190 or 96? Or maybe 130? This is the choice to be made by all who go for the new studded wheels. The Scandinavians have legislatively limited the number of studs for winter tires, and now manufacturers have divided into two camps: some honestly developed new winter models, "thinning" the number of studs to 96, while others ... were able to bypass the ban and literally stuffed the tread with metal "hooks"! And still there are old models, where the number of studs is the same - 130. Why the new standards have appeared and which tires are better for the Russian winter, we tried to figure it out.

The fact that thorns damage the asphalt is an indisputable fact. Therefore, in many European countries, where the climate makes it possible to do without studs, only friction tires are allowed (in Russia these are usually called "Velcro"). In Scandinavia, spikes are allowed, but their mass, size and number are strictly regulated: for one 16-inch wheel - no more than 130 pieces. But on July 1, 2013, the Scandinavians tightened their legislation. Now there should be no more than 50 studs for each running meter of the tread. For the popular dimension 205/55 R16, this means that the manufacturer needs to “thin out” 130 studs to 96! Why is this necessary ?!

The legislators explain the need to introduce new rules by their desire to save roads and thus save taxpayers' money (in Europe, this argument works for the most absurd laws), as well as take care of their health - they say, inhaling asphalt crumbs, a person is at risk of various diseases, including cancer. But there are much more counterarguments from opponents of the new rules. Who proved that it is the asphalt crumb that provokes diseases of the respiratory organs? How much road debris is due to spikes and how much from other reasons? And why should there be exactly 50 studs per running meter? These questions, however, are in the air. The new rules have been adopted and all tire workers must follow them.

An exception

Or not all? For the new winter season, the Finnish company Nokian has prepared a long-awaited novelty - the Hakkapeliitta 8 model. It has 190 studs. One hundred and ninety! So abundantly "civilian" tires (let's skip the topic of sports tires) have never been studded. And the G8 meets the new Scandinavian requirements! It turns out that there was a loophole in the law, which the Finns took advantage of: there can be as many studs as you want if the tire does not harm the road surface more than the reference one. (Recall, a reference tire is considered to have no more than 50 "hooks" per running meter.)

Of course, the degree of “harmfulness” is assessed according to a carefully prescribed methodology. Granite tiles of a certain size are laid on the asphalt, on which the car must travel 400 times at a speed of 100 km / h (200 cycles in each direction), after which the tiles are weighed. If the granite rectangle "lost weight" more than necessary (that is, the tested studded tire affects the surface more than the reference one), then such a tire will not receive approval. But the new Hakkapeliitta, as shown by tests, despite 190 studs, is completely harmless to the road surface. Representatives of the company say that they managed to achieve this result thanks to the use of fundamentally new, lightweight, studs.

Although many competitors believe that the representatives of the Trafi Transport Safety Agency - they are the ones who determine whether the tire is harmful to the asphalt - cheated and simply made a favor for compatriots from Nokian. Why? The backbone of Nokian's well-being is the Hakkapeliitta series tires (80% of all winter tires produced by Nokian). And so that the new generation of Hakki was strikingly different from competitors and attracted buyers, the manufacturer decided to "stuff" the wheel with spikes, and the inspectors turned a blind eye to obvious violations in order to support the local industry. Let's repeat: representatives of competing companies think so.

In any case, Hakkapeliitta 8 has been approved. Michelin (X-Ice North 3 model) and Gislaved (Nord Frost 100 tire) also got the coveted approval, but both of these manufacturers did not use loopholes and honestly reduced the number of studs to 96. The rest of the tire brands preferred to bide their time and simply stamped tires for the future. "Old model" with 130 studs: as it turned out, selling "wrong" tires is possible, but only if the "rubber" was produced before July 1, 2013. In general, when going for a set of winter wheels, this season a buyer can come across 3 types of tires at once! Which ones to choose?

Theory and practice

Let's speculate. In theory, the new models from Michelin and Gislaved, each with 96 studs, should mediocrely cling to the ice, but smash competitors on the asphalt (especially in terms of noise). Conversely, the new product from Nokian is simply obliged to fail asphalt disciplines, but to shine on the ice track. This logic is based on “facts” known to every motorist: the more studs, the better the tire performs on slippery surfaces. However, when driving on asphalt, the car rests on the spikes, and not on the tread! That is, the contact patch is minimal, and on hard surfaces 190 spikes will make the car simply uncontrollable.

Alas, this reasoning did not stand up to criticism from the representatives of the tire industry. We interviewed several tire experts, but their answers turned out to be the same. First, the spikes do not reduce the contact patch! It turns out that the tire was originally designed in such a way that the upper part of the stud, when driving on asphalt, sinks into the tread under the weight of the car. Secondly, excessive studding not only does not give advantages, but even harms: with the number of "hooks" you can overdo it, and then the grip on ice will only worsen. We decided to check these arguments and carefully studied the tests that were conducted by our colleagues from different publications.

