Which tires are better than pirelli or hankuk. Comparison of Yokohama tires with global brands. Our selection of summer tires

Every motorist is faced with the problem of choosing high-quality rubber for his car. Today it has become much more difficult to do this. The car market has a huge assortment of tires from various manufacturers. Most of them are of very high quality.

How to choose tires wisely

To make the right choice, there are several important points to keep in mind. First of all, it concerns the cost. Sometimes the price of rubber is quite acceptable, while the quality corresponds to the wheels produced by a well-known manufacturer. That is, you can always find a budget option.

Of course, the service life of expensive tires is long. They have a wide tread that quickly drains water away. They also reduce braking distances on icy roads.

When choosing rubber, regardless of its price, you need to focus on important nuances:

Tires must match the dimensions of the vehicle. The suitable size can be found in its technical manual.
Maximum speed.
Rubber category.
Seasonality.
The ability to brake on an icy surface.

It is very important that the speed and maximum load values match the tire dimensions. In the absence of such compliance, suspension breakage is possible.

Yokohama or Dunlop

The cost of these tires is about the same. However, before making a choice, it is worth getting acquainted with their technical characteristics. Find out what advantages each model has.

Yokohama

For manufacturing, the manufacturer uses computer technology. Therefore, the tire fully complies with international standards.

New rubber reduces braking distances.

Winter wheels are equipped with original metal studs. They provide reliable traction on icy roads. Skidding of the car is completely excluded. The studded tire improves ride safety and makes it more comfortable.

Especially for the summer season, the wheels are made of rubber, which does not melt at high temperatures.

The universal (all-season) tire is made of two-layer rubber. It can remain elastic in severe frosts and not melt in extreme heat.

There are models that have special semicircular holes on the tread. Due to them, tires repel snow, mud and water, and quickly self-clean. Longitudinal grooves prevent wheel slippage, maintaining lateral stability of the machine.

The rubber is designed for long-term use. Sometimes this period exceeds 10 years.

Each wheel is thoroughly tested. Samples with the slightest deviations from the norm are discarded. Therefore, the company guarantees 100% quality of its products.

Dunlop

The wheels have a wide tread. The design of the drawing and its calculation was carried out using computer graphics. The rubber adheres tightly to the road surface, ensuring complete ride safety.

The tread has a non-directional symmetrical pattern. The car never skids on wet or very slippery roads.

When driving over bumps and holes, no jolts are felt in the passenger compartment.

The tires provide the shortest stopping distance. This is very important for driving on city streets.

Winter models are equipped with steel studs for excellent traction. On such rubber, the car never goes into a skid.

Summer tires are made of special rubber. It eliminates high temperature melting.

All season made from multiple layers. As a result, the wheels do not freeze in severe frosts and do not melt in the heat.

Dunlop can be used for a long time. If properly operated, they will last more than 10 years.

The characteristics of both tires are almost the same. Motorists only speak positively about them. At a low cost, each model has improved quality characteristics.

According to car owners, Yokohama is more suitable for slippery roads. If you are installing Dunlop, you should take advantage of the all-season options. They show excellent results in winter cold and summer heat.

Of course, when choosing a tire, you must also take into account its parameters and characteristics. Wheels with different parameters often behave differently.

Yokohama or Nokian

The world famous Nokian wheels are produced in Finland. In our country, they are made in Vsevolzhsk. The products are certified according to the ISO 9001 standard.

A feature of Nokian tires is a wear indicator. It can be used to easily measure the tread depth. Finnish tires guarantee powerful grip on any road surface, regardless of its surface. The ride is comfortable both on wet asphalt and on an icy road.

According to experts, the quality of Nokian tires is slightly higher than Yokohama, so if possible, it is better to install Finnish tires.

Yokohama or Hankook

In South Korea, Hankook tires are considered the best for the winter. Many global car manufacturers such as Volvo and Volkswagen manufacture their vehicles with Hankuk tires.

They have become very popular in our country due to their high quality and low cost. Motorists note several positive qualities:

Low price.
Excellent stability.
Softness.
Doesn't make additional noise.
Small braking distance.
Long service life.

Hankook is more suitable for normal use. When it comes to sports cars, Yokohama is the best.

Pirelli or Yokohama

Italians produce Pirelli models:

Highway

Road wheels for driving on asphalt. Not designed for winter use.

Snow

Special winter tires. They are distinguished by full-fledged grip on ice or snow-covered roads thanks to the original tread pattern. Rubber is able to withstand severe frosts.

Disadvantages:

Poor handling.
Large noise when driving on dry asphalt.
Increased tread wear.

All Season

All-season tires. Can be used on a snowy road. Provides good adhesion to icy surfaces. Tread wear is minimized.

Performance

Special tires for high-speed driving. They are characterized by powerful traction and ease of driving. Designed for high temperatures.

Disadvantages:

They create discomfort when moving.
Wearing too fast.

