Winter tire test for a crossover: choose the appropriate option. Crossover winter tire test: choosing the right option Top best non-studded winter tires
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In the global car tire market, winter tires account for a modest 7-8%. And in Russia, the production of tires for the winter period is a profitable business, they account for up to 60% of the market. For our country, Scandinavian-type winter tires with a massive tread are suitable, which push snow and ice crust well.
Top 10 best winter tires:
Tires #1: Nokian Hakkapeliitta
Nokian Hakkapeliitta - tires with 190 studs and light weight (with the help of special additives) do an excellent job on the track with any type of road surface.
Snow, snowy or frozen surface - it doesn't matter. Indeed, for Nokian Hakkapelitta, becoming the leader in the winter tire rating, there are no barriers. The car, "shod" in this model, shows a short braking distance on dry and wet pavement.
Tires #2: Continental ContilceContact
ContilceContact is a versatile tire suitable for both passenger cars and SUVs. The special rubber compound is made for cold and unpredictable climates. The car, “shod” in Continental, brakes well on ice and shows good handling, both on snow-covered roads and on dry pavement. Withstands rapid acceleration and deceleration. To be ContilceContact in the first place, if its slip resistance were perfect. But this is not the case, which is why the silver rating of winter tires in 2018.
Tires #3: Pirelli Winter Ice Zero
Pirelli tire manufacturers test their products under the most extreme conditions, as they operate on ice and snow. Therefore, it is expected that this model performed well on the surface with melted snow and ice. There are no questions about braking and handling under these conditions. So if you're going out of town and the weather is terrible, Pirelli tires are the best choice. Sometimes the car loses traction when cornering. Strong tire noise also does not add to the advantages of Winter Ice Zero. On dry pavement, the braking distance is not as short as we would like, so the bronze rating of winter tires 2018-2019.
Tire #4: Nokian Nordman
Good braking of the Nordman 5 is carried out with the help of a "bear claw" - a protrusion on the tread, which is held vertically when braking. The attractive price of this model, which occupies the 4th place in the ranking of winter tires 2018-2019, will please every motorist.
Thanks to Nokian Nordman 5, the car consumes moderately fuel, shows excellent stability on ice, snow and dry pavement. The only drawback: not very comfortable handling of the car, with heavy snowfall it does not show the best cross-country ability.
Tires #5: Nokian Nordman 4
Nordman 4 features reduced noise and spikes with great durability. Special pads soften contact with the road. On wet pavement and ice, the performance of this model, which occupies the middle of the 2018-2019 winter tire rating, leaves much to be desired. But otherwise, Nokian Nordman 4 is a solid middle peasant, sold at an affordable price.
Tires #6: Goodyear UltraGripIce Arctic
With special V-shaped sipes, the tire guarantees perfect grip on snowy roads. The performance of this rubber also gives confidence to the motorist. On wet pavement, the “shod” car behaves confidently, however, on dry pavement it turned out to be the slowest of all the presented models in the rating of winter tires this season.
Tire #7: Gislaved Nord*Frost 100
Gislaved Nord*Frost 100 tires with multi-faceted studs for perfect grip on ice. A wide area of contact between the tire and the road surface is made possible by numerous lugs. The car, "shod" in the tires of this model, behaves flawlessly on a wet snowy and ice road. On dry surfaces, the performance of rubber, which took 7th place in the ranking of winter tires, is not so joyful: the rolling resistance is high, and the braking distance leaves much to be desired.
Tires #8: Hankook Winter i*Pike RS W419
Hankook Winter i*Pike RS W419 winter tires from a Korean manufacturer have 180 studs and a siping system to reduce braking distances. The car goes perfectly in the snow on the slopes, tracks, forest trails. Whether the road is dry or wet, it doesn't matter, with Hankook Winter tires your car will be able to drive confidently even on muddy roads. True, on the snow, driving is uneven. This is the only negative of the model that occupies the 8th place in our top of the best winter tires 2018-2019.