First, let's see how "traditional" tires and new items from Nokian and Gislaved showed themselves in the tests of the Auto Review newspaper (the third generation Michelin X-Ice North did not participate in these tests). “With so many pimples, a victory over competitors, especially in ice disciplines, should be simply devastating! - the experts of the publication tell about Hakkapeliitta 8. - But the matter was limited to just a victory, without a defeat. On the handling track - the best time, driving is a pleasure. But the advantage over the ContiIceContact tires, which have 60 fewer studs, is negligible, and the Continental tires are even better in acceleration dynamics. Because there are many spikes in the tread of Finnish tires, but they are small: the diameter, the height of the spike, the width of the carbide insert - everything here is smaller than that of Continental tires. "

At the same time, the new product from Nokian surprised the Autoreview test group with its unstable behavior on asphalt: “While Nokian tires provide good deceleration on dry surfaces, they have the longest braking distances on wet ones. And the expected disadvantage was the “itchy” sound from the spikes, which did not leave the passenger compartment in the entire speed range. " How did the "toothless" Gislaved answer? Confident third place: “On the handling track - the third time, but the lag behind the leader, who has almost twice as many studs, is less than a second! (...) Slides are small and easy to control. And on the snow, decent behavior, although on the track, handling is hampered by sharp breaks in sliding. But on wet asphalt - the minimum braking distance! At the same time, the tires do not make much noise and gently “swallow” irregularities ”.

Our colleagues from Finland - Tuulilasi magazine - had very similar results. In the first place - Hakkapeliitta 8, but experts also expected a more breakthrough model from compatriots: "The increase in the number of studs did not lead to a radical improvement in grip on slippery surfaces!" The Finns also noticed that the new Hakka was not good enough on wet asphalt, and awarded an 8+ out of 10 possible marks for this exercise ... noted how well the Ice Arctic performed on snow and ice tracks, and their biggest problem was the lack of lateral grip. When cornering, when braking hard, the car can skid.

Table 1

Third place was shared by Continental ContiIceContact, Pirelli Winter Ice Zero (both models have 130 studs and, respectively, second and fourth places according to Auto Review) and ... a new product from Michelin. At the same time, noting the least number of studs among all test participants, the Tuulilasi test group praised the latest generation X-Ice North for its good handling and predictable behavior. What is called, not a number, but a skill! Although the experts did not hide Michelin's weakness in terms of grip on snow and ice, the leaders cling to slippery roads much better. As for the Gislaved, which was so liked by the "autorevushniks", the Finns did not test this model (for some unknown reason).

Another Finnish edition, Tekniikan Maailma, also awarded the victory to Nokian. However, unlike the experts from Auto Review and Tuulilasi, TM journalists are not stingy with praise, saying that Nokian "raised the bar to a new level, thanks to exceptionally good results on icy surfaces." Like this! Although the magazine honestly notes that the creators of the Hakkapeliitta 8 had to sacrifice ride quality on asphalt. Gislaved Nord Frost 100? They have the third place, and these tires are recommended by the Finns for the northern winter for their balanced character.

Other tires that Auto Review and Tuulilasi liked - Pirelli Winter Ice Zero, Continental ContiIceContact and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic - also earned high marks from Tekniikan Maailma, becoming the test leaders. But the Teem team awarded the new Michelin only the eighth line of the final protocol. Yes, they are praised for optimal handling on all surfaces, but scolded for not good grip on ice. So, according to estimates, everything converges, except that the experts of Tekniikan Maailma consider objective parameters (that is, acceleration and braking on ice) more important than subjective ones, so X-Ice North 3 became the eighth, and not the third, as it turned out according to the results of the Tuulilasi test. ...

Conclusions? Looking at the test results of Auto Review, Tuulilasi and Tekniikan Maailma, we can say the following. With almost a twofold superiority in the number of studs, the Hakkapeliitta did not defeat 8 competitors. Yes, these are good tires for harsh winter conditions, but at such prices (for a set of dimensions 205/55 R16 you will have to pay 28 thousand rubles!) You can choose an equally high-quality "rubber" for less money. For example, the "toothless" Gislaved Nord Frost 100: modest 96 studs did not prevent this tire from showing decent results. And the price is nice - 18 thousand for 4 wheels 205/55 R16. "Classic" tires with 130 spikes also did not get lost against the background of the "toothy" rival! The top five in the tests of all three editions included Continental ContiIceContact, Pirelli Winter Ice Zero and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic.

So fans of "spikes" need not worry: no revolution happened and tires of well-known brands, regardless of the number of spikes, are similar in characteristics, differing rather in nuances. Although the experts found one important difference - the Gislaved Nord Frost 100 and Michelin X-Ice North 3 are significantly quieter than other models. However, for lovers of silence, experts still advise non-studded, frictional, tires. But are such tires much quieter than spikes? And are Velcro far behind in ice disciplines? We will tell you about this very soon.

With my own eyes

In February, at the invitation of Michelin, we attended the presentation of the X-Ice North 3. Sweden, light frost, and a frozen lake, along which a tricky winding track is laid. In the parking lot, there are a dozen brand new Volvo V40 hatchbacks on different tires: in addition to their new product, the Michelin-starters exhibited the Nokian Hakkapaliitta 8 and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic. Who is stronger? The one with more thorns! And if there is not much difference between Goodyear and Michelin on the snow-ice track, the colleagues in Hakka went ahead ... And they left energetically, you will not catch up. Failure?