All Season Performance

All-season, for high-speed driving. Can be used all year round. The car remains stable on icy roads and performs well on dry asphalt.

Both Pirelli and Yokohama are of impeccable quality. They have proven to be reliable in any kind of driving. It is very difficult to give preference to any product. The choice will depend on the individual approach as well as the driving style of the car.

Among studded tires, Continental, Nokian and Michelin have shared the podium among themselves for several years, keeping outsiders out of the circle of the elite. And this year was no exception.

The named three "studs" are again the best on Russian roads: each has more than 900 points. First place goes to Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, the most suitable for active drivers. But it is, alas, the most expensive and most disadvantageous: the price / quality ratio is 6.24. Very close, with a difference of less than half a percent, the Russian version of the Michelin X-Ice North 2: cool, confident and inexpensive, price / quality - 5.51. Continental, a little late with the presentation of the new ContiIceContact, threw its vassal Gislaved Nord Frost 5 (price / quality - 5.15) into the breakthrough, slightly increasing his spikes. He did not disappoint and won the third place for the senior, and lagged behind the leader by less than 2%.

Pirelli and Goodyear tried their best to compete with the top three, but once again they successfully repulsed the attack. So, in fourth place is the Pirelli Winter Carving Edge "lighter", in fifth is the intelligent Goodyear Ultra Grip Extreme. In terms of price / quality ratio, both tires are practically equal: 5.06 and 5.09, respectively.

The sixth and seventh lines were taken by strong good players - Dutch Vredestein Arctrac (862 points, price / quality - 4.29) and domestic

Cordiant Sno-Max (856 points and 3.62).

The Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 5000 (price / quality - 5.43) and the Korean "winter pike" Hankook Winter i-Pike, clearly competing with the "Vredestein", are slightly behind, near the 840 points bar, since they have the same price / quality ratio. The Nizhnekamsk novelty Kama Euro 519 closes the top ten with a modest result of 828 points (price / quality - 3.62, as in "Kordiant"), which turned out to be not as strong as expected. Let's hope for a quick upgrade.

10th place: Kama Euro 519

Despite the fact that the Kama has the most studs, the grip on ice is very low: the car starts off and accelerates uncertainly, brakes with jerks. The lateral grip is the weakest among all studs. When going over speed, the car blows off the intended trajectory, it slides for a long time. Unexpected slippage and sudden loss of traction are especially unpleasant. It is impossible to predict the start of a breakdown, you understand this only when the car has already “floated”.
On snow, acceleration and braking are weak, lateral grip is the worst of all, the edge of transition to sliding, as well as on ice, is not felt.
On a snow-covered road, the car goes smoothly, however, if you leave the steering wheel, it strives to go into deeper snow. When correcting the course, the steering angles are large. It is better to overcome snowdrifts with intensive slipping. An undoubted advantage is a confident drive back, if it was not possible to break forward.
Directional stability on the pavement is not bad, but there is not enough information on the steering wheel and lags when steering interfere with it. Braking on dry and wet asphalt is worse than average.
Average fuel consumption at any speed. The studs are too deep, which largely explains the low grip on ice.
They make a lot of noise, transmit the entire micro-profile of the road to the car, as if they are heavily pumped.

9th place: Hankook Winter i-Pike

“Pike” or “tip” is the translation of the last word in the name of tires with a tread pattern similar to the often copied Gislaved NF 3.
On ice, the grip properties are weak, they make you move slowly. With a slight increase in speed, the car "does not hear" the steering wheel in a turn, loses its intended trajectory and slides lingeringly. It's good that the breakdowns and recoveries are pretty smooth.
On snow, the tires brake and accelerate more confidently, but lateral grip is much worse than longitudinal.
At small angles of rotation, the driver is hampered by an "empty" steering wheel, at large angles - breakdowns into a skid. It is impossible to feel the beginning of the slip.
A car is being carried along a snowy road without comment. They are reluctant to drive in deep snow, but they have to skid with caution, otherwise they can bury themselves.
On the pavement, they are a little late when steering. They brake on dry and wet ones worse than others.
They make an unpleasant noise at any speed, two rumbling peaks stand out from the general hum - at city (40-60 km / h) and suburban (90-110 km / h) speeds.
Shake the machine gently on bumps.
Average fuel consumption at any speed.
Studded neatly, but rather small, an additional two to three-tenths of a millimeter of stud protrusion would improve grip on ice.

