Which is better Hankook or Pirelli? Pirelli or Nokian – which is better? Our selection of summer tires

Every motorist is faced with the problem of choice quality rubber for your car. Today this has become much more difficult. Presented on the car market huge assortment tires of the most different manufacturers. And most of them are of very high quality.

How to choose tires wisely

To do right choice, there are several important points to consider. First of all, this concerns cost. Sometimes the price of tires is quite reasonable, and the quality matches the wheels produced by a well-known manufacturer. That is, you can always choose a budget option.

Of course, the service life expensive tires differs in duration. They have a wide tread that quickly drains water. In addition, they reduce braking distance on an icy road.

When choosing tires, regardless of their price, you need to focus on important nuances:

• Tires must match the dimensions vehicle. The appropriate size can be found in its technical manual.
• Maximum speed.
• Tire category.
• Seasonality.
• Possibility of braking on icy surfaces.

It is very important that the speed and maximum load values ​​coincide with the tire dimensions. Failure to comply may result in suspension failure.

Yokohama or Dunlop

The cost of these tires is approximately the same. However, before making a choice, it is worth getting to know them technical characteristics. Find out what advantages each model has.

Yokohama

For production, the manufacturer uses computer technology. Therefore, the tire fully meets international standards.

New tires reduce braking distance.

Winter wheels are equipped metal spikes original design. They provide reliable grip on icy roads. Skidding of the car is completely eliminated. A studded tire increases the safety of the trip and makes it more comfortable.

Especially for the summer season, the wheels are made of rubber, which does not begin to melt when high temperature.

A universal (all-season) tire is made of two-layer rubber. It can remain elastic in severe frosts and not melt in extreme heat.

There are models that have special semicircular holes on the tread. Due to them, tires repel snow, dirt and water, and quickly clean themselves. Longitudinal grooves prevent wheel slippage, maintaining lateral stability cars.

The rubber is designed for long-term use. Sometimes this period exceeds 10 years.

Each wheel undergoes a thorough check. Samples with the slightest deviation from the norm are rejected. Therefore, the company guarantees 100% quality of its products.

Dunlop

The wheels have a wide tread. The design of the drawing and its calculation were performed using computer graphics. The rubber adheres tightly to the road surface, ensuring complete safety of the trip.

The tread has a non-directional symmetrical pattern. The car never skids on wet or very slippery roads.

When driving over potholes and potholes, no shocks are felt inside the car.

Tires provide minimal braking distance. This is very important for driving on city streets.

Winter models are equipped with steel studs, providing excellent grip with the track. On such tires the car never skids.

Summer tires are made of special rubber. It prevents melting at high temperatures.

All-season ones are made of several layers. As a result, the wheels do not freeze in severe frosts and do not melt in hot weather.

Dunlop can be used long term. If used correctly, they will last more than 10 years.

The characteristics of both tires are almost the same. Motorists speak only positively about them. At low cost Each model has improved quality characteristics.

According to car owners, Yokohama is more suitable for slippery roads. If you install Dunlop, you should use all-season options. They show excellent results in winter cold and summer heat.

Of course, when choosing a tire, you also need to take into account its parameters and characteristics. Wheels with different parameters often behave differently.

Yokohama or Nokian

World famous Nokian wheels are produced in Finland. In our country they are manufactured in Vsevolzhsk. Products are certified according to ISO 9001 standard.

A special feature of Nokian tires is a wear indicator. It allows you to easily measure the tread depth. Finnish tires guarantee powerful grip on any road surface, regardless of its surface. The trip is as comfortable as wet asphalt, and on an icy road.

According to experts, the quality of Nokian tires is slightly higher than Yokohama, so if possible, it is better to install Finnish tires.

Yokohama or Hankook

In South Korea, Hankook tires are considered the best for winter. Many global car manufacturers, such as Volvo and Volkswagen, produce their cars with Hankuk tires.

They have become very popular in our country thanks to high quality and low cost. Motorists note several positive qualities:

• Low price.
• Excellent stability.
• Softness.
• Doesn't make any extra noise.
• Small braking distance.
• Long service life.

Hankooks are more suitable for normal use. If we are talking about sports cars, the best will be Yokohama.

Pirelli or Yokohama

The Italians produce Pirelli models:

Highway

Road wheels for driving on asphalt. Not designed for winter use.

Snow

Special winter tires. They are distinguished by full traction on icy surfaces or snowy roads thanks to the original tread pattern. Rubber can withstand severe frosts.

Flaws:

• Poor handling.
• Lots of noise when driving on dry asphalt.
• Increased tread wear.

All Season

All-season tires. Can be used on snowy roads. Creates good grip on icy surfaces. Tread wear is kept to a minimum.

Performance

Special tires for high-speed driving. They have powerful traction and make driving easier. Designed for high temperatures.

Flaws:

• Create discomfort when moving.
• Wear too quickly.

All Season Performance

All-season, for high-speed driving. Can be used all year round. The car remains stable on icy roads and shows good results on dry asphalt.

Both Pirelli and Yokohama are of impeccable quality. They have proven their reliability in any type of driving. It is very difficult to give preference to any product. The choice will depend on your individual approach, as well as your driving style.

This test will allow you to enjoy extreme testing 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 have become 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 - care for the roads 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. Discussions about tightening the rules for the use of studs have been going on in the Scandinavian countries for a long time, and the reason is increased wear of the road surface. The “greens” began to claim that asphalt dust is also carcinogenic, that is, it causes cancer. And in 2009, a new standard was announced - up to 50 studs 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 studs above the tread surface should not exceed 1.2 mm.

What about security? After all, the more studs, the better, other things being equal, the “hook” for the ice... They left a loophole for the tire manufacturers! It turns out that you can install more studs, but then you will have to prove that denser studs will not increase the destructive effect on the road. As a result, a method for full-scale assessment of the impact of studded tires on the road surface was developed at the Finnish testing center Test World. In a nutshell, after a certain number of rides on granite tiles, 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 a completely fair way to get around the new restrictions - and threw all their efforts into improving tires with a reduced number of studs. The developers of the new Gislaved tires did the same. Nord Frost 100. And the rest?

The rest have fully loaded their production capacities in order to produce as much as possible more tires, 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 concerns the production, but not the sale, of tires with the “wrong” studding!

And only company 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 by one and a half times! Naturally, the mentioned test was passed, and, as we learned, it was not carried out on test site World, and in its own test center near the town of Nokia. It turns out that this is possible - under the supervision of an official observer from the transport security agency Trafi. Competitors, naturally, made a fuss - they say that with so many spikes it is impossible to successfully pass the test!

Ice testing

The testing team gets down to their hard work. One by one, the tire sets are subjected to the most brutal tests in the most icy conditions. Finally, the last, tenth set of studded tires was tested for “acceleration-braking” - and... The first sensation! ContiIceContact tires have the shortest braking distance. They also provided the car with better acceleration dynamics. And although the advantage over the “bristling” Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires is very small, it is there! That is, 190 studs lined up in 18 rows perform no better on the ice than 130 studs distributed over 12 rows. At least in 14-degree frost. Why? Yes, because to reduce the harmful effects on the road surface, the Finns really had to change the design of the studs: they are not only lighter, but also smaller - in height and diameter - than those used in Continental tires. And those that were previously used in Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 tires. And the carbide insert on the “small” studs is not so powerful.

The two favorites are hot on the heels of the new Pirelli Winter Ice Zero tires.

Another bright new product this season promises to be the Gislaved Nord Frost 100 tires. There are already 96 “legal” studs - and they provide quite decent braking on ice, although during acceleration they are only the eighth result. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic and Dunlop tires, familiar to us from last year's tests, were also ahead. Ice Touch and Michelin X-Ice North 2. By the way, why is Michelin presented X-Ice tires North second, not third generation? The company decided that it would be better not to give these tires to anyone for comparative tests until the new model is officially launched on the market.

Bridgestone also prepared new products for the winter season, but also refused to provide them before the official premiere. Therefore, in the overall standings - Bridgestone tires Ice Cruiser 7000, 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 the ice, the results of both are very modest. But for now we are talking only about grip qualities in the longitudinal direction.

The handling assessment began with driving around an ice circle at the highest possible speed, and continued on a winding track, where both lap time and a subjective assessment of the comfort and reliability of control were taken into account. In these exercises Nokian tires Hakkapeliitta 8 have already achieved a convincing victory. Excellent cornering performance, excellent control over the car on the highway! They can also be safely recommended to those who go to amateur ice races: “taking off” a couple of seconds from a lap is not a problem!

Continental tires are in second place, and closely behind them are the second, albeit small, but still a sensation - Gislaved tires. They made it possible to drive the car very confidently along a winding road.

Another surprise were the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires. With them, the car brakes and accelerates well, but it doesn’t hold up well in corners and even “jumped” off the icy road a couple of times. Fortunately, there are not meter-long snowdrifts around, but safety stripes with a ten-centimeter layer of fluffy snow.

