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2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tire Test

If you live in a part of the world that sees an extreme winter such as the Northern USA, Canada, and the Northern parts of Europe, you'll know that regular central European winter tires just don't cut it.

Data analyzed and reviewed byJonathan Benson
9 min read Updated
Tire shortlist Read the test
Tires tested
16
Tested size
205/55 R16
Disciplines
10

At a glance

Tire shortlist

16 Tires tested

Category-by-category snapshot

This test ranks different groups separately. Read the full verdicts for each group; there is no single overall finishing order. The figures below are the best available measurements within each group, not overall category winners. Read the test conditions before comparing groups.

Central European Winter Tires

1 Tires tested
Snow BrakingLower is better
179 ft

CST Medallion Winter WCP1

Wet BrakingLower is better
95 ft

CST Medallion Winter WCP1

Dry BrakingLower is better
96 ft

CST Medallion Winter WCP1

Ice BrakingLower is better
188 ft

CST Medallion Winter WCP1

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

6 Tires tested
Snow BrakingLower is better
167 ft

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3

Wet BrakingLower is better
106 ft

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3

Ice BrakingLower is better
146 ft

Michelin X Ice Snow

Studded Winter Tires

9 Tires tested
Snow BrakingLower is better
166 ft

Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2

Wet BrakingLower is better
110 ft

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

Dry BrakingLower is better
98 ft

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

Ice BrakingLower is better
119 ft

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10

Compare all measurements Explore the complete results

Central European Winter Tires 1 Tires tested

CST Medallion Winter WCP1

+[Friction] Very good in the dry and wet.

−Very weak on snow and ice, as expected of a Central European tire.

Read owner reviews Test Results

Nordic Friction Winter Tires 6 Tires tested

1st

Continental VikingContact 7

+[Friction] Very good on ice and snow.

−Poor wet performance.

25 owner reviews Test Results
2nd

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2

+[Friction] Easy to drive on snow with good levels of grip, good ice performance.

−Poor dry performance.

9 owner reviews Test Results
3rd

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3

+[Friction] Good in all winter conditions, low rolling resistance.

−Poor dry drivability.

15 owner reviews Test Results
4th

Michelin X Ice Snow

+[Friction] Very good ice grip, stable driving in all winter conditions.

−Poor handling in the dry.

19 owner reviews Test Results
5th

Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616

+[Friction] Good in snow, low rolling resistance.

−Poor grip and handling in the dry.

5 owner reviews Test Results
6th

Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51

+[Friction] Good in snow, low rolling resistance.

−Poor handling in the dry.

Read owner reviews Test Results

Studded Winter Tires 9 Tires tested

1st

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10

+[Studded] The new tire from Nokian is excellent on ice, feeling predictable and calm with direct steering, good in the snow and good dry braking distances.

−Average wet braking.

10 owner reviews Test Results
2nd

Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2

+[Studded] Best in test on snow, excellent on ice, good handling in all conditions.

−Average dry braking.

1 owner review Test Results
3rd

Michelin X Ice North 4

+[Studded] Best in snow handling, good on ice, good dry braking.

−Slow wet handling and long wet braking, expensive.

12 owner reviews Test Results
4th

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

+[Studded] Best snow traction in test, short dry and wet braking.

−Slowest studded tire in ice handling, average wet handling.

3 owner reviews Test Results
5th

Bridgestone Noranza 001

+[Studded] Good on ice, short dry braking.

−Poor grip in the wet, high noise.

Read owner reviews Test Results
6th

Continental IceContact 3

+[Studded] Good on snow and on ice, good wet handling, balanced.

−Poor dry handling.

3 owner reviews Test Results
7th

Hankook Winter i pike RS2

+[Studded] Good on snow and ice, good wet handling.

−Poor in the dry.

5 owner reviews Test Results
8th

Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32

+[Studded] Good lateral grip on ice.

−Poor in the wet, high levels of noise, long dry braking.

2 owner reviews Test Results
9th

Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50

+[Studded] Good wet grip and dry braking.

−Poor driveability in the dry, very weak in the snow and on ice.

Read owner reviews Test Results

Tire shortlist

Compare selected tires

2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tire Test · 205/55 R16

TireContinental VikingContact 7Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2Michelin X Ice North 4Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3Michelin X Ice SnowPirelli Ice Zero 2Bridgestone Noranza 001Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616Continental IceContact 3Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51CST Medallion Winter WCP1Hankook Winter i pike RS2Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
Position1stNordic Friction Winter Tires1stStudded Winter Tires2ndStudded Winter Tires2ndNordic Friction Winter Tires3rdStudded Winter Tires3rdNordic Friction Winter Tires4thNordic Friction Winter Tires4thStudded Winter Tires5thStudded Winter Tires5thNordic Friction Winter Tires6thStudded Winter Tires6thNordic Friction Winter Tires—Central European Winter Tires7thStudded Winter Tires8thStudded Winter Tires9thStudded Winter Tires
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Test Results

Explore the complete results →

These results apply to the tires and size tested here.