8th place: Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 5000

The model goes down in history, giving way to the new IC 7000, but so far it has been successfully sold.
These tires have never been strong on ice: reluctant acceleration, under-average braking, downright weak lateral grip and sluggish reactions. Nevertheless, at moderate speed, they behave quite adequately. There is only one problem: guessing this speed.
I went a little faster - the steering angles and the reaction time of the car increase significantly, it starts to blur the trajectory and gets out of control.
On snow, the steering angles are less, but the behavior is unstable, front end drift in the initial phase of the turn and skidding on an arc of constant radius. In both cases, a little overspeed leads to long slides. The brakes are worse than the rest, the rearrangement is performed at the lowest speed, on a par with the "Kama".
On a snowy road, they keep a straight line with confidence. They are not afraid of deep snow streams on the road, overcoming them without stress.
On clean asphalt, they like the informative steering wheel and clear execution of the steering commands.
Braking on asphalt of any condition is average.
Not comfortable enough: the tread emits an almost helicopter hum, and the tires transmit shocks from any road irregularities to the body, as well as vibrations to the floor and steering wheel.
Studding is very high-quality in terms of spread (no more than 0.2 mm), but a little too small and a dozen less studs than other brands of tires.

7th place: Cordiant Sno-Max

Domestic tires; unlike "Kama", the number of thorns corresponds to European standards.
Acceleration and braking on ice is average, but when cornering, they are forced to be careful: they hold them across the board much worse than in the longitudinal direction. They require a sweeping range of steering, and on the curve of the bend it feels as if the car is turning not by turning the front wheels, but because the rear wheels are pulled.
On the snow, the balance "along and across" changes. The weakest acceleration and deceleration are combined with medium lateral grip. When taxiing, the steering wheel steering angles are too big, sliding a little longer than that of the giants, although they remain within reason.
The course in the snow is kept clear, but the large steering angles make it difficult to adjust. They are not afraid of snow drifts and drifts: they start confidently, move and turn, reliably get out in reverse.
They float on the asphalt, while the steering wheel is "empty", it has to be turned at significant angles.
On dry asphalt the brakes are average, on wet asphalt better than average.
They make a lot of noise on the asphalt with tread and spikes and howl on dense snow. They transmit vibrations from small road irregularities and shocks from road joints.
In terms of fuel consumption, the most voracious in the test.
Stud quality: the spread of protrusion is small (0.4 mm), but the studs stick out high, there is a risk of losing or breaking the cores out of them.

6th place: Vredestein Arctrac

The peculiarity of the tire is its low weight, which gets along with the increased carrying capacity.
On ice, longitudinal grip is weak, and transverse grip is average. They slip at the start, delaying the acceleration process; the car is stopped worst of all. At the same time, they show average results on the circle, although in turns they do not instill confidence at all: they cling, then they break. They recover sharply, jerking the car unpleasantly. They don't like sliding.
On snow, they accelerate modestly, brake and turn medium.
The car is clearly controlled on them, but only before the start of the slides, into which it turns unexpectedly for the driver. The case ends with a sweeping drift.
On a snow-covered straight line, they move smoothly, without remarks.
They overcome deep snow uncertainly, turn reluctantly, but get out well back.
On the asphalt, I liked it with a clear course and a clear "zero".
They brake well, and on dry surfaces - very well, almost on a par with the Goodyear. On wet, they show average results.
They rustle and shake the car, sounding asphalt irregularities, rustling loudly in the dense snow.
At a speed of 90 km / h, fuel consumption is average, at 60 km / h - increased.
Studding is of high quality both in the protrusion of the studs and in the spread.

5th place: Goodyear Ultra Grip Extreme

Acceleration and lateral grip on ice are average, braking is better. Each turn of the steering wheel at a speed above 30 km / h causes a slight steering drift. If you release the throttle at the same time, the skid will intensify and require steering adjustments.
On snow, all characteristics are also not below average. In cornering, the car is controlled clearly, the limit is limited by the demolition of the front end. However, in the second corridor of the rearrangement, a skid begins already at low speed. Keeping the car in line and achieving high results can only be achieved with the help of an electronic assistant or proactive driver action.
Directional stability on a snowy road is clear, without any remarks.
Snowflakes are not for these tires. It is better to move through the snowdrifts only with tension, otherwise you will get up, or even bury yourself.
On the asphalt they go straight in a straight line, but they are late with steering .. But they slow down better than anyone else, both on wet and dry (in this it is practically on a par with "Vredestein").
They buzz with a protector, but the noise of spikes is a separate article. They howl at high speed and crisp distinctly at low speed. Shake the car on small and medium bumps.
They roll well, because they consume average fuel.
In terms of the quality of the studs, they are comparable to the "Kordiant": the spread is within reasonable limits, but the protrusion is on the verge of the maximum allowable.

4th place: Pirelli Winter Carving Edge

Ice, like Goodyear, is not afraid. Accelerate, brake and turn confidently. On an arc of constant radius, the limiting speed does not cause a pronounced drift or skid, the steering of the car is close to neutral. On the ice ring, speed is limited by soft drift. This allows you to change the curvature of the turn by dumping or adding gas.
On the snow, they also work quite conscientiously: in braking, acceleration and on rearrangement they show average results. Behavior is clear, understandable, without comments, with an element of "ignition" - provoke active driving.
On a snow-covered road, they walk smoothly, clearly responding to the steering.
It is better to overcome deep snow with light slipping, but without undue zeal, otherwise you can bury yourself.
They keep the asphalt straight in a summer-like manner, braking on a wet surface is average, on a dry surface above average.
They annoy with the wheezing, howling crunch of thorns. Perceptibly shake on any irregularities, even small ones.
Studding is satisfactory in all respects.