Snow element

The next day the frost dropped from fourteen degrees to minus seven. Testers have at their disposal a 600-meter track with perfectly packed snow. The work will be monotonous: acceleration to 50 km/h, braking, acceleration again, braking again... But if previously the driver was required to work with the pedals in order to prevent unnecessary wheel slipping at the start and blocking during braking, now electronics monitor this - Traction Control and ABS. And soon, it seems, it will be possible to do without a driver altogether.

Let's look at the results of manual tests on snow. It is easy to see that when braking they are very close: the difference between the best tires(Dunlop Ice Touch) and the worst (Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000) is less than three meters, which is within ten percent. When accelerating, the spread is a little larger, about 20 percent, and the favorites here are different - the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires. That is, the Finns have conjured up not only the studs, but also the tread - after all, in the snow it is not so much the studs that are important, but the tread.

And on the handling track, winding around fir trees and snow-strewn boulders, Nokian tires are the calmest: quick reactions and fully controlled slides. Moreover, when sliding, it is better not to slow down, otherwise the stabilization system, which is turned off by the button, will “wake up” and the pace will decrease. Another indicator: if on Nokian tires the stabilization system was “awakened” only once, then on other tires it was activated much more often - due to errors caused by extended slips (the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 and Kama Euro-519 tires were especially upset by them) .

Driving on asphalt

At the beginning of spring, winter tests were supplemented with a cycle of “asphalt” tests. First, we looked at how the tires behaved on slush - a snow-water porridge that covered the asphalt in an even layer. The depth of this layer is only 3.5 cm, and Hankook tires float at a speed of 19.4 km/h. However, the best Bridgestone tires in this type of testing are not far behind - their limit is 21.2 km/h. And on wet asphalt, no longer mixed with snow, the shortest braking distance belongs to Gislaved tires, and the worst - to Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8.

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 tires performed rather poorly on wet asphalt, but on dry pavement they showed one of the best braking results. This, by the way, is a reason to remind again that modern studded tires work on asphalt no worse, and sometimes even better, than studless tires Scandinavian type- those that are popularly called Velcro. This is due to the stiffer rubber, which is necessary for reliable fixation of the studs. There is still a myth in circulation that a studded tire rolls on asphalt, relying more on the studs than on the rubber. But in fact, the spikes, in contact with the asphalt, are recessed into the body of the tread, practically not reducing the contact patch between the rubber and 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 rubber, you can shift the balance of qualities, giving preference to either behavior on slippery winter surfaces (ice, snow) or on asphalt.

With the Dunlop Ice Touch tire model, this balance is clearly shifted towards the asphalt: the Audi A3 brakes confidently and responds best to sharp turns of the steering wheel. But on ContiIceContact tires, the braking distance on both dry and wet asphalt is a couple of meters longer, that is, preference is given to “winter” qualities.

Where studded tires always lose to non-studded tires is acoustic comfort. There is clearly more noise from them, especially if the tread has as many as 190 studs, like Nokian tires. However, even with fewer studs, Kama Euro, Pirelli, Continental and Bridgestone tires click 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 are these soft tires will they behave if they fall into a hole or run into an asphalt ledge? The test team subjected winter tires to a similar experiment. At a speed of 40 km/h, the car runs into a steel channel installed at an angle of 30 degrees - a piece of U-shaped beam. If the tire holds up, the attempt is repeated at a speed of 45 km/h. And so on until the tire “gives up the ghost.” To avoid damaging the suspension of the brand new Audi A3, it was replaced with a well-worn Mercedes-Benz C 180.

The Bridgestone tires withstood the most impacts: they were only punctured 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.

The 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 we initially liked for their softness, were punctured 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 a 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 (this reduces the so-called hysteresis losses - 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 are separated by 0.2-0.3 l/100 km. And the difference between the most “economical” and the most “gluttonous” tires (as expected, they turned out to be Bridgestone tires) is 0.6 l/100 km. And yet, since the experiment was carried out without spikes, its results were not taken into account when calculating the final estimates.

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8

Overall rating: 9.0

• Handling on ice and snow
• Braking properties on dry asphalt

• Noisiness
• High price

With such and such a number of spikes, victory over competitors, especially in ice disciplines, should be simply devastating! But the matter was limited to simply victory, without defeat. On the track the handling is the best, the car is a pleasure to drive. But the advantage over ContiIceContact tires, which have 60 fewer studs, is insignificant, and in terms of acceleration dynamics, Continental tires are even better. Because although there are a lot of studs in the tread of Finnish tires, they are small: the diameter, stud height, 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: precise and timely reactions to the steering wheel and gas.

But on asphalt the behavior is unstable. Nokian tires provide good deceleration on dry surfaces, but on wet surfaces they provide the longest braking distance. And the expected drawback was the “itching” sound from the studs, which did not leave the cabin throughout the entire speed range.

Continental ContiIceContact

Overall rating: 9.0

• Grip properties on ice and snow
• Handling on ice and snow
• Impact strength

• Grip properties on wet asphalt

On ice the ContiIceContact tires are great. Acceleration and braking are the best in the test, and the balance of drift and drift on the ice track is such that you are driving not in the front, but in the four-wheel drive vehicle. You let off the gas a little at the entrance to the turn - and then you drive the car in an arc in a controlled slide with four wheels!

The tires are also good on snow, and only the not always appropriate slight tendency for the rear axle to skid did not allow us to give the highest score for “handling reliability.”

On asphalt, grip properties are at an average level, although the “Rearrangement” maneuver was done very well. The car reacts sluggishly to the first impulse, but then the tires “squeeze” and withstand lateral overloads well. It's a pity, the soundtrack during such maneuvers is very intrusive - the Continental tires howl quite a bit even on a straight line, and the noise intensifies in turns.

These tires hold up well. And the studs in them hold on to the last: in order to pull out a stud set on glue, you need to apply a force 2-2.5 times higher compared to other tires.

I wonder if the ContiIceContact tires will still perform as well 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.

Gislaved Nord Frost 100

Overall rating: 9.0

• Traction and handling on ice
• Grip properties on snow
• Grip properties on asphalt

• Moderate handling on snow

"Not in numbers, but in skill!" The tread of the Gislaved Nord Frost 100 tires has only 96 studs with a standard offset, but on ice these tires are better than many tires that have 130 studs. On the handling track - the third time, but the gap from the leader, who has almost twice as many studs, is less than a second! It’s not for nothing that German tire makers (Gislaved today is 100 percent a product of Continental) worked on a new tread and new “triangular” studs! The slips are small and easy to control.

And in the snow there is decent behavior, although on the track the handling is hampered by sharp slips.

But on wet asphalt - minimal 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 city use. And the price looks reasonable.

Pirelli Winter Ice Zero

Overall rating: 8.7

• Ice grip

• Moderate handling on ice and snow
• Noisiness

These tires came 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 were no markings on the smooth sidewall. But both the tread and the spikes new design were already “marketable” - now both the insert and the tenon body have a complex trapezoidal shape.

As for longitudinal dynamics on ice, Pirelli tires are almost on a par with the test leaders. But on the controllability track there were sharp slips into lateral slips. However, Pirelli tires, whether winter or summer, have always given the car sharper, sportier reactions.

Similar behavior is observed on snow, but here the grip properties in the longitudinal direction were at an average level.

On asphalt there is good deceleration, both on dry and wet.

The smooth ride is good, but there is a lot of noise - the hum is audible even when driving on packed snow.

Albeit with reservations, we also recommend these tires - primarily for those who drive in winter mainly on city streets cleared of snow.

Michelin X-Ice North 2

Overall rating: 8.5

• Comfort
• Grip properties on wet and dry asphalt

• Insufficient resistance to slashplaning
• Low impact strength

When we conducted this test with the participation of Michelin X-Ice North 2 tires in early February, we received an invitation to the official premiere of the next tires generation-X-Ice North 3. But all attempts to get new tires for testing failed! However, in Russia the new product will not appear in all sizes and half of the sales volume of Michelin studded tires will be in X-Ice model North 2.

Decent tires, and with a pronounced family feature of Michelin tires - high stability on slippery roads and soft, understandable transition processes. The bad thing is that the slides themselves last a little longer than we would like.

This was also evident on the asphalt: extended slides prevented the “rearrangement” from being performed 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 could use a stronger sidewall, otherwise when hitting an “obstacle,” the thin rubber breaks at a speed of 40 km/h, although most tires last up to 50 km/h, and some remain intact at higher speeds.

Overall, very comfortable winter tires that are best used on the streets of large cities.

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic

Overall rating: 8.4

• Braking performance on ice and snow
• Grip properties on wet and dry asphalt
• Impact strength

• Handling on ice
• Traction on snow

Introduced last year, the Goodyear UltraGrip Ace Arctic tires immediately topped our tests, but this year's performance wasn't quite as impressive. The reason could be changed weather conditions, the progress of competitors, but it seems that the issue is due to lower quality studs. The “cocked-cornered” studs themselves have not changed, but most of them turned out to be excessively recessed into the tread - the offset is on average 0.9 mm versus 1.2-1.3 mm for competing tires. Here we need to look for the reason for the lag behind the test leaders in both acceleration and braking on ice. And on the handling track, the lag goes beyond the bounds of decency: the Audi A3 on Goodyear tires covers the 800-meter track ten seconds longer than on Nokian tires! Last year we noted that Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires work better in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction, but now the imbalance has worsened - the car holds up very poorly on an arc!

