Which tires are best for the winter: owner reviews, manufacturers, description and specifications

Choosing a shoe for your iron horse, each of us is looking for the optimal ratio of quality and price. Serious is to put on shoes for the winter. There are several options: to take studded or friction tires.

What is the difference?

Studded tires are designed for use on ice surfaces, on rolled snow. Non-studded tires - in the popular "Velcro", suitable for driving on icy asphalt, wet and loose snow. Therefore, the choice depends on the conditions of use. Frictional tires are mostly chosen for driving in the city, studded tires are designed for extreme conditions of operation. You need to choose, based on the climate, the weather of those areas in which the car will run.

In addition, an important criterion affecting the choice of winter tires will be their price. Depending on the cost, they can be divided into budget, middle price segment and premium class.

However, looking at the price, do not forget about the main thing - safety on the road. Therefore, the quality of tires should be crucial. As practice shows, the best quality products are offered by leading manufacturers with a worldwide reputation. What tires are better for the winter? Customer feedback here is not always critical. Let's consider, on what mastodons of this industry it is necessary to stop.

Manufacturer selection criteria

Speaking about the leaders in the production of tires, we are based on the market share, mastered by these corporations, ratings compiled by experts, consumer reviews. So which brand of tires is better? Car tires produced by the following companies for many years are at the top of a variety of tops.

Three of the world's leading manufacturers of automobile tires

Since 2007, the world's leading manufacturer of rubber for cars is the Japanese company Bridgestone, founded in 1931. The products manufactured by this corporation are distinguished by a high level of quality and belongs to the premium class. Tests on the strength of the tires take place at the sites belonging to the corporation. In the production of winter tires, the prerogative is given to non-studded tires designed for extreme operating conditions.

In the second position, another Japanese company firmly established - the Yokohama Rubber Company, whose year of foundation is 1917th. The recommendation for it is a long-term cooperation with such automobile corporations as Mercedes Benz, Subaru, Porshe, Mazda, Toyota. The tires of this company can satisfy the most demanding customer.

"Bronze" in the rating of the leaders in the manufacturers of automobile tires goes to the French company Michelin. This corporation originated in 1889. One of the many finds Michelin is the invention in the 90s of the last century of Energy tires with low rolling resistance, which saves fuel.

4-5 places in the rating

The fourth place in the list of the best "doers" of rubber for cars is rightfully taken by the American Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The history of this company begins in the distant 1898. Indicative is the fact that it was this organization that was the first supplier of tires for the legendary Ford car. The chip of the company is the production of products from natural ingredients. It was the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company who was the first inventor of corrugated tires for draining liquids, in addition, she owns the invention of tires that do not change their characteristics even in the event of damage.

The first five leaders are closed by Continental AG, which is the acknowledged European number 1 in the production of tires. The German company has a long history, in 2016 it is 225 years old. During the existence of a small joint-stock company has become a monster of the tire industry with branches around the world.

6-10 places in TOP manufacturers

The sixth place in the rating of the top 10 producers of tires was taken by the Italian Pirelli & C. The company has more than 140 years specializing in tires for sports cars, which makes it possible to operate them in extreme situations. Buying tires of this brand, you can be confident in the controllability of your iron horse in all weather conditions.

In seventh place is Nokian Tires. The Finnish manufacturer was originally part of the Nokia concern, established in 1904. A separate company, whose factories make only automobile tires, Nokian Tires became in 1988. Specialization of this company is the production of winter studded rubber. The first tire with retractable spikes was made by Nokian Tires.

Eighth place was firmly occupied by the South Korean firm Hankook Tires. It was founded in 1941. Today Hankook Tires has branches in many countries of the world. The tires of this manufacturer are wear-resistant, show excellent results when braking, which increases the manageability of the car.

The penultimate place in the rating was assigned to the American producer Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. The company was founded in 1914. Today the corporation has branches in 13 countries of the world. A distinctive feature of the tires of this corporation is a relatively low price with the highest quality.

Closes the winning ten of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. This fast-growing Japanese company was founded in 1909. It specializes in the production of all-season tires of excellent quality.

The question that excites all car owners

What tires are better for the winter? Having an idea of the world's leading manufacturers of tires, we will consider specific models that have been included in the top ten winter tires of the 2015-2016 season as a result of numerous expert evaluations. This rating will give an answer to the question "Which studded tires are better for the winter?". Reviews of car owners - that's what you should rely on first.

Top 3

Leading in the list of Finnish studded tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8, designed for harsh winters with a large glaciation coverage. These tires have undergone significant changes in comparison with its earlier version:

• The number of tread blocks has been increased;
• The location of the anchor type spikes is optimized;
• Changed the composition of rubber, which includes rapeseed oil.

