The 2023 TESTIRENKAAT Snow Tire Test tested eight tires designed for extreme winters in the popular 205/55 R16 size.

This is a really interesting test as the four premium tires are studless friction tires, and the four budget tires are studded, so it gives us an interesting data point to compare the best of the new studless friction soft compound tires against the cheaper end of the studded market.

The testers had a few surprises from the studs vs friction results. The test saw a kind of changing of the guard, as Goodyear's new tire rises to the top among Nordic friction tires. The improvement over its predecessor is significant, and the Ultra Grip Ice 3 narrowly snatched victory from the Hakkapeliitta R5. The third-place Michelin falls noticeably behind the top two.

As for the main point of the test—the battle between friction and studded tires—the differences were surprisingly large. We initially thought that even a slightly cheaper studded tire would perform better than studless ones on ice, but only Antares succeeded, and that too only in longitudinal grip tests.

On asphalt, cheaper studded tires generally perform better, which is not surprising since their rubber hardness is closer to summer than winter tires. However, summer rubber compounds won't work in winter conditions, especially if the studs are also installed too deep or in the wrong positions.

The winter driving tests revealed why some tires cost more than others. The performance of cheaper studded tires drops significantly, emphasizing that making a winter tire that works well in varying conditions is not easy. Bad winter tires might perform quite well up to the grip limit, but their behavior can change radically beyond that.

Dry and Wet

On asphalt, inexpensive studded tires hold better on average than on snow and ice, which is not surprising, because the hardness of the rubber is closer to summer tires than winter tires. Still, the cheap studded tires can have surprising and even dangerous behavior.

Dry Braking

Wet Braking

Wet Handling

Snow

In snow, the tires are rarely divided into two groups in all tests. In all tests, the friction tires are the best tires, with the low cost studs falling behind.

Snow Braking

Snow Traction

Snow Handling

Ice

It was noteworthy that on ice the premium friction tires beat the cheap studded tires in the handling tests. When the tires are straight, the studs bite better on slippery ice, and in the acceleration tests two studded tires fit in the top three - but only one in the braking test.