On snow, the handling situation is better, but there are problems with acceleration. On asphalt - at the level of average peasants. It is curious that the clatter of the studs is almost inaudible, but the tread itself howls throughout the entire speed range.

What these tires definitely pleased us with was their resistance to impacts: they took third place in this discipline.

With normal stud quality, these tires would certainly be able to compete with the leaders, but based on the results of our test, we would not recommend using these tires on cars without electronic systems stabilization.

Dunlop Ice Touch

Overall rating: 8.3

• Braking performance on snow

• Handling on ice and snow
• Smooth ride

According to the final assessment Dunlop tires only 0.1 points inferior Goodyear tires. No wonder: the Dunlop brand today is three-quarters owned by the Goodyear concern, and the Dunlop Ice Touch and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic tires were developed by the same team of engineers. 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 studs is also the same: the studs in the Dunlop tires also turned out to be set deeper than necessary. By the way, the tires were made at the same plant in Poland.

The problems with handling on ice are also similar: Dunlop tires hold up noticeably worse in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction. Driving a car along a winding road is difficult due to sudden, unexpected slips.

But on snow - minimal braking distance! At the same time, acceleration and handling characteristics are the same “sluggish” as on ice.

But on a dry surface there is a minimum braking distance and maximum speed performing a "rearrangement". The car reacts clearly and quickly to steering turns, which is winter tires very rare! True, there is side effect- increased rigidity when passing small irregularities.

Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000

Overall rating: 7.5

• High impact strength
• High resistance to slashplaning
• Traction and handling on asphalt

• Grip properties on ice and snow
• Comfort
• Handling on ice and snow

Aggressive tread, cut by a fine network of wavy lamellas - and studs lined up in 14 lines. But the studs are ordinary - with cylindrical inserts, and the tread rubber is not as “tenacious” as that of competitors, which is indirectly evidenced by its increased hardness - 20% more than Nokian tires. And the result is very modest grip properties on both ice and snow. Handling also leaves much to be desired (speed in corners is limited by unpleasant sliding of the front axle).

On snow and water slush, Bridgestone tires float up later than others. And they work excellently on asphalt: on the “rearrangement” the reactions are so fast and accurate, as if the car was “shod” not in winter, but in all-season tires. And most of all I was pleased with the impenetrable sidewalls. But there is a trade-off here: a stronger sidewall is also stiffer, so Bridgestone tires do not have the best effect on a smooth ride.

Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires will certainly find their poor buyer, especially in the outback - where tires are often replaced not because of tread wear, but because of “holes” received in holes. However, this fall dealers will offer an alternative Ice tires Cruiser 7000 - new model Blizzak Spike-01 (details in the next issues of Autoreview), but evaluate the improvements within comparative test We will only be able to do it next year.

Hankook Winter i*Pike

Overall rating: 7.5

• Grip and handling on dry asphalt

• Grip properties on ice and snow
• Low resistance to slashplaning
• Grip properties on wet asphalt

Even at the stage of “static” measurements, we assumed that Hankook tires were superfluous in this test: most of the studs barely protrude above the tread level. There are those that rise only 0.3 mm! Such studs, of course, do not work on ice - the car slides dangerously both when braking and when turning. But at the same time, it receives a decent rating for the reliability of control: yes, the car slips and therefore drives slowly, but the limit on grip properties is felt well, the stalls are soft, and there is a good balance of drift and drift. It happens like that.

However, Hankook tires failed to shine on snow, where studs no longer play a big role. The tread does not cope well with drainage functions - in slush (snow-water mixture) Hankook tires float up earlier than others. They also work poorly on wet asphalt (the braking distance is too long) - and only on dry asphalt 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 arguments about safety: Hankook tires are exactly half the price of Nokian tires.

Kama Euro-519

Overall rating: 7.1

• Braking performance on snow

• Ice grip
• Handling on ice and snow
• Low level comfort

Despite the tread pattern, which is very reminiscent of Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 tires, Russian tires Kama Euro-519 cannot yet compete on equal terms with imported analogues. Longitudinal traction on snow is encouraging, but on the handling track all hope disappears. It is difficult to “tuck” a car into a turn, and therefore before each of them you need to reduce the speed more than in the case of other tires.

The picture on ice is also sad: slips are also poorly predicted and poorly controlled. Yes, 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 reach is not enough for a good “hook” on ice.

On asphalt the tires perform at an average level. When performing sharp maneuvers, reactions to the steering wheel are “smeared”. And even though the thorns make a slight clattering noise, the tread hums quite a bit. And on uneven surfaces these tires are among the toughest.

Yes, Kama Euro-519 tires took last place in our test. But if you remember the price and the star cast of participants, then this is not just the last, but an honorable last place. And if the manufacturer establishes control over the quality of studding, then, you see, it will be possible to claim higher and no less honorable places.

Among studded tires, for several years now the podium has been shared by Continental, Nokian and Michelin, not allowing outsiders into the circle of the chosen few. And this year was no exception.

The named trio of “spikes” are again the best in Russian roads: Each has more than 900 points. First place goes to Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, most suitable for active drivers. But, alas, it is the most expensive and the most unprofitable: the price/quality ratio is 6.24. Very close, with a difference of less than half a percent, is the Russian version of Michelin X-Ice North 2: calm, confident and inexpensive, price/quality - 5.51. Continental, being a little late with the presentation of the new ContiIceContact, threw its vassal Gislaved Nord Frost 5 (price/quality - 5.15) into the breakthrough, slightly increasing its spikes. He did not disappoint and won the senior third place, and was less than 2% behind the leader.

Pirelli and Goodyear tried their best to compete with the top three, but they once again successfully fought off the attack. So, in fourth place is the “lighter” Pirelli Winter Carving Edge, in fifth place is the intelligent Goodyear Ultra Grip Extreme. In terms of price/quality ratio, both tires are almost equal: 5.06 and 5.09, respectively.

The sixth and seventh places were taken by strong good players - the Dutch Vredestein Arctrac (862 points, price/quality - 4.29) and the domestic

Cordiant Sno-Max (856 points and 3.62).

Slightly behind, next to the bar of 840 points, are Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 5000 (price/quality - 5.43) and the Korean “winter pike” Hankook Winter i-Pike, which clearly competes with Vredestein, since they have the same price/quality ratio. The Nizhnekamsk new Kama Euro 519 closes the top ten with a modest result of 828 points (price/quality - 3.62, like Cordiant), which turned out to be not as strong as expected. Let's hope for a quick modernization.

10th place: Kama Euro 519

• Despite the fact that the Kama has the most studs, its grip on ice is very low: the car starts and accelerates uncertainly, and brakes jerkily. The lateral grip is the weakest among all the studs. When the speed is too high, the car is blown off the intended trajectory and slides for a long time. Unexpected slippage and sudden loss of traction are especially unpleasant. The beginning of a breakdown cannot be predicted; you understand this only when the car has already “floated”.
• On snow, acceleration and braking are weak, lateral grip is the worst, and the edge of slipping, just like on ice, is not felt.
• On a snowy road the car goes smoothly, however, if you leave the steering wheel, it strives to go into deeper snow. When adjusting the course, the steering angles are large. It is better to overcome snowdrifts with intense slipping. An undoubted advantage is a confident exit back if it was not possible to get forward.
• Directional stability on asphalt is not bad, but there is not enough information on the steering wheel and delays when steering are hampered. Braking on dry and wet pavement is worse than average.
• Fuel consumption is average at any speed. The studs are too deep, which largely explains the low grip properties on ice.
• They make a lot of noise, transmitting the entire microprofile of the road to the car, as if they were over-pumped.

9th place: Hankook Winter i-Pike

• “Pike” or “tip” is the translation of the last word in the name of the tire with a tread pattern similar to the often copied Gislaved NF 3.
• On ice, the grip properties are weak, forcing you to move slowly. With a slight increase in speed, the car “does not hear” the steering wheel when turning, loses the intended trajectory and slides for a long time. It’s good that breakdowns and recovery occur quite smoothly.
• On snow, tires brake and accelerate more confidently, but lateral grip is much worse than longitudinal grip.
• At small turning angles, the driver is hampered by an “empty” steering wheel; at large turning angles, the driver slips into a skid. It is impossible to feel the start of sliding.
• The car is driven along the snowy road without notice. In deep snow they are reluctant to push, and you have to skid carefully, otherwise you can get buried.
• On asphalt there is a little delay when steering. They brake worse than others in dry and wet conditions.
• They make an unpleasant noise at any speed; two rumbling peaks stand out from the general hum - at city (40–60 km/h) and suburban (90–110 km/h) speeds.
• Shake the car sensitively on uneven surfaces.
• Fuel consumption is average at any speed.
• Studded neatly, but rather shallowly, an additional two to three tenths of a millimeter of protrusion of the studs would improve grip on ice.