All this allows us to speak about high wear resistance of products, easy handling on ice, ecological compatibility and relative quietness of Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires 8. According to the buyers' feedback, their disadvantage is the high price. Many note excessive noise, but, unfortunately, this is a common drawback for studded rubber. Here is the answer to the question "Which tires are better for the winter?" Reviews spikes called the main argument in favor of Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires 8.

The second place in the rating of the best winter tires 2015-2016 belongs to Michelin X-Ice Xi3. This studless winter tire allows you to bite the car into the ice, thanks to the Z-shaped cutting of the slats. The edge of the tread block is equipped with large cylindrical holes working as micropumps, which remove water and snow mush. All this allows to operate Michelin X-Ice Xi3 not only in urban conditions, but also on highways. According to reviews of motorists, these tires are wear-resistant, soft, quiet, allowing you to easily control the car. What tires are better for the winter? Reviews of fans of friction tires speak in favor of Michelin X-Ice Xi3.

The third place is surely taken by products of the German Continental plant - ContiIceContact. These tires justify the reputation of the German attitude to quality. Studded tire shows excellent results regardless of the place of operation: ice, asphalt, wet snow, rolled snow. The passability is excellent, despite the presence of spikes, the acoustic load is minimal.

4-5 position in the winter rubber rating 2015-2016

On the fourth place is Goodyear UltraGrip Ice +. This friction tire is of high quality, allowing easy control of the car, it is comfortable to feel the road, not to feel uncomfortable from excessive noise.

Honorable fifth place belongs to Nokian Nordman 5. Russian tires are designed for driving on snow-covered trails.

The hit of this product in the TOP-10 is, rather, the marketing course of the paid experts, rather than a real evaluation of the advantages of tires. According to buyers, tires very quickly wear out, unstable on the ice. Not everyone can cope with such rubber with driving on a slippery track. The question arises about security. Despite the negative aspects, these tires are still popular.

6-10 places

The sixth place is surely occupied by Yokohama iceGUARD Stud iG55. The Japanese manufacturer also in this case has pleased with quality. Studded tire Yokohama iceGUARD Stud iG55 has a unique composition of rubber, designed to maintain softness at low temperatures, which allows you to increase the level of maneuverability of the car, improve grip on the road.

Gislaved Nord Frost 100 tires settled on the seventh place. Their production is carried out by the Russian subsidiary of the concern Continental. The quality of these tires is adequate to the urban type. Studded rubber adequately proved itself and on ice, ice, snow porridge. Winter tires, opinions about which are very flattering, is Gislaved Nord Frost 100.

The eighth place is occupied by non-studded tires of Vredestein Snow Trac 3, showing excellent results when used in a mild climate - on dry and wet asphalt. For ice, they are weak. Reviews of tires (how to choose the best tires, based on the presented rating, the reader is probably already clear) indicate that many motorists choose Vredestein Snow Trac 3.

For one step to the end of the list there are tires Continental VikingContact 6. Here the German quality demonstrates its permanence. Studless rubber with the original tread pattern and the presence of the slats demonstrates good handling and allows you to feel comfortable in the harsh winter.

Finish the top-10 tires Bridgestone Blizzak Spike-01. Japanese manufacturers have developed an original cross-shaped form of thorns, allowing confident maneuvering on ice, asphalt, wet snow.

So which tires are better for the winter? Reviews about the company that got to the last place, there are both positive and negative. Any product finds its buyer.

Conclusion on which tire brand is better for winter

Consumer feedback unanimously suggests that Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tires are the best for winter.

Let's make a small analysis of the presented rating. Car tires, customer reviews about which only positive, entered the top 10 leaders. Credibility of the leading companies for the production of tires has been confirmed. Not surprisingly, the top ten were the tires of manufacturers with a worldwide reputation. Appreciating the trust of their customers, corporations that produce tires for many years, do not save on raw materials, conducting tests, and as a result, they receive a competitive product estimated at 5+ by consumers around the world.

What tires are better for the winter? Reviews

The firm that won the rating is Nokian. The quality of operation of any of the offered tires will also depend on the technical characteristics of the car, on the wheels of which they will be worn.

What tires are better for the winter? Reviews "Grant Lada", for example, has a wide variety. But with accuracy, we can only say one thing: if this car is shod in rubber from the first ten, it will show itself perfectly on the roads.

Stopping at the price segment of the products, I want to say that premium tires a priori can not be cheap. But the price of life is immeasurably higher. What tires are better for the winter? Reviews show that the choice of rubber depends directly on the class of the car. Dear foreign car is not suitable cheap tires.

Before buying winter tires, opinions and reviews should be thoroughly studied.