Contents
- Top 9 rating according to KP
- How to choose winter tires for your car
Winter footwear for a car is almost half of the active safety on the road. In our country, after all, the snow may not be cleaned, and frost on the asphalt is a common thing, and in the interval between them there is a mess of mud, snow and reagents. In short, winter in the city is not the most favorable time for motorists. But on the track, good tires can save a lot of time and nerves. It remains only to choose a tire model.
Top 9 rating according to KP
1. Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 9
This model belongs to Nokian’s iconic winter tire series. Finns are northern people and know a lot about tires for the cold season. The tire is available in many versions and the price range is large. In dimensions, it can be from 14 to 22 inches in diameter, profile width from 125 to 285 mm, and height from 35 to 65.
All versions are studded, there are options made using RunFlat technology. By the way, the spikes tolerate driving on clean asphalt quite well – drivers often say that even after two winters, up to 95% of the metal “claws” remain in place.
The tire handles well on both ice and snow. But get ready for the fact that the howl from her, even by the standards of spikes, is annoying. And one more unpleasant feature – at a temperature of +5 degrees, the rubber becomes soft, which increases the roll in corners.
If you have an SUV, then consider the version with the SUV prefix of the same company. They have a diameter of 16 to 22 inches.
Advantages and disadvantages
2. Yokohama Ice Guard IG50
A popular model of winter “Velcro” from the Japanese Yokohama. Ice Guard IG50 is available in eight diameters – from 12 to 19 inches. The width can be from 135 to 265 mm, and the profile height is from 35 to 80. The tread pattern here is asymmetric. Please note that the maximum speed index for this tire is Q (up to 160 km/h), which means that it is hardly suitable for fans of setting records on winter roads. The tire feels good in the city, especially if in this locality the public utilities at least sometimes clean the snow. It is soft and swallows the features of the road surface. In addition, it is also quiet, even against the background of other studless ones.
But you have to pay for softness with a blurry response to turning the steering wheel. This rubber is also very sensitive to pressure – if you drive on a lowered “cylinder”, you can literally damage the sidewalls in just a few kilometers. So watch out for how pumped up the Ice Guard IG50s are.
The model is suitable for compact cars, sports hatchbacks and small family cars. For passenger cars, there is a more universal version with the Plus prefix. Each costs about 1000 rubles more.
Advantages and disadvantages
3. Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000S
Bridgestone’s affordable winter studded tires come in diameters from 13 to 20 inches. The width of the profile can be 125-235 mm, and the height – 55-70. The tread here is directional, and the speed index for all versions is T (up to 190 km / h). This model of winter tires is distinguished by excellent wear resistance – the studs do not fly around after the first winter, although if you are a fan of grinding on cleaned asphalt, then the studs may not be counted in the spring.
The sidewall of the tire is quite strong and is not afraid of pits and potholes. The car on the Ice Cruiser 7000S holds the road confidently, especially on ice. You can, of course, complain about the noise that grows at temperatures from -5 and above, but studded tires are never quiet, right?
Advantages and disadvantages
What other winter tires are worth paying attention to?
4. MICHELIN Alpin 5
Velcro from Bibendum with a name referring to the Alps, which also reflects the purpose of this tire – it is designed for a mild winter in Europe. In Our Country, the weather has not been very severe in recent years, so for our motorist, especially in a large city, the model is suitable. The tire is available in diameter from 15 to 20 inches, width – 185-305 mm, and profile height – from 35 to 65. Some of the versions come with a speed index V (up to 240 km / h) and can be made using RunFlat technology. The tire is really quiet.
The model has good grip on dry and wet pavement, as well as on ice. But on ice, there may be problems with braking – the stopping distance will increase significantly. For Alpin 5, buyers have another question – the rubber is quite tender and it is very easy to cut the sidewall when parking or in a pit.
She is also prone to hernias from driving over bumps at high speeds.
Also on sale is the next generation marked Alpin 6. In international ratings, it is a confident leader in the tops of the best. However, in Our Country, the model was not particularly liked. In snowy regions, the braking distance is too long. Therefore, only for the south.
Advantages and disadvantages
5. KAMA Kama-Euro-519
A real “folk” tire, which is unlikely to be chosen by a motorist with his heart, rather, this is an option for a wallet.
Looking at the dimensions, you can understand that the tire is focused on mass and modest cars. Diameter – from 13 to 16 inches, width – 175-215 mm, and height – from 55 to 70. By the way, some versions of tires have a speed index T (up to 190 km / h).
But it’s better not to drive them – the car already starts to “wag” at a speed of 90-10 km / h. The rubber is hard and noisy, but the spikes are held tightly in it. Accordingly, here the wear resistance is not bad, as is the resistance to side cuts. Mediocre balancing is almost a signature feature of Kama.
