Hankook Winter i*pike is a family of northern(severe) winter tires introduced by Hankook. This family consists of 4 different members. Each member serves different usage purposes. Hankook Winter i-pike tires which have been highly preferred for harsh winter conditions since their launch can offer you a great winter performance if you know which member you prefer. Let’s go a little deeper and see which one is suitable for you!
- Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 – Longevity & Traction for SUVs & Light Trucks
- Hankook Winter i*pike RS W419 – Longevity & Traction for passanger vehicles
- Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 W429 – Comfort & Traction for All Vehicles ( except Light Trucks)
- Hankook Winter i*pike X W429A – Comfort & Traction for SUV, CUV & Light Trucks
Table of Contents
Hankook Winter i*Pike RW11
Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 is a studdable winter performance tire that is optimized for light trucks and SUVs. The reason I would like to state this customizing is Winter i*pike can handle mild off-road as well. It’s also the only tire in this list that can provide trustworthy mild off-road traction.
As a former Bridgestone engineer, I think that Hankook Winter i*Pike RW11 is one of the best winter tires for light trucks and SUVs. Though, this tire is designed for severe conditions. It can also handle mild off-road conditions. While performs perfectly on wet and dry grounds, it also offers decent comfort and handling. Where it comes slightly short compared to other Winter i*Pike RW11 tires is road noise. It’s slightly noisier than others due to its aggressive pattern but the noise is totally tolerable for this durability.
The only issue with this tire is finding it. Even though it’s available in LT and P-metric sizes, most dealers keep only one tire size. According to my research, you can find them in the below dealers.
For LT sizes,
SimpleTire – Hankook Winter i*Pike RW11
For XL & SL sizes,
DiscountTire – Hankook Winter i*Pike RW11
Overview
- Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 can be pinned with TSMI #15 studs. This isn’t a must but if you’re living in an extremely icy and face hills regularly, these studs will increase your biting and grip capability.
- Hankook Winter i*pike RW is available on LT and passenger metrics sizes. Since this is the only Winter i*pike tire that is available in LT sizes, I highly recommend this tire for medium and heavy-duty usage.
- Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 has a wide pattern. Hence, it offers better traction but will slightly increase your fuel consumption as expected.
- Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 can perform greatly on commercial usage
On-Road Manners
Road noise is the first thing that comes to mind when I’m talking about winter tires. Well, this is a common feature of winter tires. These tires have tons of sipes and void areas to increase their traction capability.
So, Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 is slightly different than its competitors. As you can see, its center rib is continuous. This feature brings a great advantage in two different areas.
- Decrease the road noise
- Offers quicker steering response
However, regarding road noise, the compact center section isn’t the only game changer. In this case, Winter i*pike RW11 has robust shoulder blocks and extremely sectional tread. Therefore, it creates slight road noise but nothing more than your regular winter or all-terrain tire.
Traction
As we all understand from the sectional tread, notched rubber, and stud option, this tire is made for traction.
Regarding dry traction, there is no issue with traction. Yet, its rubber isn’t designed for warm weather. It’s fluffy. Hence, it offers satisfying traction on dry grounds. Yet, using this tire over 7 Celcius degrees will definitely hit its longevity.
Regarding wet traction, thanks to its sipe density and soft rubber, it offers a great wet ground performance. However, what I like most is its hydroplaning resistance. Most winter tires fail in this case. However, Hankook Winter i*Pike RW11 has a V-shaped directional pattern that increases the water evacuation capability significantly. So, this tire not only offers great wet traction but reliable overall wet performance.
Regarding winter traction, as you can see most grooves are zigzag on this tire. The reason behind this is simple. Increase the biting edge for better ice and snow performance. Plus, its sectional pattern and relatively fluffy compound step ahead in this case and offer great winter performance.
Note: The only thing you have to consider in winter performance is using it with or without studs. I do only recommend studs for mostly icy surfaces and slopy lands.
Longevity
The mileage you can get with this tire is totally up to you. Since it’s a wide tire, following the rotation time and tire pressure are the keys.
Since the stud option is available, I can confidently say that this tire isn’t fluffy as your regular winter tires. Besides that, the V-shaped patterns can perfectly disturb the vehicle load and generally increase the tread life significantly.
If you have a light truck, I strongly believe that this tire offers one of the best tread life for a winter tire.
Hankook Winter i*Pike X W429A
Hankook Winter i*Pike X is a winter performance tire that is designed for SUVs, CUVs, and light truck owners that puts a comfy and quiet ride over everything. Unlike its bully brother i*pike RW11, Hankook Winter i*Pike X’s priority is comfort and traction. Therefore, it isn’t available in LT sizes. So, usage for over 1/2 ton trucks is rare. Besides, I don’t recommend it.
