Review statistics for tires Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV
On the right is a summary of the characteristics of the tire, based on reviews and ratings from car owners around the world.When taking into account the overall rating of a summer tire, its performance on snow and ice is not taken into account.
The number of reviews for tires Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV - 53 pcs;
Second L200 (wife driver). The first L200 skated on Conti 4x4 icecontact for 5 winters, and the wife was pleased. Therefore, the choice was predetermined.
Experience of using 1 season - there are no lost spikes, although a car with a new engine "incites" to sharp starts. Handling and stopping distance allow (with 50 kg of ballast in the body) to feel like in spring and autumn.
Before Christmas, near Pallasovka, Volgograd region, on a swept road, when one wheel on the snow and snowy edge, and the second on icy, barely cleared asphalt, it allowed me to go 40-80 km / h without stress.
We believe that for the city in winter, and with trips out of town - the best choice
Vehicle: Mitsubishi L200
Buy again? Definitely yes
Rating: 4.85
Dmitry about the tire Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV
Compared to Yokogama, Gislaved, Dunlop, the choice is definitely Conti. Very confident behaves on almost any surface! A little worse on bare ice, there are side slips, but quite predictable, you just need to understand it. The price is certainly not small, but it justified itself! It does not slip either on dry pavement or on Moscow porridge, rows confidently on loose snow, and holds like a glove on a snowy track. Very soft! Noisiness is a subjective thing, but the dunlop on the wife's car just roars in comparison with the conti. One cylinder (apparently due to a violation of storage) had to be balanced for a long time and painfully. But I think this is already a claim to the sellers!
Vehicle: Hyundai Santa Fe
Size: 235/60 R18 107T XL
Buy again? Definitely yes
Rating: 4.85
In short, the tire, in my opinion, is very successful, especially for a big city and trips out of town, at least regular, at least not. Excellent braking on any pavement (whether wet or dry), good flotation and confident movement on snow and slush, confident movement and good braking on ice and packed snow, very quiet for studs, completely insensitive to ruts on asphalt, not subject to side breakdowns. Quite a few questions about braking on loose snow - it brakes in principle well, but it could be better (although this is rather a matter of my high expectations, given its brilliant performance on other types of surfaces).
Now in more detail, for those who are still interested and who, having read the reviews of others (I mean all the reviews, both for the SUV version and for the non-SUV), still doubt, as I did quite recently.
I installed it after 7 years in a row on non-studded tires (popularly Velcro), drove about 1000 km, but it just so happened that I already tried it in frost and thaw, and in the snow, and on the highway. Everything is clear to me, that's why I'm writing. So, first of all, the tire is superbly suited for asphalt. I didn't even expect. The behavior on pavement in general is very similar to non-studded tires, I hardly noticed any difference. At the same time, she has a lot of spikes, and due to this, she perfectly holds both ice and rolled snow. Crossing the track on the pavement is practically not felt, when driving in the track itself, the steering wheel does not jerk. Excellent brakes on both dry and wet pavement. I still don’t understand why people write about bad braking. Probably they just psychologically set themselves up that the tire was in the break-in mode and did not brake themselves, being afraid to damage the expensive tire. Do not be afraid!!! I didn’t fool around with any running-in, I drove as before on a “non-studded”, except that for the first two days I kept a distance of a couple of meters more than usual. Then I understood the bus, and stopped fooling around at all. On the pavement, the tire is great, and for studding it is just unexpectedly good.
They wrote that supposedly this tire does not hold lateral drift well. For me, this is an important point and I paid significant attention to it. I specifically tried to achieve a breakdown of the rear axle in order to understand the limits. For two weeks, in the same unpleasant turn, under different weather conditions, he tried to rip it off. I brought the speed to the limits of reasonable (in my understanding), but did not achieve a breakdown. There was no point in increasing the speed in this turn further, since I would not have entered it faster on any tires. I managed to tear it off once in an underground parking lot, on bare and very wet concrete, in a 90-degree turn. But can it be called a breakdown? In my opinion, 3-5 cm is nothing at all. But there is one effect - the car seems to be floating in a turn, the feeling that it is about to break, that it is already on the verge of a breakdown, but it does not break anywhere. But the feeling, especially at first, that the back is leaving is present. But I repeat, there is no breakdown, only a feeling, and at any speed, even 5 km / h. Most likely because of the soft sidewalls. And they are really soft, it’s true, but this is not at all a reason to rate the tires 1, as one figure in the reviews did, without even driving a meter on them, but just feeling the sidewall with his finger ... I also got into the pits (and even very seriously), and I already managed to hit the curb, and I also managed to run into it :-). Nothing, not even a hint of a hernia ... So their sidewall, although soft, turned out to be quite strong.
It rides very well in the snow, but usually I would say it slows down in the snow. After its characteristics on the pavement, you clearly expect more, here just be more careful, the feeling that it could have been better remains. Although, most likely, this is more a matter of my perfectionism and, as a result, high expectations...
Well, about noise - I don’t understand people who write about noise. Here you ride on the breeches, then we will discuss which tires are noisy and which are not. These tires are not noisy at all. Noisier than my previous non-studded ones, of course, but I wouldn’t say that it’s directly critical.
To sum it up: the tire is just great. Finally, that feeling of reliability and comfort that the legendary, in my opinion, GoodYear Ultra Grip 500 gave, has finally returned.
P.S.: My even incomplete experience with winter tires: not a Yokohama stud (I don’t remember exactly, something like IceGuard 35), a GoodYear Ultra Grip 500 stud, a Bridgestone IceCruiser 5000 stud, not a Nokian Hakapellitta R stud, not a Dunlop Grandtrek M3 stud. Of this set, only the GoodYear UG500 (stud) and Dunlop M3 (not stud) left good impressions. I parted with them with great regret, and only because some were worn out, and new ones of the same kind are no longer being produced. The rest were full of questions. After driving Yokohama (2 seasons, but it was enough for me, as they say) now I “shy away” from this brand in principle - I have never been so scared, Hakkapeliitta R - while water and porridge, everything is fine, but in the snow the all-wheel drive BMW became almost completely uncontrollable, since then I have been looking very carefully at the protector itself and don’t just rely on the name (for this reason I didn’t even consider Hakkapeliitta 7, it reminded me of R very much from the drawing). Breeches are like breeches - noisy, oak, with very average characteristics - such a compromise... Why is this? Perhaps someone will see familiar names, compare with their feelings and understand whether it is worth trusting my opinion...
Vehicle: Mercedes GL-Class (X164)
Buy again? Definitely yes
Grigory about the Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV tire
Continental is on top, as always. The best tire for winter regardless of the drive (although this is the third winter set and all three are 4 * 4). Moderately noisy, rows well, predictable on ice... Expensive, but worth it;)
Before that, there were Dunlop, Michelin, GoodEar, Nokian, Gislaved .. Only GoodEar was also pleased, but that was a long time ago.
Vehicle: Mitsubishi Pajero
Size: 265/65 R17 116T XL
Buy again? Definitely yes
Rating: 4.85
Sergey about the tire Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV
Good tyres. I think they are worth their money. On some points I put 4 stars only due to the fact that it was this dimension 225/60, through my fault, that did not fit all 5 points on my Nissan Qashqai car. It was necessary to listen to smart people and put narrower tires. But the brakes are great!
Vehicle: Nissan Quashqai 2.0L 2007-
Rating: 4.77
Alexey about the Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV tire
I purchased these tires on October 28 and immediately installed them, ordered them as expected, and immediately after 500 km of run I tested them at a speed of 170 km / h and was dumbfounded that I didn’t notice a rumble or a roll, it brakes clearly on bare asphalt, it doesn’t carry the car, but the rubber doesn’t she loves rutting very much, or rather, this is her only minus in my opinion. It goes very confidently on ice and acceleration and braking are just super, snow is 5, but on virgin soil 20 centimeters and a temperature of 0 is not good, but sorry, it’s not the rubber’s fault .before that I rode a Hakka 7 and I can say that its rating is 3 compared to a kontik, ekkagama is generally rare, this is again just my opinion. I live in Kislovodsk, we have a mild winter and there was nothing snow with ice, but since I have to ride to neighboring regions for work, so the choice was definitely in favor of spikes. over 8500 km, only 2 spikes flew out on the front right and three left, respectively. therefore, my choice is a continental! 17
Vehicle: Hyundai Santa Fe
Buy again? Definitely yes
Rating: 4.85
Doronin Sergey about the tire Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV
Long chose what kind of tires to put on your car. As a result, I purchased a Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV 225/75 R16 108T XL (thorn). Basically, I'm happy with my choice. Expensive, yes. But I think the tires are worth it.
