Tire Rack - Winter Testing at the Arctic Circle: Studless Ice & Snow Tires

[OttovonEarth]

In Dec. 2004 Nordic magazines tested winter tires as usually in Ivalo, Finland. Continental AG submitted tires to the test cause the model was brand new, not in production at the time yet. The main organizer of this test was a Tekniikan Maailma magazine, and they use to check out production tires when they're avaible for consumers - they found that the production Continental had 10% thinner sidewall than its originally tested tires had - winner of the test, Continental AG revealed a scammer.

[thetirerack]

@OttovonEarth In order to avoid this issue, Tire Rack only evaluates production tires in our tests. We wait until we can select our test tires from inventory that'll also be sold to our customers. Additionally, since new tire lines are typically designed to offer best-in-class performance, we'll often repeat recently introduced tires as competitors when even newer tire lines that are introduced in the same category. Our tire tests will discover if a tire’s performance slips in subsequent tests.

[thetirerack]

Occasionally the Tire Rack team will have the opportunity to experience prototype tires during their development. This allows our feedback to assist the manufacturer in the final fine-tuning of the tire’s specifications. However, these experiences are not reported or reflected in our test results.

[thetirerack]

We have seen tire specifications change as a new line goes from development into full production. Compared to the prototype tires; we’ve seen changes in rubber thickness, body ply angles or even tread compounds when the tire line goes into full production. Maybe what you called a “scammer” was just part of the development evolution.

[kawaihui]

Not includes comfort, noise, and durability???

[Serveck]

@kawaihui with winter tires, i'd take the noisiest roughest tires i can find so i don't go off the road, or into you.

[NordicTyres]

@ Nokianraptor - Nokian are considered to be the No.1 winter tyre in the Nordic Countries and this is probably why they have not added them to the testing. Nokian's moto - Trust the Natives! Nokian Winter Car Tyres are now easily available in the UK - contact Nordic Tyres (UK) Ltd for your nearest stockist. 01576 203020

[fubecabr]

@NordicTyres

In AK the Nokian tires are often double the price of Blizzaks. I'm not paying double the price for maybe 3% more performance, especially during the middle of the Greatest Depression.

[NordicTyres]

@fubecabr - I would not even consider comparing a Blizzak to a Nokian tyre. Your estimation of a 3% difference in performance is your opinion. If that were the case - then why is Blizzak never shown in listings for Top Performance Tyres. I appreciate times are hard - but you do get what you pay for. May I also point out that the Nokian Tyre has also just broken the World Land Speed Record for driving on ice. Your Blizzak would be sitting watching!

[fubecabr]

@NordicTyres

I'd like to see a source for your statements. The tests I've seen have the blizzaks better on snow, cold dry roads, and roughed up ice and only 3-5% worse on glare ice than studded nokians. But I live in AK where temperatures are below freezing from Nov. through March and don't deal with glare ice very much.

[tiredrummertube]

This test is already out of date; when will TR compare Alpin4; Goodyear8; Bridgestone WS70; and the GZ against best two years ago ContiExtreme Winter???

[KatoKid85]

Nokian blows all of them away

[Mast3rSkillz]

You cant really go wrong with any of these tires

[Nokianraptor]

You went all the way to the Arctic Circle and didn't put a Nokian the mix?  Smart move especially when you are trying to sell Brigdestone, Continental and Michelin winter tires.

[dougluce]

This is pretty useless without some controls: all-weather and/or studded for comparison.

[TheNineveh]

All three tires are exellent for over all traction, the blizzack has a slight advantage if your a Zamboni driver, cause as icy as I have seen has never come close to a skating rink.

[Ninjawithaphone]

Yeah, yeah, yeah - and I saw several other reviews that placed the X-Ice 2 as the best overall tire.

[MrDany20100]

Where can i buy x-ice ?

[hamer1of1light]

@MrDany20100 canadian tire but i have the continental xtream winter contact and they realy are good for snow. i did have a couple of oversteering issues but as the vid said i could easily get back in line with them by countersteering. x ice isnt the best tire out there its good but not great yet i cant say cuz iv never used x ice. if ya live in snowy regions stick 2 wat i got if ya live in a region where its icy then go for brigstone as the vid said

[EmptyMellon]

Your web site is rather useless regarding the tests you've conducted...once there it is hard to find any usefull comparative test data, mentioned in this video.