In summary, Hankook Winter i*Pike X is a great tire for CUV, SUV, and below 1/2 ton light-truck owners that are looking for a quiet winter tire. Besides that, this tire lasts like an all-terrain tire which is highly rare among winter tires. While it can handle wet and dry surfaces very well, it’s also a great option for aggressive drivers. In my point of view, this is the best winter tire you can get for your SUV(for this price level).
Overview
- Hankook Winter i*Pike X (W429A) is a great option for SUV, CUVs & light truck owners who spend most of their time on highways
- Hankook Winter i*Pike X (W429A) can be pinned with TSMI #12 studs
- Hankook Winter i*Pike X (W429A) is only available for P-metric sizes. Hence, if you’re going to use this tire with commercial intent, I do recommend it only for medium and light-duty usage.
- Hankook Winter i*Pike X (W429A) is a better option than Winter i*pike RW11 if your priorities are comfort, tread life, and fuel efficiency
- Hankook Winter i*Pike X (W429A) is a great tire for performance-oriented vehicles.
On-Road Manners
If you’re looking for a winter tire for your SUV or CUV, Hankook Winter i*Pike X is one of the best you can get. Unlike its elder brother i*Pike RW11, it offers a bit less void area. Therefore, it provides less vocal and a offers a smoother ride.
While its wide center blocks decrease the void area and offer a less vocal ride. Moreover, as you can see these center blocks are interlocked. Since these blocks act as a one block while running, this tire offers great handling capability. Though worth reminding, unline its elder brother i*pike RW11, this dude provide slightly slower steering response. Still, it’s one of the best in its segment (SUV, CUV & below 1/2 ton trucks).
Traction
Similar to most winter tires, Hankook Winter i*Pike X offers reliable traction on any kind of surface. I’ll try to keep it shorter for this time.
Regarding dry traction, it can provide decent dry traction, though, using it over 7 Celcius degrees isn’t a good idea.
Regarding wet traction, the traction isn’t an issue but in my point of view, this tire has better hydroplaning resistance. Its central grooves are almost circumferential which enables better water evacuation capability. So, if you have a mobile and agile vehicle, the Hankook Winter i-Pike X is a great option for you.
Regarding winter traction, here is the deal, Hankook Winter i*Pike X is great for light-snow and ice traction. However, since its tread depth is now that deep, its deep snow performance reaches its best with studs. It doesn’t mean studs are a must but if your region has snow-plowing issues, it might be better to go with stud options (less void area decreases the loose ground traction).
Longevity
Since Hankook Winter i*Pike X and RW11 are developed from all-terrain tires, they have relatively stiffer compounds than other winter tires. Besides that, Winter i*Pike X has relatively fewer sipes than the i-Pike RW11. Moreover, its tread is narrower.
Because of the above reason, Hankook Winter i*Pike X exceedingly satisfying tread life.
Hankook Winter i*Pike RS W419
Hankook Winter i*Pike RS is traction and longevity-focused winter tire. Unlike the first two tires on this list, this tire is specified for passenger vehicles like sedans, coupes, and CUVs. The tread is inspired by the Siberian Husky Paw. Well, they know what severe winter is.
In summary, Hankook Winter i*Pike RS is a great tire if you need the best winter traction. This tire is designed for the harshest winter conditions. Besides that, its all-weather tire tread pattern enables dry and winter performance. So, if traction is the goal, this is what you can get maximum. On the other hand, it’s a noisy tire as expected. Besides that, its warm-wet performance is slightly behind the competition. Though, it lasts like there is no tomorrow!
Overview
- I don’t recommend using this tire on over 1/2 ton SUV or any light-truck
- In the beginning, this tire was available with studs. Since it makes too much noise with studs, Hankook made studs optional.
- Hankook Winter *Pike RS is labeled with 3PMSF like other tires in this list
- Hankook Winter i*Pike RS is a great tire if traction is your priority
- The tire meets with the harshest winter conditions. Hence, its wet performance and handling capability are slightly behind other tires on this list
On-Road Manners
If you’re looking for the best winter traction, Hankook Winter i*Pike RS can get you what you want. However, as it’s expected from a tough winter tire, it’s a bit noisy. Moreover, you may feel a bit lagging while steering in warm weather.
