The current crisis forces us to save on everything, including tires. After all, a set of even budget tires costs a pretty penny. Therefore, when choosing tires, many motorists first look at the price, and only then study their characteristics and get acquainted with the test results. We also decided to talk about the rating of the winter tires we tested, starting primarily from their price. The most expensive in our list is the “spike” “Nokian-Hakkapelita 8” with an average price in online stores of 3,700 rubles apiece. Not cheap, of course, but in our rating it is ahead of the rest - 944 points. "Hakki" has the first places in almost every exercise. Moreover, as we managed to notice, the high performance remains the same after a rather long run.
Slightly cheaper - at a price of 3500 rubles apiece - you can buy Continental-ContiIsContact tires. For a couple of years now, the manufacturer has hinted at replacing this model with the next one, but is in no hurry to move from words to deeds. Is it really necessary? The second place, 915 points and very good results speaks unequivocally: the potential of "ContiIsContact" is still great, it is too early to write off this model.
Much cheaper German "Gislaved-Nord Frost 100" and Japanese "Bridgestone-Blizzak Spike-01" - 2700 rubles per tire. Which one should you choose? To answer, you will have to study the table with the results. According to the results of measurements, these tires are comparable, the difference is only in the subjective assessment of experts. However, Gislaved received 884 points and fourth place, and Bridgestone - 859 points and only the sixth line of the rating.
For 2,400 rubles, you can buy the fifth "Nordman" (younger brother of "Nokian"). The characteristics are no worse than those of the more expensive Bridgestone and Gislaved. The offer is tempting because this tire scored 886 points in our table of ranks, which allowed it to take the honorable third place and climb the podium.
Japanese "Toyo-Observatory G3-Ice" is cheaper than "Nordman" by only 100 rubles. In the protocol "Toyo" has 853 points and the eighth final place. If cross-country ability is not so important, if you are ready to put up with insufficient comfort and mediocre handling, then the choice of "G3-Ice" is justified.
You can save even more if you prefer Formula Ice tires (this is a new brand from Pirelli). About 2,000 rubles apiece, 863 points and the fifth place in the ranking is a good combination. The cost of saving is slightly "weakened" characteristics on snow and insufficient directional stability on asphalt. Cordiant-Snow Cross competes with Pirelli-Formula Ice - 1950 rubles per tire. The result is 856 points and the seventh place. Translated from the language of numbers, this means that on the asphalt at a speed of 60-80 km / h, you will have to keep the distance increased by a body and a half due to low braking properties by modern standards. The Snow Cross does not have the best indicators of handling, directional stability and comfort. But the car on these tires quite confidently keeps on ice and snow.
Finally, Amtel-Nordmaster ST is sold for 1700 pe. More than two times cheaper than the leaders! And - a modest 829 points and the ninth place on our list. If you are an ardent pilot, then before choosing Amtel, we advise you to carefully study the test results and only then go to the store. Failure to operate the machine on these tires can be fraught with risk. "Nordmaster" is suitable for leisurely and experienced drivers.
TEST RESULTS
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Experts' opinions on each tire are presented below.