No. 9: Formula Ice
Thanks to the hexagonal aluminum studs, the tires of this model are perfectly adapted for driving and braking on snow and ice. The car, "shod" in this rubber, will feel great on dry roads. Formula Ice, ranked 9th in the 2018 winter tire list, will provide the vehicle with a high level of smoothness. This model is suitable for those who live in a big city and rarely travel outside of it. Attractive price will be an additional plus in choosing this model.
#10: Michelin X-IceNorth 3
Thanks to the open tread pattern, the tires interact well with the road even with poor grip. With X-IceNorth, the vehicle will also drive through slush with confidence. A car shod with tires of this model showed the shortest braking distance on a dry road. This rubber, which closes this rating, is most suitable in conditions where there is not much snow and ice. Because the car will be mediocre to accelerate and brake with the X-IceNorth 3. This winter tire model is sold at a reasonable price.
Video TOP 10 most popular winter tires in Russia
The traditional question that has set the teeth on edge for more than one motorist before winter is the choice of winter studded tires. For SUVs and crossovers, this is very important: cars of this class need careful selection of tires due to their parameters and high weight. The following ranking is made up of the most popular studded winter tires on the market.
Let's start from the last, tenth place - Yokohama ice Guard Stud iG35. Opinions about these tires are very diverse: there are enough both positive and negative reviews. This is a novelty of 2012, which is still successfully present in sales. When they were created, directional tread technology was used, but now you will not surprise anyone with this.
According to manufacturers, their products should have the following advantages:
- reliable grip on all types of surfaces, including those cases when they are covered with an ice crust or snow porridge, thanks to the "multidimensional" sipes. They should also increase braking performance, especially on ice, dense snow, while maintaining the rigidity of the main tread elements;
- special protrusions near the spikes for the reliability of their fastening;
- improved shape of the grooves, which makes the process of water and snow removal, grip more efficient. Grooves on the sides increase the reliability of deceleration on ice and packed snow;
- An innovative rubber compound that prevents the tire from deforming near a protruding stud.
In practice, these advantages turned out to be mostly just PR. The main negative should be noted here: the spikes do not hold well and fall out. The tread loses rigidity, and the grooves are rather mediocre: the car noticeably scours when braking. Negative reviews from motorists primarily relate to the meager life of the spikes.
Everything is not so bad - there are positive aspects. Tires are designed for urban conditions and moderate snow cover. Here they feel good enough. The price is also an advantage. This is an acceptable choice with a limited budget, when you do not want to ride on budget Velcro, but there is no money for normal studded tires.
In ninth place is the Nokian Nordman 5 SUV. Externally, the rubber is a copy of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV, but the material itself is a little worse.
Their behavior on the road surface deserves not the lowest, but rather mediocre ratings. It is worth noting that the lateral grip on icy and snowy surfaces is above average. Experts note excellent stability on asphalt roads and a good, clear response. On the other hand, control over the car on snow, ice leaves much to be desired. Nothing really bad, but nothing good can be said about the rubber, it is satisfactory.
At positive temperatures on the pavement, a car shod in Nordman 5 SUV does not pull to the side during maneuvers, it does not “float”. Separately, it is worth mentioning the noise level. The tires themselves are quite quiet, after warming up the noise becomes even less, as it should be with winter tires.
An important issue that interests motorists is spikes. There are no special complaints here, they sit firmly in the rubber and do not hang out, although with aggressive driving there is a minimum number of torn or torn ones. This is a budget tire with mediocre performance.
The tread has a directional pattern, with wide channels, good siping, it is similar to other tires of this brand, brand features are immediately visible here. The tread copes with its functions for average marks, this is confirmed in practice: the rubber behaves decently on loose and rolled snow and on ice crust. For this, you can put a solid satisfactory rating.
Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the rubber is not studded with a branded multi-faceted stud, but with a regular round-core stud, which is less effective. On the other hand, maybe this is better, because the grip properties will not noticeably decrease after 2–4 thousand km on asphalt, since the spikes do not have sharp wear edges. The next downside is the price. With all the positive qualities, as for a budget rubber with a lightweight design, it is quite high.
Eighth place went to Gislaved Nord Frost 100 SUV. This Swedish brand is popular all over the world. Nord Frost 100 SUV is the successor to the popular "fifth" Nord Frost. Tires are studded, with a speed limit of 190 km / h. Their cost is in the middle price range.
