Braking performance was evaluated on snow, ice, wet and dry pavement. The tests were carried out at various temperatures, and the average result was determined after 15-20 races. On ice, the car was stopped from 50 km/h, on snow and wet surfaces - from 80 km/h. Tests on snowy and icy surfaces were carried out both outdoors and indoors, where temperature and humidity control allows you to eliminate the influence of the weather.
Traction on snow and ice was evaluated using the fastest possible acceleration from 5 to 35 and from 5 to 20 km/h, respectively. Tests were also carried out at various temperatures on the track and in the indoor complex.
Handling was rated based on lap times, and in addition, several drivers provided feedback on how the tires accelerated, braked, and cornered on various surfaces. The tests were carried out blind, meaning the drivers did not know which tires were fitted to the car. In the same way, directional stability was evaluated, that is, the ability of the tires to maintain the direction of movement without the need for steer.
In the noise level test, the pilots also made subjective assessments by making several runs on uneven surfaces. Finally, the rolling resistance was measured as follows - the car rolled freely, decelerating from 80 to 40 km / h, on a flat surface without the influence of wind. The tests were carried out at two different temperatures, after which the percentage increase in consumption was calculated compared to the most economical tires.
Test World emphasized that all tires were purchased freely from various stores. If the tires were not yet available on the market, they were sent by the manufacturer, but after the start of sales, the results of these tires were additionally checked.B.
Existing regulations in Scandinavia do not limit the number of studs in tires. More precisely, there are no restrictions for manufacturers whose new tires have been tested by an independent organization, which confirmed that the effect of studs on road wear does not exceed acceptable values. If the tests are successful, the manufacturer has the discretion to choose the type of studs and their number.
Another option is to abandon these tests and reduce the number of studs to the maximum allowed, that is, 50 pieces per linear meter of tread - in the amount of 205/55 R16, which means that there should be less than a hundred studs. Of the 12 participants in this test, only three manufacturers decided to go this route.
Increasing the number of studs improves traction on ice. This is a logical consequence, and the test results almost always confirm it. Be that as it may, a large number of spikes alone does not guarantee success in the entire test, although on ice it does give a certain advantage.
The more spikes, the more noise, as a rule, which can be quite annoying while driving. When driving on asphalt, studs can also negatively affect handling, stability, and even braking performance.
Additional grip on icy surfaces is provided by the penetration of the stud into the ice surface. In order for the spike to “grab” the ice, a certain amount of energy is required. The more studs, the less pressure there will be on one individual stud, and if you're driving on hard ice in cold weather, tires with fewer studs may have more grip.
Nokian shook up the studded tire market a couple of years ago by introducing tires with 190 studs, 50-100% more than other tires on the market at the time. After that, Nokian tires won one test after another, but their advantage is gradually decreasing.
This year, Continental tires also feature 190 studs. It's easy to guess who they were targeting when they determined this number, but be that as it may, the results are still excellent.
In third place in terms of the number of spikes are Hankook, which have 170 of them. The Korean manufacturer is actively investing in research and development, and experts noted that it is good to see good winter tires starting to come from Asia. As a representative of one of the manufacturers said, 10 years ago, the characteristics of Korean tires were an occasion for jokes for many in the industry, but now they are no longer laughed at even in large European companies.
A large group of test participants installed 130 studs in tires. Goodyear, Bridgestone and Pirelli are well-known manufacturers, so it was logical to take their tires to the test. Tires from second-tier brands include Sava, Dunlop and the former Nokian, which are now offered as Nordman. All of them are inexpensive and less high-tech alternatives to tires from premium brands.
Michelin, Gislaved and China's Linglong have less than 100 studs, meaning these tires have not passed the road wear test. The first two models belong to the premium class, however, apparently, other parameters cannot compensate for the lack of grip on ice compared to tires with a lot of studs. As for Linglong, the tires of this company have already participated in the Finnish tests, proving to be one of the best winter tires from China.