3rd place: Gislaved Nord Frost 5

They differ from last year's by a slightly increased size of a solid insert of spikes.
Opens the premium tire category. Better braking and lateral grip, very good acceleration on ice. In turns they behave very confidently, in the limit the speed is limited by a slight skid, which requires a small adjustment.
They also hold up on the snow with dignity: very good braking, good acceleration and average lateral grip. There are no complaints about the car's handling, its behavior and intelligibility of reactions. It handles well even in sliding.
Stubbornly heading on a snowy road. In deep snow, however, they do not behave very confidently.
On the pavement, they resemble Goodyear: they are a little late in reacting to course adjustments.
In braking on wet asphalt the best (on a par with Goodyear), on dry - quite a decent average result.
They rustle, crunch very distinctly with thorns, especially at low speed.
Shocks from single irregularities are transmitted to the body.
Increased fuel consumption at any speed.
Studding: The spread of the protrusion is within reasonable limits, but it would be nice to reduce the protrusion itself a little - for the sake of the durability of the studs.

2nd place: Michelin X-Ice North 2

A nice feature of these tires, which instill confidence in safety on any road, is their well-balanced longitudinal and lateral grip. We note good braking on ice (despite the classic round studs), average acceleration and very good lateral grip. On an arc of a bend, when the gas is released, they slightly twist the car, helping to register the turn.
On the snow, excellent grip properties: the shortest braking distance, intense acceleration and a record speed when moving. Stable behavior and clear reactions, even when sliding. When going over the speed, they glide gently sideways, intensively dropping speed.
Better than others, they keep the snowy road, they are sensitive to the actions of the steering wheel. They overcome deep snow with confidence, allowing them to make any maneuvers.
They are good on asphalt: they clearly keep the given direction, react without delay to the actions of the steering wheel.
Braking on dry surfaces is average, but on wet tires fail: the weakest result.
Snorting noise on paved roads. Slightly shake the car on road irregularities.
The most economical (on a par with Nokian) at any speed.
Studding is very high quality, it gives reason to believe that the studs will last a long time.

1st place: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7

There is only one step from confidence to aggressiveness. All ice performance, including lap time, is better than average, and acceleration is the best. However, it feels like the tires accelerate and brake better than they turn. The cornering behavior on the ice is understandable and predictable, with an extremely easy assisting skid.
On the snow very good braking (better only for Michelin), the best acceleration, the second result on the rearrangement. They are well controlled even in slides, react without delay to the steering wheel turn, due to this they fit into the turn of a seemingly inconceivable steepness. All this provokes a fast ride, so you need to honestly assess the level of your skill.
Clearly follow a given course on a snowy road.
In deep snow, everything is done easily and naturally, without fear of stops, skid starts, or sharp turns.
On the asphalt they float a little from side to side.
The brakes on dry surfaces are average, but on wet surfaces they show the most modest result.
They rustle with spikes and tread, shake the car on small irregularities.
Economical at any speed.
Studded very high quality, problems due to the loss of thorns are not expected.

Out of credit: Continental ContilceContact

These tires were presented to the public after the completion of our "white" tests. But we found an opportunity to compare them with the Nokian HKPL 7 test winner in New Zealand, where winter is in full swing in June. We rented the same "Golf VI" on which we conducted our own tests, but could not find asphalt roads, so the duel took place only on ice and snow. However, for the first acquaintance and revealing the abilities of the novelty, this is enough.
On the ice, they accelerate and brake almost on par with the Nokian, but in the lateral clutch they are just a cut higher: the difference is more than 8% in favor of the German novelty. The handling is beyond praise, the steering response is clearer, the behavior is more stable - in the limit the car only slips slightly with the rear axle. And this is on very slippery ice, where "Nokian" behaves like a middle peasant: it does not shine with information content on the steering wheel and stability of behavior - it breaks down into drift, then into a skid and slides longer than we would like.
On the snow, the difference is almost the same, the braking distance and acceleration time are comparable to those of Nokian, but the handling, as well as on ice, is better than that of the "seven". The steering wheel is filled with information content on a straight line, clear reactions and understandable behavior in a turn. Tires pull the car into turns without a hint of drift HKPL 7 on the same track are less informative, give occasional drift when entering a turn and more active skid on the arc.
In deep snow, the "Germans" lose a little to the "Finns": they get under way uncertainly, demanding the addition of gas, but with intensive slipping they strive to bury themselves.
Studding is of high quality and stable.