The full test

The evidence behind the verdict

Test setup & methodology

The test setting, the conditions recorded and how the results contribute to the score.

Recorded test conditions

Recorded test conditions

Dry Braking
49.7 → 0.0 mph
Wet Braking
49.7 → 0.0 mph
Snow Braking
49.7 → 0.0 mph
Snow Traction
3.1 → 21.7 mph
Ice Braking
31.1 → 0.0 mph
Ice Traction
3.1 → 12.4 mph
If you live in a part of the world that sees an extreme winter such as the Northern USA, Canada, and the Northern parts of Europe, you'll know that regular central European winter tires just don't cut it. 

Winters which see snow on the roads for many months and lots of ice need extreme winter tires, and there are two types to choose from. The original is the studded winter tire, a tire which has studs (pieces of metal) inserted into the soft winter compound allowing the tire to really bite into the snow and ice below. 

Sadly, as great as studs are, they're damaging to the roads which is why tire companies invented a category of winter tire called studless friction winter tires. While these don't have studs, they do have a vastly improved ability on snow and ice when compared to a "normal" winter tire, and with advances in compounding technology they are quickly becoming an excellent alternative for all but the most extreme climates.

To find out which of these are best, and to see the difference between studded winter tires and studless friction winter tires, the excellent testers at the Finnish magazine Tekniikan Maailma have tested nine studded winter tires and seven studless winter tires in the same test, all in 205/55 R16, to show us the differences in the dry, wet, snow and ice performances! 

Unfortunately our website doesn't currently allow us to highlight which tire is studded and which is a friction winter tire, it's marked in the results at the bottom of the page which is the best we could do, sorry!

The tires on test are

StuddedFriction Studless
▪ Bridgestone Noranza 001
▪ Continental IceContact 3
▪ Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
▪ Hankook Winter I*Pike RS2
▪ Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
▪ Michelin X-Ice North 4
▪ Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
▪ Pirelli Ice Zero 2
▪ Westlake IceMaster Spike Z-506
 ▪ Continental VikingContact 7
▪ CST Medallion Winter
▪ Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
▪ Hankook Winter I*Cept IZ2
▪ Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
▪ Michelin X-Ice Snow
▪ Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3

Studded VS Friction Winter Tires

The differences between the two categories of tire are certainly interesting, and even a little surprising in parts.

Starting with ice, in every ice test all the studded tires out performed all the friction tires by a reasonable margin, this is not surprising.

In the snow, the two types of tire were essentially even, with the first seven places of snow handling alternating between studded and friction! If one type of tire had to win, it would be the studded tire, but the margin was almost nothing.

In the dry and wet, the CST friction tire out performed the pack, but but given it's poor performance on snow and ice it's probably because its design is more of a central european winter tire intended for milder climates. Dry braking had nearly all the tires separated by just one meter with a small advantage to the studs where as wet braking had larger margins with a small advantage to the friction tires.

Unsurprisingly, the studless friction tires were all considerably quieter than the studded tires, and on average had a lower rolling resistance.

See below for the full data and the overall results at the bottom of the page.

Dry & Wet

Dry Braking

Dry braking in feet (50 - 0 mph)

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 96 ft — —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Michelin X Ice Snow
 103 ft Best 0 mph
1Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 103 ft Best 0 mph
1Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 103 ft Best 0 mph
4Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 104 ft +1 ft 5 mph
5Continental VikingContact 7
 104 ft +1 ft 8 mph
5Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 104 ft +1 ft 8 mph

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 98 ft Best 0 mph
2Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 102 ft +4 ft 15 mph
3Michelin X Ice North 4
 102 ft +4 ft 16 mph
4Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 103 ft +5 ft 17 mph
5Bridgestone Noranza 001
 103 ft +5 ft 18 mph
5Continental IceContact 3
 103 ft +5 ft 18 mph
7Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 104 ft +6 ft 19 mph
8Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 107 ft +9 ft 23 mph
9Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 110 ft +12 ft 26 mph

The difference between best and worst was 13.7% (14 ft ≈ 0.9 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the Hankook Winter i pike RS2 would still be travelling at 28 mph when the CST Medallion Winter WCP1 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Wet Braking