Of the advantages, I would like to note good braking properties on asphalt, noiselessness, good cross-country ability in the snow. Well balanced on the discs. The spikes for 2500 km are all in place (I rolled the spikes for about 1000 km).
Of the shortcomings - it does not hold ice ruts in the yards well, it blows to the side. But it is possible that this is a feature of a short car - a three-door Rav-4 in the first body.
Vehicle: Toyota RAV4
Buy again? More likely
Rating: 4.77
Alexander about the Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV tire
Good day to all! We purchased this rubber on the recommendations of numerous friends and reviews on the Internet, at the time of writing the review, all the moments with the tires are only positive, according to reviews they say that the spike on them lasts quite a long time, well, let's see what happens next, how it will be, I can say that on a wet road, and keeps on ice quite willingly, on snow, too, in principle, the readings are not bad, but if you still take the car mainly for driving on a lot of snow, I recommend the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, on an icy road or on wet pavement, its performance a little worse, but on snow it has no equal of tires in this category, except for mud tires. And one more piece of advice, I still recommend taking tires with the country of origin - Germany. In fact, there is a big difference in the durability of the retention of studs in rubber between the Russian outflow of rubber and the German one.
Vehicle: Volkswagen Touareg
Buy again? More likely
Rating: 4.85
Anton about the Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV tire
Confident on wet roads, very good and predictable on snow and ice. Four times I fell into very bad pits with sharp edges, not a single hernia came out. Worth their money.
Car: Skoda Yeti
Size: 225/50 R17 98T
Buy again? Definitely yes
Victor about the Continental ContiIceContact 2 SUV tire
Before that, there were no new specialized winter tires, there were studded off-road and boo haka 7. Compared to them, the continental is just a tale, the ideal of behavior on the road. I took 245 / 70R17 instead of the standard 265 / 65R17, the rolling resistance is less, the pressure per unit area is greater, optimal for winter. I was pleased with the silence, the sound of the spikes is heard only when slipping, skidding and other situations when the spikes start to work. In the snow, it rows well and gets out of the rut. Added confidence when driving on forest roads. It floats on snowy porridge, but it is predictable. It seems to me that the sidewall is soft, but the rubber is clearly not off-road, so this is not a minus. I definitely recommend buying.
Vehicle: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Size: 245/70 R17 110T XL
Buy again? Definitely yes
In comparative tests of Autoreview for the last couple of years, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tires have consistently become the best winter tires. And I managed to get acquainted with their successors Hakkapeliitta 9 even before the official premiere.
I assumed that the Finnish tire manufacturers would glue the studs on the new model, as the creators of the Continental IceContact 2 tires did. But the Finns refused the technology of hot vulcanization of the studs: it was expensive. They chose a different path: they used studding with two types of spikes. Yes, according to this scheme, special sports tires sometimes stud, but in serial “civilian” tires, double studding is used for the first time.
Of course, in the “nine” both the tread pattern and the composition of the rubber compound have undergone changes. However, the main innovation is in the studding. In the middle part of the tread there are studs with a transversely oriented carbide insert: these work effectively in the longitudinal direction and are responsible for acceleration and braking on ice. And on the sides there are spikes in the form of a trefoil: they are responsible for the transverse grip properties and handling performance on ice. At the same time, the total number of studs, compared to the previous model, even decreased: in 16-inch tires there are now 172 of them against the previous 190.
Simultaneously with tires for ordinary passenger cars, a modification of the “nine” for crossovers and SUVs enters the market. In addition to the size range, it is distinguished by additional bridges connecting the shoulder blocks of the tread, a different rubber composition and a stronger carcass reinforced with aramid. Moreover, in tires with the SUV index, the studs are more powerful, their body is a millimeter higher. It was these tires of dimension 215/65 R16 that took part in our comparative test on a Renault Kaptur car. Opponents of the new model Hakkapeliitta 9 were 13 studded competitors, among which are presented both relatively inexpensive products of domestic tire manufacturers and imported top models. An interesting detail: the offset measured by us, that is, the protrusion of the spikes above the tread surface, for the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 tires turned out to be very modest - an average of 1.1 mm. But after the break-in, the spikes took on a more aggressive position - 1.5 mm, that is, exactly along the upper limit of compliance with the Russian technical regulations (1.2 ± 0.3 mm).
The first test results show that the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 outperforms the competition in terms of traction on ice. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves: in addition to tests on ice, tests on rolled and freshly fallen snow and on asphalt also count. The work has not been completed yet, and we will present the final conclusions to the judgment of the readers of the Autoreview and the viewers of our YouTube channel in early autumn, when mass sales of Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 tires begin. including at the Russian Nokian Tires plant near St. Petersburg) has already started, and the first batches of new tires have begun to be shipped to dealers.
In the top group 205/55 R16 we have selected three of the most advanced products. The winner of our last year test in dimension 195/65 R15 is a tire from Finland. The novelty of the season - German (in this dimension it is offered with a spike with an aluminum body). We took another last year's novelty for the first time - at the request of readers. This Michelin X-Ice North 4, brewed in Russia. The first two "tops" gleam with two types of spikes in one tire, and the last one brought the number of "studs" to two hundred and fifty.
The mid-price range now accounts for about half of tire sales. Therefore, this group is the most numerous. popular with us Norman 7 made in Russia, but has Finnish roots. A completely fresh tire - with a Japanese pedigree, but also brewed by us. - from Germany. Here, the South Korean has caught up with the top models in terms of the number of spikes. Among the favorites of Russian buyers are quite fresh Japanese tires of Malaysian cooking.
The share of budget tires in our market is growing and already exceeds a quarter. Of these, we selected Korean, domestic and. And they could not ignore the Chinese, which is of interest to buyers.
counting thorns
The requirements of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union limit the number of spikes per linear meter of the circumference: no more than 60 pieces. So their maximum for 205/55 R16 is 119.
Of all the participants selected for the test "on the forehead" this requirement is met only by two - Roadstone (98 spikes) and Viatti (92). Although, in fact, they met the stricter limit for "studs" allowed for sale in Scandinavian countries - 50 studs per meter, or 99 "studs" for a given dimension.
The remaining ten manufacturers took advantage of "Plan B". Our Technical Regulations and Scandinavian legislation do not limit the number of studs if the tires wear the road surface within acceptable limits. This allows legally - to the extent of technological abilities and financial injections into production.
Upstart or stimulus of progress?Michelin XIN 4The arrival of the very strong Michelin XIN 4 tire brings confusion to the long-established order of the studded tire market. The novelty, having greatly raised the bar of its own results, forced the budget tires to fall below the plinth in our test. Moreover, it changed the existing hierarchy of studded "tops". It not only outperformed the Nokian HKPL 9 by two or three points, but actually moved it away from the usual first place, and by a decent distance (more than 20 points). Such perturbations will certainly push many tire manufacturers to take up the improvement of their own products, including through non-standard technical solutions. Continental also made a fuss, which threw it on the market: it continues the course of the most balanced tire, being slightly stronger than its Finnish competitor. Hankook added fuel to the fire with its Winter i*Pike RS2 model, which literally breathes down the back of the Nokian HKPL 9 head. And she unexpectedly made a turn for everyone, losing her leading position on snow and ice and turning towards the asphalt. Is it torn from the snow-ice expanses to the city streets? Or is it a red herring in anticipation of a new model in the near future? |
Golf on Technotrak
In the second half of January 2019, we went to Technotrac, a training ground of the South Korean company Hankook, recently built in the Finnish Arctic. The difficult role of a carrier car for the tested tires was played by the Volkswagen Golf, beloved by most tire testers. VBOX Racelogic, a measuring complex based on GPS-GLONASS, helped us to take measurements.