8th place: Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 5000

• The model is fading into history, giving way to the new IC 7000, but is still selling successfully.
• These tires have never been great on ice: reluctant acceleration, below-average braking, frankly weak lateral grip and sluggish responses. Nevertheless, at moderate speeds they behave quite adequately. There is only one problem: guessing this speed.
• I drove a little faster - the steering angles and reaction time of the car increase significantly, it begins to blur the trajectory and gets out of control.
• On snow, the steering angles are smaller, but the behavior is unstable, the front end drifts in the initial phase of the turn and skids on an arc of constant radius. In both cases, a little too much speed leads to long slides. They brake worse than others, rearrangements are performed at the lowest speed, on par with the Kama.
• On a snowy road, you hold a straight line confidently. They are not afraid of deep snow on the road, overcoming them without stress.
• On clean asphalt, I like the informative steering wheel and precise execution of steering commands.
• Braking on asphalt of any condition is average.
• Not comfortable enough: the tread makes an almost helicopter rumble, and the tires transmit shocks from any road irregularities to the body, as well as vibrations to the floors and steering wheel.
• The studs are of very high quality in terms of spread (no more than 0.2 mm), but somewhat small and there are a dozen fewer studs than other brands of tires.

7th place: Cordiant Sno-Max

• Domestic tires; Unlike the Kama, the number of spikes corresponds to European standards.
• Acceleration and braking on ice are average, but when turning they force you to be careful: the grip across is noticeably worse than in the longitudinal direction. They require a wide amplitude of steering, and on the arc of a bend you can’t shake the feeling that the car is turning not due to the rotation of the front wheels, but due to the slip of the rear ones.
• On snow, the side-to-side balance changes. The weakest acceleration and braking are combined with an average level of lateral grip. When taxiing, the steering wheel's turning angles are large, and the sliding is a little longer than that of the grandees, although they remain within reason.
• They maintain a clear course in the snow, but large steering angles make it difficult to correct. They are not afraid of snow drifts and snowdrifts: they confidently start, move and turn, and get out reliably in reverse.
• They float on the asphalt, the steering wheel is “empty”, and you have to turn it at significant angles.
• On dry asphalt the braking is average, on wet asphalt it is better than average.
• They make a lot of noise on the asphalt due to the tread and spikes and howl on dense snow. They transmit vibrations from small road irregularities and shocks from road joints.
• As for fuel consumption, the most insatiable in the test.
• The quality of the studs: the spread of protrusion is small (0.4 mm), but the studs still stick out high, and there is a risk of losing or breaking the cores from them.

6th place: Vredestein Arctrac

• A special feature of the tire is its low weight, which combines with increased load capacity.
• On ice, longitudinal grip properties are weak, and transverse grip properties are average. They slip at startup, delaying the acceleration process; They stop the car the worst. At the same time, they show average results on the lap, although in turns they do not inspire confidence: they either cling or break away. They recover abruptly, jerking the car unpleasantly. They don't like slipping.
• On snow they accelerate modestly, brake and turn averagely.
• The car is clearly controlled on them, but only before the start of sliding, which turns into unexpected for the driver. The case ends in a sweeping skid.
• They move smoothly along the snow-covered straight line, without any comments.
• They overcome deep snow with uncertainty, turn reluctantly, but get back out well.
• On the asphalt we liked the clear course and clear “zero”.
• They brake well, and on dry surfaces they brake very well, almost on par with the Goodyear. On wet they show average results.
• They make noise and shake the car, voicing asphalt irregularities, and rustle loudly in dense snow.
• At a speed of 90 km/h, fuel consumption is average, at 60 km/h - increased.
• The studding is of high quality both in terms of the protrusion of the spikes and the spread.

5th place: Goodyear Ultra Grip Extreme

• Acceleration and lateral grip on ice are average, braking is better. Each turn of the steering wheel at a speed above 30 km/h causes a slight steering drift. If you let off the gas, the skidding will intensify and require steering adjustments.
• On snow, all characteristics are also not below average. When cornering, the car is controlled clearly, the limit is limited by the demolition of the front end. However, in the second corridor the rearrangements are no longer high speed skidding begins. You can keep your car in check and achieve high results only with the help of electronic assistant or proactive actions by the driver.
• Directional stability on a snowy road is clear, without any comments.
• Snow tracks are not for these tires. It is better to move through the snowdrifts only under pressure, otherwise you will get up or even bury yourself.
• On asphalt they go smoothly in a straight line, but are delayed when steering... But they brake better than anyone else, both wet and dry (in this they are almost on par with the Vredestein).
• They make a hum from the tread, but the noise of the studs is a separate issue. They howl at high speeds and crunch distinctly at low speeds. Shake the car on small and medium-sized bumps.
• They roll well, so they consume average fuel.
• The quality of the studs is comparable to Cordiant: the spread is within reasonable limits, but the protrusion is on the verge of the maximum permissible.

4th place: Pirelli Winter Carving Edge

• Like Goodyear, they are not afraid of ice. They accelerate, brake and turn confidently. On an arc of constant radius, the maximum speed does not cause pronounced drift or skidding, the car's steering is close to neutral. On the ice ring, speed is limited by soft drifting. This allows you to change the curvature of the turn by releasing or adding gas.
• They also work quite conscientiously on snow: they show average results in braking, acceleration and shifting. The behavior is clear, understandable, without comments, with an element of “ignition” - they provoke active driving.
• They walk smoothly on a snowy road, clearly responding to steering inputs.
• It is better to overcome deep snow with slight slipping, but without excessive zeal, otherwise you can get buried.
• They hold the asphalt straight as tenaciously as in summer, braking on wet surfaces is average, and on dry surfaces it is above average.
• They annoy you with the wheezing-howling crunch of thorns. They shake noticeably on any irregularities, even small ones.
• The stitching is satisfactory in all respects.

3rd place: Gislaved Nord Frost 5

• They differ from last year's ones in a slightly increased size of the solid stud insert.
• The premium tire category is opening. Best braking and lateral grip, very good overclocking on the ice. They behave very confidently in turns; at the limit, the speed is limited by a slight skid that requires minor adjustments.
• They also hold up decently in the snow: very good braking, good acceleration and average lateral grip properties. There are no complaints about the car's handling, its behavior or the clarity of its reactions. It handles well even when sliding.
• They stubbornly keep their course on the snowy road. In deep snow, however, they do not behave very confidently.
• On the asphalt they are reminiscent of Goodyear: they are slightly delayed in reacting to course adjustments.
• They are the best in braking on wet asphalt (on par with Goodyear), and on dry asphalt they have quite a decent average result.
• They make noise and crunch their spines very clearly, especially at low speeds.
• Shocks from single irregularities are transmitted to the body.
• Increased fuel consumption at any speed.
• Studs: the spread of protrusion is within reasonable limits, but it would be nice to reduce the protrusion itself a little - for the sake of the durability of the studs.

2nd place: Michelin X-Ice North 2

• A nice feature of these tires, which instill confidence in safety on any road, is their well-balanced longitudinal and lateral grip. We note good braking on ice (despite the classic round studs), average acceleration and very good lateral grip. On the bend, when releasing the gas, slightly twist the car, helping to register the turn.
• Excellent traction properties on snow: the shortest braking distance, intense acceleration and record speed at the changeover. Stable behavior and clear reactions even when sliding. When overspeeding, they gently slide sideways, intensively slowing down.
• They handle snowy roads better than others and are sensitive to steering inputs. Deep snow is overcome confidently, allowing you to perform any maneuvers.
• They are good on asphalt: they clearly keep the given direction, and react to steering inputs without delay.
• Braking on dry surfaces is average, but on wet surfaces the tires give up: the weakest result.
• Snorting noise on paved roads. Shake the car a little on road micro-irregularities.
• The most economical (on par with Nokian) at any speed.
• The studding is of very high quality, giving reason to believe that the studs will last a long time.

1st place: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7

• There is one step from confidence to aggressiveness. All ice characteristics, including lap times, are better than average, and acceleration is the best. However, it feels like the tires accelerate and brake better than they turn. Behavior when turning on ice is understandable and predictable, and in the extreme it is easy to assist in skidding.
• On snow, very good braking (only Michelin is better), better acceleration, second result at the reset. They handle well even when sliding, react without delay to turning the steering wheel, and due to this they fit into turns of seemingly unimaginable steepness. All this provokes fast driving, so you need to honestly assess your skill level.
• They clearly follow a given course on a snowy road.
• In deep snow, everything is done easily and naturally, without fear of stops, starts with slipping, or sharp turns.
• On the asphalt they float a little from side to side.
• Braking on dry surfaces is average, but on wet surfaces they show the most modest results.
• They rustle with the studs and tread, shaking the car on small bumps.
• Economical at any speed.
• Studded with very high quality, no problems due to studs falling out are expected.