Separately, about the appearance and tread pattern. He is bold, brutal and will clearly stand out from the others. But this is not at all the point, but the coupling and running properties of rubber. Here you can put the rating above satisfactory.
This model has fewer spikes, but now they are triangular and gnaw ice with increased efficiency. The tread pattern is not only beautiful, but also practical. It performs its functions of removing water, snow (loose and "porridge") to the fullest, and the spikes provide stability on an icy road. The indisputable advantage of rubber is good handling, according to this indicator they are in the top three.
Especially for SUVs, the XL version is produced, which has an increased load index and a reinforced sidewall.
The rubber is soft, so it feels great on ice, but less wear resistant. Affordable price, moderately soft rubber, a special shape of spikes - this is an excellent choice in the middle price range. Due to the softness, the machine "swallows" joints, bumps. Tires are quiet: may be due to the reduction in the number of studs. The tread lamellae are not clogged with dirt, gravel, and have the property of self-cleaning.
The car performs well on snowy roads. Judging by the reviews of those who tested it at 140 km / h, no yaws were noticed. Rubber perfectly rows downhill on loose snow cover, but some note that the tires are quickly buried in powder snow. Nord Frost 100 SUVs hold the road well, have an average grip, braking on ice, do not "float" and are quite predictable. This rubber is among the leaders in braking performance in all conditions, including ice.
Relative disadvantage: as the aluminum base wears out during braking, the spikes break out or break off.
Seventh place in the ranking is occupied by the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000. They replaced the Ice Cruiser 5000 on the market. In the updated model, the developers tried to improve the advantages and minimize the shortcomings of the previous one.
The first improvement is the spike. "Claws" have an original shape that creates additional grip areas. The hardness of the stud itself is optimized, the rubber layer in which it is placed is harder.
The tread has been improved for spikes. The tire leaves a track of 16 stripes (the Ice Cruiser 5000 had 12), which makes the car well-handled on ice. The area of contact between the stud and the road surface has been increased. For two winters in urban operation, more than 30% of the spikes should not fly out - this is what the manufacturer says. The rim of the tire is rigid, which protects it from bursting.
The top of the spikes is cross-shaped, which increases the number of clinging edges. The spike itself is made of aluminum, and the hardened center insert makes it stronger. A distinctive feature of this rubber is the strength of the fastening of the "claws".
The pattern on the tread differs from the Ice Cruiser 5000 in small details, which means that the car has good stability on loose snow cover. The car perfectly holds the trajectory in corners. At 60 km / h, they are overcome with little drift. On average, the Ice Cruiser 7000 allows you to reduce the braking distance compared to its predecessor by a meter.
Judging by the reviews of car owners, the tires are a bit noisy, but they hold the road confidently. They were created and tested specifically for Russian roads. They hold the road on ice mediocrely, at the start there is a slight slippage. In loose snow, there are no complaints about the behavior of the car, the rubber copes with its functions perfectly.
The sixth place in the ranking belongs to a fairly new product - Pirelli Winter Ice Zero. These are the first studded tires in the P Zero series. Manufacturers say that the rubber was developed taking into account the brand's 40-year experience in rallying and is able to cope with the harsh winter conditions of the northern regions, dense snow, and extremely low temperature conditions as efficiently as possible. The tires implemented a new method of installing studs - Pirelli Dual Stud.
They are located in the upper middle segment in terms of quality and are the leader among the "middle peasants". On snow and ice, the rubber behaves clearly in a racing way, maybe even too much, and requires more attention and good reaction. Asphalt is given to her also well.
The Ice Zero spikes are equipped with carbide inserts and have the appearance of a trapezoid. Advantages of this rubber: good grip on ice, wet, dry pavement. Cons: unpredictability on ice and snow, noisy.
On an icy track, sharp breakdowns into side skids and slips are observed, although the longitudinal dynamics on ice is reliable. A feature not only of this model, but of all tires of the brand is that they give the car sharp, sporty reactions. The latter circumstance is a little annoying, since the driver must always be concentrated and respond in a timely manner to the behavior of the car. You can also characterize the behavior on snow surfaces, but here the longitudinal grip is at an average level. On paved roads (dry and wet), deceleration performance is excellent.