In all "white" exercises we constantly monitored the condition of the coating, starting with the "basic" tires and returning to them no later than every two or three test sets of tires. Frost from 20 to 25 degrees constantly invigorated, rarely indulging in weakening to minus ten.
We cling to the ice
Ice is the most slippery and treacherous surface. It is on it that the main battle of the spikes unfolds. First thing we evaluate the longitudinal grip - we measure the acceleration time from standstill to 30 km / h and the braking distance from 30 to 5 km / h. The denouement is expected - both in acceleration and in braking, Michelin tires with 250 spikes on each are ahead of everyone. The worst performance is given by Sailun - also quite predictable. However, the difference in results is unimaginable! Just think: the “Chinese” indicators of longitudinal grip are almost two and a half times worse than those of the leader!
Having recovered a little, we start comparing the lateral grip, which is estimated by the time it takes to pass the ice circle.
Here, Michelin's superiority in studs did not help. Continental and Gislaved hold the best “sideways”, while Michelin shows only the second result. The weakest transverse “hook” is demonstrated by Toyo, lagging behind the leaders by almost 15%.
And now - controllability. The ice track has been swept. Forward!
I was most pleased with Michelin - clear reactions, excellent information content and reliable behavior of the Golf, shod with these tires. They feel very confident behind the wheel even in slips. The most amazing thing is that there is no desire to start the car sideways. The smooth and predictable start of slips allows you to consistently quickly go on the verge of a breakdown.
Against the backdrop of the leader, Continental, Hankook and Nokian did not arouse enthusiasm, although there were no shortcomings in their behavior. But Sailun, Tunga and Roadstone disappointed with incomprehensible reactions, unpredictable breakdowns in long slides and refusal to respond to steering and gas actions even at the beginning of slips. On them Golf turns into a shaitan cart! You don’t understand whether the wheels are rolling or sliding, and the steering wheel becomes a useless tambourine and cannot help. We haven't seen this in a while!
raking snow
Having completed the tests on ice, we proceed to the snow tests. We start by determining the acceleration time from standstill to 40 km / h and the braking distance from 40 to 5 km / h, performing each measurement with an offset to a fresh section of the snow plateau.
In acceleration, the championship belongs to the Continental, which managed to get ahead of Michelin, albeit by one tenth of a second. Outsiders - Roadstone and Tunga, accelerating 17% longer than the leader.
Braking is back in Michelin favorites. Gislaved and Continental are literally on their heels. Tunga has the worst result, but 11% behind the leader cannot be called a failure.
After comparing the grip properties, Let's move on to controllability. First, in a restrained mode, gently “licking” the turns in the initial phase of sliding, and then in an active mode, starting the car sideways.
Both with a calm and with an "adrenaline" driving style, the best handling of the Golf was provided by Michelin. Precise steering responses and traction changes, predictable behavior, and smooth and understandable slides all inspire extraordinary confidence. At the same time, as on ice, it does not provoke the driver to aggressive driving. Bravo!
Worst of all in both modes behaved Tunga. Long delays in reactions make the steering wheel turn at very large angles, twisting it, which provokes a protracted skid. And when it is possible to extinguish it, a sharp restoration of the clutch “shoots off” the car in the opposite direction. With active driving, it is difficult to drive a car shod not only in Tungu, but also in Sailun. When those tires lose traction, the Golf goes completely out of control.
The “rearrangement” exercise completes the picture - a sharp change in lane. And here Michelin wiped everyone's nose, demonstrating excellent reactions and impeccable behavior. But Roadstone and Sailun create problems. Both force the steering wheel to turn very large angles due to long delays in reactions. Therefore, Golf, losing the grip of the rear wheels on the arc, breaks into a deep skid. Moreover, this happens more actively on Roadstone tires, since a pronounced drift even in the initial phase of the maneuver makes the steering wheel turn more intensively. I would not like to feel all these "charms" in a real traffic situation!
The next test is an assessment of the directional stability and behavior of the car during smooth maneuvering at a speed of 100 km / h. There are four distinguished ones here: Continental, Hankook, Toyo and Yokohama. The experts had no complaints about them.
Tunga proved to be the worst: thoughtful reactions, insufficiently informative steering wheel. And the most unpleasant thing is that on these tires the Golf goes into a skid even with smooth maneuvering. At high speed, this is especially dangerous - you will not notice how you find yourself in a ditch.
Final tests on snow: we find out how well the participants of the test make their way through the snowdrifts. On the virgin snow, Continental, Hankook, Nokian and Nordman are more confident than the rest, move forward, maneuver and get out of the snow in reverse. Tunga has the weakest patency. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to move a car stopped in the snow, shod in these tires.
One gate
In the “white” tests, he was ahead of everyone Michelin. And not only because of the myriad of spikes that allowed him to take the lead in almost all ice disciplines. He showed himself to be a king on the snow, taking over in four exercises out of seven. This means that the protector works perfectly.
On the second line of the white rating is Continental- with a noticeable lag. A Nokian unexpectedly for us, was content with only fourth place, skipping ahead Hankook. Thus, the "Korean" became the leader of the middle group. Follows them nordman with 128 studs, outplayed tires Yokohama- they were not saved by 172 "carnations". Next - Gislaved, ahead of Toyo. The budget group naturally ended up at the end of the list. It is headed Viatti with the smallest (92) number of spikes. Then - Roadstone, and close the white system Tunga And Sailun. The first fell to the very bottom in snow disciplines, the second - on ice.
Scratching the asphalt
We completed the “dirty” work in April, when the roads had already dried up and the spring winds subsided, but the temperature of the night air had not yet risen above +8 °C. The test site, as usual, was the AVTOVAZ test site in the vicinity of Togliatti.
Asphalt tests we traditionally open with fuel efficiency measurements, combining a warm-up lap with an assessment of directional stability at speeds up to 130 km/h.
Only Gislaved and Nokian distinguished themselves with good reactions, understandable informativeness and reliable behavior. Roadstone and Tunga made an unpleasant impression. Comments on them are like a carbon copy: low information content, delays in reactions, forcing the steering wheel to turn at large angles, unpleasant delayed steering of the rear axle, leading to a skid. You can't drive fast on these tires!
The efficiency rating is formed after recalculating all the results obtained, taking into account the repetitions of the "basic" tires. Nokian and Nordman tires, which have established themselves as the most economical over the years, are now joined by Hankook tires. And Golf showed the highest consumption on Tunga tires. And if a five percent difference with the leaders of the exercise at a speed of 90 km / h does not seem so important, then the consumption increased by more than 9% at urban 60 km / h already makes you think.
Completing a Combined Run to assess the internal noise and ride smoothness, the testers send the Golf to the service roads of the landfill, where asphalt defects are presented in full assortment: cracks, potholes, swollen seams.
The lowest noise level pleased Hankook experts. And Nokian tires, as if protecting riders from flaws in the road, were surprised by the “premium” smoothness of the ride. Note that Continental, Hankook, Michelin and Toyo did not arouse admiration for their driving comfort, however, there were no complaints against them. Quite another matter - turned out to be the most uncomfortable Tunga. Just like in Pushkin's "Winter Evening": like a beast, she will howl, then cry like a child ... And she constantly transmits tremors and vibrations to the car.
We finish scratching the asphalt braking on wet (60–5 km/h) and dry (80–5 km/h) roads. On wet pavement, the car settles most effectively on the Continental. Gislaved and Nokian lost some ten centimeters to him. On dry pavement, Yokohama unexpectedly pulled ahead, pushing Continental to second position with a minimal gap: 0.1 meters. The outsider is Tunga again, losing more than 17% to the leaders on wet pavement and almost 11% on dry pavement.