Friction tire designers don't have to worry about the number of studs, but the lack of studs must be compensated for in one way or another, and this creates a whole host of other problems. There is a limited set of tools available to increase traction on non-studded tires on ice, and mostly engineers use new materials and improved tread patterns while making the compound as soft as possible. Moreover, if you overdo it with softness rubber compound, other problems can arise, the worst of which are poor grip on wet pavement, unstable handling and low wear resistance.
In recent years, Nokian and Continental have occupied the top spots in friction tire tests. Even without studs, their tires provide impressive traction on ice, but buyers will have to put up with sluggish steering responses on pavement or opt for other tires that again offer less grip.
Goodyear's friction tires focused on handling on pavement, which only slightly worsened traction in winter conditions, and Michelin has always preferred to create a balance of performance without any obvious drawbacks. Pirelli and Bridgestone are old proven brands, but their models in this test are different from those tested before.
Two tires from a lower price segment were added to the list - Nordman from Nokian and Nankang from a Taiwanese manufacturer, which is known for its rather successful summer tires. This test showed whether their winter tires could compete with products from European companies.
The tire business is full of all sorts of information about how winter tires wear out. various types, and how wear affects their grip. Someone says that friction tires wear out twice as fast as studded ones, and someone is convinced that due to the wear of the studs, after a couple of years, the grip of studded tires will be weaker than that of non-studded ones.
Test World chose six tire models from last year - four studded, two friction - and tested their wear by driving them on asphalt roads in cold weather for 15,000 km, which is roughly equivalent to operating for two winter seasons. The route was mostly motorway, but each tire was subjected to 100 braking and accelerating at low speeds to simulate urban traffic conditions.
The tests used three cars that followed the same route in the same conditions. Two tires of each model were taken, which were rearranged from the front axle to the rear. Thus, at the end of the test, all tires traveled the same distance on the front and rear axles, and in addition, the drivers also changed cars to avoid affecting their driving style.
The tires were tested for braking performance on ice before the start of the test, after which the same tests were carried out every 5,000 km. It is noteworthy that both types of tires lost grip about the same, and after 15,000 km, its level decreased by about 20%. In addition, grip deterioration was the same for tires of different brands, and the alignment of forces did not change during the entire test. This suggests that the results of tests of new tires allow us to judge how certain tires will behave in a worn condition.
Be that as it may, in terms of durability, the tires differed from each other. The table shows how many kilometers they can go before their tread depth drops to 3mm. Michelins are historically known as tires with particularly good wear resistance, and tests on the chosen model once again confirmed this reputation. It is worth noting that the results will always depend on the car, the quality of the roads and the driving style.
With the exception of the Michelin, all other tires in both categories wear about the same, and after the test, their tread depth decreased by 2 mm. Friction Continentals had wear of only 1.5 mm, but, as in the case of Michelin, due to the relatively small initial tread depth of up to 3 mm, they would wear out faster. It must be recalled that high wear resistance can negatively affect grip, and the buyer must decide for himself which parameter is more important to him.
Test World notes that while the differences between the tested tires may look minor on paper, the reality is Everyday life they can be more than obvious, and this applies not only to braking performance, but also to cornering grip and steering responses. According to experts, worst tires in the test, they practically do not allow you to control the car on slippery surfaces, so Test World reminds you that when choosing winter tires, you should not focus only on price and buy cheap tires. Tests by various organizations year after year show that budget Asian tires do not provide the optimum level of safety and an accident will be much more costly, not to mention other, more serious risks.
TEST RESULTS
Left: Ice braking(Braking distance from 50 to 0 km/h, m)
Right: Acceleration on ice(Acceleration time from 5 to 20 km/h, s)
Left: Handling on ice(Lap time, s)
Right: Handling on ice(Subjective assessments, points)
Left: Snow braking
Right: Acceleration on snow(Acceleration time from 5 to 35 km/h, s)
Left: Snow handling(Lap time, s)
Right: Snow handling(Subjective assessments, points)
Left: Wet handling(Lap time, s)
Right: Wet handling(Subjective assessments, points)
Left: Braking on dry pavement(Braking distance from 80 km/h, m)
Right: Handling on dry pavement(Points)
Left: Noise(Points)
Right: Rolling resistance(Difference in fuel consumption, %)
Expert opinions on each tire are presented below.