Not at all. Firstly, Michelin experts believe that at low temperatures the difference on the ice “ring” would be less, since the new thermosetting rubber has an interesting effect - the lower the ambient temperature, the harder the tread becomes. And, for example, at -20-25 ° C, when the hardness of the ice becomes prohibitive, X-Ice North 3 bypasses the competitors due to the fact that the studs cannot "hide" inside the tread! Secondly, the third generation of "Ixays" is objectively better than the second, despite the smaller number of thorns. In particular, the braking distance on ice was reduced by 10%.

And thirdly. On the snow, the Michelin is objectively outperforming its rivals. (By the way, this was noted by Tekniikan Maailma experts.) When the car was driven out into the snow, Volvo's Goodyear and Nokian quickly “dug in”, and Michelin hatchbacks continued to move. And by the way, it is more difficult to fly off the track on French tires: skidding in Hakka and the Arctic starts sharper and it needs to be corrected with more precise, balanced actions. So for the average driver who hasn't taken a sporty driving course, the X-Ice North 3 will seem like a cleaner, more balanced tire.

TOP-7 studded tires

Pull, pull!

And you yourself hold it tight, with both hands! Hrrya! It was the pincers that broke off, and Uncle Vanya, cursing, is trying to grasp the thorn more firmly by its "sting".

But we have experience! A long time ago, when in winter we pushed from Finland to Germany in a car "shod" in "spikes", German border guards did not let us in: either leave where you came from, or buy and put on tires without spikes, or ... Then we are not yet knew that in Germany a ban on thorns was introduced! We had to pull out the "nails" from all four wheels, and the wheels were rather big - we had a Land Rover Discovery! Thank God, now the task is different: we need to check how firmly the spikes are in the tread, so with the help of pliers and a dynamometer we will pull out only a couple of spikes from each tire. With other tires we have already easily dealt with, but ContilceContact tires do not want to part with their spikes.

Tested tires list:

• Continental Conti4X4IceContact
• Bridgestone
• Gislaved Nordfrost 5
• Michelin Latitude X Ice North 2
• Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7
• Nokian nordman 4
• Pirelli Winter Carving EDGE
• Yokohama ice Guard Stud IG35
• Kama 515

Stud testing is only part of the 215 / 65R16 crossover winter tire testing program.

There are more and more crossovers. Last year, their share among new cars sold in Russia reached 13%! And they all need winter tires. Which?

In our test - nine sets of tires: Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000, Continental ContilceContact 4x4, Gislaved Nord Frost 5, Michelin X-lce North 2, Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, Nordman 4, Pirelli Winter Carving Edge, Yokohama Ice Guard 35 and domestic Kama-515 ... All studded. And are studded good? To answer this question, we carried out "dynamometric pulling out of thorns". It turned out that the force with which you can pull the stud out of the tread ranges from 3.5 kgf for Michelin tires to 7.0 kgf for Nokian. Except for ContilceContact tires, where a new spike installation technology is applied: they are coated with a special compound that works like glue. When Uncle Vanya pulled out the spike, there were traces of rubber on it, and the dynamometer recorded an effort of 20 and 25 kgf for two spikes. About four times more than the "hospital average"!

And with Nokian tires there was an incident: on one of the tires we found three spikes without carbide inserts. The comment from Nokian experts sounded like this:

This year we changed the supplier of the studs, and, apparently, he made a defect. We'll figure out.

On Tiguan, I wound circles along the handling track, and Uncle Vanya and Andrei Mokhov worked on a Volvo V70: they measured the acceleration time and braking distance on ice. A front wheel drive Volvo with rear brakes disengaged allows measurements by changing only the front wheels, helping to keep the weather out.

On each set, they do six to eight brakes, the same number of accelerations - for collecting statistics. And periodically they repeat the measurements on the tires, which were the first (we call them basic), in order to then correct the results taking into account the changes in the weather and the state of the ice. On a long and wide track, these conditions do not change so quickly, especially since Uncle Vanya brakes and accelerates every time in a new place, but with me - literally with every lap. Very slippery at first. Soon, a notch from the cleats appears on the trajectory, and the coefficient of traction increases - the circle time improves. Then, in the corners, the amount of ice chipped by the spikes increases, and the time on the "base" tires again becomes worse, that is, it increases ... As a result, taking into account the correction with the base tires in this exercise, the advantage of the Continental ContilceContact 4x4 tires was recorded. But the spikes in these tires protrude from the tread most of all - on average by 1.6 mm, and individual inserts stick out by 1.9 mm. In Finland, this is prohibited - according to the rules aimed at reducing damage to the road surface, the studs should not protrude more than 1.2 mm. We have such standards only in the project - if they are approved, then the item will appear in the technical regulations: "The protrusion of the stud beyond the tread - 1.2 ± 0.3 mm." In the meantime - even if you drive a sporty seven-millimeter spike - no one will say a word. This is what Continental is using. True, it is not clear why others do not use it - they fear deterioration of "asphalt" characteristics?

Shadrichev and Mokhov outweigh the equipment on the Tiguan and again go to the ice track - now in order to simulate an emergency, or rather, an attempt to go around a sudden obstacle using braking. The car accelerates to 30 km / h, Uncle Vanya hits the brake pedal and at the same time turns the steering wheel half a turn. Our measurements have shown that it is easier to avoid an unpleasant collision with a "deer" on Michelin or Continental tires than, say, on Yokohama or Bridgestone tires. How do Nokian tires perform?

