Winter tire test from Vi Bilägare — 2025

In 2025, the Swedish magazine Vi Bilägare chose to test studded winter tires in the size 235/60 R18, suitable for many crossovers and SUVs, and according to experts, this time the difference between the participants was more significant than usual, and "the worst studded tire slid on ice like a worn-out friction tire and was also the best of all in terms of braking on wet asphalt".

Another feature of the tests was that the testers, by their own admission, were never pulled out of snowdrifts so often. The reason was that, as the experts explained, four-wheel drive (a Volvo XC60 was used) can create a deceptive impression of the level of traction, since when accelerating, all four wheels stabilize the car and push it forward, so even tires with not very high characteristics help to quickly gain speed. At the same time, when turning and braking, mainly only two wheels work, and the loads on the tires are higher than in the case of less heavy passenger cars, due to which even a slight mistake can become the cause of a skid, and thus, the importance of choosing the right tires increases along with the weight of the car. In addition, since the size of the tires increases, their price also increases, and the owners of crossovers and SUVs may be attracted to budget options, so two budget tires from Chinese brands were tested.

Another nuance is that the development of tires with high sidewalls for vehicles with a raised center of gravity complicates the task for manufacturers, as it is necessary to combine optimal stability at high speeds with the softness of the rubber compound and traction required on slippery winter roads, and to find out who it worked out better for, eight tires of all price categories were chosen:

Continental IceContact 3

Goodride IceMaster Spike Z-506

Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 SUV

Michelin X-Ice North 4 SUV

Nexen WinGuard WinSpike 3

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 SUV

Pirelli Scorpion Ice Zero 2

Triangle Icelynx TI501

The list of participants this time does not include Bridgestone Blizzak Spike 3 tires, which last year took second place, although there were complaints about the studding: the stud tips were tilted in different directions, and in some cases, the studs could fall out. This year, it was not possible to find tires for sale, and VB reports that Bridgestone has stopped their production, and at the time of publication of the test results, it was unclear whether the company would release Spike 3 on the market in the winter season of 2025/2026.

The main tests were carried out at the Elvsbyn polygon (Sweden), and the noise was evaluated on nearby roads using the Volvo EX30 electric car. In addition, tests for fuel consumption and resistance to aquaplaning were carried out in Tampere (Finland), where the Volkswagen Tiguan acted as an aggregate carrier.

On ice, traction, braking efficiency, and handling were traditionally evaluated, and in the first discipline, Triangle performed so poorly that, according to the testers, "even if it were possible to put zero, it would still be an overestimation of the assessment". Nokian became the best, and Goodyear and Michelin also showed good results.

According to the braking properties on ice, Nokian, Goodyear, and Michelin also outperform their competitors, and regarding Triangle, the experts said that the Chinese company managed to create a studded tire that does not work on an icy surface at all, and it has been a long time since there have been tires in the tests that were so much worse than their competitors.

Nokian tires on ice have high traction in both longitudinal and transverse directions, which allowed them to demonstrate the best handling. Continental was slightly lacking in lateral stability, while Goodride can sharply skid, and Triangle was even less effective.

On a snowy track, the differences between the tires, as usual, were significantly smaller, and relatively weak traction was only with Nexen.

The braking distances of the tires on snow were also almost the same, and Continental and Pirelli showed themselves better in similar conditions than on ice. Only Nexen lagged behind the rest.

Nokian copes best with turns on a snowy surface, while Continental always informs the driver about reaching the limit of adhesion, Triangle performs its tasks with difficulty, and Goodride is again prone to skidding.

Tires with high traction on ice often show weak results on wet asphalt, and so it was this time, and the longest braking distances on the irrigated track were recorded by Nokian and Michelin. At the same time, Triangle seemed to belong to a different category of tires, and Goodride reminded that there are tires that malfunction both on icy and wet surfaces.

In terms of handling on wet pavement, Pirelli was recognized as the best, which copes well with critical situations and provides complete control over the car. Nexen also showed an impressive result, and Triangle is very prone to understeer, making it difficult to stay on the desired trajectory.

Pirelli and Nexen are the best at resisting aquaplaning, followed by Goodyear. Nokian took the last place, whose dense tread pattern is better suited for winter conditions.

The most effective braking on dry asphalt, like on wet, was demonstrated by Triangle, and Goodyear and Michelin took a little more time to stop than the rest.

Continental, Michelin, and Pirelli received the highest ratings for handling on a dry track, which all provide good stability both in a straight line and in sharp turns, while Triangle and Goodride had blurred reactions to the driver's actions.

