10 quietest winter tires

In the category of the best silent tires for winter, South Korean tires from the manufacturer Hankook are deservedly included. Despite the obvious price advantage, Tire Winter i * cept iZ 2 W616 is in no way inferior in its characteristics to the leaders of the review. Possessing average braking and handling performance on ice, but in snowy road conditions, the rubber behavior leaves much to be desired. At the same time, the tires surpassed many premium models in terms of comfort - these are the quietest and most affordable tires participating in our rating.

Independent tests by the Finnish organization Test World confirm the above. The research conducted in 2016 is highly objective - the tire is recognized as the quietest, and in the economy category, its performance even surpassed the Michelin X-Ice, equaling models from brands such as Goodyear and Bridgestone. Tire Winter i * cept iZ 2 W616 tires are excellent for winter operation in all climatic zones of our country, demonstrating confident behavior in difficult conditions. With all the softness of the tire, its service life is beyond praise - with a careful driving style, the owners manage to use it for more than five seasons.

The Velcro winter tire is a bright representative of Japanese quality, which does not raise questions even from the most picky owners. This novelty has recently replaced the previous model of the Observe series and has already managed to undergo independent testing this year by specialists from the domestic publication Za Rulem.During the research, confidently good dynamics of acceleration and braking on the road with snow and ice was revealed. In the overall standings, TOYO Observe took 5th place among 12 participants, which indicates the excellent balance of the tire and readiness for operation in the winter in the vastness of our country.

Despite the high directional stability, the rubber is very soft and frankly quiet - the owners are more than satisfied with their choice. For urban conditions, the silent tire is ideal, because it does not “pass” in front of bare ice areas, and the hard ride provides decent driving comfort. Given these features, winter tires can be forgiven for some uncertainty in deep snow, especially since snow-covered and uncleaned roads are a rarity in urban traffic. In addition, the excellent wear resistance of these tires will allow you to use tires for more than 3-4 seasons.

For those who like to ride as fast in winter as they do in summer, the Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance high performance tire is the best choice. This product of the German concern was independently tested back in 2013 (tests were carried out by Sport Auto). Rubber showed confident behavior on snow and not the best performance of handling and braking on bare pavement. Nevertheless, this tire provides adequate safety on the winter road and is in great demand among the consumer for its quiet operation on any surface.

Unlike studded models, Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance actively uses the features of a three-dimensional tread pattern for its stability.The multi-layered construction of different types of rubber compounds made it possible to ensure quiet operation of the tire. Hybrid sipes in the shoulder area stabilize the tire during active maneuvering, making it very confident to change lanes on a winter road with this rubber.

Let's say right away - for a tough winter, this rubber will be a disappointment for the owner, even if the car is operated exclusively in urban areas. Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D tires are more suitable for southern regions, where snowdrifts and ice are extremely rare. But winter slush or clean asphalt for this tire is a normal “habitat”, in which it demonstrates sporty handling and effective braking.

In operation, the rubber is quite silent - in many respects for this reason it was in our rating. The combination of high sensitivity in control and softness of the ride was achieved due to the special arrangement of tread blocks and the composition of the rubber mixture. Despite all their softness, tires wear out rather slowly, which allows them to be fully used for more than 3-4 seasons (depending on mileage). Due to the excessive elasticity from strong impacts, hernias (or even tears) can appear on the sidewall, so it is better to be more careful with it on bad sections of roads.

The premium tire demonstrates excellent stability on winter roads.Braking without skidding, confidently following a given trajectory when changing lanes - not every studded tire is able to show such tenacity comparable to summer models. At the same time, the high performance of the ContiVikingContact 6, designed for difficult city road conditions, favorably emphasizes the quiet nature of work - in terms of comfort, this tire is considered one of the quietest winter tires.

The low noise level is achieved mainly due to soft even to the touch rubber and a non-aggressive tread pattern that generates a minimum of sound vibrations during rotation. And the stiffness, which is necessary for better handling on a winter road, is created largely due to the internal lamella bridges, which do not allow the tread blocks to deform under load.