FRICTION TIRE RATING

The non-studded tires collected in the test, they are "Velcro" or "Scandinavian", are already known to our readers. They were updated two to three years ago, with the exception of the long-lived Vredestein Nord-Trac and the new Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice +.

The results of the leaders lay down heap - in the range from 899 to 924 points. The first five differ by no more than 3%. But they have different characters, and each tire in our test set its own record, or even several.

When choosing, the reader should focus not on the overall result, but on individual preferences and preferences and, of course, take into account the advantages and disadvantages we have listed.

The Russian Nokian Hakkapeliitta R set records in braking and acceleration on snow and at the same time showed the worst braking on dry asphalt. It remains the most expensive on the market: price / quality - 6.16. The most attractive Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 in this parameter (4.99) is the best in longitudinal grip on ice and braking on dry asphalt, but the most voracious in terms of fuel consumption. The Michelin X-Ice 2 is a well-balanced tire, all good performance except for acceleration on snow. The expensive ContiVikingContact 5 (price / quality - 6.04) has the best results on an ice loop and acceleration on snow, and in braking on wet asphalt it turned out to be the worst. Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice + is a flat tire, the best in rearrangement. The price / quality ratio (5.45) is the same as that of the Michelin tire, and, apparently, in the market they will have to compete with each other. But the title of the most economical tire in the struggle between Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 and Michelin X-Ice 2 was won by the Russian-Finnish tire.

The far from new Vredestein Nord-Trac with 852 points noticeably lags behind the others. Even with a price / quality ratio of 4.11, it is clear that he is no longer able to compete with the younger grandees.

Kama Euro 519 without studs scored 830 points. Here is an example of misuse of a product originally created in a studded version. In terms of rubber hardness, Nizhnekamsk tires are closer to "Europeans" (such as ContiWinterContact TS 830, Michelin Alpine, Pirelli Snowsport, Kumho KW17), and therefore cannot compete on equal terms with "Scandinavians" on ice and snow. But on clean asphalt they feel very confident.

7th place: Kama Euro 519

These tires are designed for studding, but the "bald" version is often sold and is not the best solution for icy and snowy roads.
On ice, the grip is worse than any real studless tire. Acceleration is delayed, braking is ineffective, jerky. In corners, there are large steering angles, lagging reactions, prolonged slides, in the limit the front end is demolished and a significant straightening of the trajectory.
On snow, braking is very weak - only "Vredestein" is worse; overclocking is mediocre, like Michelin's; on rearrangement, the limiting speed and behavior is worse than that of the rest. The remarks are almost the same as on the ice: insufficient information content on the steering wheel, large angles of its rotation, tightened sliding. On a snow-covered straight line, the car pulls towards deeper snow, the correction of the course is complicated by the large angles of the steering wheel.
In deep snow they turn better than go straight, so you can tack if necessary. On the asphalt they float a little within the lane and are late when taxiing. The brakes are great. On wet surfaces they show the best results, on dry surfaces - above average.
One of the reasons: rubber is tougher than others. Not comfortable enough: they make a lot of noise, periodically whine and shake the car noticeably. Fuel consumption at 60 km / h is too large, at 90 km / h average.

6th place: Vredestein Nord-Trac

On ice, grip is poor; braking and acceleration are very weak (worse only in "Kama"). However, on the ice circle they keep in the middle peasants, squeak like other "Scandinavians". Nevertheless, the behavior of the car is predictable, without surprises and problems. When the maximum speed is reached, it begins to gently slide outward, straightening the trajectory.
In the snow, they show themselves in much the same way. In braking, the worst of all, the lateral grip is weak, except that the acceleration is average. During acceleration, it is good to feel how the electronics keep the tires from slipping. Increased steering angles complicate maneuvering. When cornering, top speed results in slight oversteer.
On a snow-covered straight line, with uniform movement and gas release, the car prowls a little, in light acceleration it is much clearer. They do not like snowdrifts, it is better to overcome them by running, without stopping and not turning the wheel unnecessarily. It is not recommended to slip, otherwise you can bury yourself.
They walk smoothly on the asphalt, but they are late when adjusting the direction. Braking on asphalt is also not brilliant, and on wet and dry brakes are weak.
They rustle loudly with the tread on rough asphalt, howl at high speed in turns, slap on uneven surfaces. Large irregularities are unpleasantly harsh. Fuel consumption at 60 km / h is average, at 90 km / h it is increased.