"Asphalt" table of ranks
The title of the best asphalt tires deserved Continental, Gislaved… And Nokian who scored the same number of points in the intermediate standings. For Nokian tires, this is an amazing result, because previously tires of this brand were not strong on asphalt. Fourth place was taken Yokohama, furnishing Michelin, which slipped into the territory of mid-price products. Followed by Hankook, Toyo, Sailun And Roadstone. nordman slipped into the budget zone - to tenth place, surpassing only Viatti And Tungu.
Build by rank
Group "Bad Tires"
He took the twelfth position. Complete failure on ice, very weak results on snow. True, Nordman beats a little on asphalt, and Gislaved in terms of efficiency.
Eleventh place - for the model Tunga Nordway 2 (723 points). The worst objective and subjective results on snow and asphalt, in terms of comfort and economy.
We consider both of the last "state employees" acceptable only for a leisurely ride on hard roads, well cleared of snow and ice. On slippery surfaces, these tires can be dangerous even on vehicles with electronic limiters. Strongly not recommended for novice drivers.
Not rising above the group "Weak Tires", "public employees" could not compete even with mid-price colleagues. On the tenth line - tires Roadstone WinGuard WinSpike (755 points). Modest results in all categories. They will allow you to drive carefully, without fanaticism and sudden maneuvers. On slippery surfaces, they are only permissible for vehicles with permanently switched on control systems.
The best result in this segment is 771 final points and ninth place in the overall standings. Tires that won first place in the sector of budget products can boast of them. On snow and ice, they are self-sufficient, very weak on asphalt, although they compete with average tires in comfort and economy. They will help in times of crisis the inhabitants of the Russian hinterland, who rarely get out on the asphalt.
| 12th place | 11th place | 10th place | 9th place |
|
| 722 | 723 | 755 | 771 |
|
| brand, model | ||||
| 3390 | 3680 | 3990 | 3650 |
|
| 0 | 7 (-) | 4 (-) | 10 (+) |
|
| Country of manufacture | China | Russia | Korea | Russia |
| Load and speed index | ||||
| Depth of drawing in width, mm | ||||
| Shore hardness of rubber units | ||||
| Number of spikes PC. | ||||
| mm | 0,9–1,3 | 1,4–1,7 | 1,2–1,6 | 0,9–1,3 |
| Tire weight, kg | ||||
| PROS | Not detected | Not detected | Not bad | Satisfactory handling on snow; quite soft; profitable price |
| MINUSES | Low grip on slippery surfaces; unsatisfactory controllability; poor directional stability | They do not cling well to ice, snow and asphalt; poor handling and directional stability; the most uneconomical and uncomfortable | Modest traction on ice and snow; poor management; very noisy; poor ride smoothness | Mediocre grip on any winter roads; low level of acoustic comfort |
In Group "Mediocre Tires" only one participant - having 803 points in the asset. And on the "white" and "black" roads shows modest results. The level of comfort is average, efficiency is slightly below average.
Gislaved Nord*Frost 200 (853 points) ranks seventh overall. It clings perfectly to asphalt, is able to work well on snow and ice, and provides an average level of comfort. In terms of economy, the achievements are modest.
Only three points lost to her Norman 7. Unlike the older model Hakkapeliitta 9, this tire feels more confident on snow and ice, and on asphalt it competes only with budget products, conducive to a leisurely ride. Shows leading results in terms of economy.
Yokohama iceGUARD iG65 (860 points). Decent performance on asphalt, average performance on snow and ice allow us to call this tire universal. Unless, for comfort, it falls into the public sector.
All "good guys" will suit any driver who prefers a calm driving style, without courage.
| 8th place | 7th place | 6th place | 5th place |
|
| The sum of points scored in the test | 803 | 853 | 857 | 860 |
| brand, model | Norman 7 Norman 7 | |||
| Average price in online stores | 4550 | 4890 | 4890 | 4860 |
| Savings (+)* / overpayment (-)*, % | 2 (-) | 4 (+) | 5 (+) | 6 (+) |
| Country of manufacture | Malaysia | Germany | Russia | Russia |
| Load and speed index | ||||
| Depth of drawing in width, mm | ||||
| Shore hardness of rubber units | ||||
| Number of spikes PC. | ||||
| Protrusion of spikes after tests, mm | 0,9–1,3 | 0,8–1,0 | 1,1–1,5 | 0,8–1,6 |
| Tire weight, kg | 10,5 | |||
| PROS | Excellent directional stability on snow; enviable smoothness; stable handling | High lateral grip on ice, as well as longitudinal grip on snow and asphalt; stable handling | Enviable fuel efficiency; excellent cross; reliable behavior during extreme maneuvers on snow | The best braking properties on dry pavement; clear course following and confident cross-country ability on snow |
| MINUSES | Weak lateral grip on ice; mediocre acceleration and braking on snow; noisy | Modest longitudinal grip on ice; increased fuel consumption at a speed of 60 km / h | Weak braking on dry pavement; mediocre comfort | Difficult handling on slippery surfaces; low smoothness of the course; high level of internal noise |
* The difference between the fair price and the average price of tires for a particular model, expressed as a percentage of the average price.
WITH 905 points, in fourth place is located. The leading model of the mid-price segment, breaking into the category "Great tyres" in the overall standings. On "white" roads competes with Continental and Nokian. In terms of economy - among the best.
Typing 907 points, - on the third place. Breaking with long-standing traditions, this time it looks better on asphalt than on snow and ice, and therefore has the right to be called a city tire. Economic indicators are on top.
Earned 912 points. This is the most balanced spike in all respects, and therefore universal in purpose.
Ahead of all with a significant margin from the nearest rival is Michelin X-Ice North 4 by typing in the test 929 total points. The best winter tire with roll towards snow and ice, where it looks just brilliant. In the rest - at the top level of mid-price tires. Nevertheless, the gap from the closest rivals is significant.
All tires from the excellent group will suit any driver, up to lovers of active drive.
| 4th place | 3rd place | 2nd place | 1 place |
||
| The sum of points scored in the test | 905 | 907 | 912 | 929 |
|
| brand, model | Germany | Russia |
|||
| Load and speed index | |||||
| Depth of drawing in width, mm | |||||
| Shore hardness of rubber units | |||||
| Number of spikes PC. | |||||
| Protrusion of spikes after tests, mm | 0,8–1,2 | 0,8–1,2 | 0,8–1,3 | 0,7–1,3 |
|
| Tire weight, kg | |||||
| PROS | Reliable grip on ice; high profitability; outstanding cross-country ability and directional stability on snow; the quietest | Confidently cling to ice and asphalt; the most economical; clear controllability and following the course; excellent | Excellent lateral grip on ice, longitudinal grip on snow and asphalt; reliable controllability; high permeability | Better longitudinal grip on ice and braking performance on snow; excellent handling on slippery surfaces |
|
| MINUSES | Medium level braking on asphalt; small claims to directional stability on asphalt | Big stopping distance on snow; light notes on acoustic comfort | Small claims to the increased level of internal noise | Average braking on asphalt; light remarks on patency and directional stability on asphalt |
The full test results are shown here: .
Benefiting
Among the “state employees”, the most profitable purchase will be Viatti Brina Nordico tires, which allow you to save up to 10% relative to a fair price. When buying Roadstone WinGuard WinSpike and Tunga Nordway 2 tires, you will have to overpay from 4 to 7%. The Sailun Ice Blazer WST3 tires are priced right.
For those who are focused on products of the mid-price segment, we recommend that you take a closer look at Hankook Winter i * Pike RS2 tires: the benefit when buying them is close to 20%. This is the most profitable purchase in the absolute standings. Choose Gislaved Nord*Frost 200, Nordman 7 or Yokohama iceGUARD iG65 and save 4-6%. By choosing Toyo Observe Ice-Freezer, overpay 2%.
Those who prefer "tops" are advised to take a look at Michelin XIN 4. And the product is very worthy, and the price is reasonable - it will allow you to win back 5% of the fair one. Those who fall for the Continental IceContact 3 will experience a 7% overrun. Fans of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 will pay 19% more than the fair price.