The HAKKAPELIITTA 9 model proved to be a worthy successor to the series, which is optimally suited for the Russian winter. At the same time, the tire has a considerable advantage - despite the spikes, it is one of the most comfortable and silent tires (an obvious hum appears with a serious speed increase - more than 90 km / h). In any case, during the tests conducted by Vi Bilagare this year, the pilots noted a fairly comfortable noise level. This was achieved largely thanks to the new technological solutions that were embodied in this model of studded tires.

The HAKKAPELIITTA rubber was the first in the world to have a functional stud. Thanks to this, the best braking distances on winter roads and excellent handling are demonstrated.In terms of noise level, the rubber is certainly inferior to the leaders of the rating, but thanks to the beveled edge on the surface of the tips, their tighter fit is achieved, and, as a result, relatively silent and better work on any surface.

Among the presented winter studded tires, Eskimo STUD has a serious advantage in price. At the same time, the performance of the tire looks no less worthy, since Sava is essentially Goodyear's budget “daughter”. In testing, it even showed the best braking performance and excellent wet handling. On snow and ice, this is a confident “middle peasant”, not far behind the leaders. At the same time, many premium tires took part in the tests of Tuulilasi (Finnish automotive publication).

In addition to the running characteristics, the Sava Eskimo STUD proved to be quite comfortable and reasonably quiet. The rubber does not harden at all even at -35 °C, while maintaining its elasticity and smooth running. Almost all owners note quiet operation on any surface - as a rule, they do not expect much from a studded tire with a budget price, but the Eskimo STUD was able to pleasantly surprise many users.

The NordFrost 200 studded tire from the manufacturer Gislaved, which specializes in the production of tires for the harsh conditions of the northern regions, belongs to the middle price segment and has the best performance characteristics, which ensures its continued popularity.The improved model demonstrates confident behavior on snow thanks to an optimized tread pattern. The manufacturer significantly increased the number of tread blocks by reducing the size of the elements themselves, which allowed the tire to significantly improve grip.

Also in this winter tire, the number of spikes was increased (up to 130 units), which are recessed into special grooves. This feature enables safer maneuvering on ice and slush, and at the same time provides the Gislaved NordFrost 200 tire with maximum driving comfort, as well as almost complete noiselessness. User reviews, as a rule, are dominated by positive assessments - this quiet rubber, despite the spikes, behaves predictably and confidently even in dry track conditions.

This model is great for the northern regions - Michelin X-Ice North 4 can withstand frosts down to -60 ° C. The performance of the tire is also excellent. Despite the large number of lugs (250 pieces for R 16), the tire takes first place in terms of noiselessness - this is the quietest studded tire for winter. Moreover, the steel tips are very similar to rally spikes, thanks to which it was possible to achieve excellent stability on snow and ice - during high-speed maneuvering, they literally "bite" into the surface and do not allow the car to deviate from a given trajectory.

This winter tire, which hit the market last year, is deservedly considered one of the most predictable to drive. Rubber does not blow away in corners on any surface, and besides, it does not have the last stopping distance.Thanks to the deep sipes, the XIN4 keeps perfectly on clean asphalt, demonstrating excellent grip despite the spikes. Also, one of the strengths of the tire can be considered resistance to chemicals that are watered on our roads and, despite the softness and noiselessness, high wear resistance of the tread.

In the range of winter tires this year, Continental has an update - IceContact 3 has replaced the previous version of the model. New tires with directional tread provide sharper handling in slush and snow and stable handling on bare pavement. In urban winter conditions, the special characteristics of this novelty are shown by larger tires (from R 17 and up). They show the best stability on ice and are completely silent while working on any surface.

The secret of the studded "rollers" is the use of rubberized studs (the R 14-16 has aluminum lugs). In addition, the installed tips come in two types, which, combined with the tread pattern, gives phenomenal stability on winter roads. Additional rigidity is provided by jumpers between the tread blocks, thanks to which the studded rubber behaves quite confidently on dry pavement. The use of rapeseed oil in the preparation of the tire mixture provides resistance to low temperatures, which allows these tires to be used in the northernmost regions of the country.The Vi Bilagare publication, which has already tested the new product, highly appreciated the abilities of IceContact 3 - it is not only one of the three quietest tires, but also the best studded rubber.