The ride is great, but the tires are a bit noisy. Many experts note the sufficient quality of these tires, but recommend them only for driving in the city and with occasional trips to country roads.
Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice Arctic SUVs are in fifth place. This is a fresh generation of studded tires, produced and tested for the climate of the Scandinavian and Russian regions with temperatures of -20°C and below. The rubber is studded using Multicontrol Ice technology: the studs are directional, have a large hard alloy insert, their placement on the tread has been improved, which significantly shortens the braking distance, increases grip and reduces noise.
The "claws" have a new shape at the base, which gives them stability. They feature wide edges for better deceleration on ice.
The developers paid a lot of attention to the behavior of tires on loose snow. To do this, there are V-shaped lamellas and grooves in the side zones. They have sawtooth cuts to overcome deep snow, grab it at the edges of the tire and divert it through wide grooves.
Excellent braking performance on dense snow and ice is also ensured by the geometry of the studs, which increases the area of contact with the road. The silicone in the rubber makes braking on wet roads more effective.
According to the test results, Ice Arctic SUVs are among the leaders in such categories on snow: "braking distance", "traction", "handling". High results were demonstrated on the ice on points: "the most effective braking", "controllability" and "coupling". It is this rubber that opens the second part of our rating, in which its leaders are presented.
Car owners note a slight tire noise, good acceleration and braking performance. Behavior on wet roads is rated at "four", directional stability at 5 minus: sometimes you have to steer, probably, the tread pattern without a guide affects. The weak point of these tires is poor cornering control, but acceleration and braking are on top.
In fourth place is the Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2. It should be said right away that this is a fairly hard rubber, and as you know, hard tires on ice have worse performance. The same non-studded soft X-Ice 2 perform better on icy surfaces. In addition, the X-Ice North 2, according to some motorists, have too short spikes: they protrude only about 1.1 mm, which is not very good for ice.
Now about the merits. The tires in question feel great on asphalt, they win in these indicators not only in their subgroup, but also among the leaders of our rating. Apparently, the X-Ice North 2 model was developed primarily for residents of large cities, that is, for those who drive on asphalt in winter more often than on snow or ice. These are the quietest tires in our ranking and the softest along with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8. But because of their softness, they do not take a hit well and often break through.
Protectors are made of two layers. The protrusions in the bottom layer are located in place of the spikes, which improved their fixation by 10%. The two-layer composition of tires is their main feature. This allows you to increase the level of reliability of fixing the studs and guarantees excellent grip on icy surfaces. Rubber is able to change hardness depending on temperature. In warm weather, it is elastic enough that it retains the studs: they are pressed into the tread. At the same time, grip on dry and wet surfaces is improved, the sliding effect is reduced.
At low temperatures, rigidity increases - the "claws" get a solid foundation, which allows them to actively bite into the ice.
Tests show that even with a loss of 5% of the studs, the tires perform well on ice. The branded two-layer studding keeps the “claws” for a long time, and their location at different angles makes them much more effective. The sipes are 6% longer than the predecessor X-Ice North, which has a positive effect on traction and acceleration.
The next place is Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV, which opens the top three. As tests show, for two thousand kilometers the tires never failed, the car behaved perfectly. The spikes deserve special praise: during this time, none fell off, but some were slightly deformed. The only relative disadvantage is noise, but this is typical for most studded tires.
Rubber is quite expensive, but it's worth it: excellent performance when braking, as well as when coasting and behavior at high speeds. On ice, dense snow, wet asphalt, no attempts to scour were found.
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV, like the 8 SUV, was specially designed for urban SUVs and crossovers.
The weak point of tires is low wear resistance and noise. These shortcomings are more than offset by high handling, braking, and acceleration characteristics on any type of road surface. In these categories, rubber received the highest scores in tests.
The ability to adapt to all types of road surfaces is achieved due to the following features:
- a structure with air cavities in the form of a drop, which enhances depreciation, reduces noise and vibration;
- spikes have an improved hexagonal shape. Together with the air cavities, they create the new Air Claw Technology clutch system;
- additionally improves lateral braking diamond-shaped bevel of the hex stud;
- The composition of rubber includes environmentally friendly natural components and silicone, which reduces slip.