- Hankook Winter i*Pike RS is a noisy tire
- Hankook Winter i*Pike RS provides similar handling the most winter tires in the market
Traction
Traction is where this tire shines. No matter how cold or warm the weather is, Hankook Winter i*Pike RS provides trustworthy handling.
Regarding dry traction, because of its V-shaped pattern and relatively stiffer compound, Hankook Winter i*Pike RS works great in dry conditions
Regarding wet traction, since the Winter i*Pike RS is intensely notched, it can handle cold rainy days. However, since its compound is stiff, its warm-day wet performance is slightly behind the competition.
Regarding winter traction, while it can handle icy conditions with ease due to its compact pattern, its 2-1 aggressive tread enables tons of biting edges and increase the snow traction incredibly. This dude is one of the best ones you can get if you’re living in the snow belt.
Longevity
Unlike most winter tires, Hankook Winter i*Pike RS has a directional pattern that enables even wearing. Moreover, its compound gets into the game again. It’s stiff and notched with 3D sipes which limits the deformation and decreases the stopping and starting wear.
Even though this tire doesn’t have any mileage warranty, I can guarantee you can use it for at least 3-4 years.
Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 W429A
Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 is a bit more comfort-focused winter tire that can be used on coupes, sedans, CUVs, and SUVs. Its tread is similar to Hankook Winter i*Pike X. Hence, its void area is decreased. Since its pattern is similar to all-terrain tires, it can handle loose ground pretty well.
In summary, Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 is a comfort-focused winter tire that can also handle mud and dirt. While it can handle all 4 seasons with ease, it wears a bit quicker that other Hankook Winter i*Pike tires. Yet, I can confidently say that it’s going to last more than any Nokian or Michelin winter tires. Due to its compact pattern, it’s not a vocal tire. Besides that, its handling capability is huge. I think it’s a great tire for SUV & CUV owners who would like to combine comfort and winter traction.
Overview
- Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 isn’t a good option for passenger car owners if you spend most of your time on the highway
- It’s a good option for coupes and sedans that face mud occasionally
- It can be pinned with TSMI #11 studs if you need extra ice & snow traction
- Don’t stud your tires if you have a coupe or sedan
- Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 can handle dirt pretty well. It’s a good option for winter tracking or hunting days
On-Road Manners
Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 has pretty satisfying on-road manners. Even though its compact pattern decreases the noise level significantly, its uneven and robust shoulder blocks make a slight noise.
Regarding handling, things aren’t much different. Its compact center section makes and robust shoulders increase its handling capability. However, it doesn’t have a center section rib. Hence, its steering response is slightly behind the regular all-season tires. Yet, this isn’t a tire for 1-2 months of winter. It is definitely worth to sacrifices some from your steering response.
- Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 is a cozy and quiet tire for its aggressive appearance
- Even though it’s a highly responsive tire, expecting all-season tire performance is quite imaginative
Traction
Since we’re talking about winter tires, I don’t prefer to call this one a traction-focused tire. Unlike its elder brother Hankook Winter i*Pike RS, it’s a bit all-around tire.
Regarding dry traction, nothing much to talk about, traction isn’t the issue in this case. What you really have to worry about is wearing on warm weather. This guy has a fluffier compound that wears extremely quickly in warm weather.
Regarding wet traction, wet traction is why I call this tire more all-round. Since its compound is fluffier, it provides decent traction on wet surfaces. But for what cost? I’ll talk about it in the longevity section.
Regarding winter traction, it would be unfair to rate this tire’s snow performance as a little behind. But I have to state that the infrequency void area decreases its heavy snow traction slightly. But, I’m going to say totally opposite for ice traction. The compact patch and notched rubber provide great traction on icy surfaces.
Longevity
Longevity is where this tire comes short compared to Hankook Winter i*Pike RS. Due to its blocky pattern and fluffy compound, this dude wears a bit more quickly than others.
I can’t say it doesn’t last long but its priority is comfort, not longevity.
Conclusion
Hankook Winter i*Pike tires are a great option if you’re living in harsh winter conditions.
- Hankook Winter i*pike RW11 – Longevity & Traction for SUVs & Light Trucks
- Hankook Winter i*pike RS W419 – Longevity & Traction for passanger vehicles
- Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 W429 – Comfort & Traction for All Vehicles ( except Light Trucks)
- Hankook Winter i*pike X W429A – Comfort & Traction for SUV, CUV & Light Trucks
So, if you experience winter for 1-2 months for a year, you don’t need to experience this rough driving.
Though worth reminding, if you’re going to buy these tires, you’ll never be happy with the other winter tires’ traction.
I hope the article was helpful. You can hit me up if you need any further questions. Have a safe ride folks!