Wet braking in feet (50 - 0 mph)

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 95 ft — —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 106 ft Best 0 mph
2Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 110 ft +4 ft 15 mph
3Continental VikingContact 7
 111 ft +5 ft 17 mph
3Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 111 ft +5 ft 17 mph
5Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 113 ft +7 ft 20 mph
6Michelin X Ice Snow
 118 ft +12 ft 26 mph

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 110 ft Best 0 mph
2Continental IceContact 3
 111 ft +1 ft 4 mph
3Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 112 ft +2 ft 9 mph
4Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 115 ft +5 ft 15 mph
5Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 116 ft +6 ft 18 mph
6Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 118 ft +8 ft 20 mph
7Bridgestone Noranza 001
 118 ft +8 ft 21 mph
8Michelin X Ice North 4
 122 ft +12 ft 25 mph
8Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 122 ft +12 ft 25 mph

The difference between best and worst was 29.1% (27 ft ≈ 1.9 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32 would still be travelling at 38 mph when the CST Medallion Winter WCP1 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Wet Handling

Wet handling time in seconds

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to best
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 33.5 s —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 35.4 s Best
2Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 35.5 s +0.10 s
2Michelin X Ice Snow
 35.5 s +0.10 s
2Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 35.5 s +0.10 s
5Continental VikingContact 7
 35.6 s +0.20 s
6Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 35.7 s +0.30 s

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 35 s Best
2Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 35.2 s +0.20 s
2Continental IceContact 3
 35.2 s +0.20 s
4Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 35.3 s +0.30 s
4Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 35.3 s +0.30 s
6Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 35.7 s +0.70 s
7Bridgestone Noranza 001
 35.8 s +0.80 s
8Michelin X Ice North 4
 36.2 s +1.20 s
9Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 36.5 s +1.50 s

The difference between best and worst was 9% (3 s).

Snow

Snow Braking

Snow braking in feet (50 - 0 mph)

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 179 ft — —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 167 ft Best 0 mph
2Continental VikingContact 7
 168 ft +1 ft 4 mph
3Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 169 ft +2 ft 8 mph
4Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 171 ft +4 ft 12 mph
5Michelin X Ice Snow
 172 ft +5 ft 13 mph
5Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 172 ft +5 ft 13 mph

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 166 ft Best 0 mph
2Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 166 ft 0 ft 4 mph
3Michelin X Ice North 4
 167 ft +1 ft 7 mph
4Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 169 ft +3 ft 10 mph
4Continental IceContact 3
 169 ft +3 ft 10 mph
6Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 169 ft +3 ft 11 mph
7Bridgestone Noranza 001
 170 ft +4 ft 13 mph
8Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 171 ft +5 ft 14 mph
9Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 172 ft +6 ft 15 mph

The difference between best and worst was 7.7% (13 ft ≈ 0.9 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the CST Medallion Winter WCP1 would still be travelling at 21 mph when the Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Snow Traction

Snow acceleration time (3 - 22 mph)

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to best
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 6.3 s —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 5.7 s Best
2Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 5.8 s +0.10 s
2Continental VikingContact 7
 5.8 s +0.10 s
4Michelin X Ice Snow
 5.9 s +0.20 s
4Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 5.9 s +0.20 s
4Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 5.9 s +0.20 s

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 5.7 s Best
1Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 5.7 s Best
3Michelin X Ice North 4
 5.8 s +0.10 s
3Bridgestone Noranza 001
 5.8 s +0.10 s
3Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 5.8 s +0.10 s
3Continental IceContact 3
 5.8 s +0.10 s
7Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 5.9 s +0.20 s
7Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 5.9 s +0.20 s
7Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 5.9 s +0.20 s

The difference between best and worst was 10.5% (0.6 s).

Snow Handling

Snow handling time in seconds

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to best
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 55.9 s —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Continental VikingContact 7
 52.7 s Best
2Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 53.1 s +0.40 s
3Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 53.2 s +0.50 s
4Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 53.4 s +0.70 s
5Michelin X Ice Snow
 53.6 s +0.90 s
5Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 53.6 s +0.90 s

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Michelin X Ice North 4
 52.3 s Best
2Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 52.7 s +0.40 s
3Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 53.1 s +0.80 s
4Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 53.3 s +1.00 s
5Bridgestone Noranza 001
 53.4 s +1.10 s
5Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 53.4 s +1.10 s
7Continental IceContact 3
 53.5 s +1.20 s
8Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 53.7 s +1.40 s
9Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 55.3 s +3.00 s

The difference between best and worst was 6.9% (3.6 s).