Out of the competition: Continental ContilceContact

• These tires were presented to the public after the completion of our "white" tests. But we found the opportunity to compare them with the test winner Nokian HKPL 7 in New Zealand, where winter is in full swing in June. We rented the same Golf VI that we used to conduct our own tests, but we couldn’t find asphalt roads, so the duel took place only on ice and snow. However, this is enough for the first acquaintance and identifying the capabilities of the new product.
• On ice they accelerate and brake almost on par with the Nokian, but in lateral grip they are simply head and shoulders above: the difference is more than 8% in favor of the German new product. Handling is beyond praise, reactions to steering wheel turns are clearer, behavior is more stable - at the limit the car only slips slightly rear axle. And this is very slippery ice, where the Nokian behaves like an average driver: it does not shine with information on the steering wheel and stability of behavior - it either drifts or skids and glides longer than we would like.
• On snow, the difference is almost the same, the braking distance and acceleration time are comparable to those of the Nokia, but the handling, as on ice, is better than that of the “seven”. The steering wheel is filled with information content on a straight line, clear reactions and understandable behavior in turns. The tires pull the car into turns without a hint of drift. HKPL 7 on the same track are less informative, give periodic drift when entering a turn and more active skidding on an arc.
• In deep snow, the “Germans” are a little behind the “Finns”: they start hesitantly, requiring more gas, but with intense slippage they tend to dig in.
• The studding is high quality and stable.

FRICTION TIRES RATING

The non-studded tires collected in the test, also known as “Velcro” or “Scandinavian” tires, are already known to our readers. They were updated two or three years ago, with the exception of the long-lived Vredestein Nord-Trac and new Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice+.

The leaders' results were dense - in the range from 899 to 924 points. The first five differ by no more than 3%. But their characters are different, and each tire in our test set its own record, or even several.

When choosing, the reader should focus not on the overall result, but on individual preferences and preferences and, of course, take into account the advantages and disadvantages we have listed.

The Russian Nokian Hakkapeliitta R set records in braking and acceleration on snow and at the same time demonstrated the worst braking on dry asphalt. It remains the most expensive on the market: price/quality - 6.16. The most attractive according to this parameter Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 (4.99) is the best in terms of longitudinal grip on ice and braking on dry asphalt, but the most voracious in terms of fuel consumption. Michelin X-Ice 2 is a well-balanced tire, all performance is high, with the exception of acceleration on snow. The expensive ContiVikingContact 5 (price/quality - 6.04) has the best results on an ice circle and in acceleration on snow, but in braking on wet asphalt it turned out to be the worst. Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice+ is a tire that is even in all respects and is the best in tire rearrangement. The price/quality ratio (5.45) is the same as a Michelin tire, and apparently they will have to compete with each other in the market. But the title of the most economical tire in the fight between Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 and Michelin X-Ice 2 was won by a Russian-Finnish tire.

The far from new Vredestein Nord-Trac with 852 points is noticeably behind the others. Even based on the price/quality ratio of 4.11, it is clear that he is no longer able to compete with the younger giants.

Kama Euro 519 without studs scored 830 points. Here is an example of the inappropriate use of a product originally created in a studded version. In terms of rubber hardness, Nizhnekamsk tires are closer to “European” tires (such as ContiWinterContact TS 830, Michelin Alpine, Pirelli Snowsport, Kumho KW17), and therefore cannot compete on equal terms with “Scandinavian” tires on ice and snow. But on clean asphalt they feel very confident.

7th place: Kama Euro 519

• These tires are designed for studding, but quite often the “bald” version is also sold - not best solution for icy and snowy roads.
• On ice, traction is worse than that of all real studless tires. Acceleration is slow, braking is ineffective and jerky. When cornering, there are large steering angles, delayed reactions, prolonged slides, and, to the extreme, front end drift and significant straightening of the trajectory.
• On snow, braking is very weak - only Vredestein is worse; acceleration is mediocre, like Michelin; at the rearrangement, the maximum speed and behavior are worse than the others. The comments are almost the same as on ice: insufficient information on the steering wheel, large angles of rotation, prolonged sliding. On a snow-covered straight line, the car is pulled towards deeper snow; course correction is complicated by large steering angles.
• In deep snow they turn better than going straight, so you can tack if necessary. On asphalt they float a little within the lane and are late when taxiing. They brake great. On wet surfaces they show the best results, on dry surfaces - above average.
• One of the reasons: the tires are harder than others. Not comfortable enough: they make a lot of noise, periodically howl and noticeably shake the car. Fuel consumption at 60 km/h is high, at 90 km/h it is average.

6th place: Vredestein Nord-Trac

• On ice, grip properties leave much to be desired; braking and acceleration are very weak (only the Kama is worse). However, on the ice circle they stay in the middle, creaking like other “Scandinavian” cars. Nevertheless, the behavior of the car is predictable, without surprises or problems. When reaching maximum speed, it begins to gently slide outward, straightening its trajectory.
• They perform about the same in the snow. Braking is the worst of all, lateral grip is weak, except for average acceleration. When accelerating, you can clearly feel how the electronics keep the tires from slipping. Maneuvering is complicated by increased steering angles. In corners, the top speed results in slight oversteer.
• On a snow-covered straight line, when moving evenly and releasing the gas, the car yaws a little, but during easy acceleration it moves much more clearly. They don’t like snowdrifts; it’s better to overcome them at speed, without stopping and not to turn the steering wheel unnecessarily. It is not recommended to skid, otherwise you might get stuck.
• They walk smoothly on asphalt, but are delayed when adjusting direction. Braking on asphalt is also not brilliant, both wet and dry brakes are weak.
• The tread rustles loudly on rough asphalt, howls in corners at high speeds, and pops on bumps. Large bumps pass through unpleasantly harshly. Fuel consumption at 60 km/h is average, at 90 km/h it is increased.

5th place: Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice+

• The company’s new product, which essentially falls into the category of premium tires.
• She has no noticeable preference for surfaces, with the exception of asphalt. On any road, the tires demonstrate a fairly even character and similar behavior.
• On ice, both longitudinal and lateral grip are average. At the moment of starting, it is easy for the wheels to slip, so you need to apply pressure on the gas carefully.
• In the snow, braking and acceleration are also average, and the speed at the changeover “jumps out” into the leading ones. This is partly due to the electronics (on the Golf it cannot be switched off). The skid in the second corridor begins early, but the ESP simply does not allow it to develop. The same thing happens during acceleration: as on the Vredestein, you can clearly feel that the electronics are strangling the engine, otherwise the tires will slip.
• On a snowy road everything is smooth, without any comments.
• In deep snow they behave confidently, maneuver easily, and do not dig in when slipping.
• On asphalt, when changing course, you can feel a slight steering of the rear axle.
• Braking is not record-breaking, but very effective both on wet asphalt and (especially!) on dry.
• Comfortable: the tread rustles quietly and rolls along the road gently.
• At 60 km/h, fuel is consumed economically; in this indicator they compete with Michelin. However, at 90 km/h the consumption increases to average.

4th place: Continental ContiVikingContact 5

• The leader of our test two years ago. This time the results are more modest. Apparently, the new exercise “braking on wet asphalt” had an effect. Nevertheless, no weaknesses were found on snow and ice, and they remain in the premium tire category (more than 900 points).
• On the ice they accelerate and brake in the top four, and on the circle they show best result. They squeak and squeak, as if there is wet concrete under the wheels instead of ice, but they hold! When maneuvering, the steering turns are quite large.
• They feel much more confident on snow: better acceleration, very good braking and an average result at the stop. As on ice, the steering angles are too large. The course on a snowy road is quite clear, they respond to direction adjustments without delay
• Deep snow can be overcome confidently in any mode.
• On the asphalt straight they float slightly within the lane. They stop well on dry asphalt, but on wet asphalt they give up, braking worse than anyone else. Tire manufacturers consider grip on a wet road to be the antipode of rolling resistance. Here, like the “bridge”, there is no “wet” clutch, no fuel economy.
• In terms of comfort, they are comparable to Michelin: quiet and smooth.
• Fuel consumption at 60 km/h is average, at 90 km/h it is increased.

3rd place: Michelin X-Ice 2

• They feel confident on “white” roads and off-road. There are no failures, with the exception of weak acceleration in the snow.
• They don’t shine on ice, but they are confident: they brake and accelerate actively, and on the lap they share the second result with Nokian. Unlike the “bridge”, they are captivated by the balance of the clutch “lengthwise and across”. Clear reactions, smooth transitions to slides - in general, they behave clearly and reliably.
• On snow, the performance is not leading: in braking it is the worst of the first four, in shifting it is also the fourth result, acceleration is the weakest.
• When adding gas, they actively screw into the turn, and when released, they slightly straighten the trajectory.
• The snow-covered road is maintained without comment.
• They behave confidently in deep snow. Even with intense slipping, they float up, move forward, without trying to dig in, and are not afraid of slipping.
• They walk on asphalt without any notice, they even react to small turns of the steering wheel without delay, almost like summer tires.
• On dry asphalt they brake better than average, on wet asphalt they brake very well.
• Comfortable, noise and smooth running without any comments. Economical at any speed, but rolls a little worse than the Nokian.

2nd place: Bridgestone Blizzak WS60

• On “white” surfaces they show outstanding results, but, alas, along with frankly weak ones. On ice there is excellent braking and better acceleration. It would seem that the model is just right to be declared the ice leader!
• But weak lateral grip spoils the whole picture (only the Kama is slower on the icy lap), forcing you to be careful when cornering. Tires that inspire confidence during acceleration and braking noticeably lose grip when cornering.
• The controls are clear, the slides are soft and understandable. On snow there is very good braking and a decent result when shifting, but acceleration is very weak. The tires require care when starting off and are only ready to take full throttle when moving (the Nokian behaves similarly).
• They walk better than others on a snow-covered road and respond to direction adjustments without delay.
• They overcome snowdrifts easily, they are not afraid of slipping, since they do not dig in.
• They move clearly on asphalt, but the reactions, like most winter tires, are slightly blurred.
• On a dry road they brake better than anyone else, but on a wet road they don’t like it - the result is worse than average.
• They make noise, transmit vibrations and mild itching from micro-irregularities.
• Highest fuel consumption at any speed.