Rubber behaves almost perfectly on all types of road surface in winter, but gives mediocre results on dry pavement.
Second place deservedly belongs to the Continental Ice Contact 2 SUV. According to the test results, the studs hold tight: in two seasons, only 5 pieces were lost on one wheel. Compared to the leader of our rating - Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8, Continental slips more sharply, but at the same time faster.
The tires have a new asymmetric tread pattern, the outer side of which has sinusoidal sipes that increase cornering stability, and the sipes with steps on the inside are responsible for traction during acceleration and braking.
The spikes are arranged in such a way that they always come into contact only with fresh ice, and not with ice crushed by other spikes. It does not build up around them thanks to special "ice pockets" - closed reservoirs along the perimeter of the spikes, which serve to accumulate crushed ice, which is then removed from them by centrifugal force.
The car becomes clearer in management, even too much, it is felt especially at the entrance to the turn. On snow, the rear of the car breaks into a skid a little, that is, the Continental Ice Contact 2 SUV holds loose snow worse.
These tires have the shortest braking distance of all the tires under consideration and the best accelerating dynamics, in these indicators they surpass Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8. Ice Contact 2 SUV, as tests show, perfectly holds a blow. On the ice they are great, acceleration and braking are the best among the rating. The balance of drift, skid and handling is close to ideal.
On snow, their behavior is slightly worse, as there is a slight tendency to skid the stern. Tires are designed specifically for ice and snow, so on asphalt they have mediocre performance. The car reacts somewhat weakly to the first impulses, but then the tires “compress” and decently hold overloads on the sides.
The next weak point is noise. Both on straight lines and in corners, they pretty howl. In addition to good wear resistance and excellent ability to hold a blow, you can add the excellent quality of the spikes and their fastening. To pull out a spike planted on an adhesive base, it is necessary to apply much more force compared to other tires.
The leader of the rating is Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8. A feature of this rubber is the highest handling performance. Tires are excellent in turns, provide a clear control over the car. On wet pavement, they give a slightly worse result when braking. Another disadvantage is noise and high price.
The tires have the largest number of studs - 190. But the advantage over the Continental Ice Contact 2 SUV is insignificant, and in terms of acceleration dynamics they are worse than them. The reason lies in the size of the spikes: they are small. Their diameter, height, width of the carbide insert is less than that of Continental. But this drawback is relative: on “soft” ice, such spikes are much more effective.
On snow, the Hakkapeliitta 8 traditionally performs well, with precise and timely reactions to steering, throttle and deceleration. On a dry surface, they demonstrate excellent deceleration, but on a wet surface they cannot boast of special results, showing the longest braking distance. On pavement, stability is rather mediocre.
A relative disadvantage of studded winter tires is the itchy noise from the studs, and the Hakkapeliitta 8 is not without it either. After running in, the noise decreases. Motorists first of all note starting off without slipping, predictability, excellent behavior on slippery slopes.
As a result: the first four places are occupied by products of high quality and value. These tires, with overall high performance, differ only in nuances. Places from third to sixth - a good good, but not perfect tires. The last two points in the ranking belong to the budget segment, recommended mainly for moderate snow cover and urban conditions.
R16 tires are one of the most popular sizes on the Russian market, because the wheels of many small and medium crossovers and SUVs are designed for this size. The most popular 215/65R16 SUV tire models participated in the tests: studded and non-studded. Tests (acceleration-braking, deep snow patency, etc.) were carried out at the AVTOVAZ test site on the Renault-Duster crossover, in severe weather conditions.
Test of studded winter tires for crossovers
Winter tire rating 2019-2017 for crossovers
10. Matador MP 50 Sibir Ice SUV
The average price is 4,601 rubles. The main advantage of this SUV R16 tire is the price. At the same time, the tires are distinguished by good handling, the rubber is quite hardy, the spikes have a strong fixation, they are well suited for driving around the city and behave satisfactorily in difficult conditions. Cons: very soft rubber and thin sidewall.