| A place | Tire | Expert opinion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Place of manufacture: Russia Tread pattern: directed 8,7-8,9 Number of spikes, pcs .: 174 1,3-1,6/1,6-1,9 Tire weight, kg: 7.2 3700 Value for money: 3.92
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Sergey Mishin: Reliable and safest on any winter roads and off-road. |
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| 2 |
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Place of manufacture: Germany Tread pattern: asymmetric Tread depth in width, mm: 8,9-9,1 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 56 Number of spikes, pcs .: 110 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,8-2,0/1,8-2,0 Tire weight, kg: 7.4 Average price in online stores, rubles: 3500 Value for money: 3.83
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Sergey Mishin: Reliable and safe in any winter conditions. |
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| 3 |
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Place of manufacture: Russia Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 8,8-8,9 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 53 Number of spikes, pcs .: 110 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,3-1,6/1,5-1,8 Tire weight, kg: 7.3 Average price in online stores, rubles: 2400 Value for money: 2.71
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| 4 |
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Place of manufacture: Germany Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 8,9-9,1 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 53 Number of spikes, pcs .: 90 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,5-1,7/1,7-2,0 Tire weight, kg: 7.0 Average price in online stores, rubles: 2700 Value for money: 3.05
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Sergey Mishin: Suitable for any winter roads. |
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| 5 |
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Place of manufacture: Russia Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 9,0-9,3 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 52 Number of spikes, pcs .: 110 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,3-1,7/1,3-1,7 Tire weight, kg: 7.0 Average price in online stores, rubles: 2000 Value for money: 2.32
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Sergey Mishin: They will reveal their best properties on icy roads and in urban modes on cleaned streets. |
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| 6 |
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Place of manufacture: Japan Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 9,0-9,4 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 49 Number of spikes, pcs .: 110 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,6-2,0/1,6-2,1 Tire weight, kg: 7.7 Average price in online stores, rubles: 2700 Value for money: 3.14
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| 7 |
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Place of manufacture: Russia Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 9,7-10,0 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 54 Number of spikes, pcs .: 110 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,6-1,9/1,2-2,2 Tire weight, kg: 7.3 Average price in online stores, rubles: 1950 Value for money: 2.28
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Sergey Mishin: Better than others they are suitable for the outback with icy, snowy roads and snowdrifts. |
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| 8 |
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Place of manufacture: Japan Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 8,7-9,0 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 55 Number of spikes, pcs .: 90 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,6-1,9/1,8-2,3 Tire weight, kg: 7.8 Average price in online stores, rubles: 2300 Value for money: 2.70
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Sergei Mishin: Suitable for any winter roads, but will not help in deep snow. |
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| 9 |
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Place of manufacture: Russia Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 9,1-9,3 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 53 Number of spikes, pcs .: 112 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,3-1,8/1,3-1,8 Tire weight, kg: 6.8 Average price in online stores, rubles: 1700 Value for money: 2.05
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Sergey Mishin: Their best qualities will be revealed on cleaned asphalt roads. |
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| 10 |
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Place of manufacture: Russia Tread pattern: directed Tread depth in width, mm: 8,3-8,9 Shore hardness of rubber, unit: 59 Number of spikes, pcs .: 112 Protrusion of studs before / after tests, mm: 1,1-1,5/1,2-1,5 Tire weight, kg: 7.9 Average price in online stores, rubles: 1800 Value for money: 2.20
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Sergey Mishin: For a leisurely ride on cleaned asphalt and slightly snowy roads. |
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The path of development of the Russian statehood is long and winding, it is full of great achievements, and we can be proud of our ancestors. But this pathos every autumn (and even more often) breaks down on the thought: could it have been possible to create this very statehood a little further south? Where are cold, snow and ice - the main winter opponents of the driver, are there only on mountain peaks? But since history does not know the subjunctive mood, residents of the middle and northern latitudes have to live in a climate where cold weather prevails for most of the year. One parameter will be of interest to us - the average daily temperature. If it is below +7 0 С, then during this period it is recommended to use winter types of tires. Moreover, in the same Moscow, according to the observation data of 2011-2012, already in October the average temperature of all days was only +6 0 С, and only in April it again reached +6.8 0 С. In other words, since October in for more than six months we have been driving in unfavorable (and often simply dangerous) road conditions. For the northern regions, this period can extend up to 9–11 months.
Despite significant progress in the development of winter tires, studded tires are still very popular in countries with a Scandinavian climate, which includes most of the territory of the Russian Federation. The first such model was developed by Michelin back in 1933. In the USSR, the creation of winter tires was approached only in the early 1970s, it was the legendary NIISHP-Rally, which was produced in small batches of several thousand pieces a year and immediately became a huge deficit - it was allocated only to athletes and “the right people”.
Nowadays, there is no shortage of offers on the market, but since good tires are far from cheap, many drivers desire a symbiosis of good performance and a reasonable price. One of the manufacturers of this type of tire is the domestic brand Cordiant, which is launching a new spike model on the market this winter, the Snow Cross.
Verification by Iceland
With their obvious winter orientation, modern (even studded) tires must have decent performance both on snow and on wet asphalt - this is the inevitable specifics of operation in megacities, and prolonged thaws are not uncommon in our country. Iceland in this sense has become an ideal natural testing ground for rapid tire tests in all modes.