Studded tires:
| Place | Tire | Expert opinion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 3/2015 Manufacturer country: Finland The Nokian have achieved top marks in all disciplines on the ice, where they have short braking distances and high lateral grip, clearly aided by the presence of 190 studs. On snow, the tires were also among the best, and they showed their weaknesses in tests for braking performance and handling on wet pavement. Experts noted that this is a normal situation if maximum grip on ice is the top priority when creating tires.
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| 2 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 4/2015 Manufacturer country: Germany The Continental also performed well in the ice tests, although in terms of braking and acceleration performance they were still slightly behind the Nokian. At the same time, the pilots awarded them 10 points for behavior that was stable and predictable. On the snowy track, the Continentals were also among the leaders, and they are clearly better than the Nokian in the wet. In other words, these are tires that can optimally cope with any conditions and do not have any obvious shortcomings.
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| 2 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 2/2015 Manufacturer country: South Korea Hankook is taking a place on the podium, so the Korean brand is likely to become one of the leading players in the harsh winter tire market. The Hankook has short stopping distances and high traction on both snow and ice, and on a twisty track it was one of the fastest tires out there, which speaks to its ability to hold traction in a variety of situations. On wet pavement, Hankook also stops the car quickly, but at the same time they can go into a skid too quickly, and they do not have very good information content.
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| 4 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 43/2014 Manufacturer country: Poland Goodyear has arguably outperformed all other studded tires this time around in terms of balance of performance on various surfaces. They are quite a bit behind best tires on snow and ice, where they have short braking distances and good handling. The only weakness is the relatively low grip on wet pavement, but the pilots noted that the tires behave consistently and safely.
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| 4 |
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Load/Speed Index: 91T Date of manufacture: 48/2014 Manufacturer country: Germany Another good result for Pirelli. On ice, the tires behave confidently and reliably, without presenting unpleasant surprises, and on snow, Pirelli has a relatively long braking distance, but good traction and high lateral grip. In addition to this, the Pirelli proved to be one of the best studded tires on wet pavement, where they also have very stable handling. The downside is that Pirelli noise is louder than most other tires.
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| 6 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 43/2014 Manufacturer country: Poland The Dunlops were able to earn a large number of points, not least because they were among the best on wet and dry pavement. On snow and ice, they also performed quite well, but not as consistently as the leaders. Acceleration and braking on ice are fine, as is car deceleration on snow. At the same time, lateral stability on a snowy track could be higher.
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| 7 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 6/2015 Manufacturer country: Germany Gislaved is Continental's second-tier brand, and tire performance is also less impressive. On snow, the tires have excellent results in terms of both braking and handling. On icy surfaces, the Gislaved, with only 96 studs, lag behind some other tires, but despite this, they earned praise for good stability and lateral grip, which made pilots feel more confident. Road holding is excellent, but the Gislaved has high rolling resistance.
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| 8 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 37/2014 Manufacturer country: Russia Unlike most other studded tires, Michelins aren't as focused on increasing traction on ice, and they also outperformed other tires on snowy surfaces. The only positive thing is that the tires performed very evenly in all disciplines. On dry and wet pavement Michelins feel better than many other studded tires, and they have reduced noise levels. In addition, as shown by a separate test, Michelin can please with very high wear resistance.
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| 9 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 12/2014 Manufacturer country: Japan On the ice, the Bridgestne received high subjective marks, as the pilots liked the character of their handling. At the same time, on a snowy track, Bridgestone took fairly low places in all disciplines, that is, the grip on the snow still needs to be worked on. On wet and dry pavement, Bridgestones stop the car quickly enough, but they can lose traction too quickly in a corner, and they have slow steering responses. In addition, Bridgestone will increase fuel consumption due to high rolling resistance.