[dave0mary]

Comments left here concerning FWD vs RWD are under vastly different parameters. To say "my Corolla got good traction with these tires" as opposed to a RWD BMW for example is critical. My 2001 BMW 530i sport (RWD) going from Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's to Extreme Winter Contact tires was absolutely phenominal. Not dissapointed in the tires OR TireRack.

[iriddell1]

i have the X-Ice tires on my civic. They are fantastic!!

[gameraccounts]

@TireRack

You contradict your test results in this video 2:56 stating Blizzaks clear advantage in braking on ice. Ref your other video /watch?v=QyIJmmmD3Wo 2:59 Do you mean Blizzak blew away the others in accelerating from zero because your slide is showing the Conti's as best braking tires.

[autoxerwgn]

@gameraccounts

Ice vs Snow performance, 2 different things.

[gameraccounts]

@autoxerwgn

My comment did not reference snow.

[gameraccounts]

my priorities? hmm...

[cliffcox66]

i see that the winter tires work, i just don't understand how they work. it's still flat rubber w/o studs. Can anyone explain this?

[sh856531]

@cliffcox66 2 things:

1. The material in summer tires becomes hard like glass in frozen temperatures meaning they are effectively useless. WT are designed to remain very soft at low temps

2. Winter tires have very deep channels and grooves that dig into the snow and ice as you go over it.

It may not seem like these two things could make that much of a difference - but they really do. I've seen cars do seemingly impossible things with the tires changed...

HTH

[hondahp18]

@cliffcox66 winter tires have very advanced rubber compounds designed to remain flexible in cold, also, tread pattern has nothing to do with winter traction, so just because a tire is prettier than the next, doesn't make it have better traction

[TheFastestSrbin]

@cliffcox66

Texture and compound are different.

[mustang633NY]

@cliffcox66 sipes in the tires create more "biting surfaces" there can also be silica or other materials in the rubber compound to keep it soft... big thing w/ cold weather traction is keeping the tread soft and having lots of sipes... use 4 matching tires - either all season or winter. dont be a yahoo and only use two snows... Buy 4 snow tires and get 4 steel wheels from a salvage yard for under $20 each... run the tallest sidewall snow tire and smallest wheel size that your manufacturer lists

[sidehop]

Too bad Altimax isn't offered in my tire size, probably will end up with the Xi2 and see how it works. Yokohama IceGuard was good, Icebear W300 were absolutely horrible.

[krypekeeper]

General Altimax artic > all these and are only $68 each for 195/60/15s

[mbdulka]

Tire Rack needs to get some Nokian tires in their offer, too .. the tested tires above are awesome, but nothing touches Nokian Winter tires.

[Victortrotska]

@mbdulka I know nothing about Nokian, are these good winter tyres?

[mbdulka]

@Victortrotska They're the best non-studded tires you can get IMO ... I currently have Dunlop WinterSport 3Ds -- very good tires, but my buddies Nokians stick to the ice/snow better.

[sanmusa]

I had Blizzak WS60 on my Subaru Forester in Alaska and they are truly great tires for winter driving. I was driving at near summer speeds, wondering why everybody else was so slow.

[Victortrotska]

@sanmusa Were they good in icy conditions? Also in curves? I am looking for winter tyres so checking around for feedbacks!

[sanmusa]

@Victortrotska Blizzak are great, yes they were good in icy conditions. My buddy ahs the new Blizzak WS70 on his Honda Civic Si and they grip very well on front wheel drive too.

[Victortrotska]

@sanmusa Thanks!

[mrjost55]

you should include the price of the tires in your videos.

[rtsoccerplayer]

the price will depend on your size

[mrjost55]

yeah but an average size comparison would be nice

[jefevonQ]

What size?

[remberme20007]

I just ordered today 4 michlin I hope it's good, SO after a lot of searching, I found it cheapest one for the size 15 only !

[xilix]

@mrjost55 Prices are subject to change (and they do), that's why they don't mention them in the video, because tons of people would be bitching about the tires not being (insert price here). Not worth it. If you want to know the price, it takes 30 seconds on their site.

[mrjost55]

@xilix that's a good point