1st place: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R

• Almost equally strong on snow and ice, none weak characteristics.
• On ice surfaces, very good braking is in harmony with the same lateral grip and acceleration. A slight twisting skid helps when turning, they handle well in slides, and gently restore traction when coming out of slides.
• All characteristics are best on snow. Confident braking, energetic acceleration, high speed (together with Goodyear) execution of the changeover and clear behavior on it. They allow and forgive minor mistakes in management.
• They confidently hold on to the snowy road. Drifts and snow drifts are not scary. Starting after stopping, turning any curvature, going back - all this is done without difficulty and special skills.
• On asphalt they float slightly within the strip.
• On dry asphalt the braking is weak, on wet asphalt it is moderate. It looks like there is little left for asphalt; all the “strength” has gone to snow and ice.
• There are no comments regarding noise. But you can find fault with the smoothness of the ride: isolated irregularities are marked on the body by sharp jolts.
• They set a record for fuel efficiency, ahead of even Michelin.

The editors express their gratitude to all companies that provided tires for testing.

Among studded tires, for several years now the podium has been shared by Continental, Nokian and Michelin, not allowing outsiders into the circle of the chosen few. And this year was no exception.

The named trio of “spikes” are again the best on Russian roads: each has more than 900 points. First place goes to Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, most suitable for active drivers. But, alas, it is the most expensive and the most unprofitable: the price/quality ratio is 6.24. Very close, with a difference of less than half a percent, is the Russian version of Michelin X-Ice North 2: calm, confident and inexpensive, price/quality - 5.51. Continental, being a little late with the presentation of the new ContiIceContact, threw its vassal Gislaved Nord Frost 5 (price/quality - 5.15) into the breakthrough, slightly increasing its spikes. He did not disappoint and won the senior third place, and was less than 2% behind the leader.

Pirelli and Goodyear tried their best to compete with the top three, but they once again successfully fought off the attack. So, in fourth place is the “lighter” Pirelli Winter Carving Edge, in fifth place is the intelligent Goodyear Ultra Grip Extreme. In terms of price/quality ratio, both tires are almost equal: 5.06 and 5.09, respectively.

The sixth and seventh places were taken by strong good players - the Dutch Vredestein Arctrac (862 points, price/quality - 4.29) and the domestic

Cordiant Sno-Max (856 points and 3.62).

Slightly behind, next to the bar of 840 points, are Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 5000 (price/quality - 5.43) and the Korean “winter pike” Hankook Winter i-Pike, which clearly competes with Vredestein, since they have the same price/quality ratio. The Nizhnekamsk new Kama Euro 519 closes the top ten with a modest result of 828 points (price/quality - 3.62, like Cordiant), which turned out to be not as strong as expected. Let's hope for a quick modernization.

10th place: Kama Euro 519

• Despite the fact that the Kama has the most studs, its grip on ice is very low: the car starts and accelerates uncertainly, and brakes jerkily. The lateral grip is the weakest among all the studs. When the speed is too high, the car is blown off the intended trajectory and slides for a long time. Unexpected slippage and sudden loss of traction are especially unpleasant. The beginning of a breakdown cannot be predicted; you understand this only when the car has already “floated”.
• On snow, acceleration and braking are weak, lateral grip is the worst, and the edge of slipping, just like on ice, is not felt.
• On a snowy road the car goes smoothly, however, if you leave the steering wheel, it strives to go into deeper snow. When adjusting the course, the steering angles are large. It is better to overcome snowdrifts with intense slipping. An undoubted advantage is a confident exit back if it was not possible to get forward.
• Directional stability on asphalt is not bad, but there is not enough information on the steering wheel and delays when steering are hampered. Braking on dry and wet pavement is worse than average.
• Fuel consumption is average at any speed. The studs are too deep, which largely explains the low grip properties on ice.
• They make a lot of noise, transmitting the entire microprofile of the road to the car, as if they were over-pumped.

9th place: Hankook Winter i-Pike

• “Pike” or “tip” is the translation of the last word in the name of the tire with a tread pattern similar to the often copied Gislaved NF 3.
• On ice, the grip properties are weak, forcing you to move slowly. With a slight increase in speed, the car “does not hear” the steering wheel when turning, loses the intended trajectory and slides for a long time. It’s good that breakdowns and recovery occur quite smoothly.
• On snow, tires brake and accelerate more confidently, but lateral grip is much worse than longitudinal grip.
• At small turning angles, the driver is hampered by an “empty” steering wheel; at large turning angles, the driver slips into a skid. It is impossible to feel the start of sliding.
• The car is driven along the snowy road without notice. In deep snow they are reluctant to push, and you have to skid carefully, otherwise you can get buried.
• On asphalt there is a little delay when steering. They brake worse than others in dry and wet conditions.
• They make an unpleasant noise at any speed; two rumbling peaks stand out from the general hum - at city (40–60 km/h) and suburban (90–110 km/h) speeds.
• Shake the car sensitively on uneven surfaces.
• Fuel consumption is average at any speed.
• Studded neatly, but rather shallowly, an additional two to three tenths of a millimeter of protrusion of the studs would improve grip on ice.

8th place: Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 5000

• The model is fading into history, giving way to the new IC 7000, but is still selling successfully.
• These tires have never been great on ice: reluctant acceleration, below-average braking, frankly weak lateral grip and sluggish responses. Nevertheless, at moderate speeds they behave quite adequately. There is only one problem: guessing this speed.
• I drove a little faster - the steering angles and reaction time of the car increase significantly, it begins to blur the trajectory and gets out of control.
• On snow, the steering angles are smaller, but the behavior is unstable, the front end drifts in the initial phase of the turn and skids on an arc of constant radius. In both cases, a little too much speed leads to long slides. They brake worse than others, rearrangements are performed at the lowest speed, on par with the Kama.
• On a snowy road, you hold a straight line confidently. They are not afraid of deep snow on the road, overcoming them without stress.
• On clean asphalt, I like the informative steering wheel and precise execution of steering commands.
• Braking on asphalt of any condition is average.
• Not comfortable enough: the tread makes an almost helicopter noise, and the tires transmit shocks from any road irregularities to the body, as well as vibrations to the floors and steering wheel.
• The studs are of very high quality in terms of spread (no more than 0.2 mm), but somewhat small and there are a dozen fewer studs than other brands of tires.

7th place: Cordiant Sno-Max

• Domestic tires; Unlike the Kama, the number of spikes corresponds to European standards.
• Acceleration and braking on ice are average, but when turning they force you to be careful: the grip across is noticeably worse than in the longitudinal direction. They require a wide amplitude of steering, and on the arc of a bend you can’t shake the feeling that the car is turning not due to the rotation of the front wheels, but due to the slip of the rear ones.
• On snow, the side-to-side balance changes. The weakest acceleration and braking are combined with an average level of lateral grip. When taxiing, the steering wheel's turning angles are large, and the sliding is a little longer than that of the grandees, although they remain within reason.
• They maintain a clear course in the snow, but large steering angles make it difficult to correct. They are not afraid of snow drifts and snowdrifts: they confidently start, move and turn, and reliably get out in reverse.
• They float on the asphalt, the steering wheel is “empty”, and you have to turn it at significant angles.
• On dry asphalt the braking is average, on wet asphalt it is better than average.
• They make a lot of noise on the asphalt due to the tread and spikes and howl on dense snow. They transmit vibrations from small road irregularities and shocks from road joints.
• As for fuel consumption, the most insatiable in the test.
• The quality of the studs: the spread of protrusion is small (0.4 mm), but the studs still stick out high, and there is a risk of losing or breaking the cores from them.

6th place: Vredestein Arctrac

• A special feature of the tire is its low weight, which combines with increased load capacity.
• On ice, longitudinal grip properties are weak, and transverse grip properties are average. They slip at startup, delaying the acceleration process; They stop the car the worst. At the same time, they show average results on the lap, although in turns they do not inspire confidence: they either cling or break away. They recover abruptly, jerking the car unpleasantly. They don't like slipping.
• On snow they accelerate modestly, brake and turn averagely.
• The car is clearly controlled on them, but only before the start of sliding, which turns into unexpected for the driver. The case ends in a sweeping skid.
• They move smoothly along the snow-covered straight line, without any comments.
• They overcome deep snow with uncertainty, turn reluctantly, but get back out well.
• On the asphalt we liked the clear course and clear “zero”.
• They brake well, and on dry surfaces they brake very well, almost on par with the Goodyear. On wet they show average results.
• They make noise and shake the car, voicing asphalt irregularities, and rustle loudly in dense snow.
• At a speed of 90 km/h, fuel consumption is average, at 60 km/h - increased.
• The studding is of high quality both in terms of the protrusion of the spikes and the spread.