Ice Braking

Ice Traction

Ice Handling

Results

1st: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 4th 31.25 M 30.67 M +0.58 M 98.14% Wet Braking 4th 38.49 M 32.53 M +5.96 M 84.52% Wet Handling 1st 40.4 s 100% Snow Braking 1st 11.28 M 100% Snow Traction 2nd 4.39 s 4.34 s +0.05 s 98.86% Snow Handling 2nd 83.28 s 83.04 s +0.24 s 99.71% Ice Braking 1st 14.75 M 100% Ice Traction 2nd 6.39 s 5.95 s +0.44 s 93.11% Ice Handling 1st 69.76 s 100% Ice and Snow: Best control, excellent grip on ice, excellent grip on snow; Wet Conditions: Summer tire-like steering, safe and easy to drive in wet conditions, extreme situation behavior not as good as the best. . Read Reviews
2nd: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 3rd 31.12 M 30.67 M +0.45 M 98.55% Wet Braking 8th 43.16 M 32.53 M +10.63 M 75.37% Wet Handling 5th 42.2 s 40.4 s +1.8 s 95.73% Snow Braking 2nd 11.52 M 11.28 M +0.24 M 97.92% Snow Traction 3rd 4.45 s 4.34 s +0.11 s 97.53% Snow Handling 1st 83.04 s 100% Ice Braking 2nd 15.02 M 14.75 M +0.27 M 98.2% Ice Traction 4th 6.68 s 5.95 s +0.73 s 89.07% Ice Handling 2nd 69.9 s 69.76 s +0.14 s 99.8% Ice and Snow: Best control, excellent grip on snow, good braking grip; Wet Conditions: Excellent extreme situation behavior, good driving characteristics on dry surfaces, oversteers in wet conditions. . Read Reviews
3rd: Michelin X Ice Snow
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 6th 31.82 M 30.67 M +1.15 M 96.39% Wet Braking 7th 41.98 M 32.53 M +9.45 M 77.49% Wet Handling 7th 42.8 s 40.4 s +2.4 s 94.39% Snow Braking 3rd 11.56 M 11.28 M +0.28 M 97.58% Snow Traction 4th 4.47 s 4.34 s +0.13 s 97.09% Snow Handling 3rd 84.04 s 83.04 s +1 s 98.81% Ice Braking 4th 15.3 M 14.75 M +0.55 M 96.41% Ice Traction 7th 7.01 s 5.95 s +1.06 s 84.88% Ice Handling 3rd 71.21 s 69.76 s +1.45 s 97.96% Ice and Snow: Safe driving behavior on snow, very good steering on snow, general grip level on ice is good; Wet Conditions: Excellent extreme situation behavior, good steering on dry surfaces, understeers in wet conditions. . Read Reviews
4th: Pirelli Ice Zero FR
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 1st 30.67 M 100% Wet Braking 6th 41.06 M 32.53 M +8.53 M 79.23% Wet Handling 4th 41.4 s 40.4 s +1 s 97.58% Snow Braking 4th 11.57 M 11.28 M +0.29 M 97.49% Snow Traction 1st 4.34 s 100% Snow Handling 4th 85.19 s 83.04 s +2.15 s 97.48% Ice Braking 5th 15.92 M 14.75 M +1.17 M 92.65% Ice Traction 5th 6.93 s 5.95 s +0.98 s 85.86% Ice Handling 4th 77.09 s 69.76 s +7.33 s 90.49% Ice and Snow: Best traction on snow, most oversteering among friction tires, weakest grip on ice among friction tires; Wet Conditions: Summer tire-like steering, best braking grip on dry surfaces, sharp grip limit in extreme situations. . Read Reviews
5th: Tigar Tigar Ice
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 5th 31.32 M 30.67 M +0.65 M 97.92% Wet Braking 2nd 33.62 M 32.53 M +1.09 M 96.76% Wet Handling 2nd 40.8 s 40.4 s +0.4 s 99.02% Snow Braking 6th 12.24 M 11.28 M +0.96 M 92.16% Snow Traction 5th 4.91 s 4.34 s +0.57 s 88.39% Snow Handling 6th 91.69 s 83.04 s +8.65 s 90.57% Ice Braking 7th 16.42 M 14.75 M +1.67 M 89.83% Ice Traction 5th 6.93 s 5.95 s +0.98 s 85.86% Ice Handling 6th 82.21 s 69.76 s +12.45 s 84.86% Ice and Snow: Most balanced driving behavior among studded tires, weak grip on ice, mediocre grip on snow; Wet Conditions: Good braking grip in wet conditions, good drivability in wet conditions, mediocre grip on dry surfaces. . Read Reviews
6th: Sunfull SF W11
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 2nd 30.98 M 30.67 M +0.31 M 99% Wet Braking 1st 32.53 M 100% Wet Handling 2nd 40.8 s 40.4 s +0.4 s 99.02% Snow Braking 8th 12.96 M 11.28 M +1.68 M 87.04% Snow Traction 7th 5.41 s 4.34 s +1.07 s 80.22% Snow Handling 8th 93.73 s 83.04 s +10.69 s 88.59% Ice Braking 6th 15.93 M 14.75 M +1.18 M 92.59% Ice Traction 3rd 6.67 s 5.95 s +0.72 s 89.21% Ice Handling 7th 83.04 s 69.76 s +13.28 s 84.01% Ice and Snow: Weak grip on ice, weakest grip on snow, very poor driving behavior on snow; Wet Conditions: Very good braking grip in wet conditions, good drivability in wet conditions, mediocre drivability on dry surfaces. . Read Reviews
7th: Antares GRIP 60 ice
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 8th 33.06 M 30.67 M +2.39 M 92.77% Wet Braking 5th 40.88 M 32.53 M +8.35 M 79.57% Wet Handling 8th 44.9 s 40.4 s +4.5 s 89.98% Snow Braking 5th 11.99 M 11.28 M +0.71 M 94.08% Snow Traction 8th 5.44 s 4.34 s +1.1 s 79.78% Snow Handling 5th 90.82 s 83.04 s +7.78 s 91.43% Ice Braking 3rd 15.25 M 14.75 M +0.5 M 96.72% Ice Traction 1st 5.95 s 100% Ice Handling 5th 81.25 s 69.76 s +11.49 s 85.86% Ice and Snow: Best traction on ice, very poor driving behavior on ice, weak grip on snow; Wet Conditions: Weakest drivability on dry surfaces, worst extreme situation behavior, poor grip in wet conditions, very high tire noise. . Read Reviews
8th: Winrun Winter Max S1 WR60
205/55 R16 3PMSF: yes	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 7th 32.58 M 30.67 M +1.91 M 94.14% Wet Braking 3rd 36.13 M 32.53 M +3.6 M 90.04% Wet Handling 6th 42.7 s 40.4 s +2.3 s 94.61% Snow Braking 6th 12.24 M 11.28 M +0.96 M 92.16% Snow Traction 6th 5.16 s 4.34 s +0.82 s 84.11% Snow Handling 7th 93.33 s 83.04 s +10.29 s 88.97% Ice Braking 8th 16.95 M 14.75 M +2.2 M 87.02% Ice Traction 8th 7.71 s 5.95 s +1.76 s 77.17% Ice Handling 8th 89.39 s 69.76 s +19.63 s 78.04% Ice and Snow: Weakest grip on ice, vague drivability, mediocre braking grip on snow; Wet Conditions: Average braking grip in wet conditions, poor extreme situation behavior, dangerous driving behavior in wet conditions. . Read Reviews