scoring reviews highlight aquaplaning resistance and braking, and some note normal winter-tyre softness in steering. The main recurring drawback is elevated road noise, particularly at certain speeds; a minority mention higher rolling resistance or faster wear. Overall, sentiment skews positive for winter performance with noise being the key trade-off.
Based on 20 reviews with an average rating of 77%
First season/initial thoughts:
Dry roads - car was predictible, tyres felt a little bit softer and less responsive, in comparision with summer tyres (in my case it's 195/55 R15 2020's Michelin Energy Saver+), but it's a winter tyre, so it's absolutly normal to have a slightly different feeling in steering response or... Continue reading this review using the link below
Conclusion
Key Differences
- Overall standing: Hankook consistently ranks higher (e.g., 6/23 vs 18/23 in 2024 Auto Bild)
- Dry performance: Hankook leads in dry braking/handling across tests
- Wet braking: Firestone frequently stops shorter on wet asphalt/concrete
- Aquaplaning: Hankook generally has better straight and curved aquaplaning reserves
- Snow: Hankook more often wins snow braking/traction; Firestone has sporadic wins
- Durability/economy: Hankook shows longer mileage and lower abrasion overall; Firestone sometimes cheaper upfront and quieter
Overall Winner: Hankook Winter I cept RS3
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Hankook Winter I cept RS3 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
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Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.