5th place: Goodyear Ultra Grip Extreme

• Acceleration and lateral grip on ice are average, braking is better. Each turn of the steering wheel at a speed above 30 km/h causes a slight steering drift. If you let off the gas, the skidding will intensify and require steering adjustments.
• On snow, all characteristics are also not below average. When cornering, the car is controlled clearly, the limit is limited by the demolition of the front end. However, in the second corridor of the changeover, skidding begins already at low speed. Keeping the car in control and achieving high results is possible only with the help of an electronic assistant or proactive actions of the driver.
• Directional stability on a snowy road is clear, without any comments.
• Snow tracks are not for these tires. It is better to move through the snowdrifts only under pressure, otherwise you will get up or even bury yourself.
• On asphalt they go smoothly in a straight line, but are delayed when steering... But they brake better than anyone else, both wet and dry (in this they are almost on par with the Vredestein).
• They make a hum from the tread, but the noise of the studs is a separate issue. They howl at high speeds and crunch distinctly at low speeds. Shake the car on small and medium-sized bumps.
• They roll well, so they consume average fuel.
• The quality of the studs is comparable to Cordiant: the spread is within reasonable limits, but the protrusion is on the verge of the maximum permissible.

4th place: Pirelli Winter Carving Edge

• Like Goodyear, they are not afraid of ice. They accelerate, brake and turn confidently. On an arc of constant radius, the maximum speed does not cause pronounced drift or skidding, the car's steering is close to neutral. On the ice ring, speed is limited by soft drifting. This allows you to change the curvature of the turn by releasing or adding gas.
• They also work quite conscientiously on snow: they show average results in braking, acceleration and shifting. The behavior is clear, understandable, without comments, with an element of “ignition” - they provoke active driving.
• They walk smoothly on a snowy road, clearly responding to steering inputs.
• It is better to overcome deep snow with slight slipping, but without excessive zeal, otherwise you can get buried.
• They hold the asphalt straight as tenaciously as in summer, braking on wet surfaces is average, and on dry surfaces it is above average.
• They annoy you with the wheezing-howling crunch of thorns. They shake noticeably on any irregularities, even small ones.
• The stitching is satisfactory in all respects.

3rd place: Gislaved Nord Frost 5

• They differ from last year's ones in a slightly increased size of the solid stud insert.
• The premium tire category is opening. Best braking and lateral grip, very good acceleration on ice. They behave very confidently in turns; at the limit, the speed is limited by a slight skid that requires minor adjustments.
• They also handle well on snow: very good braking, good acceleration and average lateral grip properties. There are no complaints about the car's handling, its behavior or the clarity of its reactions. It handles well even when sliding.
• They stubbornly keep their course on the snowy road. In deep snow, however, they do not behave very confidently.
• On the asphalt they are reminiscent of Goodyear: they are slightly delayed in reacting to course adjustments.
• They are the best in braking on wet asphalt (on par with Goodyear), and on dry asphalt they have quite a decent average result.
• They make noise and crunch their spines very clearly, especially at low speeds.
• Shocks from single irregularities are transmitted to the body.
• Increased fuel consumption at any speed.
• Studs: the spread of protrusion is within reasonable limits, but it would be nice to reduce the protrusion itself a little - for the sake of the durability of the studs.

2nd place: Michelin X-Ice North 2

• A nice feature of these tires, which instill confidence in safety on any road, is their well-balanced longitudinal and lateral grip. We note good braking on ice (despite the classic round studs), average acceleration and very good lateral grip. On the bend, when releasing the gas, slightly twist the car, helping to register the turn.
• Excellent traction properties on snow: the shortest braking distance, intense acceleration and record speed at the changeover. Stable behavior and clear reactions even when sliding. When overspeeding, they gently slide sideways, intensively slowing down.
• They handle snowy roads better than others and are sensitive to steering inputs. Deep snow is overcome confidently, allowing you to perform any maneuvers.
• They are good on asphalt: they clearly keep the given direction, and react to steering inputs without delay.
• Braking on dry surfaces is average, but on wet surfaces the tires give up: the weakest result.
• Snorting noise on paved roads. Shake the car a little on road micro-irregularities.
• The most economical (on par with Nokian) at any speed.
• The studding is of very high quality, giving reason to believe that the studs will last a long time.

1st place: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7

• There is one step from confidence to aggressiveness. All ice characteristics, including lap times, are better than average, and acceleration is the best. However, it feels like the tires accelerate and brake better than they turn. Behavior when turning on ice is understandable and predictable, and in the extreme it is easy to assist in skidding.
• On snow, very good braking (only Michelin is better), better acceleration, second result at the reset. They handle well even when sliding, react without delay to turning the steering wheel, and due to this they fit into turns of seemingly unimaginable steepness. All this provokes fast driving, so you need to honestly assess your skill level.
• They clearly follow a given course on a snowy road.
• In deep snow, everything is done easily and naturally, without fear of stops, starts with slipping, or sharp turns.
• On the asphalt they float a little from side to side.
• Braking on dry surfaces is average, but on wet surfaces they show the most modest results.
• They rustle with the studs and tread, shaking the car on small bumps.
• Economical at any speed.
• Studded with very high quality, no problems due to studs falling out are expected.

Out of the competition: Continental ContilceContact

• These tires were presented to the public after the completion of our "white" tests. But we found the opportunity to compare them with the test winner Nokian HKPL 7 in New Zealand, where winter is in full swing in June. We rented the same Golf VI that we used to conduct our own tests, but we couldn’t find asphalt roads, so the duel took place only on ice and snow. However, this is enough for the first acquaintance and identifying the capabilities of the new product.
• On ice they accelerate and brake almost on par with the Nokian, but in lateral grip they are simply head and shoulders above: the difference is more than 8% in favor of the German new product. Handling is beyond praise, reactions to steering wheel turns are clearer, behavior is more stable - at the limit the car only slips slightly with the rear axle. And this is on very slippery ice, where the Nokian behaves like an average car: it does not shine with information on the steering wheel and stability of behavior - it either drifts or skids and glides longer than we would like.
• On snow, the difference is almost the same, the braking distance and acceleration time are comparable to those of the Nokia, but the handling, as on ice, is better than that of the “seven”. The steering wheel is filled with information content on a straight line, clear reactions and understandable behavior in turns. The tires pull the car into turns without a hint of drift. HKPL 7 on the same track are less informative, give periodic drift when entering a turn and more active skidding on an arc.
• In deep snow, the “Germans” are a little behind the “Finns”: they start hesitantly, requiring more gas, but with intense slippage they tend to dig in.
• The studding is high quality and stable.

FRICTION TIRES RATING

The non-studded tires collected in the test, also known as “Velcro” or “Scandinavian” tires, are already known to our readers. They were updated two or three years ago, with the exception of the long-lived Vredestein Nord-Trac and the new Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice+.

The leaders' results were dense - in the range from 899 to 924 points. The first five differ by no more than 3%. But their characters are different, and each tire in our test set its own record, or even several.

When choosing, the reader should focus not on the overall result, but on individual preferences and preferences and, of course, take into account the advantages and disadvantages we have listed.

The Russian Nokian Hakkapeliitta R set records in braking and acceleration on snow and at the same time demonstrated the worst braking on dry asphalt. It remains the most expensive on the market: price/quality - 6.16. The most attractive in this parameter is the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 (4.99) - the best in terms of longitudinal grip on ice and braking on dry asphalt, but the most voracious when evaluating fuel consumption. Michelin X-Ice 2 is a well-balanced tire, all performance is high, with the exception of acceleration on snow. The expensive ContiVikingContact 5 (price/quality - 6.04) has the best results on an ice circle and in acceleration on snow, but in braking on wet asphalt it turned out to be the worst. Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice+ is a tire that is even in all respects and is the best in tire rearrangement. The price/quality ratio (5.45) is the same as a Michelin tire, and apparently they will have to compete with each other in the market. But the title of the most economical tire in the fight between Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 and Michelin X-Ice 2 was won by a Russian-Finnish tire.

The far from new Vredestein Nord-Trac with 852 points is noticeably behind the others. Even based on the price/quality ratio of 4.11, it is clear that he is no longer able to compete with the younger giants.

Kama Euro 519 without studs scored 830 points. Here is an example of the inappropriate use of a product originally created in a studded version. In terms of rubber hardness, Nizhnekamsk tires are closer to “European” tires (such as ContiWinterContact TS 830, Michelin Alpine, Pirelli Snowsport, Kumho KW17), and therefore cannot compete on equal terms with “Scandinavian” tires on ice and snow. But on clean asphalt they feel very confident.