Ice

Ice Braking

Ice braking in feet (31 - 0 mph)

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 188 ft — —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Michelin X Ice Snow
 146 ft Best 0 mph
2Continental VikingContact 7
 151 ft +5 ft 15 mph
3Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 153 ft +7 ft 17 mph
4Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 160 ft +14 ft 24 mph
5Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 162 ft +16 ft 26 mph
6Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 170 ft +24 ft 30 mph

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to bestResidual speed
1Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 119 ft Best 0 mph
2Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 124 ft +5 ft 16 mph
3Michelin X Ice North 4
 127 ft +8 ft 20 mph
4Bridgestone Noranza 001
 128 ft +9 ft 21 mph
5Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 132 ft +13 ft 24 mph
6Continental IceContact 3
 134 ft +15 ft 27 mph
7Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 137 ft +18 ft 29 mph
8Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 138 ft +19 ft 30 mph
9Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 142 ft +23 ft 32 mph

The difference between best and worst was 57.1% (69 ft ≈ 4.6 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the CST Medallion Winter WCP1 would still be travelling at 48 mph when the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Ice Traction

Ice acceleration time (3 - 12 mph)

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to best
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 6.7 s —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Continental VikingContact 7
 5.1 s Best
2Michelin X Ice Snow
 5.2 s +0.10 s
3Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 5.4 s +0.30 s
4Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 5.5 s +0.40 s
5Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 5.6 s +0.50 s
6Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 6 s +0.90 s

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 3.6 s Best
2Bridgestone Noranza 001
 3.7 s +0.10 s
3Michelin X Ice North 4
 3.8 s +0.20 s
4Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 3.9 s +0.30 s
4Continental IceContact 3
 3.9 s +0.30 s
4Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 3.9 s +0.30 s
7Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 4 s +0.40 s
8Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 4.2 s +0.60 s
9Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 4.4 s +0.80 s

The difference between best and worst was 86.1% (3.1 s).

Ice Handling

Ice handling time in seconds

Lower is better ↓

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to best
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 74.7 s —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Continental VikingContact 7
 65 s Best
2Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 65.8 s +0.80 s
3Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 66.6 s +1.60 s
4Michelin X Ice Snow
 68.6 s +3.60 s
5Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 70 s +5.00 s
5Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 70 s +5.00 s

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 54.1 s Best
2Michelin X Ice North 4
 54.5 s +0.40 s
3Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 55.1 s +1.00 s
4Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 55.6 s +1.50 s
4Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 55.6 s +1.50 s
6Bridgestone Noranza 001
 55.8 s +1.70 s
7Continental IceContact 3
 57.8 s +3.70 s
8Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 60.3 s +6.20 s
9Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 62.7 s +8.60 s

The difference between best and worst was 38.1% (20.6 s).

Environment

Subj. Noise

Subjective in car noise levels

Higher is better ↑

Central European Winter Tires

TireResultGap to best
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
 8 Points —

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Continental VikingContact 7
 10 Points Best
2Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
 9 Points -1.00 Points
2Michelin X Ice Snow
 9 Points -1.00 Points
2Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
 9 Points -1.00 Points
2Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
 9 Points -1.00 Points
6Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
 8 Points -2.00 Points

Studded Winter Tires

Position / TireResultGap to best
1Michelin X Ice North 4
 7 Points Best
1Pirelli Ice Zero 2
 7 Points Best
1Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
 7 Points Best
1Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
 7 Points Best
1Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
 7 Points Best
6Bridgestone Noranza 001
 6 Points -1.00 Points
6Hankook Winter i pike RS2
 6 Points -1.00 Points
6Continental IceContact 3
 6 Points -1.00 Points
9Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
 5 Points -2.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 50% (5 Points).

Results

This test compares winter tires from different sub-categories (Central European, Nordic friction, and studded). Each category is ranked separately.

Central European Winter Tires

Best in category

CST Medallion Winter WCP1

205/55 R16
CST Medallion Winter WCP1
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better96 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better95 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better33.5 s
Snow BrakingLower is better179 ft
Snow TractionLower is better6.3 s
Snow HandlingLower is better55.9 s
Ice BrakingLower is better188 ft
Ice TractionLower is better6.7 s
Ice HandlingLower is better74.7 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better8 Points
Price
300.00

Nordic Friction Winter Tires

1st

Continental VikingContact 7

205/55 R16
Continental VikingContact 7
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better104 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better111 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.6 s
Snow BrakingLower is better168 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.8 s
Snow HandlingLower is better52.7 s
Ice BrakingLower is better151 ft
Ice TractionLower is better5.1 s
Ice HandlingLower is better65 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better10 Points
Price
600.00
2nd

