[Rodion]

Maybe it would be a good thing to collect all winter tyre tests into one topic for a quick glance?

I will start with Finnish test which was performed by a Finnish The World of Technics magazine (sort of mix with Popular Mechanics style and cars).

They do these tests very scientific manner, they test out in the real life but also in laboratory like conditions inside.

Remember that these are tested and weighed on Finnish winter, that is snowy, icy and quite long. +5 celsius to -30 celsius between October and March.

And sorry for possibly bad English, I am native Finnish speaking person.

They tested these tyres:

Size 205/55R16

Winter tyres with studs:

- Aurora Winter 
Route Master UW71
- BF Goodrich g-Force Stud
- Bridgestone Blizzak Spike-01
- Continental ContiIceContact
- Gislaved Nord Frost 100
- Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice Arctic
- GT Champiro Ice Pro
- Hankook Winter I
- Pike RS
- Michelin X-Ice North 3
- Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8
- Pirelli Ice Zero
- Toyo Observe G3-Ice

Winter tyres without studs:

- Bridgestone Blizzak WS70
- Continental ContiViking
Contact 5
- Debica Frigo 2
- Fulda Montero 3
- Michelin X-Ice XI3
- Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2
- Pirelli Icecontrol
- Vredestein Nord-Trac 2

Tests included surfaces of ice, snow, wet asphalt and dry asphalt. They tested breaking, accelerating, handling and driveability on ice and snow. On wet asphalt they tested breaking, driveability and handling. On dry asphalt only breaking and driveability.

Top three for non-studded tyres [scale 1-10 and same scale for both tyres]

Michelin X-Ice XI3 => 7,6

+ Smooth driveability on all surfaces, good on keeping "heading", doesn't swirl
- breaking on ice


Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2=> 7,5

+Grip and driveability in wintery conditions, low rolling resistance -> good mileage
- abilities on dry asphalt

Pirelli Icecontrol => 7,2

+Grip on ice and snow
+ low noise
- grip on wet asphalt

Top three for studded tyres:

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 => 8,6

+Exceptionally good grip on ice, driveability in wintery conditions
- only mediocre on dry asphalt

Pirelli Ice Zero => 8,5

+grip on ice and snow, driveability in wintery conditions
- a lot of noise

Continental ContiIce Contact => 8,2

+ grip on ice and snow, driveability in all conditions
- high rolling resistance -> low mileage

[TerraLvr335i]

Thanks for posting! Very helpful info.

[Rodion]

Another Finnish car magazine tested winter tyres, magazine name is Tuulilasi (Windshield in English).

They tested only studded tyres and results are here, in brackets you will find test score from 4...10:

Tuulilasin talvirengastesti 2013

1. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 (9)
2. GoodYear Ultra Grip Ice Arctic (9-)
3. Conti Ice Contact (8,5)
3. Michelin X-Ice North 3 (8,5)
3. Pirelli Ice Zero (8,5)
6. Dunlop Ice Touch (8+)
7. Bridgestone Blizzak Spike -01 (8)
7. Hankook Winter Pike RS (8)

[DonC]

Looking at the Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 replacements...

[bagekko]

Not familiar with Pirelli Ice Zero, how does it compare to the SottoZero 210 RF? Considering the Pirelli SottoZero 210 RF or Michelin PA2 ZP. Cause the Hakka R or R2 does not come in the RF Sizes for the X3 in either 17 or 18" right?

[Rodion]

Originally Posted by bagekko

Not familiar with Pirelli Ice Zero, how does it compare to the SottoZero 210 RF? Considering the Pirelli SottoZero 210 RF or Michelin PA2 ZP. Cause the Hakka R or R2 does not come in the RF Sizes for the X3 in either 17 or 18" right?

I have non-RF, as we have this "Hakkaturva" in Nordic countries, ie. Nokian renkaat replaces puncture free of charge, on-site.

But they do have some RFTs:

225/55R17 97R RFT

245/45R18 100R XL RFT

245/50R18 100R RFT


I bumped into this interesting video while searching those RFT tyre sizes:

I didn't know they were the first company to produce a winter tyre.

[barcelona]

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...ance/index.htm

This Months Consumer Reports has ratings for tires: Performance Winter, UHP, & UHP All Season. They have issued the following rating for Performance Winter:
Nokian WRG3 66pts ( see above link for write up on this "all season")
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 66pts
Nokian Hakkapelitta R2 64 pts
Hankook Winter
Dunlop SP Winter
Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozero Series II
Also two others...

I have been through 3 sets on Nokian WRG2's non-RFT on non-BMW's. Great in winter; however, if driving in lots of snow, I would probably pick the dedicated Hakka's.

[bagekko]

Not sure the "exact" differences between the Hakka R2 and R2 SUV. They have a run flat size in the regular R2 (245/50-18) that works for the X3. Should work on the X3 even though its not the SUV model tire. Only online pricing I have found is $1150 shipped for 4 tires, which doesnt seem like a bad deal.

Wanted 17s for winter, might go with the Hakkas, gotta find a set of 18s to put them on.... dont want to mess with the new RF tires on the 18 M sports on the X3.

[Rodion]

Last week I was in Sweden and I noticed that they had winter tyre test on the local Auto, Motor und Sport. These are non-studded tyres:

[Tjalle]

Rodion: The tests made by Swedish Magazines support what you are saying (some of them are done in Finland), but I have seen no tests with 2014 tires. Those tests are performed during last winter with prototype tires from tiremanufacturers - but not released until october this year.

Note: to get fresh rubber and the latest design the tire should be made as of spring this year. Europe is run on weeks - i.e. a tire made week 10 2014 is marked: 1014 - for once the US had to bulge - the same system in the US

[Rodion]

Tests for 2014 are out. I still have to write them down.

For Finnish magazines Tuulilasi, and Tekniikan Maailma, the winner was for studded tyres:

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8


For non-studded tyres (Nordic winter tyre) the two best were with the same points: Michelin X-Ice13 and Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2.

Third was Pirelli Icecontol and Bridgestonen Blizzak WS70.


It is noticable, that both non-studded winter tyres beat many studded tyres even on pure ice! E.g. Michelin non-studded was better in braking on ice than Michelin studded tyre.