Advantages and disadvantages
6. Continental ContiVikingContact 7
These winter tires are closer to the premium level. They are not studded, but friction. The model range is from 14 to 21 inches, and the profile width is from 145 to 295.
The product of the German manufacturer is distinguished by an exemplary balance. In independent tests, they showed a decent result both on wet pavement and on snow. There were complaints from the pros about the behavior during extreme driving on uncleaned driveways.
But you must admit that the layman encounters such a task quite rarely. Please note that there are three types of models on sale: Seal, Silent and SSR. All these are variations of proprietary technologies. The first is aimed at sealing the puncture site in the event of a collision with a nail. The second, as the name implies, is designed to level the noise. Great addition to premium cars. Finally, the latest version is once again aimed at durability: in the event of a serious puncture, such a wheel can stretch another 80 km.
Advantages and disadvantages
7. Pirelli Ice Zero
The famous series of studded winter tires from Pirelli. They are positioned as a complete solution for the northern winter. The tire is available in diameters from 14 to 22 inches, the profile width can be from 175 to 315 mm, and the height can be from 35 to 70. There are special versions made using RunFlat technology, of course, and they will cost more. Motorists love Ice Zero for adequate behavior on snow, ice and asphalt.
There is also excellent braking, and good directional stability. The tire starts to make a lot of noise already from 40 km / h, and if you accelerate to 100 km / h, the rumble in the cabin will be very intrusive. And it is worth remembering that the composition of the rubber here is such that even at +1 it becomes softer, which means that it is easier to damage it.
Advantages and disadvantages
8. Gislaved Nord Frost 200
Relatively inexpensive winter tire from a “Nordic” manufacturer. Available in diameters from 13 to 20 inches, profile width 155-285 mm and height 40-80. It uses an asymmetric tread pattern. For studded tires, it is relatively quiet. There are two views on wear resistance – some motorists claim that the tire retains studs well, while others may not have half of the metal heads after the first winter.
Apparently it depends not only on the driving style, but also on the batch of rubber. The grip is good, in loose snow, on ice, on cleared asphalt. There is also an unpleasant lateral drift during a sharp turn at 30-40 km / h, but, probably, in winter it is worth entering turns at lower speeds.
Advantages and disadvantages
9. Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8
Velcro from Dunlop is in steady demand among motorists who live in large cities of Our Country. The tire is available in diameter 15-21 inches, section width 205-285 mm and height 40-75.
The tread pattern here is symmetrical. Even by Velcro standards, this model is considered quiet to ride. On the road “porridge” and snow, the car in Winter Maxx SJ8 goes confidently. But on ice, handling may already suffer, as well as braking distances. Reasonable rutting of this tire is not terrible, and wear resistance is at a high level.
Advantages and disadvantages
How to choose winter tires for your car
We talked about which winter tire models you should pay attention to when choosing a new set of tires. Now let’s move on to practical advice. This will help us Alexander Studkov, tire shop owner.
Dimension
A motorist with little or no driving experience already knows how and where to look to find out the tire size. But it’s worth refreshing your memory. For example, on the tire mounted on the wheel of your car, it says: 225/50/R17, where
225 – tread width (the surface on which the tire is in contact with the road – a “pattern” is applied to it), in millimeters;
50 – tire profile height or, in other words, the ratio of the height of the tread to its width; the higher the value, the higher the profile and the visually greater distance from the road to the metal surface of the wheel;
R17 – tire “radial” (in principle, most tires are now radial), and “17” is the wheel diameter.
Spikes or friction
Perhaps this is the main problem when choosing winter tires. Well in Germany – there on public roads studded tires are prohibited in principle. But our climate is not the same, and the roads are not the same. So, you have to make your choice based on the driving conditions. Friction tires (aka Velcro) are good on snowy roads and on asphalt. The spike performs well on ice, with puddles, under which there is ice and in the snow “porridge”. It would seem that spikes in the conditions of the winter are an excellent option. But they all rattle loudly and sharply lose their resource on the pavement. Not only that, on a clean road, the braking distance on studded tires increases by 5-7%. And with them you will have to remember the word “running in” – the first 500 km of run should be protected from such rubber, not “heaping”.
Resource
On the best winter tires, you can find the marking of the wear resistance index (Treadwear). The minimum is 100. It means that this tire can withstand an average of 50 thousand kilometers. But the figure is very approximate. It is better to buy winter tires with as many Treadwear as possible. And, of course, remember a simple truth that will greatly increase the life of the tire – avoid operating at temperatures above +5 degrees.