Located at the Arctic Circle, washed from the south by the warm Gulf Stream, and heated from the inside by the heat from the earth's crust, Iceland is a volcanic island. Active geysers and the famous volcano with the unpronounceable name Eyjafjallajokull remind of this. As a result, warm Atlantic and cold polar air masses constantly collide over Iceland. The proverb “If you don’t like the weather in Iceland, wait 5 minutes” very accurately reveals the peculiarities of the local climate. In a couple of hours and 100 km of path, you can find yourself several times in different seasons - from early autumn to late spring, with several transitions from dry asphalt to snow-covered trails. And when there is no snow or rain, in some places the road heats up as if we were rolling in sunny California. It was in such and such conditions that we tested the work of the new winter tire Cordiant Snow Cross.
Mathematical calculation
When designing new items, designers widely used mathematical modeling. Such development methods have long been a surprise, not only in the tire industry, but in many other industries as well. Their main advantage lies in the fact that almost finished products are brought to the test sites for final tests, requiring minimal modifications "in fact". The rest of the problems have already been solved in the silence and comfort of the laboratories, and have not been obtained as a result of long and expensive field tests.
All this makes it possible to reduce the cost of development, reduce the price for the buyer, and use the freed up funds to develop even more advanced models. For example, it was computer optimization of the tire carcass that made it possible to reduce the tire weight by ~ 0.5 kg, which, in combination with a new tread compound, led to a decrease in rolling resistance by ~ 15%. The use of the new profile parameterization system has led to the preservation of the properties and behavior of the tires, regardless of the standard size. That is, by changing the car model or simply putting beautiful 16-inch alloy wheels instead of the standard 15-inch wheels, the driver will not feel much difference in the car's behavior (with the right size choice, of course). It turns out about the same as moving into a new apartment, but keeping your favorite slippers.
The main parameter, which by 80% determines the characteristics of tires, is the uniformity of pressure distribution in the tire contact patch. It is he who is the basis for good traction and coupling properties. While road summer tires can be roughly divided into three modes of operation - dry asphalt, wet and "a little mud", then winter tires add snow, ice and the most unpleasant - wet snow porridge, when the already slippery ice is additionally "smeared" by melted snow or chemicals. Because of this, the pattern of any winter tire is very different from its summer counterpart.
The main features of the Cordiant Snow Cross tires:
- Strong V-shaped tread design (to effectively drain slurry and reduce the tendency to aquaplaning).
- Large central rib (holds the trajectory better on uneven surfaces).
- The developed zigzag shape of the sipes contributes to "sticking" to the winter road.
- The increased number of sipes improves grip due to more engagement edges.
- Studding is made with a double-flanged anchor-type stud with a height of 11 mm. The number of studs per tire is 110-130 pieces, depending on the standard size, this provides the maximum number of studs in the contact patch from the point of view of road surface wear. At the same time, a snowflake-shaped double-flange anchor spike with a carbide core breaks the upper ice edge and eliminates tire slippage during acceleration and deceleration. The asymmetrically spaced 16 rows of studs alternately come into contact with the road. Thus, at least 10 thorns are constantly present in the contact patch.
- Studding - distributing studs to the left and right of the tire centerline - reduces noise.
| Stopping distance measurements according to the Test World organization method, m | ||
| Rolled snow, from 80 km / h | Ice, from 50 km / h | |
| Cordiant Snow Cross | 59,26 | 39,82 |
| Cordiant Sno-Max | 62,81 | 41,84 |
| Finnish competitor | 61,36 | 41,62 |
In the last 3 years, the tires of the Cordiant concern really please, the quality is growing, and with it the army of satisfied fans of inexpensive high-quality tires is growing. In today's review, we will consider the new product of 2013, which has been in trend for 2 years already, and has been collecting a huge number of positive reviews. Meet the Cordiant Snow Cross studded tire.
All as one users, seeing the tread pattern, start screaming - this is a clone of Hakki 7, do not think that you buy Cordiant and get the same Hakku, the difference is huge and blah blah.
Of course, comparing a Finnish tire and ours with a 3-fold price difference is wrong. Whoever has money - he takes Hakku without hesitation and does not care. Those who have no money - they have to look for reviews on the internet, shovel mountains of information, look for tests, videos and other information. Yes, even when testing tires, they are taken from one "weight" category - premium, comfort, budget. And comparing the tires of the budget class with the comfort class is simply pointless. In most tests, the expensive tire will be ahead, but how much? And is it so important in daily use? In general, let's talk better about Snow Cross - according to the test results and numerous reviews, it is really worth paying attention to it. Photo:
The previous Snow Max model also showed excellent results, the people are happy as an elephant. And Snow Cross is a continuation of Max's technologies, Cross is even better, more adaptable, more technological, if you like. Tire production technology does not stand still and the best tires of 2005 will now perform very poorly. That is why the people are studying the novelties of the market, because for sure they will be better than the previous ones. Progress cannot be stopped.