9. Dunlop Grandtrek Ice02
The average price is 4,440 rubles. Good for both asphalt and snow and ice - confident braking, confident start. The spikes sit securely. A great option for snowy roads and icy trails. At the same time, the noise on the pavement does not go beyond the usual for a studded tire.
8. Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice Arctic
The average price is 5,280 rubles. This model received an honorable second place. She has excellent grip on ice and simply amazing flotation in deep snow. However, there are also disadvantages. The main and main one is a weak sidewall, which means that you will have to drive very carefully - after all, such a tire can be easily damaged on potholes. And the movement of the car on these tires is accompanied by a strong rumble.
7. Continental Conti4x4IceContact
The average price is 7,965 rubles. The strengths of this model are excellent performance on ice and snow and super reliable stud retention. However, a car on such tires does not like dry asphalt and deep snowdrifts.
6. Gislaved NordFrost 100
The average price is 7,740 rubles. One of the best winter tires for crossovers designed for city driving. They are distinguished by low noise level, excellent grip on dry and wet asphalt. For country trips, they are worse - the quality of driving on snow (both loose and compacted) and ice is not very high.
5. Gislaved NordFrost 100 SUV
The average price is 6,579 rubles. Designed for city driving (excellent braking on pavement, both dry and wet), they are distinguished by good handling and a clear course in almost any conditions. However, the performance on ice and in snow is quite modest.
4. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV
The average price is 6,933 rubles. According to the test results of winter tires, SUV is the best winter studded tire on the Russian market in 2019-2017. Excellent grip on ice and snow and high cross-country ability are indispensable when driving in winter. Alas, excellent qualities in difficult conditions turn into average in city driving; the Hakkapeliitta 8 has fairly average braking properties on dry pavement. The second disadvantage is the high price.
3. Continental ContiIceContact
The average price is 8,570 rubles. Third place in the ranking of winter tires for the crossover 2019-2017 goes to Continental ContiIceContact. She is the most expensive of the entire top 10. When choosing, keep in mind that there are three types of models - HD, BD and BD2. And they have different characteristics. BD2 is designed for sporty driving in difficult conditions (it has the most studs, the studs themselves are longer, and therefore it is the noisiest). BD has already been discontinued. The HD is more of an urban tire with occasional out-of-town trips when the weather conditions are good. It has fewer studs, is less noisy than previous varieties, and performs well on pavement and icy roads. But in the snow, especially loose, it is already worse.
2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV
The average price is 9,603 rubles. Finns know a lot about winter driving. Therefore, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 SUV is the second in the 2019-2017 suv winter studded tire ranking. This is a great tire for difficult weather conditions. Superbly holds the road on almost any surface, from paved roads to snow and ice. The ride of the car is smooth, soft, the tires are tenacious and quiet enough.
1. Nokian Nordman 5 SUV
The average price is 6,510 rubles. And the first place in the ranking of winter tires for SUVs goes to Nordman 5 SUV from Nokian. Although the behavior on ice, snow and asphalt, these tires are quite average (with the exception of lateral grip, which is slightly better), the car on these tires has excellent directional stability on asphalt. An excellent choice for city driving and trips out of town.
Test of non-studded winter tires for crossovers
Non-studded tires are often chosen for their reduced noise levels as well as their softness on the road. But at the same time, they provide reliable stability on the road, even on icy or snowy roads. Consider the rating of the most popular non-studded models for crossovers.
10. Dunlop Grand Trek SJ6
The average price is 4,740 rubles. Tires have high wear resistance. Consists of silicon with a mixture of carbon to increase the level of adhesion to the road. Riding on such tires is easy and comfortable, it is almost silent.
9. Hankook Dynapro I*Cept RW08
The average price is 4,540 rubles. The composition of the mixture includes silicon, which increases traction, and silica, due to which the operating temperature range is increased. The tires are virtually silent due to the sipes arranged in waves.
8. Yokohama Geolandar I/T-S G073
The average price is 5,010 rubles. When using such tires, the car becomes very agile when driving both on a straight road and when making turns, U-turns or lane changes. Grooves perfectly clean tires from dirt, dust and snow porridge. Three-chamber lamellas reduce the likelihood of getting into the aquaplaning zone, as well as significantly reduce the braking time of the car.