After a snowfall, we were able to measure the acceleration dynamics of the car in deep snow - Nokian, Nordman and Yokohama tires "row" better than others.

Representatives of the company work in neighboring boxes and do not interfere with the process of our tests. So I approached the question - and caused considerable surprise:

Is Nokian worse on ice than Continental? Can not be! We have redesigned the Hakkapeliitta 7 tires this year with the advice of Porsche engineers. Outwardly, they are the same, but they have changed something in the design.

The Finns ask if they can come with us. Mika, a local tester, gets behind the wheel, I'm on the right - and we go to the “icy” handling track. First a couple of laps on Continental tires, then on Nokian tires. Mika is perplexed: the results are really not in favor of the Finnish tires.

Now the same exercises, but on packed snow. Here, studs are no longer the determining factor - and the hegemony of Continental tires comes to an end. Michelin tires win on acceleration, Gislaved tires on braking, Pirelli is preferable when avoiding the "deer". And on the handling track, Nokian tires perform better than others: best lap time and maximum score for driving comfort. Eh, still ESP on Tiguan would turn off completely, otherwise you go as if with a strict instructor in a driving school ...

The coverage here also changes, but in a different way: a track is formed. Five or six laps - and I'm going to change tires, and at this time a snowcat with a wide scraper knife drives out onto the track - and the coating is as good as new. Immediately on the handling track, I met live, not virtual, deer. Fortunately, this happened already on the road, when I slowed down - six deer blocked the whole road! If they had entered the track two turns earlier, they would hardly have done without casualties.

It remains to estimate the permeability. The Finns themselves do not carry out such tests, so it turned out to be difficult to find a suitable area with moderately deep snow. Either impassable virgin land, or perfectly cleaned roads. We found a site on the lake with a snow layer of about 30 cm. Even Tiguanu had the most fog lights. We crawl across the virgin soil on each set of tires - with slipping, vnatyag, that is, on the verge of slipping ... There is a shovel in the trunk, and a duty pickup with a cable is in touch. We only needed his help once, when the Tiguan was on Pirelli tires: he could not get back on the track he had just made on the same tires. And this, by the way, is one of the main criteria for evaluating tires from the point of view of cross-country ability: the car is obliged to leave the place where it entered slowly, without preliminary acceleration.

The next day, nature helped us take measurements that we have long dreamed of. After a snowfall, the test roads were covered with an approximately 15 cm layer of snow. And now we can estimate the dynamics of acceleration after a snowfall, when the roads have not yet been cleared. Five or six starts on a Volvo with slipping on each set of tires - and we find out that the car accelerates best on virgin soil on Nokian, Nordman and Yokohama tires. And worse - on Michelin tires.

After testing, we carefully inspect the tires and calculate the spike losses. Of course, minus the two that we ourselves ripped out before the tests. The losses turned out to be small - one or two spikes per set. And the tires Continental, Nokian, Nordman and, what is especially pleasant for us, Kama did not lose a single stud. And only the condition of the Pirelli tires is like thunder in February. On one of the four tires, we counted 21 empty "holes", and there were 32 in total! Should you buy studded tires if they turn into studless tires at the end of winter?

With the winter testing done, we paused until spring to continue testing at Nokian Tires' summer training ground.

As a matter of fact, we could carry out "asphalt" tests on the Dmitrovskiy car range, but we went to Tampere mainly because here we can also assess the tendency of tires to slash-surfacing on snow-water slurry. The phenomenon, by the way, is dangerous and widespread. In the spring, our road workers often shovel wet snow from the curbs to the middle of the road so that it melts faster under the wheels of cars, and if the layer of such "liquid" snow is only two centimeters, the tires lose contact with the road already at a speed of 37 km / h - the car becomes unmanageable! It would be nice to remember these numbers and road builders.

It is at a speed of 37 km / h that Nokian and Nordman tires float up. And others lose reliable contact with the road even earlier - Yokohama does not allow accelerating to 34 km / h. It would seem that the difference is small, but in real conditions this means that a car on some tires will only slightly slip in a corner, while on others it risks being in the oncoming lane.

We conduct the following exercises mainly for those who winter in large cities, and they drive mainly on asphalt.

Braking from 80 km / h on wet asphalt, from 100 km / h on dry, "rearrangement" - and once again it becomes clear that tires shining on slippery surfaces do not work well on asphalt. Take braking, for example: if on summer tires, according to our measurements (AP No. 17, 2008), the Tiguan stops from 100 km / h after 42.3 meters, then on winter tires the braking distance on asphalt increases by an average of ten meters!

And finally, comfort. First, the acoustic one. I maintain the same speed on the "test" sections of the road, and Andrey Mokhov, sitting next to me, is holding a sound level meter. However, even without a sound level meter, it is clear that the louder than other Continental and Nokian tires. But even these "loud" tires are not annoying. And the quietest in the test were Russian tires Kama-515.

And on a track with artificial unevenness (asphalt ledges, buried wells, etc.), we found that Michelin tires provide the best ride, while Pirelli, Kama and Nordman tires are harsh.