Today it is difficult to imagine the modern world without cars. A trip to the neighboring area in a couple of hours or a trip to the store in a couple of minutes. It's convenient, right? But all this comfort depends on many factors, including the operation of the engine, the condition of the tires, etc.
The car motor is made immediately at the factory, and its service life is measured in hundreds of thousands of kilometers or tens of years. With tires, everything is much more complicated, you need to “shoe” the car according to the season and constantly monitor the condition of the wheel rubber. Equally important is the choice of tires.
ATTENTION! Found a completely simple way to reduce fuel consumption! Don't believe? An auto mechanic with 15 years of experience also did not believe until he tried it. And now he saves 35,000 rubles a year on gasoline!
So, many car owners are wondering - which is better, Nokian or Continental? To find the answer to this question, you need to familiarize yourself with the main models of these brands, study the features of the summer and winter tires.
Tire Requirements
What do we expect from tires? When choosing tires for a car, you should highlight for yourself
I have 4 factors:
- Lifetime. Nobody wants to throw away tires after a few months of driving, so it's better to choose a really high-quality option.
- Wear resistance. Under conditions of poor quality road surface, this parameter is very important. The integrity of the tires should not be damaged by a small pebble or branch.
- Safety. This is especially true when it comes to winter tires. Due to savings on tires to get into an accident on ice? Far from the best option, you must be sure of the quality of the car "shoes".
- Value for money. Everything is simple here, it makes no sense to buy rubber that will soon have to be thrown away, and you don’t want to spend money on the most expensive tires either. You can solve this problem by purchasing tires that differ in the price of the middle category and high performance. These include products from Nokian and Continental.
When choosing tires, you should not rely only on price. Really high-quality tires cost more than the products of unknown companies, but Nokian and Continental products outperform many competitors in terms of service life.
Advantages of Finnish products
Nokian is the largest tire manufacturer in Scandinavia and is headquartered in the Finnish city of Nokia, also famous for its mobile phones.
Nokian today produces summer, winter and all-season tires. The company's products include tires for cars, SUVs, vans and even small trucks. This range allowed the company to reach a wide consumer audience.
Also, the owners of Finnish rubber note the following advantages of the product:
- Functional spike design. On most models, the spikes have six faces at once, in appearance they resemble a rhombus. This form allows for high-quality grip of the wheels with the road surface;
- Reduced noise. Motorists who have had to drive in the winter know how much noise the wheels make. Nokian solved this problem thanks to the air space under the studs;
- Dense rubber. High-quality material significantly extends the life of Nokian tires. Also on the rubber there is a special indicator in the form of a snowflake, when it is completely erased, you need to change the tires;
- State-of-the-art RunFlat technology. It is designed for situations where the car is loaded, in this position on flat tires the car will be able to drive at least another 50 kilometers.
Positive aspects of German tires
The Continental company is engaged in the production of tires, as well as the processing of rubber. There are factories of this manufacturer in several European countries. Among the products there are even tires for bicycles, motorcycles, agricultural machinery and heavy vehicles. Usually, goods that are made in Germany are known for their high quality, and tires are no exception.
Advantages:
- Adaptability of rubber to weather conditions. In production, a special rubber composition is used, so tires can withstand both severe frosts in winter and hot summers. At the same time, elasticity and performance are maintained throughout the life of the tires;
- High wear resistance. It is this characteristic that determines the quality of tires;
- Operational characteristics. When using such tires, the driver and his passengers can feel safe, the braking distance will be short, and the handling will remain at a high level;
- Tread. The pattern on the tires is equipped with a large middle part, locks and strong sidewalls. Your car will be stable on the track even in the rain, thanks to the system of water removal from the wheels;
- Like Finnish manufacturers, the Germans are actively fighting vibrations and excess noise when driving.
Summer tires in the range of manufacturers
When testing summer tires, where more than a dozen different manufacturers participated, the Nokian NRHi and Continental PremiumContact tires received the highest scores. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the features of these models.
Main features of NRHi:
- Dimensions - 185/65 R15;
- Speed index H (210 km/h);
- Tread depth - 7.7 mm;
- Produced in Finland.
Nokian is a small manufacturer in the tire market, but thanks to its high quality, Finnish products have become famous far beyond Scandinavia. Now the company's specialists are developing modern summer tires, and they succeed, as evidenced by the NRHi model. Compared to the predecessor NRH2, the new tires show much better results.
On dry pavement, Finnish tires react very smoothly, it is easy to maintain control over the car even during the sharpest turns. And even more experts are surprised by the behavior of NokianNRHi on wet surfaces, the grip is so powerful that the car literally sticks to the road. Sharp turns will also not become a hindrance to control, even when sliding there will be no problems with control. The tread pattern of the tires resists water. If we talk about the shortcomings, then this tire model is really noisy.
Features of PremiumContact:
- Dimensions - 185/65 R15;
- Speed index H (210 km/h);
- Tread depth - 8 mm;
- Produced in Germany.
The German company is quite large, and has several subsidiaries at once, but even with such productivity, it occupies only fourth place with a coverage of about 7% of the market. There are plants in different countries, including the Moscow plant in Russia.
In various tests, the PremiumContact tire model has been taking part for many years, and in practice it is always in the top three. Today, many experts believe that these summer tires are better than competitors' products, and comparison is possible only with Nokian products.
The PremiumContact model is characterized by high durability and high-quality grip. The tire's tread pattern wicks away water quickly, both on flat trails and when cornering. But most of all, the manufacturer is proud of its handling, in sunny weather or during rain there will be no problems with this. These tires are no worse than Nokian products, and even surpass them in noise suppression.
Winter tires
Among the “shoes” for winter time, Hakkapelitta tires from a Finnish manufacturer, and ConticleContackBD from a German one, are popular. Both of these models have been repeatedly evaluated by experts in various tests. Quite interesting were the results during acceleration on ice:
- Hakapelittta from rolling to axle box goes very smoothly;
- ConticleContact, on the contrary, slips faster after acceleration, and it is very difficult to catch this fine line.
In terms of handling, the Finns turned out to be a little better, but in terms of speed, Continental's products surpassed their competitors. After the German tires, deep and large marks remain, and after the Finnish ones, such as if the ice was scratched by the spikes of the boots.
If on the ice section ConticleContact behaved confidently, then on the snowy lap the comparison shows completely different results. Nokian tires allow you to cover distances faster. And all thanks to the handling, with Continental tires on corners and ice sections, you have to slow down a bit, and Hakka allows you to overcome such places without any problems. We are talking about just a few seconds difference, but the Finns showed themselves better here.
The behavior of these elements in the two tire models is quite different:
- On the winter tires of the Continental, the stud caps are flush with the wheel tread. With such tires you can feel safe on winter roads;
- In Hakkapetitta, during operation, the spikes do not come out so quickly and not so much. But the quality of grip on slippery road surfaces remains at a high level.
General characteristics of winter tires
Winter tires:
- Continental. The ConticleContact model feels confident on slippery roads and allows you to drive fast enough. The owner of such tires does not worry that the spikes will fall off and handling will become worse. This is a proven high quality option;
Nokian. Perhaps not as strong results as the German tires, but the Finnish products are not far behind. If the spikes fly off, then only at the end of February. For medium power cars, you can safely buy tires with the beautiful name Hakkapelitta.
This test will allow you to enjoy extreme tests and clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of a number of basic models of winter studded tires. For comparison, ten tires from various leading global manufacturers were selected, all of which are leaders in their industry. These tires are Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8, Continental ContiIceContact, Gislaved Nord Frost 100, Pirelli Winter Ice Zero, Michelin X-Ice North 2, Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, Dunlop Ice Touch, Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000, Hankook Winter i*Pike and domestic Kama Euro -519.
The number of studs - road care or driver safety?
When comparing models of winter studded tires, it is necessary to separately highlight the problem of the number of studs themselves installed in the tire. Talk about tightening the rules for the use of studs has been going on in the Scandinavian countries for a long time, and the reason is the increased wear of the roadway. The "greens" began to argue that asphalt dust is also carcinogenic, that is, it causes cancer. And in 2009, a new standard was promulgated - up to 50 spikes per linear meter, regardless of the tread width or tire diameter. At the same time, the previous restrictions remained in force: the protrusion of the spikes above the tread surface should not exceed 1.2 mm.