Cordiant Snow Cross - studded rubber, the composition of the rubber compound is still improved, there is even more silica, and therefore the tire remains soft even in severe frosts (-30), so that the tire after a long night frosty parking will not be square, but will remain round)) Well and a winter tire must always be soft - this is a priori!
The tread pattern is similar to the Hakku-7, but superficially and structurally, there are considerable differences. Nevertheless, according to the opinions of the people (a lot of them have accumulated over 2 years), the tire digs deep snow excellently, loose snow is also excellent. Snow porridge - great, water and moisture-saturated snow are well removed from the contact patch. Snow Cross Photo:
And here is a photo of Hakki 7 for comparison, there is a difference and it is noticeable, so there is no need to la-la that the tread is the same (in Hakki, the spikes go almost non-stop throughout the tire, in Kordiant - much less often):
Cross studs - again a new technology, the shape of the tire and its insides, fit. As a result, the loss of thorns is minimal, it is, but in comparison with its competitors, Cordiant is really better. Which of the competitors lost? Such a popular Nokian Nordman 4, which is good for everyone, but does not hold the spikes as cool as we would like. Of course, no one has yet canceled the correctness of the running-in, but nevertheless, according to the people's reviews, it is clear that Snow Cross's spikes really hold better. And if you compare with Yokohama IG35 - here you yourself know, Yokka holds perfectly on the ice only in the first season, in the second - she is already without thorns))
By the way, we will recommend another chic option, but already a Velcro tire - the quality is the highest, the reviews are overwhelmingly excellent. Well, and a great price. If the city is being cleaned and the temperature permits, be sure to take it.
On ice, the Snow Cross shows excellent results for a budget tire (and the difference between tires of a different price category is minimal). It is not always possible to start a car into a skid on purpose, and if you drive on a winter road with your head, then the hold on the ice will be 5 points.
Video - test on loose snow
In the snow - this tire is just made for him. Rolled snow - 6 out of 5 points, loose, wet, deep - ideal. It digs snow smartly, side hooks for "digging" and for removing water are wide and deep.
What are the downsides? We read in the reviews - they slow down badly on bare asphalt at +5. Hehe, these are spikes and a priori they should slow down badly. Hakka 7 will also slow down badly, but probably a little better than Snow Cross))
Another disadvantage is poor balancing. This is not a fact, it all depends on the tire that you come across. Most of them are completely balanced, but there are exceptions. This means that the workmanship is not kept up to standard and this is bad. On the other hand, buy tires immediately with tire fitting, and if there are a lot of weights, ask for another tire, they will replace it without any problems.
In general, we boldly put 4.5 points to rubber, in the budget class it is really one of the best. Not long ago, as yesterday, we saw Shevik on this rubber, approached, talked - the owner is terribly pleased, he drives a lot in the snow and likes to park in snowdrifts when there is no parking space. With this rubber, he has no problems at all. All types of winter road surfaces are ideal, except for bare asphalt - here it is a little worse. We definitely recommend buying, an excellent inexpensive spike.
Initially, the task was to prepare for production tires with rim diameter of 17 and 18 inches for cars of the premium segment. However, such products require not only good products, but very good ones. The tread pattern of the Cordiant Snow Cross was kept the same, but the mixture was re-developed. Its chemical composition made it possible to provide a wide operating temperature range: + 10 ... -53 ° C. Before the modernization, the lower limit was -45 ° C.
To improve grip on ice, lightweight Spike-Cor studs from Scason were used. The aluminum body of the new "claw" has an octagonal carbide tungsten carbide insert. The former spikes were wrapped in a stainless steel body, their carbide insert was not cut.
A dozen of these "claws" are constantly in the contact patch. According to Cordiant, the braking distance when decelerating from 30 to 5 km / h on modernized tires was reduced by 8% in comparison with the previous ones, and acceleration from 5 to 30 km / h became faster by 3.7%.
The modernization affected not only the expensive 17- and 18-inch models, but also the more affordable 13-16-inch models.