5th place: Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice +

A novelty from the company, which, in fact, fell into the category of premium tires.
She has no discernible preference for surfaces other than asphalt. On any road, the tires exhibit a fairly flat character and similar behavior.
On ice, both longitudinal and lateral grip are average. At the moment of starting, it is easy to break the wheels into slipping, so you need to press on the gas carefully.
On snow, braking and acceleration are also average, and the speed on the rearrangement "jumps out" to the leading position. This is partly the merit of the electronics (on the "Golf" it is non-disconnectable). The skid in the second corridor starts early, but the ESP simply prevents it from developing. The same thing happens during acceleration: as in the Vredestein, it is well felt that the electronics are choking the engine, otherwise the tires will slip into a slip.
On a snowy road, everything is smooth, without any remarks.
They behave confidently in deep snow, easily maneuver, and do not bury themselves when slipping.
On the asphalt, when changing course, you can feel a slight steering of the rear axle.
Braking is not a record, but very effective on wet asphalt, and (especially!) On dry.
Comfortable: they rustle softly with a tread, roll gently along the road.
At 60 km / h, fuel is consumed economically, in this indicator they compete with Michelin. However, at 90 km / h, consumption increases to average.

4th place: Continental ContiVikingContact 5

The leader of our test two years ago. This time the results are more modest. Apparently, the influence of the new exercise "braking on wet asphalt". Nevertheless, no weaknesses were found on snow and ice, they are kept in the category of premium tires (more than 900 points).
On the ice they accelerate and slow down in the first four, and on the circle they show the best result. They squeak, squeak, as if instead of ice under the wheels, wet concrete, but they hold it! When maneuvering, the rudder turns are quite large.
On the snow they feel much more confident: the best acceleration, very good braking and an average result on the rearrangement. As well as on ice, the steering wheel turning angles are too big. The course on a snow-covered road is quite clear, they respond to direction adjustments without delay
They can overcome deep snow confidently in any mode.
On an asphalt straight line, they float slightly within the lane. They stop well on dry asphalt, but on wet asphalt they pass, braking the worst of all. Tire workers consider wet grip to be the antipode of rolling resistance. Here, like the "bridge", no wet clutch, no fuel economy.
In terms of comfort, they are comparable to Michelin: quiet and smooth.
Fuel consumption at 60 km / h is average, at 90 km / h it is increased.

3rd place: Michelin X-Ice 2

Feel confident on "white" roads and off-road. There are no failures, except for weak acceleration in the snow.
They don't shine on the ice, but they hold on confidently: they slow down and accelerate actively, on the circle they share the second result with Nokian. Unlike the "bridge", they captivate with the balanced grip "along and across". Clear reactions, smooth transitions to sliding - in general, behave clearly and reliably.
On snow, the characteristics are not leading: in braking they are the worst of the first four, on the rearrangement they are also the fourth result, acceleration is the weakest.
When gas is added, they are actively screwed into the turn, and on reset, they slightly straighten the trajectory.
The snow-covered road is kept without comment.
They behave confidently in deep snow. Even with intensive slipping, they float up, go forward, not trying to bury themselves, they are not afraid of slipping.
They walk on the asphalt without remarks, they react without delay even to small turns of the steering wheel, almost like summer tires.
On dry asphalt the brakes are better than average, on wet - very good.
Comfortable, noise and smoothness without remarks. Economical at any speed, but roll a little worse than "Nokian".

2nd place: Bridgestone Blizzak WS60

On "white" surfaces they show outstanding results, but, alas, along with frankly weak ones. Excellent braking and better acceleration on ice. It would seem that the model is just right to declare the ice leader!
But weak lateral grip spoils the whole picture (only "Kama" passes the icy circle slower), makes you to be careful in turns. Tires, instilling confidence during acceleration and braking, noticeably lose grip in cornering.
The controls are clear, the sliding is soft and understandable. On the snow, very good braking and a decent result on the rearrangement, but the acceleration is very weak. Tires require accuracy when starting off and are ready to take full throttle only in motion (Nokian seems to behave).
On a snow-covered road they walk better than others, they immediately respond to direction adjustments.
Drifts are easily overcome, they are not afraid of slipping, since they do not bury themselves.
On the asphalt they run clearly, however, the reactions, like most winter tires, are slightly smeared.
On a dry road they brake better than anyone else, they don't like wet ones - the result is worse than average.
They make noise, transmit vibrations and slight itching from microroughnesses.
Highest fuel consumption at any speed.

1st place: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R

Almost equally strong on snow and ice, not a single weak characteristic.
On ice surfaces, very good braking is in harmony with the same lateral grip and acceleration. When cornering, a slight twisting skid helps, they are well controlled in slides, gently restore grip when exiting slides.
In the snow, all the characteristics are the best. Confident braking, energetic acceleration, high speed (together with "Goodyear") performance of the rearrangement and clear behavior on it. They admit and forgive minor mistakes in management.
Confidently hold on to the snowy road. Drifts and snow drifts are not terrible. Start after a stop, turns of any curvature, exit back - all this is done without difficulty and special skills.
On the asphalt, they float slightly within the lane.
On dry asphalt they slow down weakly, on wet asphalt. It seems that there is not much left for the asphalt, all the "forces" were spent on snow and ice.
There are no comments on the noise level. But you can find fault with the smoothness of the ride: single irregularities are marked on the body with sharp jolts.
They set a record for fuel efficiency, even ahead of Michelin.