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| 9 |
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Load/Speed Index: 91T Date of manufacture: 4/2014 Manufacturer country: Poland Sava is inexpensive tires, which would have shown good results on ice, if not for the too long braking distance. At the same time, on snow, they are inferior to other studded tires in terms of both braking performance and traction, and skidding can start too abruptly. On dry pavement, the Sava ranks among the best tires.
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| 11 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 48/2014 Manufacturer country: Russia The budget Nordman are made by Nokian, but in terms of their characteristics, they are very far from the tires of the Hakkapeliitta line. On ice they have relatively weak traction and a long braking distance, on snow they were a little better, but on wet pavement the tires again showed not the best results. It is worth adding that the tires behave predictably, without unpleasant surprises.
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| 12 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Date of manufacture: 41/2014 Manufacturer country: China Don't be fooled by the Winter Max Grip name - the Linglong actually has very little traction on snow and ice, and in fact, on icy surfaces, it even outperforms some non-studded tires. The only pleasant moment is a short braking distance on snow. At the same time, the Linglongs performed very well in the wet and dry pavement tests, and they also have excellent directional stability.
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Non-studded tires:
| Place | Tire | Expert opinion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94R Manufacturer country: Finland When creating your own friction Nokian tires it also definitely strives to outperform all competitors on ice, and in this year's test, the Finnish brand's tires showed the best braking performance, handling and lateral grip on icy surfaces. Experts noted that even after losing grip, Nokian allows you to maintain control over the car. On dry and wet pavement, the soft Nokian is expected to have poor grip and a long braking distance.
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| 2 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Manufacturer country: Poland Goodyear accelerates and brakes quickly on snow and ice, but they have some lateral stability issues that can cause the tires to skid too hard at the grip limit - however, it is easy enough to maintain control. On dry and wet pavement, the Goodyear proved to be one of the best, as they have very effective braking and precise reactions during emergency maneuvers. All in all, Goodyear has to be credited, as their tires performed quite well on all types of surface.
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| 2 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Manufacturer country: Spain Michelin also performed well in almost all disciplines. The tires have short braking distances on both snow and ice, and are stable in most situations. emergency situations. At the same time, Michelin can still lose traction on the front axle. On wet and dry pavement, the Michelins showed good braking performance and lateral grip, though not as high as the best tyres.
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| 2 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Manufacturer country: Russia On ice, the Pirellis were one of the best non-studded tyres, and their performance on snow was even better, as the tires are very confident in emergency manoeuvres. The Pirellis also have excellent wet performance, where they bring the car to a quick stop and provide optimum agility. In this case, on a dry surface, traction may be lost too sharply. The noise level is low.
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| 5 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Manufacturer country: Germany Continental can also be considered one of the best friction tires due to short braking distance, high lateral grip and good control on ice. On snow, the Continentals also performed well, although they can skid at high steering angles. On dry and wet pavement, the tires have relatively good braking performance, but they feel too soft, which can interfere in an emergency.
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| 6 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94R Manufacturer country: Russia The Nordman are somewhat behind the leaders in their category, as on ice they have relatively poor acceleration and braking performance, and the front wheels can lose traction too easily during a sharp maneuver. On snow, the performance is noticeably better, especially in terms of lateral stability and stability of behavior. On wet and dry pavement, the Nordman has poor grip and slow steering responses, but at least they won't skid sharply.
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| 7 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94T Manufacturer country: Japan Bridgestone's main weaknesses have been shown on the ice, where they have long braking distances, slow acceleration, and also lose traction too easily in corners, especially on the front axle. On snow, the tires are more reliable due to the high lateral force and braking performance of the best tyres, so it's a bit surprising that the Bridgestone performed very poorly on wet pavement. On dry surfaces, the grip is much higher and the tires handle emergency maneuvers well.