7th place: Kama Euro 519

• These tires are designed for studding, but often the “bald” version is also sold - not the best solution for icy and snowy roads.
• On ice, traction is worse than that of all real studless tires. Acceleration is slow, braking is ineffective and jerky. When cornering, there are large steering angles, delayed reactions, prolonged slides, and, to the extreme, front end drift and significant straightening of the trajectory.
• On snow, braking is very weak - only Vredestein is worse; acceleration is mediocre, like Michelin; at the rearrangement, the maximum speed and behavior are worse than the others. The comments are almost the same as on ice: insufficient information on the steering wheel, large angles of rotation, prolonged sliding. On a snow-covered straight line, the car is pulled towards deeper snow; course correction is complicated by large steering angles.
• In deep snow they turn better than going straight, so you can tack if necessary. On asphalt they float a little within the lane and are late when taxiing. They brake great. On wet surfaces they show the best results, on dry surfaces - above average.
• One of the reasons: the tires are harder than others. Not comfortable enough: they make a lot of noise, periodically howl and noticeably shake the car. Fuel consumption at 60 km/h is high, at 90 km/h it is average.

6th place: Vredestein Nord-Trac

• On ice, grip properties leave much to be desired; braking and acceleration are very weak (only the Kama is worse). However, on the ice circle they stay in the middle, creaking like other “Scandinavian” cars. Nevertheless, the behavior of the car is predictable, without surprises or problems. When reaching maximum speed, it begins to gently slide outward, straightening its trajectory.
• They perform about the same in the snow. Braking is the worst of all, lateral grip is weak, except for average acceleration. When accelerating, you can clearly feel how the electronics keep the tires from slipping. Maneuvering is complicated by increased steering angles. In corners, the top speed results in slight oversteer.
• On a snow-covered straight line, when moving evenly and releasing the gas, the car yaws a little, but during easy acceleration it moves much more clearly. They don’t like snowdrifts; it’s better to overcome them at speed, without stopping and not to turn the steering wheel unnecessarily. It is not recommended to skid, otherwise you might get stuck.
• They walk smoothly on asphalt, but are delayed when adjusting direction. Braking on asphalt is also not brilliant, both wet and dry brakes are weak.
• The tread rustles loudly on rough asphalt, howls in corners at high speeds, and pops on bumps. Large bumps pass through unpleasantly harshly. Fuel consumption at 60 km/h is average, at 90 km/h it is increased.

5th place: Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice+

• The company’s new product, which essentially falls into the category of premium tires.
• She has no noticeable preference for surfaces, with the exception of asphalt. On any road, the tires demonstrate a fairly even character and similar behavior.
• On ice, both longitudinal and lateral grip are average. At the moment of starting, it is easy for the wheels to slip, so you need to apply pressure on the gas carefully.
• In the snow, braking and acceleration are also average, and the speed at the changeover “jumps out” into the leading ones. This is partly due to the electronics (on the Golf it cannot be switched off). The skid in the second corridor begins early, but the ESP simply does not allow it to develop. The same thing happens during acceleration: as on the Vredestein, you can clearly feel that the electronics are strangling the engine, otherwise the tires will slip.
• On a snowy road everything is smooth, without any comments.
• In deep snow they behave confidently, maneuver easily, and do not dig in when slipping.
• On asphalt, when changing course, you can feel a slight steering of the rear axle.
• Braking is not record-breaking, but very effective both on wet asphalt and (especially!) on dry.
• Comfortable: the tread rustles quietly and rolls along the road gently.
• At 60 km/h, fuel is consumed economically; in this indicator they compete with Michelin. However, at 90 km/h the consumption increases to average.

4th place: Continental ContiVikingContact 5

• The leader of our test two years ago. This time the results are more modest. Apparently, the new exercise “braking on wet asphalt” had an effect. Nevertheless, no weaknesses were found on snow and ice, and they remain in the premium tire category (more than 900 points).
• On ice they accelerate and brake in the top four, and on the lap they show the best results. They squeak and squeak, as if there is wet concrete under the wheels instead of ice, but they hold! When maneuvering, the steering turns are quite large.
• They feel much more confident on snow: better acceleration, very good braking and an average result at the stop. As on ice, the steering angles are too large. The course on a snowy road is quite clear, they respond to direction adjustments without delay
• Deep snow can be overcome confidently in any mode.
• On the asphalt straight they float slightly within the lane. They stop well on dry asphalt, but on wet asphalt they give up, braking worse than anyone else. Tire manufacturers consider grip on a wet road to be the antipode of rolling resistance. Here, like the “bridge”, there is no “wet” clutch, no fuel economy.
• In terms of comfort, they are comparable to Michelin: quiet and smooth.
• Fuel consumption at 60 km/h is average, at 90 km/h it is increased.

3rd place: Michelin X-Ice 2

• They feel confident on “white” roads and off-road. There are no failures, with the exception of weak acceleration in the snow.
• They don’t shine on ice, but they are confident: they brake and accelerate actively, and on the lap they share the second result with Nokian. Unlike the “bridge”, they are captivated by the balance of the clutch “lengthwise and across”. Clear reactions, smooth transitions to slides - in general, they behave clearly and reliably.
• On snow, the performance is not leading: in braking it is the worst of the first four, in shifting it is also the fourth result, acceleration is the weakest.
• When adding gas, they actively screw into the turn, and when released, they slightly straighten the trajectory.
• The snow-covered road is maintained without comment.
• They behave confidently in deep snow. Even with intense slipping, they float up, move forward, without trying to dig in, and are not afraid of slipping.
• They walk on asphalt without any notice, they even react to small turns of the steering wheel without delay, almost like summer tires.
• On dry asphalt they brake better than average, on wet asphalt they brake very well.
• Comfortable, noise and smooth running without any comments. Economical at any speed, but rolls a little worse than the Nokian.

2nd place: Bridgestone Blizzak WS60

• On “white” surfaces they show outstanding results, but, alas, along with frankly weak ones. On ice there is excellent braking and better acceleration. It would seem that the model is just right to be declared the ice leader!
• But weak lateral grip spoils the whole picture (only the Kama is slower on the icy lap), forcing you to be careful when cornering. Tires that inspire confidence during acceleration and braking noticeably lose grip when cornering.
• The controls are clear, the slides are soft and understandable. On snow there is very good braking and a decent result when shifting, but acceleration is very weak. The tires require care when starting off and are only ready to take full throttle when moving (the Nokian behaves similarly).
• They walk better than others on a snow-covered road and respond to direction adjustments without delay.
• They overcome snowdrifts easily, they are not afraid of slipping, since they do not dig in.
• They move clearly on asphalt, but the reactions, like most winter tires, are slightly blurred.
• On a dry road they brake better than anyone else, but on a wet road they don’t like it - the result is worse than average.
• They make noise, transmit vibrations and mild itching from micro-irregularities.
• Highest fuel consumption at any speed.

1st place: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R

• Almost equally strong on snow and ice, not a single weak characteristic.
• On ice surfaces, very good braking is in harmony with the same lateral grip and acceleration. A slight twisting skid helps when turning, they handle well in slides, and gently restore traction when coming out of slides.
• All characteristics are best on snow. Confident braking, energetic acceleration, high speed (together with Goodyear) execution of the changeover and clear behavior on it. They allow and forgive minor mistakes in management.
• They confidently hold on to the snowy road. Drifts and snow drifts are not scary. Starting after stopping, turning any curvature, going back - all this is done without difficulty and special skills.
• On asphalt they float slightly within the strip.
• On dry asphalt the braking is weak, on wet asphalt it is moderate. It looks like there is little left for asphalt; all the “strength” has gone to snow and ice.
• There are no comments regarding noise. But you can find fault with the smoothness of the ride: isolated irregularities are marked on the body by sharp jolts.
• They set a record for fuel efficiency, ahead of even Michelin.

The editors express their gratitude to all companies that provided tires for testing.

To this day, nothing has been determined: although there have been signs that Pirelli will again be a tire supplier for Formula 1 in 2014, there is still no clear answer to this question.

The new cars that will race in 2014 have not yet been revealed. There is talk of big changes being made to the design, and the tire manufacturer naturally needs to know all the ins and outs. Although there are simulators, they are not capable of replacing a full-fledged test in real conditions. Will Pirelli remain in the Formula 1 team? Recently, there has been more and more talk about who could become the new tire supplier for racing. Among the most likely candidates are the French company Michelin and the South Korean company Hankook.

Pirelli claims that it does not insist on remaining the sole and exclusive supplier of tires, and explains its dissatisfaction with the current situation: “Everyone would like what we want: an understanding of how we should carry out tests, information about whether it will be possible to test during the next season, and what changes can be made,” while company representatives reject rumors that Pirelli is deliberately stalling to remain the sole tire supplier, “we never insisted on this. We didn't say that we would stop being involved in motorsports if we stopped being the exclusive tire supplier."

But do other manufacturers want to take Pirelli's place? Michelin still seems to have doubts about its desire to participate in the race, but from South Korea The first refusal has already arrived. As Hankook representatives say, “In 2014, our entry into Formula 1 would have been completely impossible, and not only due to the lack of development opportunities. We wouldn't have enough time to test. Even if we carried out the first tests this year, it would take at least three years to create a safe and performance tire for Formula 1. But now it is not even known what tire size is required for the new 2014 cars. There is still no one hundred percent certainty that these will be tires of thirteen diameter. Perhaps these will be fifteen or seventeen inch wheels. It could be that over the next five years, riders will switch to eighteen-inchers.” And although in soon Hankook has no plans to compete for a place in Formula 1, the Korean company will make every effort to become the number one tire manufacturer for car racing in the long term.