The greatest weight in the final assessment belongs to "ice" properties (35%): ice has been and remains the most dangerous surface on a winter road. In second place is snow (25%), followed by individual lines of cross-country ability (10%) and slashplaning (10%), braking properties on wet asphalt (10%), and five percent each we devote to comfort and behavior on dry asphalt. The favorites have been determined, and they have scored an equal number of points. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, Continental ContilceContact 4x4 and Gislaved Nord Frost 5 - choose any, you won't go wrong. The Nordman 4 tires, which are noticeably cheaper, but are only slightly inferior to the leaders according to the test results, would be a quite reasonable choice. The Pirelli Winter Carving Edge is a potentially good winter tire, but the stud quality fails them. Japanese tires in another company might have looked better, but against the background of the "giants" they look pale. It is curious that in the final rating both Bridgestone and Yokohama yielded to domestic tires Kama-515.

Or maybe there is no need for these thorns? Maybe an all-wheel drive car, and even with off-road makings, will be enough with winter tires without studs? Or even spend the whole year on all-seasons? You will find answers to these questions in the next issue of Auto Review.

The test results are shown below in tabular and graphical form.

A place	Tire	Short description
1-2-3	Continental Conti4X4IceContact	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	11,3
			10.0
			50
		Number of studs / studding lines	130/10
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,6
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	22,5
		Manufacturer country	Germany
	With such long spikes, no ice is terrible! Their work is felt immediately, without any measuring equipment. Including by ear - "diamond" thorns with a loud crunch bite into the coating, leaving 10 rows of deep "scars" on its surface. The working part of the cleat protrudes above the tread by an average of 1.6 mm, and some "upstarts" - as much as 1.9 mm! When braking from 50 km / h, Continental tires outperform their closest competitors by 3.6 meters - consider the body of a small car! On an ice track, slip control is minimal, control over the car is excellent ... But in the snow, the ContilceContact tires lose their lead, although the car's behavior remains clear and predictable. And the snowdrifts are not an obstacle to these tires - they work well in deep snow. The main losses are on asphalt, especially on dry: when braking suddenly or changing lanes, the tires are literally smeared on the asphalt. It is good at least that the new technology for fixing the studs excludes their loss even after deliberately aggressive driving on dry land.
	+ Adhesion properties on ice. + Permeability. - Traction and handling on asphalt. - Noise. Overall rating: 8.9
1-2-3	Gislaved Nordfrost 5	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	11,8
		Tread depth, mm	9.9
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	53
		Number of studs / studding lines	130/8
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,3
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.	1
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	5.0
		Manufacturer country	Germany
	After the Swedish company Gislaved came under the control of the Continental concern, the products under the Gislaved brand were, as expected, assigned to the so-called second line. Slightly simpler, slightly more affordable than Continental tires. But this year, the Gislaved Nord Frost 5 tires were in our ranking on the same level with the leaders of the "first line" -. Yes, there is no glued-on stud technology, and the ice performance is not as impressive as the ContilceContact 4x4 tires. But the main advantage of Gislaved tires. Excellent balance between "winter" and "asphalt" qualities. Slightly inferior to the ContilceContact 4x4 tires on ice - which is not surprising given the more modest studs! - tires Nord Frost 5 provide the minimum braking distance on snow. And on the track, "snowy" handling gives the car an extremely understandable and even gambling character. In deep snow, Gislaved tires perform well on the verge of stalling, but fail as the slip begins. And on the snow-water porridge they emerge earlier than many competitors. On wet asphalt - minimum braking distance! Yes, and on a dry surface, everything is not bad: confident lane change, confident braking. And also these tires are one of the most comfortable - soft and quiet. An excellent option for winter operation in large cities.
	+ Braking properties on snow and wet asphalt. + Handling on ice and snow. + Comfort. - Low slushplenning resistance. Overall rating: 8.9
1-2-3	Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	12.4
		Tread depth, mm	10.0
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	51
		Number of studs / studding lines	130/14
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,4
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	7.0
		Manufacturer country	Finland
	Winter tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 in the "crossover" dimension 215/65 R16 did not perform as confidently as in the past. However, this did not prevent them from sharing the first place with Continental and Gislaved tires. On ice, diamond-shaped studs work well in the longitudinal direction, but they lose ground in turns: the slides are stretched and sometimes difficult to control, even despite the support of a non-disconnectable stabilization system. But on the snow - perfect control over the car and as a result - the best time for passing a winding track. And in loose snow, Nokian tires are in their element - the car very confidently makes its way through the virgin soil! The protector copes very well with the removal of snow-water slurry from the contact patch. On wet asphalt, the result is average, but on dry, like Continental tires, problems are already showing. The soft protector "folds", which increases the braking distance and decreases the speed of the "changeover". In terms of comfort, it is also far from the best option. Although the spikes and click a little quieter than the "protruding" spikes of Continental tires, but the passages of seams and joints are accompanied by a more noticeable vibroacoustic accompaniment. However, the spikes hold well even without glue!
	+ + Permeability. - Grip and handling on dry asphalt. - Noise Overall rating: 8.9
4	Nokian Nordman 4	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	11.5
		Tread depth, mm	10.0
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	48
		Number of studs / studding lines	130/12
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,2
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	6.9
		Manufacturer country	Russia
	The Nordman tires came to the end of the test with a minimal lag from the top three. No surprise: the tread pattern is similar to the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 tires, which shone in our tests a few years ago. And Nordman tires are produced on the same equipment. And in some exercises on ice, the Nordman tires even beat Nokian, but in the end they lost all the same - including due to sudden breakdowns in sliding on the handling track. On snow, the car behaves better - quickly and accurately responds to control on the edge and beyond the edge of sliding, although the grip properties are not the highest. Spin acceleration in deep snow is just as effective as with Nokian tires, but pulling requires caution. After stopping, it was not immediately possible to get back on its own track. There are no complaints about resistance to slashplenning. And on asphalt, Nordman tires work well - they were the ones that allowed to perform the "rearrangement" with the best speed. A worthy option for urban winter operation. And relatively affordable.
	+ High resistance to slushplaning. + Adhesion properties on ice and snow. - Smooth running. - Noise Overall rating: 8.8
5	Pirelli Winter carving edge	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	98 (750 kg)
		Weight, kg	11.8
		Tread depth, mm	10.0
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	50
		Number of studs / studding lines	130/12
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,3
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.	32
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	4.2
		Manufacturer country	United Kingdom