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| 8 |
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Load/Speed Index: 94Q Manufacturer country: China Nankang dropped to the bottom in most disciplines. On ice, they have poor longitudinal and lateral grip, and on snow, the situation was in many ways just as deplorable. Lateral stability is low, so you can’t feel safe. On wet pavement, the tires also lagged behind the rest, and in general Nankang simply cannot match the really good winter tires.
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The ADAC club offered the audience the results of measurements of friction (non-studded) tires for winter European type, poorly suited to Russian conditions. However, to complete the picture, it would be useful to see their results.
A selection of Finns from Tuulilasi turned out to be much more relevant. They assembled eight sets of Scandinavian-type studded winter tires. That is, tires designed primarily for snow and ice, but at the same time appropriate on cold pavement. Snow and ice tests were carried out in Ivalo (Finland) in the first week of March. The temperature fluctuated around zero degrees. The carriers of winter tires are Volvo sedan S60 and wagon Volvo V70. Most of the measurements were carried out using V-Box equipment. Auxiliary ABS systems and ESC were turned on - in the latter case, the Sport mode was used, which allows for slight slippage. Races on dry and wet asphalt were carried out in the Finnish Tampere.
Tuulilasi experts accelerated and braked on ice, evaluated handling on slippery surfaces, tested the same parameters on snow, that is, they tested the tires in primordially winter conditions. At the same time, they did not forget about dry and wet asphalt, as well as about the resistance to slashplaning (a parameter showing the speed at which a car emerges on snow and water slush. An analogue of aquaplaning in summer). Finnish experts also evaluated the rolling resistance, and hence the fuel consumption.
ADAC club tire test (non-studded winter tires of the Central European type. Designed exclusively for mild winters) -
Continental ContiWinterContact TS850
German tires Continental ContiWinterContact TS850 became the leader of the German test. After passing all the disciplines, the experts came to the conclusion that the main advantage of this model is a well-balanced balance. Continental ContiWinterContact TS850 behaves equally confidently in all cases, of course, adjusted for the class. Velcro of the Scandinavian type ContiVikingContact 5 feels much better on ice, not to mention studded Continental models ContiIceContact. But for a winter tire of the Central European type, the performance of the ContiWinterContact TS850 on wet pavement and ice is unrivaled.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM001
Winter tires Japanese stamps usually do not shine with talents against the background of rivals. But this is only in the case when models for severe cold are compared with each other. But Japanese tires for mild winters feel much better in the circle of competitors. This was also confirmed by the test of the ADAC club. Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 passed all types of tests of the German Institute, keeping within each of them in a favorable green zone.
In conditions mild winter in the ADAC test Dunlop Winter Response 2 proved to be worthy. The car feels especially good in these tires on snow and wet pavement. The experts also positively assessed the low rolling resistance, which affects fuel consumption, albeit not very significantly.
Dunlop's other Central European winter tires, the SP Winter Sport 4D, performed exactly as well as the Winter Response 2. ADAC praised them primarily for their balance, as did the top-ranked Continental ContiWinterContact TS850, which is quite revealing.
In the tire industry, Michelin is the name. From the French company definitely do not expect weak performance. At the same time, Michelin tires rarely get to the very top of the podium. tire tests different publications, from year to year ending up somewhere in the middle of the list. This year's ADAC test was no exception. Experts of the German Automobile Club praised them for their behavior on ice and snow, as well as work on wet pavement. But the results on dry surfaces are worse, and the Germans recorded this aspect as a disadvantage of the French tire, as well as increased noise.
Another model of the French tire giant, the Michelin Alpin A4, performed more confidently than its relative in the ADAC tests. German experts noted a good balance and focused on a huge resource. You're more likely to puncture this tire than wear out the tread pattern. At the same time, it behaves equally safely on dry or wet asphalt and ice.
The Central European "Velcro" of the Korean company Hankook performed satisfactorily in the ADAC measurements. If summer tires Korean company has already approached the level of world leaders, which is especially evident in the Ventus Prime 2 model, in the case of winter tires the level of Korean tires is still average. ADAC Hankook Winter i*cept RS W442 experts liked it on dry pavement, but disappointed on snow and wet pavement.
