Tyre reviews Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 257

Not the best +/- price-quality ratio, Nokian has deteriorated and become arrogant on its way out! Even before all the crises and "events", Finnish tires were in the top 2 for expensiveness (for their parks, we take/test the best: Good, Mich, Pirelli, Conti, Yoko, Dunlop, Bridg). For a lot of $$$, the sticker on the new tire promises exhaustively: "Russia", traction on V/snow-ice (good) and E/ASPHALT (the worst), not withstanding comparisons with any competitor in the class... that's where the review would end)) but it will leave a lot of tears and snot! Specifically >>>>

Those who haven't driven on the previous R and R2 generations are happy. And when comparing, we understand: despite the angles, NOT polished from the factory, sharp side lugs grip well up to 45% wear, not allowing racing on ice/slip/skating rink. Further, as they wear down TO the genius bridges between the lugs, they stop diverting water/snow/mush OUTSIDE from the middle of the wear! Becoming almost helpless, so you can run for new ones sooner? When fresh, they grip well in snow thanks to the spruce pattern of the tread (we have 4WD on all cars). Here, maneuvers on wet roads and braking on snow/"mush" would be better, in puddles they're not stable, and at speeds, you understeer... Wear would be lower for a premium brand and such a price: on 5-10% it's more along the edge, sidewalls are delicate, and the tread is slightly prone to squaring off.

Noise compared to the previous R2 is higher in the version from the Russian Federation (the softness of the Finnish ones is almost gone - only the top price remains - those who managed to buy in the first years were lucky), super fuel economy (yeah, they roll far without gas, NOT resisting). High-quality medium-hard material: as an indicator, they don't become stiff even at -30`C)), breed, and technology, however - because of which the ideal effort (informative on the wheel), during normal driving for 5-6 years, there are no cracks (just store them correctly). Well-made (out of 300 tires, not a single defect). We have medium-bad roads in our region: in general, out of 100 tires, 4-6 get blown, approximately <55 km/h they withstand a puncture (normal for Europe and little for Russian roads, and the compliant cord provides not a little comfort on the other hand). The factory warranty for 1 year doesn't help. When gathering medium-sized potholes, the tire deforms along the tread, and "pops out" fatally only after 3-4-5 years...

**In winter, take a smaller width (when driving frequently on black ice/slip - so even narrower) for pressure on the road and flying through a snowbank (but not narrower than the disk). Reviews - from jeeps/sedans/vans... and opinions clearly differ (weight, suspension, region, wear, skills - everyone has their own) - read about cars similar to yours

If you're going to buy, it's better to get used ones !!! but less than 25% wear (to half they give in strongly)

Tires are not the most reliable
Sidewalls are soft. Got a sidewall cut with them, and they barely drive on ice.
In snow in the city, they're okay overall, but the tires are far from ideal.

Operation - St. Petersburg and the region. Bought (in another store) in 2022, production date 2022. Very weak sidewall (two cuts), mediocre handling. Disappointed.

Good on snow, not so much on ice. Noise level 4.

Completely do not brake and do not drive on ice and densely packed snow. In this respect R1 were much better. They behave well on the snow and even great. Be careful. Buying these tires came with the expectations that were completely not met, the price is overpriced for such bad characteristics.

Отличные шины. Достаточно тихие. Отлично держат дорогу. В эту снежную зиму по льду на МКАД как по рельсам, так же и в межсезонье по каше и слякоти. Беру уже второй комплект, скатав великолепно первый. Рекомендую к покупке!

See the photos. The quality of the rubber speaks for itself. The tires were produced in 12/22 and have been used for 2 seasons: 23-24, 24-25. Made in Russia. Summer storage in a garage. Now everything is cracked, I suppose that's not how it's supposed to be.

On the one hand, the handling is very good, both on clean asphalt and in snowy slush. On the other hand, the tires won't last long if they're all cracked after just 2 seasons.

I've driven through 3 southern winters in Krasnodar region / not to be confused with the city of Krasnodar. Our roads are not cleared in winter, instead they wait for the ice to melt on its own and 75% of the roads are dirt or potholed asphalt. R3 is an ideal tire for careful drivers. It really brakes on ice, and acceleration on ice requires a very smooth start. On black ice, I would release the gas before turning and then accelerate gently to get through the second half of the turn without using the handbrake. But from the middle of the third winter, I got a bulge on three wheels, and two bulges on the fourth wheel, all of them on the bottom. Meanwhile, the only tires that were better than R3 for me were used tires from Japan - Yokohama G20. And the worst - G30 made in Russia, they were floating on the road even after running in, I sold them quickly.

Very very noisy

Not fresh from 2022, but okay, the delivery was long.