Vi Bilägare: SUV Studdless Winter Tire Test R18 2023

The Swedish experts from the Vi Bilägare magazine tested friction winter tires in size 235/55 R18, designed for SUVs and crossovers; among other tires, the test involved the 2022 newcomer — Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV. Besides the Nokian model, the test also involved tires from Bridgestone, Continental, Falken, Goodyear, Kumho, and Michelin; for comparison, the experts also included in the test pool a tire from the private brand Mazzini, owned by the Chinese company Best Choice International, which also offers tires under the brands of Delmax, Autogreen, and Gowind.

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV - Winner Recommended

N/A 37

· Winter · 2022 · Light Truck / SUV - Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Excellent ice grip. Good performance on all types of surfaces. Low rolling resistance. Long braking distance on wet pavement. Poor straight hydroplaning resistance. Very good.
Ice Acceleration Ice Handling Ice Braking Snow Braking Rolling Resistance Snow Acceleration Snow Handling Straight Hydroplaning

North America · Europe · Russia+ · Japan

Test Score:

87
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 Recommended

86 40

· Winter · 2014 · Passenger - Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Excellent wet performance (for a Scandinavian-type tire). Low noise emission. Relatively low lateral stability on ice and snow. Very good.
Straight Hydroplaning Dry Handling Wet Braking Noise Wet Handling

USA+ · Canada · Europe · Russia+

Test Score:

81
Continental VikingContact 7

90 55

· Winter · 2018 · Passenger - Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Strong traction and good handling response on all types of surfaces. Increased noise emission. Good.
Ice Handling Ice Braking Snow Braking Snow Handling Noise

USA+ · Canada · Europe · Russia+ · East Asia

Test Score:

79
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV

N/A 39

· Winter · 2020 · Light Truck / SUV - Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Short braking distance on snow and ice. Good stability and dry handling response. Insufficient grip on wet pavement. Poor hydroplaning resistance. Good.
Ice Braking Snow Acceleration Dry Handling Snow Braking Wet Braking Straight Hydroplaning

USA+ · Canada · Europe · Russia+ · Japan · China

Test Score:

78
Falken Winterpeak F-Snow 1

70 31

· Winter · 2021 · Passenger - Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Good grip and high level of driving safety on snow and ice. Low noise emission. Insufficient stability and poor handling response on tarmac. High rolling resistance. Good.
Ice Braking Snow Acceleration Noise Dry Braking Straight Hydroplaning Dry Handling Rolling Resistance

Europe

Test Score:

75
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V3

N/A 38

· Winter · 2019 · Light Truck / SUV - Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Short braking distance on dry pavement. Good lateral stability on snow. Low noise emission. Poor lateral stability on wet pavement. Low hydroplaning resistance. High rolling resistance. Good.
Dry Braking Noise Snow Braking Snow Handling Straight Hydroplaning Rolling Resistance Wet Handling Ice Acceleration

Europe · Russia+ · East Asia

Test Score:

66
Kumho WinterCraft SUV Ice WS51

N/A 21

· Winter · 2018 · Light Truck / SUV - Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Good hydroplaning resistance. Short braking distance on wet pavement. Good handling response on asphalt. Weak traction on ice. Poor handling performance on all types of surfaces. Satisfactory.
Straight Hydroplaning Wet Braking Dry Handling Ice Acceleration Ice Handling Ice Braking Noise Snow Handling Wet Handling

USA+ · Canada · Europe · Russia+ · Southeast Asia

Test Score:

55
Mazzini Snow Leopard LX

N/A 21

· Winter · 2018 · Light Truck / SUV - Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice & Snow · For Nordic Winter x

Verdict:
Good snow grip. Short braking distance on wet pavement. Excellent hydroplaning resistance. Poor ice traction. Poor stability on dry pavement. Irritating noise.
Wet Braking Straight Hydroplaning Ice Acceleration Ice Handling Ice Braking Dry Handling Noise Snow Handling

Europe · Russia+

Test Score:

53