Pirelli SnowControl Serie 3
Within the segment, the Pirelli SnowControl Serie 3 proved to be surprisingly strong on ice and snow. They did not let us down on wet pavement, but did not please on dry. In addition, despite the lack of studs, the Pirelli SnowControl Serie 3 proved to be a noisy model. All in all, it only drew a satisfactory assessment of the ADAC club.
The family trait of Vredestein tires is the tread pattern. The company stubbornly uses the herringbone pattern. In part, this affects the properties of tires. In the ADAC test, they performed well on ice and snow, but were loud and relatively weak on wet pavement.
Tuulilasi magazine tire test(Scandinavian type studded winter tires. Good for Russian winters) – (http://www.tuulilasi.fi)
If in the German test the German tire won, then in the Finnish one - the Finnish one. Last year's novelty is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 with a huge number of spikes (there are 190 of them in the 205/55R16 dimension). On ice, this is truly a royal tire. On the snow, too, everything is extremely convincing and only on asphalt there are minor errors, which is quite normal for such a generous studding. However, despite this, Tuulilasi journalists noticed that the eighth "hakkapeliitta" steers well in the rain and brakes well on dry pavement. At the same time, it does not critically resist rolling and does not make too loud noise.
Unlike Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 German tires Continental ContiIceContact have been produced for a long time. There are even rumors on the sidelines that this tire is about to be replaced by a successor, but so far it is still in service and shows great ability in winter conditions. These tires handle and brake well on ice, and they perform just as well on snow-packed roads. Performance on dry and wet pavement is not outstanding, but decent. The resistance to slushplaning (ascent on snow-water porridge) is not the best, but at the same time it is at a safe level.
Bronze in the Tuulilasi test was pulled out by studded Pirelli Ice Zero. On the ice, they do not feel much worse than the leaders. Although the rear axle slips are more pronounced here, which makes the driver constantly be concentrated and tense. In addition, after the ice races, some of the spikes loosened up and began to protrude more strongly. In real life, this means that after a couple of seasons there will definitely be fewer spikes, which cannot be said, for example, about Continental ContiIceContact, where the “claws” are planted on a special glue. No misses in the snow. But the resistance to slushplaning is unimportant here. On the slush Pirelli Ice Zero pop up early. Not everything is smooth on the pavement, both wet and dry. On wet pavement, the tire brakes well, but in corners it loses its tenacity. On dry pavement, braking is also unimportant. The rolling resistance is low, but the noise level is high. The third place was ensured by the priority of the ice, on which the studded Pirellis are fine.
Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice Arctic lost to Pirelli in terms of points, but in terms of aggregate indicators, they are definitely no worse. Although the priorities here are somewhat shifted. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic grips the pavement brilliantly. On wet pavement and slush, they are favorites, which will be in place in Moscow, which is abundantly flooded with reagents. On a dry road, there are no misses either, although the reactions are somewhat smeared. At the same time, everything is also not bad on ice and snow, although it does not quite reach the level of leaders. Braking and acceleration on ice in the zone of good results. On snow, the behavior is a little worse. Analyzing the above, it can be noted that the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic is perfect for wintering in big cities, where the wheels are mostly asphalt, but at the same time snow or ice is not ruled out.
Studded winter tires are very popular in Russia due to the peculiarities of the climate and roads. The 2014-2015 season provided many new products, but not everyone managed to pass the tests! The tires that were tested showed the following rating results:
12) Above the Chinese are tires Nokian Nordman 4 made in Russia. Showing good results in snow tests and the best rolling resistance among all the nominees, these tires failed almost all other tests and received a modest final 7.1 points.
11) Here are the Chinese Jinyu YW53, who were able to collect 7.1 points and climbed higher in the ranking due to better behavior on the ice.