7. Toyo Observe Gsi 5
The average price is 4,810 rubles. The lamellas used allow for increased grip on snow and ice, resulting in a fairly short braking distance. High wear resistance ensures safety and comfort while riding.
6. Pirelli Scorpion Winter
The average price is 5,630 rubles. They have a symmetrical pattern, provide a high level of stability when cornering or changing lanes. Suitable for use on crossovers with anti-lock braking system. They allow you to brake even on descents, as well as when performing other maneuvers on a winter road.
Preparing a car for the winter season is a responsible matter, and you need to approach it as seriously as possible, especially if there is a question about buying tires for operation in conditions with a predominance of snow and ice surfaces. In this case, only studded tires will help, and so that buyers do not make a mistake with their choice, road tests organized in a “combat” environment are needed.
By the cold season of 2016-2017, we tested winter studded tires at one of the test sites in the northern part of the earth's hemisphere, where real winter reigned. For testing, a typical mid-size car (D-segment according to the European classification) was selected, for which twelve relatively affordable sets of tires with a dimension of 195/65 R15 were selected (it is this that is most often found on inexpensive foreign cars and domestic cars).
Eight test participants fit into the pricing policy from two to three thousand rubles, but a very diverse company was selected among them:
- The most affordable were the Chinese Triangle IceLink tires and the updated Cordiant Snow Cross, and the most expensive were the Hankook Winter i * Pike RS +, which “registered” 170 studs on itself, and a novelty for the winter of 2016-2017 in the face of Dunlop SP Winter Ice 02.
- The “middle peasants” were Matador Sibir Ice 2, Toyo Observe G3-Ice, Pirelli Formula Ice and Nordman 5.
- In addition, four sets of tires that are not so affordable, but no less successful in Russia, got to the test - Michelin X-Ice North 3, Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 and Continental ContiIceContact 2.
It is also worth noting that half of the "test subjects" are produced in our country, due to which acceptable price tags are hung on them.
Studded tires passed the whole complex of snow and ice exercises at the air temperature from -20 to -2 ºC at the training ground. True, due to the lack of dense, rolled snow, it was not possible to perform a rearrangement, but it was possible to evaluate the handling on two tracks at once - both snow and ice.
The tests started with methodical measurements, with six to eight races on each set of tires, and in some cases all ten because of the “jumping” results. At the same time, a check of the condition of the coating using base tires was carried out after every two or three sets of spikes.
The first disciplines that all test participants faced were acceleration and braking on snow with traction control and anti-lock systems turned on, preventing the wheels from slipping when accelerating and blocking when decelerating.
When accelerating from 0 to 40 km/h, the championship was taken by Cordiant, Formula and Nokian, who were able to keep within 6 seconds, and Toyo became outsiders, who immediately lost half a second to the leaders. It was this speed interval that was used to measure the time for the following reasons: from zero - to prevent the tires from “hanging” when starting, and up to 40 km / h - because you can accelerate to this figure in first gear.
When braking from 40 to 5 km / h (not to a complete stop in order to avoid interference with ABS), the situation changed somewhat, and Michelin tires performed the best here (the car needed a distance of 16.2 m with them), and the Chinese Triangle became the worst (20.7 m).
The same procedures were carried out on ice, but with a different end point of acceleration and initial deceleration (30 km/h). Yes, and the acceleration time began to be fixed not from zero, but from 5 km / h due to the use of equipment with an optical sensor instead of a device with a GPS module. After each measurement, the car had to be slightly shifted onto clean ice, since small ice chips carved with spikes reduced friction, thereby preventing accurate figures from being shown.
The best acceleration time on ice was shown by Nokian, whose time did not exceed 4.5 seconds, the second place was awarded to Continental with a lag of 0.3 seconds, and Matador trailed behind (as much as 7 seconds). Braking has not made any changes in the list of leaders and outsiders.
The final exercise in measurements is the determination of the time to overcome the ice circle, where it was required to do a large number of repetitions on each set of tires. And here the top positions on the “pedestal of honor” were taken by Continental and Dunlop, ahead of all competitors.