The editors are grateful to all companies that provided tires for testing.

Special thanks to Nokian Tires for technical support.

The data of the given rating can be considered quite objective, since it is focused on the numerous indicators of the test tests carried out, including the speed of maneuver, safe changeover on dry / wet asphalt, directional stability, braking distance, controllability and other indicators. The final score in the 2014 summer tire rating was also influenced by ride smoothness, fuel consumption at various speed modes and the degree of noise level in the passenger compartment when the car is moving.

The Turkish-made Pirelli Cinturato P1 tires took the lead in the 2014 summer tire tests, with a total of 945 points. Having shown impeccable directional stability, excellent grip, satisfactory fuel consumption, low noise level, the tires were second only to the results of braking on wet asphalt. At the same time, the average price of summer tires Pirelli 2014 Cinturato P1 is about 2300 rubles, which is the lowest cost among the three leaders.

The second place in the rating was taken by the summer tires Nokian Hakka Green, produced in Russia, with a result of 939 points and the highest braking performance on wet asphalt. However, their price is slightly higher than Pirelli Cinturato P1 tires and is equal to 2600 rubles. Despite the specific comments of experts regarding the smoothness of the ride, summer tires Nokian Hakka Green provide a sufficiently low noise level while driving, do not impair the maneuverability and stability of the car, and contribute to fuel economy.

In the third step, with an advantage of only 1 point from the pursuer, the Continental ContiPremiumContact 5 tires from Portugal settled. According to the results of the rating, the new summer tires of 2014 from Continental received 925 points. Mainly due to significant fuel economy and stable handling when changing over on dry and wet asphalt. Despite the third place in the ranking, the ContiPremiumContact 5 tires took the second place at an average price of 2,500 rubles. The list of disadvantages noted by experts includes a low noise level in the cabin when the vehicle is moving.

The fourth place with a total of 924 points was taken by Nokian Nordman SX tires provided by Russian manufacturers. Their advantage is confident braking, regardless of whether it is asphalt or a dirt road, which is not inferior to the rating favorites, fuel economy and low noise level. The experts attributed exchange rate instability and not quite ideal ride smoothness to the disadvantages that influenced the number of points. Nokian Nordman SX tires are offered for sale at a price within 2100 rubles.

The fifth place in the list was taken by the Hankook Kinergy eco tires coming to our market from Hungary. With a total of 903 points, this summer new tire 2014 showed an extremely high level of fuel economy at an average speed of 90 mph and a level of ride that is not much different in its characteristics from the leading models. High noise levels and poor handling on dry asphalt did not allow Hankuk Kinergy eco rubber to achieve better results. As an alternative to the disadvantage, the low price of new Hancock summer tires, amounting to 2,200 rubles, may be a disadvantage.

BF Goodrich g-Grip tires lose just one point. The offered price of which fluctuates in the range of close to 2150 rubles. While they are inferior in terms of fuel economy, they provide high-quality vehicle handling.

Places from eleventh to seventh, in descending order, were taken by the following summer tire manufacturers: Chinese-made GT Radial GT Radial VP1 with a total of 889 points, Cordiant Road Runner and Amtel Planet T-301 made in Russia, scoring 886 and 883 points, respectively, tires from Japan Toyo Proxes CF1, which also received 883 points and Bridgestone MY-02 Sporty Style (878 points, Thailand). Filipino tires Yokohama BluEarth, tires from Korea Nexen Classe Premiere CP641 and Barum Brillantis from the Czech Republic, took 12th, 13th and 14th places, respectively.

All drivers around the world are well aware of the two main car tire manufacturers - the Italian concern Pirelli and the Finnish manufacturer Nokian. These manufacturers have very high indicators of the popularity of their own products not only on the European continent, but all over the world - the export of Nokian and Pirelli tires is very, very high and voluminous. Many experts before the checks and tests did not understand why this was justified.

But after carrying out the necessary testing activities, all the doubts of the experts disappeared at once. What was revealed by the experts, why are these tires really selling well and quickly? Let's talk about this in more detail.

Pirelli tires

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Car tires from the Italian manufacturer Pirelli are indeed the most popular and recognizable in the world. And this is not only because the company has an excellent advertising and marketing department - the most fundamental quality here is the quality of car tires. The most important thing in Pirelli tires that I want to highlight first of all is a very high resource of tires.

On these tires, drivers can ride for quite a number of seasons without harming and seriously damaging the quality of Pirelli's rubber. This suggests that the Italian concern uses the newest advanced technologies for production, and it is also worth noting that the Italians are constantly optimizing the tread profiles and the composition of the rubber compound for their tires, as a result of which each new model of Pirelli tires becomes slightly better than the previous one.

It is also worth noting that car tires from the Italian manufacturer Pirelli are characterized not only by a large resource, but also by a relatively low cost. This is probably the reason why Italian-made products have such high sales figures. An excellent value for money as a result gives an excellent buyability, which cannot but please the bosses of the Pirelli company.