10) This position went to tires Vredestein Arctrac, originally from the Netherlands. These tires feel good on ice and snow, but “lay down” on wet pavement, and there are some problems with directional stability. The result is 7.5 points.
9) Studded people staked out here Bridgestone tires Blizzak Spike-01, which scored 7.7 points due to excellent behavior on ice and snow.
8) who received 7.9 points. Showing a decent result in all tests, this rubber only failed in the rolling resistance tests.
7) Here in the ranking of studded tires in the winter of 2014-2015 were Polish Dunlop tires ice touch, acceleration and braking behavior, which on snow and ice is almost identical to this season's leaders with the exception of handling and rolling resistance. The result is 8.0 points.
6) South Korean tires Hankook Winter i*Pike RS W419 scored 8.1 points. With 170 spikes, these tires showed very average braking on ice and one of the worst on dry pavement.
5) Gislaved German studded tires nord frost 100 with a total of 8.3 points. In all tests, this rubber was behind the leaders, losing seriously only in braking on dry pavement.
4) Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires made in Poland. Their final result is 8.4 points, received for excellent balance in all road conditions, but on ice and snow the leaders still behave more confidently.
2-3) The ranking places were shared by German-made tires - Pirelli Ice Zero and Continental ContiIceContact, which scored 8.6 points each. They showed almost the same performance in all tests, both models were only slightly behind the leader (however, we note that the Continental ContiIceContact has problems with directional stability, and the Pirelli Ice Zero turned out to be the noisiest of all the tested samples).
1) So the winner of the best winter studded tires this season has become, who managed to score 8.8 points. Although there is something to complain about here! There are some problems with braking on wet pavement and noise in the car.
Frictional winter tires, or popularly Velcro, are inferior in popularity to studded wheels in Russia, but their market share is steadily growing, so the results of their tests are very useful for domestic motorists. So, who became the best in the 2014-2015 season?
- Our rating opens (from the last position in it) with Sunny SnowMaster SN3830 friction rubber, which came to us from China. 12th line, 6.1 points - excellent performance indicators only on wet and dry pavement - this is all that Chinese tires can boast of, which are clearly not suitable for Russian winter conditions.
- In 11th place are the South Korean tires Kumho I * ZEN KW31, which also do not shine on snow and ice. The final 6.6 points is too low for high-quality winter tires.
- The 10th line was taken by Vredestein Nord-Trac 2 tires produced in the Netherlands. They have 6.7 points, which is also very bad, especially considering the country of origin belongs to the EU with its strict requirements for product quality.
- The 9th place was given to German-made Dunlop SP Ice Sport friction rubber, which earned 6.8 points. This result also cannot be called good, given the fact that these tires showed one of the worst performances on ice.
- The 8th and 7th lines of the rating of winter non-studded tires of the 2014-2015 season went to tires Pirelli Winter IceControl and Sailun Ice Blazer WSL2 Chinese made. With a score of 7.2 each, both models performed roughly equal in all tests, but the Sailun tires performed worse on wet pavement and the Pirellis struggled with rolling resistance.
- Japan's Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 took 6th place in the rankings, scoring 7.3 points and showing average results in all tests.
- The list of five leaders of the season is opened by Velcros Maxxis SP02 ArcticTrekker released in China. Their result is 7.7 points, excellent behavior on snow, slightly worse performance on ice and mediocre braking on dry pavement.
- 4th and 3rd place were shared by Michelin X-ice Xi3 wheels made in Spain and Continental ContiVikingContact 6 made in Germany. They have 7.8 points each and almost equal marks for all tests. True, we note that the Michelin X-ice Xi3 tires have poor rolling resistance, and the Continental ContiVikingContact 6 tires are not very good on wet pavement.
- There was no clear winner among friction tires this season. The first and second places were shared by Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 from Finland and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 from Poland. Both stickies earned 8.2 points each, but it is worth mentioning that good year tires UltraGrip Ice 2 are more efficient on dry and wet pavement, while Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 feel great on snowy tracks.