	Yes, yes, after driving on snow and ice - without driving on asphalt! - four Pirelli tires have lost 32 studs! One of the tires, on which we missed twenty spikes, stood out especially! It's a pity, because the tires managed to show good results in driving disciplines. And on the snow, Pirelli is in the lead. True, it was not easy for the expert to achieve a high result on a winding snow track due to early slides. An ordinary driver, and even a car without ESP, will hardly be pleased with such a sweeping "figure skating". We were convinced of the waywardness of Pirelli tires in deep snow - at some point the car stops and not a step back. On the asphalt, the Pirelli winter tires proved to be more flexible. Were it not for the catastrophic loss of studs, we would have classified the Pirelli Winter Carving Edge tires as a sensible purchase. In the meantime, we will wait for changes in studding technology - and a chance to make sure that the result has been achieved.
	+ Snow grip. + Handling on ice and snow. + Handling on asphalt. - Loss of thorns. - Cross-country ability. - Smooth running. Overall rating: 8.6
6	Michelin Latitude X Ice North 2	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	10.8
		Tread depth, mm	10.0
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	50
		Number of studs / studding lines	128/12
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,5
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.	1
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	3.5
		Manufacturer country	Russia
	Michelin tires are not yet transitioning to faceted studs. It seems in vain. On ice, they work perfectly in the transverse direction: driving a car along the handling track is easy and pleasant, and when avoiding an obstacle - and even the best result! But they do not adhere well to the ice during acceleration and braking, giving way to the Russian Kama tires with their primitive four-row studding! On snow, the situation is better, but this is only true for rolled snow. When its layer reaches 15 cm, the situation changes dramatically - when accelerating with slipping, Michelin already loses to competitors. And on the asphalt - "confusion and swaying": on a wet surface - the maximum braking distance, and on dry the situation is much better. But the handling is already letting down - the car performs the "rearrangement" with laziness. But with comfort, everything is unambiguous - the tires are quiet and very soft. As a result - not the most stable, but very comfortable tires. And the spikes, unlike the Pirelli tires, are not scattered, although we pulled them out with a little effort.
	+ Ice handling. + Grip and handling on snow. + Smooth running. - Longitudinal grip on ice. - Braking properties on wet asphalt. Overall rating: 8.5
7	Kama 515	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	Q (160 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	12.3
		Tread depth, mm	9.3
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	58
		Number of studs / studding lines	128/4
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,2
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	5.1
		Manufacturer country	Russia
	The tires are not the first freshness, and we did not expect any revelations. And they took them because they simply did not find more modern Russian models of dimension 215/65 R16. The rubber is tougher than that of imported competitors, and the steel housings of the studs were covered with a yellow coating of rust by the beginning of the tests. But the very first trip to the ice - and Kama tires "go around" Bridgestone when braking. And when overclocked - also Michelin! On the ice circle - the third result in the "absolute"! The tires also behaved well on the handling track. Here are some rusty thorns. When accelerating and braking on the snow, the Kama tires are again ahead of the "Japanese". It was only on the handling track that the car began to skid too abruptly. In loose snow, the Kama tires do not work very confidently in tension, but slipping helps. Another surprise is the good resistance to slashplanning. Better only Nokian and Nordman. And the results are good on asphalt. On the "rearrangement" the car reacts more sharply to the first impulse - as if it were on summer tires, but with the start of sliding, the grip on the asphalt deteriorates too sharply. Kama tires, as expected, were among the toughest. And, unexpectedly, the quietest. At least in the opinion of our sound level meter, although by ear they "sing" no quieter than Michelin or Bridgestone. with a higher voice. The tires are quite affordable, and judging by our test, this is not the case when the mean pays twice.
	+ Transverse grip on ice. + Resistance to slushplaning. + Braking properties on dry asphalt. - Longitudinal grip on ice and snow. - Handling on the snow. - Smooth running. Overall rating: 7.9
8	Yokohama ice Guard Stud IG35	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	102 (850 kg)
		Weight, kg	12.2
		Tread depth, mm	9.9
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	53
		Number of studs / studding lines	128/12
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,3
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.	2
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	4.8
		Manufacturer country	Philippines
	The Yokohama IG35 tires were introduced last year and, frankly, we expected more from them. Alas: mediocre grip on ice in the longitudinal direction and frankly low - in the transverse direction. The car reluctantly reacts to steering turns, so in a critical situation on an icy road, the driver will have a hard time. And on the icy track of handling, the tires endow the car with such understeer that even after a sudden release of gas, it continues to slip outward treacherously. In the snow. on the contrary, the tires do not hold well in the longitudinal direction, and work better in the lateral direction. In deep snow, Yokohama "row" confidently - both with slipping and pulling. On a snow-water slurry, the tires blundered, although with such a spreading “tree” of the tread, we expected it to be more efficiently removed from the contact patch. On the asphalt, Japanese tires are in their element - they are especially good when braking on dry surfaces: from a speed of 100 km / h they reduce the braking distance by as much as five meters when compared with Continental tires. Comfort is average, and in general, mediocre tires with a balance of characteristics biased towards the asphalt.
	+ Adhesion properties on asphalt. + Permeability. - Longitudinal grip on snow. - Low resistance to slushplaning. - Handling on ice. Overall rating: 7.8
9	Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000	Dimension	215 / 65R16
		Speed ​​index	T (190 km / h)
		Lifting capacity index	98 (750 kg)
		Weight, kg	12.6
		Tread depth, mm	10.0
		Shore hardness of tread rubber, unit	56
		Number of studs / studding lines	130/16
		Spike protrusion, mm	1,3
		Losses of studs after winter tests, pcs.	1
		Effort of pulling out a thorn, kgf	5.7
		Manufacturer country	Japan
	The Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires seem to be made specifically for Russia: in the Scandinavian countries, Bridgestone offers another model, the Noranza, which Nokian Tires produces at its Finnish plant under an off-take agreement. And if Noranza tires in tests carried out by our European colleagues confidently compete with Nokian and Continental tires, IceCruiser 7000 can only compete with Russian tires. Acceleration and braking on ice - the worst results. Not everything is smooth on the handling track either: slides start early, and you don't know what to expect: front axle drift or rear skid. And in the snow, Bridgestone is lagging behind. On the handling track it is very difficult to control sliding - and, even despite the ESP insurance, a couple of times I still had to “lean” on a snowdrift. In deep snow, Bridgestone tires perform well in tightness, but they are not on friendly terms with slipping. The tires do well with wet snow. But they perform even better on asphalt, both dry and wet. The car slows down well and avoids obstacles with confidence. Despite the last place in the final protocol, there is no need to talk about the complete uselessness of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires. This is another option for winter tires for large cities, but when you find yourself on ice or snow, you need to be extremely careful!
	+ Adhesion properties on dry and wet asphalt. + Handling on dry asphalt. - Adhesion properties on snow and ice. - Handling on snow and ice.