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2

205/55 R16
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better104 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better110 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.4 s
Snow BrakingLower is better169 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.7 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.1 s
Ice BrakingLower is better153 ft
Ice TractionLower is better5.4 s
Ice HandlingLower is better66.6 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better9 Points
Price
500.00
3rd

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3

205/55 R16
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better104 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better106 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.5 s
Snow BrakingLower is better167 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.8 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.2 s
Ice BrakingLower is better162 ft
Ice TractionLower is better5.6 s
Ice HandlingLower is better65.8 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better9 Points
Price
550.00
4th

Michelin X Ice Snow

205/55 R16
Michelin X Ice Snow
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better103 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better118 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.5 s
Snow BrakingLower is better172 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.9 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.6 s
Ice BrakingLower is better146 ft
Ice TractionLower is better5.2 s
Ice HandlingLower is better68.6 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better9 Points
Price
600.00
5th

Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616

205/55 R16
Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better103 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better113 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.5 s
Snow BrakingLower is better172 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.9 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.6 s
Ice BrakingLower is better170 ft
Ice TractionLower is better6 s
Ice HandlingLower is better70 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better9 Points
Price
450.00
6th

Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51

205/55 R16
Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi51
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better103 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better111 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.7 s
Snow BrakingLower is better171 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.9 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.4 s
Ice BrakingLower is better160 ft
Ice TractionLower is better5.5 s
Ice HandlingLower is better70 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better8 Points
Price
400.00

Studded Winter Tires

1st

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10

205/55 R16
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better103 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better118 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.3 s
Snow BrakingLower is better169 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.9 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.3 s
Ice BrakingLower is better119 ft
Ice TractionLower is better3.6 s
Ice HandlingLower is better54.1 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better7 Points
Price
650.00
2nd

Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2

205/55 R16
Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better104 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better115 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.3 s
Snow BrakingLower is better166 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.7 s
Snow HandlingLower is better52.7 s
Ice BrakingLower is better124 ft
Ice TractionLower is better3.9 s
Ice HandlingLower is better55.1 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better7 Points
Price
550.00
3rd

Michelin X Ice North 4

205/55 R16
Michelin X Ice North 4
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better102 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better122 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better36.2 s
Snow BrakingLower is better167 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.8 s
Snow HandlingLower is better52.3 s
Ice BrakingLower is better127 ft
Ice TractionLower is better3.8 s
Ice HandlingLower is better54.5 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better7 Points
Price
650.00
4th

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

205/55 R16
Pirelli Ice Zero 2
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better98 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better110 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.7 s
Snow BrakingLower is better169 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.7 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.1 s
Ice BrakingLower is better137 ft
Ice TractionLower is better3.9 s
Ice HandlingLower is better62.7 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better7 Points
Price
550.00
5th

Bridgestone Noranza 001

205/55 R16
Bridgestone Noranza 001
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better103 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better118 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.8 s
Snow BrakingLower is better170 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.8 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.4 s
Ice BrakingLower is better128 ft
Ice TractionLower is better3.7 s
Ice HandlingLower is better55.8 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better6 Points
Price
550.00
6th

Continental IceContact 3

205/55 R16
Continental IceContact 3
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better103 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better111 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.2 s
Snow BrakingLower is better169 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.8 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.5 s
Ice BrakingLower is better134 ft
Ice TractionLower is better3.9 s
Ice HandlingLower is better57.8 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better6 Points
Price
600.00
7th

Hankook Winter i pike RS2

205/55 R16
Hankook Winter i pike RS2
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better110 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better116 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35.2 s
Snow BrakingLower is better166 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.8 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.7 s
Ice BrakingLower is better132 ft
Ice TractionLower is better4 s
Ice HandlingLower is better55.6 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better6 Points
Price
450.00
8th

Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32

205/55 R16
Kumho WinterCraft Ice Wi32
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better107 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better122 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better36.5 s
Snow BrakingLower is better171 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.9 s
Snow HandlingLower is better53.4 s
Ice BrakingLower is better138 ft
Ice TractionLower is better4.2 s
Ice HandlingLower is better55.6 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better5 Points
Price
400.00
9th

Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50

205/55 R16
Westlake IceMaster Spike Z 50
All discipline results (10)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestResult
Dry BrakingLower is better102 ft
Wet BrakingLower is better112 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better35 s
Snow BrakingLower is better172 ft
Snow TractionLower is better5.9 s
Snow HandlingLower is better55.3 s
Ice BrakingLower is better142 ft
Ice TractionLower is better4.4 s
Ice HandlingLower is better60.3 s
Subj. NoiseHigher is better7 Points
Price
350.00

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