The most economical tires were Continental, and Goodyear and Triangle took the lower lines in this discipline.

Noise was measured in the car's cabin, and subjective assessment played a decisive role in compiling the rating. The experts put Triangle in first place, while the noise of Nexen was called "pulsating" and tiring for the driver, and Pirelli "surprised with unpleasant frequencies at high speeds".

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 SUV took first place in the 2025 test, which surpassed all its competitors in terms of traction on ice, winning in all three disciplines on this type of surface. In addition, Nokian also recorded the best handling on snow (the car always turned where it was needed, while maintaining full control), however, the emphasis on "winter" characteristics affected the tests on wet asphalt, where Hakkapeliitta had the longest braking distance and the worst resistance to aquaplaning. The reactions to steering wheel turns were also not the most accurate, but overall, the tires provided good safety when maneuvering, and excellent performance on ice and snow allowed them to win the overall standings.

Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 SUV took second place, which managed to compete with Nokian in winter conditions. At the same time, if the longitudinal traction was at the same high level, the handling was not so rosy, and Goodyear reacts slowly to steering wheel turns, and can also show a tendency to both understeer and oversteer. On wet pavement, Goodyear received a lot of points due to good resistance to aquaplaning and short braking distance, however, again, some inaccuracy of steering was noted, and besides, the tires have quite high rolling resistance.

Continental IceContact 3 took bronze, which, despite the name, did not particularly impress on ice, and the same situation was in previous tests. On the icy surface, Continental has average traction and braking properties, although there are no complaints about handling, and under load, the tires behave logically and predictably. On snow, the traction is high, and Continental also provides good stability on asphalt, and their rolling resistance was the lowest among the tested tires.

Michelin X-Ice North 4 SUV has been on the market for quite some time and has previously been recognized by VB as one of the best in its class due to the combination of short braking distances on ice and snow with low noise levels and stable behavior on asphalt. In the 2025 test, nothing changed, Michelin still stops the car quickly on snowy and icy surfaces, while the transverse traction was slightly lower than that of the best tires in this regard. On asphalt, Michelin has a clear tendency to understeer under load, but their main drawback was weak traction on wet asphalt, which significantly worsens handling, and the braking distance was the longest among all tires in the test, which is why they did not make it to the podium.

Pirelli Scorpion Ice Zero 2 this time became only fifth, including due to the fact that on ice they lost to other premium-class tires, and besides, they had a tendency to skid both on ice and on snow. At the same time, Pirelli outperformed all their competitors in tests for handling on dry and wet surfaces, and they also most effectively resist aquaplaning. Noise is one of the highest among the test participants, which, in combination with low performance in winter conditions, did not allow Pirelli to take a higher place.

Nexen WinGuard WinSpike 3 is behind Pirelli, which has a relatively hard rubber compound and clearly weak performance on ice and snow: the first always loses traction on the front axle, and this happens suddenly and without warning. On asphalt, the situation is better, and Nexen well resists aquaplaning, they also have short braking distances and high stability in turns. At the same time, it was Nexen that turned out to be the noisiest tires in the test, and overall, they significantly lagged behind premium tires in the overall assessment.

Triangle Icelynx TI501 was named "a very strange product, namely a studded tire with a complete lack of traction on ice" following the test. The braking distance of Triangle on the ice track was more than twice as long as that of the leader, and, as the testers noted, even the worst friction tires do not have such serious problems with braking on ice. The results were so surprising that the correctness of the installation of directional tires was rechecked, and several additional runs were carried out, but the results were the same.

On snow, Triangle has good traction when driving straight, but the tires have difficulty maintaining it in turns, while on asphalt, Icelynx demonstrated extremely effective braking, however, here they also have difficulties with transverse grip, due to which there is a strong tendency to understeer. In the end, good performance on asphalt, combined with the best acoustic comfort among the test participants, still saved Triangle from taking the very last place in the overall standings.

The last line was taken by the Goodride IceMaster Spike Z-506 tires from the Chinese company ZC Rubber. The marketing materials state that the studded Goodride was developed in Finland, but their performance does not indicate that they are well suited for the northern winter. Unlike Triangle, Goodride did not have such obvious failures in the test, but at the same time, they ended up in the lower lines of the rating in most disciplines. Goodride, made from a relatively hard rubber compound, showed themselves best on asphalt, where they sometimes reached the middle of the rating, but on ice and snow, the traction is low, and the tires are eager to lose it.