Among studded tires, the podium has been shared among themselves by Continental, Nokian and Michelin 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 went 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: cold-blooded, 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 into the breakthrough (price / quality - 5.15), slightly increasing its 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 guys - 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. 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, it loses its intended trajectory and slides for a long time. 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, it is skidding. 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 in a turn they force you to be careful: they hold them across the board much worse than in the longitudinal direction. They require a sweeping steering amplitude, and on the bend, the feeling does not leave the car as if the car is turning not due to turning the front wheels, but because of the rear wheels being 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, the sliding is a little longer than that of the giants, although they remain within reason.
• They keep a clear course in the snow, but 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, combined with 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 the 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".
• The brakes are good, and on dry surfaces - very good, 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 skidding. 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 vehicle in check 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 ones (in this they are practically on a par with the 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: they show average results in braking, acceleration and rearrangement. 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 when sliding.
• Stubbornly heading on a snowy road. In deep snow, however, they do not behave very confidently.
• On the pavement, they remind us of 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 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 the 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 the 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 to make any maneuvers.
• They are good on the pavement: 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 clear 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 turn of the steering wheel, due to this they fit into a turn of 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 efficiently, 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 personalities, 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, best in rearrangement. The price / quality ratio (5.45) is the same as that of the Michelin tire, and, apparently, they will have to compete with each other in the market. But the title of the most economical tire in the fight 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; acceleration is mediocre, like Michelin's; on rearrangement, the limiting speed and behavior is worse than the rest. The remarks are practically 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, 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 goes much more clearly. 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 corners, 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 rip the wheels into slipping, so you need to carefully press on the gas.
• 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 snow-covered road, everything is smooth, without 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 the 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. In contrast to 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, the trajectory is slightly straightened.
• 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 any remarks, even to small turns of the steering wheel they react without delay, 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 be declared an 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 go 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.
• On snow, all characteristics are the best. Confident braking, energetic acceleration, high speed (in conjunction with the "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.

"Michelin" is a French company, one of the world leaders in the production of automobile tires. It has about 70 enterprises around the world, as well as 5 research technology centers (in France, the USA and Japan) and 5 test sites (in France, the USA and Spain).
In addition to the main brand of the same name, the Michelin group of companies owns other well-known brands such as Kleber, Goodrich, Wolber, Riken, Tyremaster, Uniroyal, Taurus and others.
Site: www.michelin.ru

Michelin also has a tire manufacturing plant in Russia. It is located in the village of Davydovo, Orekhovo-Zuevsky District, Moscow Region. The production capacity there is not the largest - about 2 million tires a year, but it is there that the only tire studding workshop in the company is located, in which all the tires produced by Michelin in Europe are studded.
In Russia, Michelin tires are sold either of our own production, or produced at the European factories of the company in Italy and Hungary.