But what about security? After all, the more spikes, the better, all other things being equal, the “hook” for the ice will be better ... The tire manufacturers have left a loophole! It turns out that you can install more studs, but then you have to prove that denser studding will not increase the destructive effect on the road. As a result, on the basis of the Finnish test center Test World, a method for the full-scale assessment of the impact of studded tires on the road surface was developed. In a nutshell, after a certain number of passages on a granite tile, the mass of this tile should not decrease more than after the same impact of reference tires with a "legal" number of studs.
However, there was no rush demand for such tests. For example, Michelin decided that this was not an entirely fair way to get around the new restrictions - and threw all their efforts into improving tires with a reduced number of studs. So did the developers of the new Gislaved Nord Frost 100 tires. And the rest?
The rest have fully loaded their production capacities in order to produce as many tires as possible, studded according to the old rules (no more than 130 studs for 16-inch tires). After all, the ban that came into force on July 1 applies specifically to the production, but not to sales of tires with the "wrong" studding!
And only Nokian Tires went its own way: the number of studs on the tires of the new Hakkapeliitta 8 model not only did not decrease, but increased one and a half times! Naturally, the mentioned test was passed, and, as we know, it was carried out not at the Test World test site, but in our own test center near the town of Nokia. It turns out that it is possible and so - under the supervision of an official observer from the Trafi transport security agency. Competitors, of course, raised a fuss - they say, with so many spikes it is impossible to successfully pass the test!
Ice tests
The test team is set to do their hard work. One by one, sets of tires are subjected to the toughest tests in the most icy conditions. Finally, the last, tenth set of studded tires was tested for "acceleration-braking" - and ... The first sensation! The smallest braking distance on the account of tires ContiIceContact. They also provided the car with better acceleration dynamics. And let the advantage over the "bristled" Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires is quite small, but it is there! That is, 190 spikes lined up in 18 rows work no better on ice than 130 spikes distributed over 12 rows. In any case, in 14-degree frost. Why? Yes, because in order to reduce the harmful effects on the roadway, the Finns really had to change the design of the studs: they are not only lighter, but also smaller - in height and in diameter - than those used in Continental tires. And those that were previously used in Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 tires. And the carbide insert of the "small" studs is not so powerful.
Two of the favorites are on the heels of the new Pirelli Winter Ice Zero tires.
Gislaved Nord Frost 100 tires promise to be another bright novelty of this season. There are already 96 "legitimate" spikes here - and they provide quite decent braking on ice, although during acceleration - only the eighth result. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic and Dunlop Ice Touch and Michelin X-Ice North 2 tires, familiar to us from last year's tests, turned out to be ahead. By the way, why is Michelin represented by X-Ice North tires of the second, and not the third generation? The company decided that before the official launch of the new model on the market, it would be better not to give these tires to anyone for comparative tests.
Bridgestone also prepared new items for the winter season, but also refused to provide them before the official premiere. Therefore, in the overall standings - Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires, which will also be actively sold on our market this coming winter.
The Korean school is represented by Hankook Winter i*Pike tires, and the Russian school is represented by Kama Euro-519 tires. On ice, the results of both are very modest. But so far we are talking only about grip in the longitudinal direction.
The handling evaluation began with driving on the ice circle at the maximum possible speed, and continued on a winding track, where both the lap time and the subjective assessment of the convenience and reliability of control were taken into account. In these exercises, Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires are already winning a convincing victory. Perfectly keep the movement in corners, excellent control over the car on the track! Also, they can be safely recommended to those who go to amateur ice races: "removing" a couple of seconds from the circle is not a problem!
Tires Continental - in second place, and close behind them - and this is the second, albeit small, but still a sensation - Gislaved tires. They made it possible to drive the car very confidently along a winding track.
Another surprise was the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires. With them, the car slows down and accelerates well, but it doesn’t hold well in corners and even “jumped off” an icy track a couple of times. Fortunately, there are not meter-long snowdrifts around, but safety lanes with a ten-centimeter layer of fluffy snow.
snow element
The next day the frost dropped from fourteen degrees to minus seven. The testers have at their disposal a 600-meter track with perfectly rolled snow. The work will be monotonous: acceleration to 50 km / h, braking, accelerating again, braking again ... But if earlier the driver was required to work with pedals to eliminate unnecessary wheel slip at the start and blocking during braking, now electronics monitor this - Traction Control and ABS. And soon, it seems, it will be completely possible to do without a driver.
Let's look at the results of manual tests on snow. It is easy to see that they are very close when braking: the difference between the best tires (Dunlop Ice Touch) and the worst (Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000) is less than three meters, which is ten percent. When accelerating, the spread is a little more, about 20 percent, and the favorites here are already different - the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires. That is, the Finns conjured not only with the spikes, but also with the tread - after all, it is not so much the spikes that are important on the snow as the tread.
And on a handling track winding around fir trees and snow-covered boulders, Nokian tires are the quietest: fast responses and fully controlled slides. Moreover, it is better not to slow down in slips, otherwise the stabilization system turned off by the button will “wake up” and the pace will decrease. Another indicator: if on Nokian tires the stabilization system was "woken up" only once, then on other tires it was activated much more often - due to errors caused by stretched slips (they especially upset the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 and Kama Euro-519 tires) .
Driving on asphalt
In early spring, winter tests were supplemented by a cycle of "asphalt" tests. First, we looked at how the tires behave in sludge - a snow-water porridge that covered the asphalt with an even layer. The depth of this layer is only 3.5 cm, and Hankook tires already float at a speed of 19.4 km/h. However, Bridgestone's best tires in this type of testing are not far away - their limit is 21.2 km / h. And on wet pavement, without any admixture of snow, Gislaved tires have the shortest braking distance, and Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 has the worst.
On wet pavement, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires worked rather poorly, but on dry pavement they showed one of the best results when braking. By the way, this is a reason to remind again that modern studded tires work on asphalt no worse, and sometimes even better than non-studded tires of the Scandinavian type - those that are popularly called Velcro. This is due to the stiffer rubber, which is necessary for reliable fixation of the spikes. Still in use is the myth that a studded tire rolls on asphalt, relying more on studs than on rubber. But in fact, the spikes, in contact with the asphalt, sink into the body of the tread, practically without reducing the contact patch of the rubber with the road. However, it all depends on what goals the manufacturer sets when creating a specific tire model. By changing the tread pattern, hardness and chemical composition of rubber, it is possible to shift the balance of qualities, giving preference either to behavior on slippery winter surfaces (ice, snow) or on asphalt.
The Dunlop Ice Touch tire model has this balance clearly shifted towards asphalt: the Audi A3 brakes confidently and responds best to sharp steering turns. But on ContiIceContact tires, the braking distance on both dry and wet pavement is a couple of meters longer, that is, preference is given to "winter" qualities.
Where studded tires always lose to non-studded tires is in acoustic comfort. There is clearly more noise from them, especially if there are as many as 190 spikes in the tread, like Nokian tires. However, even with fewer studs, Kama Euro, Pirelli, Continental and Bridgestone tires sound about the same. And the quietest tires are Michelin X-Ice 2. Along with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires, they are also the softest.
How will such soft tires behave when they hit a hole or hit a ledge of asphalt? A team of testers subjected winter tires to a similar experiment. At a speed of 40 km / h, the car runs into a steel channel set at an angle of 30 degrees - a piece of a U-shaped beam. If the tire held, the attempt is repeated already at a speed of 45 km / h. And so on until the tire "expires". In order not to damage the suspension of the brand new Audi A3, it was replaced by a beat-up Mercedes-Benz C 180.
Bridgestone tires withstood the most blows: they managed to break through only at a speed of 70 km / h! And this is no coincidence: when developing their tires, the Japanese take into account the specifics of bad roads, strengthen the structure and test it themselves with crash tests.
