The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV is a non-studded winter tire for passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs. Tailored to meet the needs of powerful and large vehicles, the Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV offers optimized stability, durability and wear resistance while managing the high wheel loads precisely and reliably.
Strengths & weaknessesIce, ValueComfort, DryRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated March 2026.
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV has been criticized in previous tests for weak wet grip, and now comes the R5 with an update and new rubber compound intended to improve wet characteristics - but perhaps Nokian pulled its focus on wet roads a bit too far. The stopping distance on wet asphalt is by far the best in the test with a good margin. However, Nokian has lost some of its sharpness on ice, especially the cornering behavior on winter road surfaces. The grip is still good, but with eager steering responses on snow and ice, the tire can lose grip more suddenly than before and becomes harder to balance at the grip limit. As a whole, Nokian has improved the balance between wet grip and winter characteristics, which is appreciated. The tire performs well with decent grip levels on ice and snow and is more agile than the understeering Continental in tight corners, though it has lower ice grip and worse steering feel on asphalt than the best. In the tough competition, it settles for fourth place.
How good is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV in the wet?
Across the 2 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV stops 3.5% shorter than premium rivals, 3.1% longer than mid-range rivals and 3.6% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 61/100, and owners rate it 7.5/10 in the wet from 2 reviews.
How good is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV in the dry?
Across the 2 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV stops 1.7% longer than premium rivals, 1.2% longer than mid-range rivals and 0.1% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 30/100, and owners rate it 7.5/10 in the dry from 2 reviews.
How good is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV in the snow?
Across the 3 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV stops 4.5% shorter than premium rivals, 6.8% shorter than mid-range rivals and 1.4% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 3 snow-traction tests, it is 2.2% better than premium rivals, 4.6% better than mid-range rivals and 1.1% better than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 77/100, and owners rate it 10/10 in the snow from 2 reviews.
How good is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV on ice?
Across the 3 ice-braking tests it has featured in, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV stops 8.1% shorter than premium rivals, 16.9% shorter than mid-range rivals and 16.4% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 3 ice-traction tests, it is 15.4% better than premium rivals, 24.7% better than mid-range rivals and 19% better than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews ice score of 86/100, and owners rate it 10/10 on ice from 2 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV?
Across the 1 test measuring rolling resistance, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV's rolling resistance is 4.7% lower than premium rivals, 7% lower than mid-range rivals and 4.6% lower than budget rivals.
More questions about the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV(3)
What is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV most commonly carries EU label ratings of B for fuel efficiency, D for wet grip and 71 dB for noise.
What does the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV replace?
I purchased these R5 SUV tires last fall as a result of the excellent reviews from Tire Reviews.com I live in the mountains of British Columbia Canada where we get lots of snow and ice in the winter and we drive to the local Ski hill several days a week. I've typically used Bridgestone Blizzaks in the past and was very happy with them. These R5s are a step up being at least as good on ice and snow and superior in the dry, wet and handling. Definitely the best winter tire I have used.
This is a soft compound winter tire, so my scores are reflecting it. It is designed mainly for roads covered in snow and ice and boy, it sure does deliver on these surfaces! Loads of grip on winter roads - braking on ice felt like a studded tire from a couple generations ago! Very safe and predictable on winter roads - never had any grip issues with these tires. Of course, it lacks grip on dry and wet roads, but if you drive without a rush, you will not have any problems. I have Michelin X-ice Snow fitted on my second car and they feel softer on dry surfaces and I have less confidence in them to push the carComfortable and quiet tire although, when temperature goes above +5 C, it gets loud and grip drops significantly. I have covered 5000 kms on them and no signs of noticeable wear so far. Very happy with these tires, considering what these tires are designed for.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