On the snow-covered field of the Sortavala airfield, shinniki assembled rear-wheel drive cars of premium brands. The test program of the upgraded Cordiant Snow Cross model included an assessment of longitudinal adhesion: after intensive acceleration to 60 km / h, sharp braking until a full stop, first with ESP on and then off. Well-functioning electronics drive the car without skidding and slipping. But even without electronic stabilization, I confidently controlled the behavior of the BMW "five" on the snow.
I tried to evaluate the lateral grip while driving a Mercedes E-class, performing a "moose" test. I didn’t knock a single cone while performing maneuvers, but I don’t presume to say something about the advantages of the new tires without comparing with the previous ones.
In a tire test carried out by the Za Rulem expert group (ZR, 2016, No. 9), the updated Cordiant Snow Cross spikes showed themselves well. In 15-inch dimensions, they outstripped the famous rivals Michelin and Dunlop. And the price is one third lower: depending on the standard size, Cordiant Snow Cross tires cost from 2,000 to 4,000 rubles.
But first, it makes sense to recall those solutions that were originally incorporated into the design of the Snow Cross winter tire. The very name of one of the technologies (Snow Cor) used in this model indicates that the developers paid special attention to the tire's performance on a snowy road. The directional tread design features a closed center rib. The essence of the solution is that the rib cuts through the snow cover, effectively removing the upper layer of snow from the contact patch through angled grooves. And this significantly reduces the possibility of "aquaplaning in the snow". Good drainage in the contact patch is also facilitated by the Z-shaped sipes that penetrate the tread blocks. Opening and closing during the movement of the tire, the sipes not only remove the water suspension from the contact patch, but also create additional zones of engagement of the tire on the snow cover. But why exactly this shape of the lamellas was chosen by the developers of Cordiant? For example, the frequently used 3D sipes can cope with the above functions and ensure the rigidity of the tread blocks, which has a good effect on handling. It is worth remembering here that any tire is a child of compromise. And it is important for developers to achieve a balance of all characteristics. Cordiant engineers experimented a lot with lamellas (and not only in 3D form) and, as a result, came to the conclusion that the lamellas of their chosen shape, firstly, perform well the functions assigned to them, and secondly, they are less expensive in production.
The innovative shape of the cleat provides a secure grip in the tire
The proprietary Ice Cor technology is used in the studding of the Cordiant Snow tire. These are asymmetrically located studs, the number of rows of which is 16. Thus, there are at least 10 studs in the contact patch of the tire with the road at the same time.
What new solutions have been used in this season's Snow Cross winter tires? First of all, this is a new spike developed by the renowned company Scason. The body of the spike is aluminum and the insert is made of tungsten carbide. As with sipes, many tests have been carried out with the spikes. Five options were pre-selected, from which the final choice was made. The shape of the carbide insert is two squares shifted relative to each other, that is, the insert has eight sharp edges, allowing you to confidently grip the ice. The shape of the spike leg was selected in such a way as to ensure its reliable fastening in the tread layer of the tire under shock loads. In comparative tests of tires equipped with old and new studs, only due to the use of the novelty, the brake was reduced by 8%, and the lap time on the ice improved by 7%. Acceleration on ice has also improved.
16 rows of studs (factory studded only) asymmetrically arranged
A separate "engineering" topic is a new rubber compound, which took three years to develop, and the work was carried out in partnership with colleagues from German institutes. But the time was well spent: only due to the new compound, the braking distance was reduced by 12% (at a speed of 20 km / h, this is the body of a passenger car), and acceleration on ice improved by 9%. The new rubber compound not only became more elastic, but also expanded the temperature range of its use. An argument that is very important in determining the market for which the tire is intended: the rubber compound of the Snow Cross model of winter tires remains stable up to a temperature of -53 ° C. Structurally, the tire has a two-layer tread: directly under the tread with a soft rubber compound there is a hard, so-called base layer , which, first of all, provides a reliable fastening of the spike. In addition, this layer creates a reliable support for the cleat, thereby exerting additional pressure on the cleat during contact with the ice surface.
For the winter season 2016–2017, the Cordiant Snow Cross range of tires has been expanded by 25 standard sizes. New popular sizes with 17 and 18 inch rims have appeared. Moreover, a whole line for the production of these tires was launched at the Cordiant-Vostok plant. There are also 13 standard sizes of tires for SUV cars: the design of tires for cars of this segment is distinguished by a reinforced sidewall.