The next test cycle started with an assessment of the behavior of a car moving on a snowy road at high speed, for which a platform was used about 15 meters wide and about half a kilometer long. Such a route not only made it possible to check the accuracy of straight-line movement at a speed of 90-100 km/h, but also to make soft changes from one lane to another and simulate a detour of an obstacle.
The test car showed the most confident behavior on Goodyear, Cordiant and Nokian spikes, while the Matador tires showed a wide and uninformative zero, solid steering angles when correcting the course and delays in reactions to the steering wheel. The Chinese Triangle, despite the low information content of the steering wheel, pleased with its clarity, for which they received a plus in the piggy bank.
Much more interesting was the next exercise - driving on a closed track with snow cover, turns of various steepness and small descents and ascents, perfectly imitating Russian roads.
But if the outsider remained the same compared to the previous discipline, then the leaders have changed - the car, shod with Cordiant, Nokian, Hankook and Toyo tires, distinguished itself by clear reactions and predictable behavior even during skidding.
Equally important for winter tires is handling over a lot of terrain, which is why this particular test was next in line, and for its implementation a track with high-speed and slow turns, as well as short and long straight sections was used.
When taxiing on ice, everyone was left behind by the spikes of Cordiant, Hankook, Nokian (they were the most successful in handling on snow) and Nordman, who demonstrated understandable behavior and quick reactions, while in the rearguard due to poor steering information and an unexpected stall in a skid trailed Goodyear.
But to check the patency, snow with a depth of a little more than the ground clearance was perfect, which made it possible to establish how the car, shod in certain tires, simply and clearly starts from a place, is controlled and is selected in its own footsteps if stuck.
And here, for the previous fiasco, Goodyear tires completely recouped, on which the car moved more than confidently in deep snow, while the Chinese Triangle tires did not work at all.
After testing with snow and ice, it was time to find out if all the spikes were still in place. And the highest reliability was shown by Continental and Formula, which managed not to lose a single “carnation”, but the outsiders were Cordiant, Dunlop and Hankook, which lost ten, thirteen and fifteen spikes, respectively. Michelin, Nordman and Nokian tires all scored good, missing two claws, while Goodyear, Triangle and Matador were forced to give up three or four studs. As for Toyo, their losses amounted to seven "carnations" - not the best result.
The matter was not limited to snow and ice exercises alone, because any car shoes (even studded ones) have to be used on asphalt from time to time. Moreover, such tests were carried out under more favorable weather conditions, when the asphalt had already dried up, and the air temperature ranged from 4 to 7 ºC. And after all, it is precisely these conditions that prevail at the turn for a seasonal change of “shoes”.
First of all, all the test subjects were subjected to measuring fuel consumption, and immediately before the measurements on the warm-up lap, directional stability and comfort level (noise and smoothness) on roads with different surfaces were evaluated along the way.
Nokian, Formula and Nordman became the least “gluttonous” at urban and suburban speeds, but Cordiant showed the worst numbers, albeit with a very small difference (only 200 ml of gasoline per “hundred”). With directional stability at a speed of 110-130 km / h, Michelin tires were the best - the car shod in them was distinguished by a clear keeping of a given trajectory and soft rebuilding. But Triangle found itself in the “catching up”: here there is no information content on the steering wheel, and the “zero” is wide and smeared, and in order to maintain the direction it is necessary to work with the “steering wheel” at solid angles.
In terms of noise, all the test subjects are approximately at the same level - each of them rustles the tweezers on the asphalt. And if we take into account the smoothness of the ride, then Continental, Hankook and Michelin have proven themselves better than others.
The final exercise for all sets of tires was braking on wet and dry pavement, which was carried out from speeds of 60 and 80 km / h to 5 km / h (in order to exclude ABS interference).
The Continental studs (19.8 m) took the shortest distance to slow down in the wet, while the Dunlop and Cordiant rolled the farthest (22.4 and 22.5 m respectively).
On dry pavement, the Triangle tires (31.6 m) felt more confident than the others, while the Cordiant (35 m) showed the worst results.
The first line according to the test results went to Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires, which distinguished themselves by good performance in all exercises, followed by Continental ContiIceContact 2. By and large, both tires have only one drawback - high cost. Bronze went to Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires.