"Michelin X-Ice North 3" Is a new winter studded tire that incorporates a wide variety of innovative technologies developed by Michelin. Most of them are combined into one complex called “smart stud” (Smart Stud System) and includes:

• Thermoactive rubber compound, which is used as the inner layer of the tread and which is capable of changing its elasticity depending on the ambient temperature: at high temperatures it becomes soft and the studs seem to be pressed into the tread, significantly improving grip on asphalt; at low temperatures, it becomes stiff, making the very fixation of the studs more rigid and thereby increasing traction on an icy surface.
• Ice Powder Remover technology designed to remove ice crumbs and is a system of 6 wells that absorb this ice crumbs around each spike.
• The design of the spike itself, which looks like a cylinder with a tapered tip, which is installed on a wide base, which ensures reliable fixation of the spike.

The tread pattern of the Michelin X-Ice North 3 has received an increased number of grip edges for improved grip on snowy roads. The angle of the drainage channels was also changed, which increased resistance to aquaplaning and slashplenning. These tires use the new Flex-Ice 3 rubber compound, which contains a proportionate natural and synthetic rubber compound to achieve improved wet grip. In addition, it contains silicon additives that contribute to wear resistance.
To strengthen the tire carcass, the IronFlex technology was used, which consists in the use of an additional layer of steel filaments and provides additional impact resistance.

Everywhere nits climb eagerly wanting to sell something and they don't give a damn about the truth and the consumer and, in general, everything except themselves.
It makes you sick!
Conti and Gislaved are made at the same factories in Germany and personally I do not see any difference between them when comparing similar models. Comparing the NF5 with the ContiIceContact is more difficult for me, since the first was produced in the 2000s and today it is difficult to find, while the second is an up-to-date model that I have not tried, and in order to compare, there must be fresh impressions. I can only comment on the comparison of the NF5 with many other tires that I have tried, and above all with Hakka. So, in my opinion, NF5 easily plugs Hakku 4 and Hakku 5 (i.e. those models that were produced simultaneously with NF3 NF5, and I did not try 7th and 8th, therefore I can not say anything). Hakka 4 is fatally inferior to NF5 on all types of surfaces, except for snow, where it rides comparable. It wears out quickly, holds bad grip on the asphalt (not that bad, but let's say mediocre, which can not be said about the NF5, which I wore in the heat of 2010, no worse than good summer tires). You can ride Hakke4 in the summer, but the properties are much worse than summer tires, it simply "floats". Pts wear out quickly in summer (as well as NF5). Hakka 5 is better. Actually, now I have it, but only because I got it for nothing. On snow and ice, it holds the road similarly to NF5, it is difficult to catch the difference. On asphalt, NF5 is noticeably worse, but much better than Hakki 4. Let's see how long it goes. So far, only 2 seasons, but there is still a lot of resources. For comparison, NF5 runs for 4 seasons in winter and 1 in summer (when less than 4mm remains). Hakku5 in the summer has not yet driven because it's just a pity. How 4mm will stay like this for the summer (according to the current law it will be necessary to pull out the remnants of the thorns - do not believe it, read the law in the primary sources :)) In winter, I jumped through snow parapets at a speed of more than 100 km / h on NF5, I drove 160 on fresh thin snow, never at the same time did not get into a difficult situation, did not see unexpected behavior. Moreover, the stock was always more than I expected. On Hakka 4, on the contrary, several times I got into unexpected unpleasant situations and after that I was afraid to ride it so fast. Hakka5, it seems to be going almost the same way, but it seems to me that it starts to slip on snow and ice earlier, although everything seems to be predictable. Apparently there is no stock that was on NF5. As for the rest of the brands - Russian rubber does not even compare to Hakka 4. I haven't driven it for a long time, maybe it's better now, but before the difference was very clear. "Collaborative" brands are much better, but they don't even reach Hakki4. You can ride a Ross rubber, only very carefully. .. :) but to the depths of my heart it will always be unclear to me how you can take this ... only 20-30% cheaper than top-end, but "non-good-top" products. Is a poor and dangerous ride, regardless of speed, worth this 20-30%? I have not tried the winter bridge, the summer B391, inherited from one of the cars, cannot be compared with ContiEcoContact (it's not worth talking about premium). All these attempts to save on wear and tear at any cost several times almost cost me major accidents, especially on a wet road, when people using normal tires braked sharply in front (far or close). B391, Perhaps I also got a cheap model (I don't remember the name). Kumho is the same as the B391, it runs for a long time, but the grip with the conti cannot be compared. : Hankuk haven't tried it. It's a shame I didn't have a chance to try Michelin and Dunlop properly (neither winter nor summer). Of course, you can't drive either rubber or the car itself on someone else's car. Several people who "know how to ride", in my opinion, were highly praised for the summer by Bridge Potenza, but I did not get the chance to try it. Another person who tried a bunch of rubber by the nature of his activity assured me that the non-budget models of the Japanese Toyo are good (I don't remember the model). They still cost much cheaper than the promoted brands, but they go, according to him, no worse than Potenza, which he also praised very well.