Moottori: Studless Winter Tire Test R16 2025

Finland, known as the birthplace of studded tires, is seeing these tires gradually give way to studless options. Milder winters in the Helsinki region and the noise generated by studs—especially problematic for electric vehicles—are key reasons behind this shift. With these changes in mind, the editorial team at Finnish magazine Moottori set out to find the best studless tires for the 2024-2025 winter, focusing on the popular 205/55 R16 size.
In Finland’s northern regions, where studded tires still dominate, Pasi Piironen of Moottori noted that cheaper studded tires can be less safe on ice than high-quality studless ones, a conclusion drawn from head-to-head comparisons on ice.
Studded tires can underperform against studless ones for several reasons: sparse studding, improper stud installation, or a suboptimal rubber compound. These issues can limit stud effectiveness. The rubber compound is even more critical for studless tires. Softer compounds generally grip cold roads better, while harder ones can lose traction in the cold. Interestingly, the three worst-performing studless tires in Moottori’s 205/55 R16 test had the highest Shore hardness values.
- Year
- 2025
- Tire Test Original Link
- Visit Website
- Tire Size
- 205/55R16
- Season
- Winter
- Auto Type
- Passenger
- List Type
- Professional Tire Test
- Region
- Europe
- Date added
- Oct 01, 2024
- Date updated
- Oct 23, 2024