Continental tires also hold up well - they gave up at a speed of 60 km / h. The bulk of the tires were finished off at a speed of 50 km / h, but the Michelin tires, which were initially liked so much by their softness, were pierced in the very first race, at a speed of 40 km / h. It was even decided to repeat the experiment - what if it was an accident? As a result, the second Michelin X-Ice North 2 tire with a through hole is sent to the landfill. Again, everything is understandable: the French company is paying more and more attention to reducing rolling resistance, for which the sidewall is becoming thinner (at the same time, the so-called hysteresis losses are reduced - the energy consumption for heating due to deformation).
The tires were also tested for rolling resistance using a running drum. And it turned out that Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires roll easier than others, and not Michelin X-Ice North 2. But this is without studs, since studded tires would damage the calibrated surface of the drum. It is not a fact that this rating will not change with spikes. However, in terms of fuel consumption, the difference is still small - the bulk of the tires share 0.2-0.3 l / 100 km. And the difference between the most "economical" and the most "gluttonous" tires (they were expected to be Bridgestone tires) is 0.6 l / 100 km. And yet, since the experiment was conducted without spikes, its results were not taken into account when deriving the final scores.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8
Overall rating: 9.0
- Handling on ice and snow
- Braking properties on dry asphalt
- Noisiness
- High price
With such a number of spikes, a victory over competitors, especially in ice disciplines, should be simply devastating! But the matter was limited to a simple victory, without defeat. On the track, handling is the best time, driving a car is a pleasure. But the advantage over ContiIceContact tires, which have 60 fewer studs, is negligible, and in terms of accelerating dynamics, Continental tires are even better. Because there are a lot of 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. Perhaps, at a higher temperature, on "soft" ice, the effectiveness of "small" spikes would be higher, but our tests took place in 14-degree frost.
Nokian tires are traditionally good on snow: accurate and timely reactions to the steering wheel and gas.
But on asphalt, the behavior is unstable. If on dry surfaces Nokian tires provide good deceleration, then on wet surfaces they provide the longest braking distance. And the expected drawback was the "itchy" sound from the spikes, which did not leave the cabin in the entire speed range.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (62 sizes available - from 175/70 R13 to 255/35 R20) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 9,2 |
| 9,0 | |
| 48 | |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 190/18 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 1,2 |
| Manufacturer country | Finland |
| Catalog of winter tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 » | |
Continental ContiIceContact
Overall rating: 9.0
- Traction on ice and snow
- Handling on ice and snow
- impact strength
- Traction on wet pavement
On ice, the ContiIceContact tires are great. Acceleration and braking are the best in the test, and the balance of drift and skid on the ice handling track is as if you are driving not in a front-wheel drive car, but in an all-wheel drive car. I let off the gas a little at the entrance to the turn - and then you drive the car along an arc in a controlled sliding with four wheels!
On snow, the tires are also good, and only the slight tendency to skid the rear axle, which is not always appropriate, did not allow us to give the highest score for "handling reliability".
On the pavement, the grip is average, although the "Rearrangement" maneuver was done very well. The car reacts sluggishly to the first impulse, but then the tires “compress” and hold lateral overloads well. It's a pity that the soundtrack during such maneuvers is already very intrusive - the Continental tires howl pretty much even on the straight, and the rumble intensifies in turns.
These tires hold up well. And the spikes in them hold on to the last: in order to pull out the spike planted on the glue, you need to apply a force 2-2.5 times higher compared to other tires.
I wonder if the ContiIceContact tires will retain the same high performance on ice after switching to a lightweight stud? Such tires with the HD index, produced after July 1, 2013, have already appeared at Russian dealers.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (42 sizes available - from 155/80 R13 to 245/40 R18) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 9,8 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,5 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 49 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 130/12 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 1,3 |
| Manufacturer country | Germany |
| Buy winter tires Continental ContiIceContact » | |
Gislaved Nord Frost 100
Overall rating: 9.0
- Traction and handling on ice
- Traction on snow
- Traction on asphalt
- Moderate snow handling
"Not by number, but by skill!" The Gislaved Nord Frost 100 has only 96 standard offset studs in its tread, but on ice these tires are better than many tires that have 130 studs. On the handling track - the third time, but behind the leader, who has almost twice as many spikes, less than a second! No wonder the German tire manufacturers (Gislaved today is 100 percent a product of Continental) have been working on a new tread and new "triangular" studs! The slides are small and easy to control.
And on the snow, decent behavior, although on the track the handling is hindered by harsh slips.
But on wet pavement - the minimum braking distance! At the same time, the tires make little noise and gently “swallow” bumps.
In general, they are well-balanced winter tires: they work confidently on country roads and are almost ideal for urban use. And the price looks reasonable.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (38 sizes available - from 155/70 R13 to 245/40 R18) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 8,8 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,4 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 48 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 96/14 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 1,3 |
| Manufacturer country | Germany |
| Winter tires Gislaved Nord Frost 100 in our online store » | |
Pirelli Winter Ice Zero
Overall rating: 8.7
- Traction on ice
- Moderate handling performance on ice and snow
- Noisiness
These tires got to our test a month and a half before the official premiere (AR No. 17, 2013) - we didn’t even know the real name of the model, since there was no marking on the smooth sidewall. But both the tread and the studs of the new design were already "commercial" - now both the insert and the stud body have a complex trapezoidal shape.
In terms of longitudinal dynamics on ice, the Pirelli tires are almost on par with the test leaders. But on the control track, there were sharp breakdowns in side slips. However, Pirelli tires, whether winter or summer, have always endowed the car with sharper, sportier responses.
A similar behavior is observed on snow, but here the adhesion properties in the longitudinal direction turned out to be at an average level.
Here on the pavement - a good deceleration, both on dry and wet.
Ride is good, but a lot of noise - the rumble is audible even when driving on packed snow.
Albeit with reservations, we also recommend these tires - first of all, to those who drive in winter mainly on city streets cleared of snow.
| Dimension | |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 9,1 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,5 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 50 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 130/16 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 1,2 |
| Manufacturer country | Germany |
| Sale of winter tires Pirelli Winter Ice Zero » | |
Michelin X-Ice North 2
Overall rating: 8.5
- Comfort
- Traction on wet and dry pavement
- Insufficient resistance to slashplaning
- Low impact strength
When we did this test with the Michelin X-Ice North 2 tires in early February, we received an invitation to the official premiere of the next generation tire, the X-Ice North 3. But all attempts to get new tires to test failed! However, in Russia, the novelty will not appear in all dimensions, and half of the sales of Michelin studded tires will fall on the X-Ice North 2 model.
Decent tires, and with a pronounced family feature of Michelin tires - this is high stability on slippery roads and soft, understandable transients. Too bad the slips themselves last a little longer than we'd like.
This also manifested itself on the pavement: stretched slides prevented the “rearrangement” at high speed. But there are no problems with braking, and the level of comfort is beyond praise: these are the softest and quietest tires in our test!
They would have had a stronger sidewall, otherwise, when hitting an "obstacle", thin rubber is already torn at a speed of 40 km / h, although most tires hold up to 50 km / h, and some remain intact even at higher speeds.
In general, very comfortable winter tires that are best used on the streets of large cities.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (29 sizes available - from 205/55 R16 to 295/35 R21) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 9,3 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,4 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 52 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 118/12 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 1,0 |
| Manufacturer country | Russia |
| Winter tires Michelin X-Ice North 2 - all sizes in our store » | |
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Overall rating: 8.4
- Braking performance on ice and snow
- Traction on wet and dry pavement
- impact strength
- Handling on ice
- Traction on snow
Introduced last year, the Goodyear UltraGrip Ace Arctic immediately topped our tests, but this year's performance has been less impressive. The reason could be the changed weather conditions, the progress of competitors, but it seems that the matter is in a lower quality studding. The cocked studs themselves have not changed, but most of them turned out to be excessively recessed into the tread - the offset averages 0.9 mm against 1.2-1.3 mm for competing tires. Here you need to look for the reason for lagging behind the leaders of the test both in acceleration and in braking on ice. And on the handling track, the lag is already beyond the bounds of decency: the Audi A3 on Goodyear tires covers an 800-meter track ten seconds longer than on Nokian tires! We noted last year that Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires work better in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction, and now the imbalance has worsened - the car keeps very poorly on the arc!