Nokian tires

Nokian tires, which have an incredibly high quality of performance, as well as excellent operating properties, deserve a separate conversation. More specifically, the properties of braking and acceleration are most prominent here. This is due to the idealization of the tire design, because it is no secret to anyone that Nokian tires have a design that is somewhat different from the rest of their European counterparts.

The sidewalls of the tires are thinner than the main surface, and the density ratio of the rubber compound in these portions gives the cars excellent agility and handling that is rarely seen in the same concentration when other car tires are used.

Separately, it is necessary to say about the grip characteristics of these tires. For both winter and summer models, these properties are at the highest level, so if your car is equipped with Nokian tire sets, no matter what time of the year - summer or winter - and you are driving on a slippery or wet road at high speed, you you don't have to worry - you can brake in the event of an emergency and maintain a straight path in any case. The braking distance will also be short enough. It is for this reason that the safety class of Nokian tires is the highest.

The best models of Pirelli

The Pirelli range of car tires is full of decent models that can be considered some of the best European modifications from the Italian manufacturer. The Cinturato P4 and Ice Zero are especially noted by the tire specialists. Why did the experts like these particular models?

Ice Zero is the best car tire for winter use from Pirelli. And this is no coincidence, since these tires have a very highly developed functionality. Pirelli is one of the few companies that does not go over to the mass construction of studless winter tires. The point is not that the specialists of this company do not trust their own rubber alloy and doubt its quality.

First of all, Italians are thinking about how to ensure the maximum level of safety for drivers while driving. Therefore, this model has not only rubber with high reliability, but is also additionally equipped with studs, so that the degree of safety of using these tires is even higher.

These tires are not only studded, but also additionally siped, which provides excellent grip on the road surface. Drivers who use these tires on their cars can be 100% sure of their own safety!

The Cinturato P4 is also the best Pirelli summer tire. This is easily explained by the fact that these tires have a large number of qualities and properties, due to the development of which a comfortable environment is created when driving, maximum controllability and maneuverability, as well as excellent grip.

Top Nokian Models

Once again, experts recognize the Hakka Green modification in the Nokian model range as the best summer model. A lot of time has passed since the release of this model, until a model appeared in the Nokian lineup that could outshine it. Excellent grip, excellent aquaplaning and rolling resistance, which not only provide reliable and tight grip, but also keep the car on a straight line during high-speed travel on slippery surfaces. By the way, all these qualities are due to the optimized tread profile.

The best winter model from the manufacturer Nokian is the Nordman SX modification. This model of car tires is the safest to use when driving on snowy and icy roads, and these tires also respond well to temperature changes in winter, while not losing air pressure in the tires. This is an exceptional quality for this model of car tires, because most Nokian tires "suffer" such diseases as pressure loss during sudden temperature fluctuations during the cold season.

In addition, it is worth noting the tread pattern of the tires, which allows you to keep the car on the road quite reliably. Drivers can reach high speeds even in winter if the car is equipped with Nordman SX tires. This particular model has the most necessary performance characteristics to be considered one of the best winter tire modifications in Europe.

Summary

It is difficult to appreciate the Pirelli and Nokian tires, especially if they have not previously been used. It was difficult for the experts to determine the degree of quality differentiation between the best models from Nokian and Pirelli, and yet they made their choice - Italian tires won in this dispute. But there is no need to think that Nokian tires are much worse and have less developed functionality - this is not at all the case. It's just that Italian-made tires have slightly better characteristics.

As for the popularity of Nokian tires, this is also quite easy to explain - with the same level of the listed tire models, their price looks somewhat more profitable than the cost of Pirelli tires, and only for this reason Italian tires are somewhat inferior to Finnish tires in the total number of sets sold.

But if we consider the model lines as a whole, then here Nokian and Pirelli are on the same level. To be more precise, at an equally high level, since in the series of models of these manufacturers there are no such modifications that could be called bad or low-quality.

In general, the best models in each model line do not surpass all other models too much, which indicates the highest level of manufacturing not only of the leading and best tire sets, but also of all other modifications. This also suggests that these companies have excellent tire manufacturing. It should be noted that both companies have a low scrap rate in the production of car tires - this also tells about the perfection of the technologies used for the production of car tires.

And here it is no longer necessary to compare the data of the company - both the one and the other concern equally perfectly cope with the tasks assigned to them. That is why manufacturers get excellent models, which later remain recognized not only in Europe, but throughout the world.

Among studded tires, Continental, Nokian and Michelin have shared the podium among themselves for several years, keeping outsiders out of the circle of the elite. And this year was no exception.

The sixth and seventh lines were taken by strong good players - Dutch Vredestein Arctrac (862 points, price / quality - 4.29) and domestic

Cordiant Sno-Max (856 points and 3.62).