On snow, the handling situation is better, but there are problems with acceleration. On the pavement - at the level of the middle peasants. It is curious that the clatter of the spikes is almost inaudible, but the tread itself howls in the entire speed range.
That's what these tires definitely pleased with, so it's resistance to impact: in this discipline - the third place.
With a normal studding quality, these tires would certainly be able to compete with the leaders, but according to the results of our test, we would not recommend using these tires on cars without electronic stabilization systems.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (25 sizes available - from 175/70 R13 to 225/55 R17) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 10,3 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,8 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 55 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 130/14 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 0,9 |
| Manufacturer country | Poland |
| Goodyear UltraGrip Ace Arctic Winter Tire Catalog » | |
Dunlop Ice Touch
Overall rating: 8.3
- Braking performance on snow
- Handling on ice and snow
- Smooth running
In the final score, Dunlop tires are only 0.1 points behind Goodyear tires. No wonder: the Dunlop brand is now three-quarters owned by Goodyear, and the Dunlop Ice Touch and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires were developed by the same engineering team. The tread patterns are different, but everything else - the depth of the grooves, the hardness of the rubber and the studs - is the same. Unfortunately, the quality of the studding is the same: the studs in the Dunlop tires also turned out to be planted deeper than they should. By the way, tires are made at the same plant in Poland.
The problems with handling on ice are similar: in the transverse direction, Dunlop tires hold noticeably worse than in the longitudinal direction. It is difficult to drive a car along a winding track due to sharp, unexpected breakdowns in sliding.
But on the snow - the minimum braking distance! At the same time, acceleration and handling performance are as “sluggish” as on ice.
But on a dry surface - the minimum braking distance and the maximum speed of the "rearrangement". The car clearly and quickly responds to steering wheel turns, which is a rarity for winter tires! True, there is also a side effect - increased rigidity when passing small irregularities.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (16 sizes available - from 175/65 R14 to 225/55 R17) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 94 (670 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 10,1 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,8 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 55 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 130/14 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 0,9 |
| Manufacturer country | Poland |
| Order Dunlop Ice Touch winter tires in our online store » | |
Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000
Overall rating: 7.5
- High impact strength
- High resistance to slashplaning
- Traction and handling on asphalt
- Traction on ice and snow
- Comfort
- Handling on ice and snow
Aggressive tread cut with a small network of wavy sipes - and spikes lined up in 14 lines. But the spikes are ordinary - with cylindrical inserts, and the tread rubber is not as "tenacious" as that of competitors, as indirectly evidenced by its increased hardness - 20% more compared to Nokian tires. And as a result - very modest traction properties both on ice and on snow. Handling also leaves much to be desired (speed in turns is limited by unpleasant sliding of the front axle).
Here on the snow-water porridge, Bridgestone tires emerge later than others. Yes, and they work perfectly on asphalt: on the “rearrangement” the reactions are so fast and accurate, as if the car is “shod” not in winter, but in all-season tires. And most of all I was pleased with the impenetrable sidewalls. But here, too, there is a compromise: a stronger sidewall is also more rigid, so Bridgestone tires do not have the best effect on ride smoothness.
Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires will surely find their poor buyer, especially in the outback - where tires are often changed not because of tread wear, but because of "holes" received in the pits. However, already this fall, dealers will offer an alternative to Ice Cruiser 7000 tires - the new Blizzak Spike-01 model (details - in the next issues of Autoreview), but we will be able to evaluate the improvements in a comparative test only next year.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (37 sizes available - from 175/70 R13 to 245/50 R20) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 91 (615 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 10,6 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,7 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 59 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 130/14 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 1,0 |
| Manufacturer country | Japan |
| Buy winter tires Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 of the right size » | |
Hankook Winter i*Pike
Overall rating: 7.5
- Traction and handling on dry pavement
- Traction on ice and snow
- Low resistance to slashplaning
- Traction on wet pavement
Even at the stage of "static" measurements, we assumed that the Hankook tires in this test are superfluous: most of the spikes barely protrude above the tread level. There are those that rise only 0.3 mm! On ice, such spikes, of course, do not work - the car slips menacingly both when braking and when cornering. But at the same time, it gets a decent mark for the reliability of control: yes, the car slides and therefore drives slowly, but the limit in traction is felt well, the breakdowns are soft, there is a good balance of drift and skid. It also happens.
However, the Hankook tires could not shine on the snow, where the studs no longer play a big role. The tread does not cope well with drainage functions - on sludge (snow-water mixture), Hankook tires emerge earlier than others. They also work poorly on wet pavement (the braking distance is too long) - and only on dry pavement everything is more or less in order. But this is not enough to recommend Hankook Winter i*Pike tires as winter tires. True, there is an argument that for many sounds stronger than safety arguments: Hankook tires are exactly two times cheaper than Nokian tires.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (64 sizes available - from 155/65 R13 to 245/45 R18) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 91 (615 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 10,0 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,74 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 57 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 130/12 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 0,7 |
| Manufacturer country | South Korea |
| Sales catalog of winter tires Hankook Winter i*Pike W409 » | |
| Sales catalog of winter tires Hankook Winter i*Pike W419 » | |
Kama Euro-519
Overall rating: 7.1
- Braking performance on snow
- Traction on ice
- Handling on ice and snow
- Low level of comfort
Despite the tread pattern, which is very reminiscent of Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 tires, Russian Kama Euro-519 tires cannot yet compete on equal terms with imported counterparts. Longitudinal traction on snow is encouraging, but on the handling track, all hopes disappear. It is difficult to “refuel” the car into a turn, and therefore, before each of them, you need to slow down more than in the case of other tires.
A sad picture on the ice: slips are just as poorly predictable and poorly controlled. And there are problems with braking on ice. The reason seems to be the same as in the case of Hankook tires: insufficient protrusion of the studs above the tread surface. On average - 0.8 mm: such a departure is not enough for a good "hook" on ice.
On asphalt, the tires perform at an average level. When performing sharp maneuvers, the reactions to the steering wheel are "smeared". And let the spikes slightly annoy with a clatter, the tread buzzes pretty. And on bumps, these tires are some of the toughest.
Yes, the Kama Euro-519 took last place in our test. But if you keep in mind the price and the stellar composition of the participants, then this is not just the last, but an honorable last place. And if the manufacturer establishes control over the quality of the studding, then, you see, it will be possible to claim higher and no less honorable places.
| Dimension | 205/55 R16 (16 sizes available - from 175/70 R13 to 215/60 R16) |
| Speed index | T (190 km/h) |
| Load index | 91 (615 kg) |
| Weight, kg | 10,3 |
| Tread depth, mm | 9,0 |
| Shore hardness of tread rubber, units | 59 |
| Number of spikes/studding lines | 136/14 |
| Protrusion of spikes, mm | 0,8 |
| Manufacturer country | Russia |
| Buy winter tires Kama Euro-519 in our store » | |
| Test results | Tire models | ||||||||||
| Options | Impact on overall score | Bridgestone | Continental | Dunlop | Gislaved | good year | Hankook | Kama Euro | Michelin | Nokian | Pirelli |
| Ice | 35% | ||||||||||
| Braking properties | 15% | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| Accelerating dynamics | 5% | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Transverse grip properties | 5% | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Handling (lap time) | 5% | 6 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Control Reliability | 5% | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Snow | 25% | ||||||||||
| Braking properties | 10% | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| Accelerating dynamics | 5% | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Handling (lap time) | 5% | 5 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
| Control Reliability | 5% | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Slashplaning resistance | 5% | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Wet asphalt | 10% | ||||||||||
| Braking properties | 10% | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 10 |
| dry asphalt | 10% | ||||||||||
| Braking properties | 5% | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Emergency (obstacle avoidance) | 5% | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| impact strength | 5% | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Autoreview||||
